Bothwell A Poem In Six Parts: By William Edmondstoune Aytoun: Third Edition, Revised |
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 | Bothwell |  |
VI.
Yes, when she looked upon the pairSo fondly placed together there,
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Beyond their present bliss and joy,
All hope, all trust, all happiness,
All faith without alloy,
I saw her strive to hide her tears—
I am not gentler than my peers;
Nor could I, in the general case,
Divine why women weep and wail,
But gazing on Queen Mary's face,
I saw the cause, and could not fail.
She thought her of the marriage-feast
When Darnley was the chosen groom,
When, trusting to his vows and faith,
She gave herself, in beauty's bloom.
When she was radiant as the bride,
And he was, as the lover, gay;
Alas! there rolled an awful tide
Between that time and this to-day!
Short interval; yet where was he,
The partner of her bed and throne,
The chief of all her chivalry?
A wretched leper, and alone!
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Worn out with base debaucheries,
Her lord once more was nigh;
Broken in body and in mind—
A wretch, who paradise resigned,
To wallow in a sty!
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