The poetical works of Leigh Hunt Now finally collected, revised by himself, and edited by his son, Thornton Hunt. With illustrations by Corbould |
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 | The poetical works of Leigh Hunt |  |
129
1. PART THE FIRST.
Wallace with his sixteen men
Is on his weary way;
They have hasting been all night,
And hasting been all day;
And now, to lose their only hope,
They hear the bloodhound bay.
Is on his weary way;
They have hasting been all night,
And hasting been all day;
And now, to lose their only hope,
They hear the bloodhound bay.
The bloodhound's bay comes down the wind,
Right upon the road;
Town and tower are yet to pass,
With not a friend's abode.
Right upon the road;
Town and tower are yet to pass,
With not a friend's abode.
Wallace neither turn'd nor spake;
Closer drew the men;
Little had they said that day,
But most went cursing then.
Closer drew the men;
Little had they said that day,
But most went cursing then.
Oh! to meet twice sixteen foes
Coming from English ground,
And leave their bodies on the track,
To cheat King Edward's hound.
Coming from English ground,
And leave their bodies on the track,
To cheat King Edward's hound.
Oh! to overtake one wretch
That left them in the fight,
And leave him cloven to the ribs,
To mock the bloody spite.
That left them in the fight,
And leave him cloven to the ribs,
To mock the bloody spite.
Suddenly dark Fawdon stopp'd,
As they near'd a town;
He stumbled with a desperate oath,
And cast him fiercely down.
As they near'd a town;
He stumbled with a desperate oath,
And cast him fiercely down.
He said, “The leech took all my strength,
My body is unblest;
Come dog, come devil, or English rack,
Here must Fawdon rest.”
My body is unblest;
Come dog, come devil, or English rack,
Here must Fawdon rest.”
130
Fawdon was an Irishman
Had join'd them in the war;
Four orphan children waited him
Down by Eden Scawr.
Had join'd them in the war;
Four orphan children waited him
Down by Eden Scawr.
But Wallace hated Fawdon's ways,
That were both fierce and shy;
And at his words he turn'd, and said,
“That's a traitor's lie.
That were both fierce and shy;
And at his words he turn'd, and said,
“That's a traitor's lie.
“No thought is thine of lingering here,
A captive for the hound;
Thine eye is bright; thy lucky flesh
Hath not a single wound;
The moment we depart, the lane
Will see thee from the ground.”
A captive for the hound;
Thine eye is bright; thy lucky flesh
Hath not a single wound;
The moment we depart, the lane
Will see thee from the ground.”
Fawdon would not speak nor stir,
Speak as any might;
Scorn'd or sooth'd, he sat and lour'd,
As though in angry spite.
Speak as any might;
Scorn'd or sooth'd, he sat and lour'd,
As though in angry spite.
Wallace drew a little back,
And waved his men apart;
And Fawdon half leap'd up and cried,
“Thou wilt not have the heart!”
And waved his men apart;
And Fawdon half leap'd up and cried,
“Thou wilt not have the heart!”
Wallace with his dreadful sword,
Without further speech,
Clean cut off dark Fawdon's head,
Through its stifled screech:
Without further speech,
Clean cut off dark Fawdon's head,
Through its stifled screech:
Through its stifled screech, and through
The arm that fenc'd his brow;
And Fawdon, as he leap'd, fell dead,
And safe is Wallace now.
The arm that fenc'd his brow;
And Fawdon, as he leap'd, fell dead,
And safe is Wallace now.
Safe is Wallace with his men,
And silent is the hound;
And on their way to Castle Gask
They quit the sullen ground.
And silent is the hound;
And on their way to Castle Gask
They quit the sullen ground.
| The poetical works of Leigh Hunt | |