Nor wistful those gay scenes recall, And when at last thy love shall die, Wilt thou receive his parting breath? Wilt thou repress each struggling sigh, And cheer with smiles the bed of death? And wilt thou o'er his breathless clay Strew flowers, and drop the tender tear, Nor then regret those scenes so gay, Where thou wast fairest of the fair? 25 30 PERCY. THE BATTLE OF BLENHEIM. It was a summer evening, Old Kaspar's work was done, And he before his cottage door Was sitting in the sun, And by him sported on the green His little grandchild Wilhelmine. She saw her brother Peterkin Roll something large and round, Which he beside the rivulet In playing there had found; He came to ask what he had found, That was so large, and smooth, and round. Old Kaspar took it from the boy, 5 10 Who stood expectant by; And then the old man shook his head, 15 And with a natural sigh, ""T is some poor fellow's skull," said he, "Who fell in the great victory. "I find them in the garden, For there's many here about; And often when I go to plough, 20 The ploughshare turns them out! For many a thousand men," said he, “Were slain in that great victory.” "Now tell us what 't was all about," 25 Young Peterkin, he cries; And little Wilhelmine looks up With wonder-waiting eyes; "It was the English," Kaspar cried, "My father lived at Blenheim then, Yon little stream hard by; They burnt his dwelling to the ground, 30 335 40 So with his wife and child he fled, Nor had he where to rest his head. "With fire and sword the country round And many a childing mother then, Was wasted far and wide, And new-born baby died; But things like that you know, must be 45 238 THEY SIN WHO TELL US LOVE CAN DIE. "They say it was a shocking sight After the field was won; For many thousand bodies here Lay rotting in the sun; But things like that, you know must be 50 "Great praise the Duke of Marlborough won. 55 And our good Prince Eugene-" "Why 't was a very wicked thing!" Said little Wilhelmine. "Nay-nay-my little girl," quoth he, "It was a famous victory. "And everybody praised the Duke "But what good came of it at last ? "Why, that I cannot tell," said he, 60 65 SOUTHEY. THEY SIN WHO TELL US LOVE CAN DIE. THEY sin who tell us Love can die. In Heaven Ambition cannot dwell, They perish where they have their birth; But Love is indestructible. 5 Its holy flame for ever burneth, From Heaven it came, to Heaven returneth; 10 ་ Too oft on Earth a troubled guest, It here is tried and purified, Then hath in Heaven its perfect rest; O! when a Mother meets on high Hath she not then, for pains and fears, SOUTHEY. 15 20 THE WELL OF ST. KEYNE. A WELL there is in the west country, There is not a wife in the west country But has heard of the Well of St. Keyne. An oak and an elm-tree stand beside, And behind doth an ash-tree grow, Droops to the water below. 5 A traveller came to the Well of St. Keyne; 10 For from cock-crow he had been travelling, He drank of the water so cool and clear, And he sat down upon the bank 15 Under the willow-tree. There came a man from the house hard by At the Well to fill his pail; On the Well-side he rested it, And he bade the Stranger hail. "Now art thou a bachelor, Stranger ?" quoth he, The happiest draught thou hast drunk this day "Or has thy good woman, if one thou hast, For an if she have, I 'll venture my life She has drunk of the Well of St. Keyne." "I have left a good woman who never was here," The Stranger he made reply, "But that my draught should be better for that, I pray you answer me why ?" 20 25 30 "St. Keyne," quoth the Cornish-man, "many a time Drank of this crystal Well, And before the Angel summon'd her, She laid on the water a spell. "If the Husband of this gifted Well, Shall drink before his Wife, A happy man thenceforth is he, For he shall be Master for life: 35 40 "But if the Wife should drink of it first,— God help the Husband then!" The Stranger stoopt to the Well of St. Keyne, And drank of the water again. |