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第9部分

the lady of the lake-第9部分

小说: the lady of the lake 字数: 每页4000字

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shadows o'er Clan…Alpine's grave;  And; answering Lomond's breezes deep;  Soothe many a chieftain's endless sleep。 The Cross thus formed he held on high;  With wasted hand and haggard eye;  And strange and mingled feelings woke;  While his anathema he spoke:


IX。

'Woe to the clansman who shall view  This symbol of sepulchral yew;  Forgetful that its branches grew  Where weep the heavens their holiest dew       On Alpine's dwelling low!  Deserter of his Chieftain's trust;  He ne'er shall mingle with their dust;  But; from his sires and kindred thrust;  Each clansman's execration just      Shall doom him wrath and woe。'  He paused;  the word the vassals took;  With forward step and fiery look;  On high their naked brands they shook;  Their clattering targets wildly strook;      And first in murmur low;  Then like the billow in his course; That far to seaward finds his source;  And flings to shore his mustered force;  Burst with loud roar their answer hoarse; 'Woe to the traitor; woe!' Ben…an's gray scalp the accents knew;  The joyous wolf from covert drew;  The exulting eagle screamed afar;  They knew the voice of Alpine's war。


X。

The shout was hushed on lake and fell;  The Monk resumed his muttered spell: Dismal and low its accents came;  The while he scathed the Cross with flame;  And the few words that reached the air;  Although the holiest name was there;  Had more of blasphemy than prayer。  But when he shook above the crowd  Its kindled points; he spoke aloud:  'Woe to the wretch who fails to rear  At this dread sign the ready spear!  For; as the flames this symbol sear;  His home; the refuge of his fear;      A kindred fate shall know;  Far o'er its roof the volumed flame  Clan…Alpine's vengeance shall proclaim;  While maids and matrons on his name  Shall call down wretchedness and shame;      And infamy and woe。' Then rose the cry of females; shrill   As goshawk's whistle on the hill;    Denouncing misery and ill;   Mingled with childhood's babbling trill        Of curses stammered slow;   Answering with imprecation dread;   'Sunk be his home in embers red!   And cursed be the meanest shed   That o'er shall hide the houseless head        We doom to want and woe!' A sharp and shrieking echo gave;   Coir…Uriskin; thy goblin cave!   And the gray pass where birches wave      On Beala…nam…bo。


XI。

Then deeper paused the priest anew;  And hard his laboring breath he drew; While; with set teeth and clenched hand;  And eyes that glowed like fiery brand;  He meditated curse more dread;  And deadlier; on the clansman's head  Who; summoned to his chieftain's aid;  The signal saw and disobeyed。  The crosslet's points of sparkling wood  He quenched among the bubbling blood。  And; as again the sign he reared;  Hollow and hoarse his voice was heard:  'When flits this Cross from man to man;  Vich…Alpine's summons to his clan;  Burst be the ear that fails to heed!  Palsied the foot that shuns to speed!  May ravens tear the careless eyes;  Wolves make the coward heart their prize!  As sinks that blood…stream in the earth;  So may his heart's…blood drench his hearth!  As dies in hissing gore the spark;  Quench thou his light; Destruction dark!  And be the grace to him denied;  Bought by this sign to all beside!   He ceased; no echo gave again  The murmur of the deep Amen。


XII。

Then Roderick with impatient look  From Brian's hand the symbol took:  'Speed; Malise; speed' he said; and gave  The crosslet to his henchman brave。  'The muster…place be Lanrick mead  Instant the time…speed; Malise; speed!' Like heath…bird; when the hawks pursue;  A barge across Loch Katrine flew: High stood the henchman on the prow;  So rapidly the barge…mall row;  The bubbles; where they launched the boat;  Were all unbroken and afloat;  Dancing in foam and ripple still;  When it had neared the mainland hill;  And from the silver beach's side  Still was the prow three fathom wide;  When lightly bounded to the land  The messenger of blood and brand。


XIII。

Speed; Malise; speed! the dun deer's hide  On fleeter foot was never tied。  Speed; Malise; speed! such cause of haste  Thine active sinews never braced。  Bend 'gainst the steepy hill thy breast;  Burst down like torrent from its crest;  With short and springing footstep pass  The trembling bog and false morass;  Across the brook like roebuck bound;  And thread the brake like questing hound;  The crag is high; the scaur is deep;  Yet shrink not from the desperate leap:  Parched are thy burning lips and brow;  Yet by the fountain pause not now;  Herald of battle; fate; and fear;  Stretch onward in thy fleet career!  The wounded hind thou track'st not now;  Pursuest not maid through greenwood bough;  Nor priest thou now thy flying pace  With rivals in the mountain race;  But danger; death; and warrior deed  Are in thy coursespeed; Malise; speed!


