XXVII LENORA. At break of day with frightful dreams, 66 My William, art thou slain," said she, "Or dost thou love no more?" He went abroad with Richard's host, With sound of trump, and beat of drum, Their helms bedeckt with oaken boughs, And every road, and every lane, To gaze at the rejoicing band, To hail with gladsome tongue. “Thank God!" their wives and children said; "Welcome!"—the brides did say; But greet or kiss Lenora gave To none upon that day. She asked of all the passing train, And when the soldiers all were by Her mother ran and lift her up, And clasped her in her arm, "My child, my child, what dost thou ail? God shield thy life from harm!" "O mother, mother! William's gone! And so despair did rave and rage She hurled her impious strains. She beat her breast, and wrung her hands, And rolled her tearless eye, From rise of morn, till the pale stars Again did freck the sky. When hark! abroad she heard a tramp Of nimble-hoofed steed; She heard a knight with clank alight, And soon she heard a tinkling hand, And through her door, that opened not, "What ho! what ho! thy door undo; My love, dost yet remember me, "Ah! William, here so late at night! Oh! I have watched and waked, Whence dost thou come? for thy return My heart has sorely ached." "At midnight only we may ride; "O William, enter first my bower, The blasts athwart the hawthorn hiss, 66 Though blasts athwart the hawthorn hiss I may not harbour here ; My spur is sharp, my courser paws, My hour of flight is near. "All as thou liest upon thy couch, Arise, and mount behind; To-night we'll ride a thousand miles, The bridal couch to find." "How, ride to-night a thousand miles? Thy love thou dost bemock, Eleven is the stroke that still Rings on within the clock." "Look up, the moon is bright, and we Outstride the earthly men; I'll take thee to the bridal couch, And night shall end but then.". "And where is, then, thy house and home, And bridal bed so meet?" "'Tis narrow, silent, chilly, low; Six planks, one milk-white sheet." "And is there any room for me, Wherein that I may creep?" "There's room enough for thee and me, Wherein that we may sleep. "All as thou liest upon thy couch, The wedding guests thy coming wait, All in her sark, as there she lay, And hurry-skurry forth they go, Unheeding wet or dry; And horse and rider snort and blow, And sparkling pebbles fly. How swift the flood, the mead, the wood, Aright, aleft are gone! The bridges thunder as they pass, But earthly sound is none. Tramp, tramp, across the land they speed, Splash, splash, across the sea: "Hurrah! the dead can ride apace; Dost fear to ride with me? "The moon is bright, and blue the night, Dost quake, the blast to stem? Dost shudder, maid, to seek the dead?"but what of them?" "No, no |