As famish'd wolves survey a guarded fold- At length they move-but not to battle-fray, Where cowardice and cruelty unite To damn with double shame their ignominious flight! VI. O triumph for the Fiends of Lust and Wrath! The hoary priest even at the altar shot, Childhood and age given o'er to sword and flame, Woman to infamy;-no crime forgot, By which inventive demons might proclaim Immortal hate to man, and scorn of God's great name! VII. The rudest sentinel, in Britain born, With horror paused to view the havoc done, Riches nor poverty the tax shall shun, Nor prince nor peer, the wealthy nor the gay, Nor the poor peasant's mite, nor bard's more worthless lay. From thy dishonour'd name and arms to clear-Fallen Child of Fortune, turn, redeem her favour here! IX. Yet, ere thou turn'st, collect each distant aid ; Of Talavera, or Mondego's shore! Marshal each band thou hast, and summon more; And weary out his arm-thou canst not quell his soul. * The literal translation of Fuentes d'Hororo. X. O vainly gleams with steel Agueda's shore, With frantic charge and tenfold odds, in vain! Wild from his plaided ranks the yell was givenVengeance and grief gave mountain-rage the rein, And, at the bloody spear-point headlong driven, Thy Despot's giant guards fled like the rack of heaven. XI. Go, baffled boaster! teach thy haughty mood And if he chafe, be his own fortune tried- XII. But you, ye heroes of that well-fought day, Or bind on every brow the laurels won? XIII. Yes! hard the task, when Britons wield the sword, Hark! Albuera thunders Beresford, And Red Barosa shouts for dauntless GRÆME! O for a verse of tumult and of flame, Bold as the bursting of their cannon sound, To bid the world re-echo to their fame! For never, upon gory battle-ground, With conquest's well-bought wreath were braver victors crown'd! XIV. O who shail grudge him Albuera's bays, Who brought a race regenerate to the field, Roused them to emulate their fathers' praise, Temper'd their headlong rage, their courage steel'd, And raised fair Lusitania's fallen shield, And gave new edge to Lusitania's sword, And taught her sons forgotten arms to wield- If it forget thy worth, victorious BERESFORD! XV. Not on that bloody field of battle won, Though Gaul's proud legions roll'd like mist away, Was half his self-devoted valour shown, He gaged but life on that illustrious day; But when he toil'd those squadrons to array, Who fought like Britons in the bloody game, Sharper than Polish pike or assagay, He braved the shafts of censure and of shame, And, dearer far than life, he pledged a soldier's fame. XVI. Nor be his praise o'erpast who strove to hide XVII. O hero of a race renown'd of old, Whose war-cry oft has waked the battle-swell, Since first distinguish'd in the onset bold, Wild sounding when the Roman rampart fell! By Wallace' side it rung the Southron's knell, Alderne, Kilsythe, and Tibber, own'd its fame, Tummell's rude pass can of its terrors tell, But ne'er from prouder field arose the name, Than when wild Ronda learn'd the conquering shout of GR.EME! XVIII. But all too long, through seas unknown and dark, And, as the prow light touches on the strand, ROKE BY: A POEM. IN SIX CANTOS. ΤΟ JOHN B. S. MORRITT, ESQ. THIS POEM, The Scene of which is laid in his beautiful demesne of Rokeby, IS INSCRIBED, IN TOKEN OF SINCERe friendsHIP, BY WALTER SCOTT. ADVERTISEMENT TO THE FIRST EDITION. The Scene of this Poem is laid at Rokeby, near Greta Bridge, in Yorkshire, and shifts to the adjacent Fortress of Barnard Castle, and to other places in that Vicinity. The Time occupied by the Action is a space of Five Days, Three of which are supposed to elapse between the end of the Fifth and the beginning of the Sixth Canto. The Date of the supposed events is immediately subsequent to the great Battle of Marston Moor, 3d July, 1644. This period of public confusion has been chosen, without any purpose of combining the Fable with the Military or Political Events of the Civil War, but only as affording a degree of probability to the Fictitious narrative now presented to the Public. |