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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| 2. | PART THE SECOND. |
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 | The poetical works of Leigh Hunt |  |
131
2. PART THE SECOND.
Wallace lies in Castle Gask,
Safely with his men;
Not a soul has come, three days,
Within the warder's ken.
Safely with his men;
Not a soul has come, three days,
Within the warder's ken.
Safely with his men lies Wallace,
Yet he fareth ill;
There is fever in his blood;
His mind may not be still.
Yet he fareth ill;
There is fever in his blood;
His mind may not be still.
It was night, and all were housed,
Talking long and late;
Who is this that blows the horn
At the castle-gate?
Talking long and late;
Who is this that blows the horn
At the castle-gate?
Who is this that blows a horn
Which none but Wallace hears?
Loud and louder grows the blast
In his frenzied ears.
Which none but Wallace hears?
Loud and louder grows the blast
In his frenzied ears.
He sends by twos, he sends by threes,
He sends them all to learn;
He stands upon the stairs, and calls,
But none of them return.
He sends them all to learn;
He stands upon the stairs, and calls,
But none of them return.
Wallace flings him forth down stairs;
And there the moonlight fell
Across the yard upon a sight,
That makes him seem in hell.
And there the moonlight fell
Across the yard upon a sight,
That makes him seem in hell.
Fawdon's headless trunk he sees,
With an arm in air,
Brandishing his bloody head
By the swinging hair.
With an arm in air,
Brandishing his bloody head
By the swinging hair.
Wallace with a stifled screech
Turn'd and fled amain,
Up the stairs, and through the bowers
With a burning brain:
Turn'd and fled amain,
Up the stairs, and through the bowers
With a burning brain:
132
From a window Wallace leap'd
Fifteen feet to ground,
And never stopp'd till fast within
A nunnery's holy bound.
Fifteen feet to ground,
And never stopp'd till fast within
A nunnery's holy bound.
And then he turn'd, in gasping doubt,
To see the fiend retire,
And saw him not at hand, but saw
Castle Gask on fire.
To see the fiend retire,
And saw him not at hand, but saw
Castle Gask on fire.
All on fire was Castle Gask;
And on its top, endued
With the bulk of half a tower,
Headless Fawdon stood.
And on its top, endued
With the bulk of half a tower,
Headless Fawdon stood.
Wide he held a burning beam,
And blackly fill'd the light;
His body seem'd, by some black art,
To look at Wallace, heart to heart,
Threatening through the night.
And blackly fill'd the light;
His body seem'd, by some black art,
To look at Wallace, heart to heart,
Threatening through the night.
Wallace that day week arose
From a feeble bed;
And gentle though he was before,
Yet now to orphans evermore
He gentlier bow'd his head,
From a feeble bed;
And gentle though he was before,
Yet now to orphans evermore
He gentlier bow'd his head,
| The poetical works of Leigh Hunt | |