XIV。

Fast as the fatal symbol flies;  In arms the huts and hamlets rise;  From winding glen; from upland brown;  They poured each hardy tenant down。  Nor slacked the messenger his pace;  He showed the sign; he named the place;  And; pressing forward like the wind;  Left clamor and surprise behind。  The fisherman forsook the strand;  The swarthy smith took dirk and brand;  With changed cheer; the mower blithe  Left in the half…cut swath his scythe;  The herds without a keeper strayed;  The plough was in mid…furrow staved;  The falconer tossed his hawk away;  The hunter left the stag at hay;  Prompt at the signal of alarms;  Each son of Alpine rushed to arms;  So swept the tumult and affray  Along the margin of Achray。  Alas; thou lovely lake! that e'er  Thy banks should echo sounds of fear!  The rocks; the bosky thickets; sleep  So stilly on thy bosom deep;  The lark's blithe carol from the cloud  Seems for the scene too gayly loud。


XV。

Speed; Malise; speed! The lake is past;  Duncraggan's huts appear at last;  And peep; like moss…grown rocks; half seen  Half hidden in the copse so green; There mayst thou rest; thy labor done;  Their lord shall speed the signal on。  As stoops the hawk upon his prey;  The henchman shot him down the way。  What woful accents load the gale?  The funeral yell; the female wail!  A gallant hunter's sport is o'er;  A valiant warrior fights no more。  Who; in the battle or the chase;  At Roderick's side shall fill his place!  Within the hall; where torch's ray  Supplies the excluded beams of day;  Lies Duncan on his lowly bier;  And o'er him streams his widow's tear。  His stripling son stands mournful by;  His youngest weeps; but knows not why;  The village maids and matrons round  The dismal coronach resound。


XVI。

Coronach。

He is gone on the mountain;      He is lost to the forest; Like a summer…dried fountain;      When our need was the sorest。 The font; reappearing;      From the rain…drops shall borrow; But to us comes no cheering;      To Duncan no morrow!

The hand of the reaper      Takes the ears that are hoary; But the voice of the weeper      Wails manhood in glory。 The autumn winds rushing      Waft the leaves that are searest; But our flower was in flushing;      When blighting was nearest。

Fleet foot on the correi;      Sage counsel in cumber; Red hand in the foray;      How sound is thy slumber! Like the dew on the mountain;      Like the foam on the river; Like the bubble on the fountain;      Thou art gone; and forever!


XVII。 

See Stumah; who; the bier beside  His master's corpse with wonder eyed;  Poor Stumah! whom his least halloo  Could send like lightning o'er the dew;  Bristles his crest; and points his ears;  As if some stranger step he hears。  'T is not a mourner's muffled tread;  Who comes to sorrow o'er the dead;  But headlong haste or deadly fear  Urge the precipitate career。  All stand aghast:unheeding all;  The henchman bursts into the hall;  Before the dead man's bier he stood;  Held forth the Cross besmeared with blood;  'The muster…place is Lanrick mead;  Speed forth the signal! clansmen。 speed!'


XVIII;

Angus; the heir of Duncan's line;  Sprung forth and seized the fatal sign。 In haste the stripling to his side  His father's dirk and broadsword tied;  But when he saw his mother's eye  Watch him in speechless agony;  Back to her opened arms he flew  Pressed on her lips a fond adieu;  'Alas 〃 she sobbed;' and yet be gone;  And speed thee forth; like Duncan's son!'  One look he cast upon the bier;  Dashed from his eye the gathering tear;  Breathed deep to clear his laboring breast;  And tossed aloft his bonnet crest;  Then; like the high…bred colt when; freed;  First he essays his fire and speed;  He vanished; and o'er moor and moss  Sped forward with the Fiery Cross。  Suspended was the widow's tear  While yet his footsteps she could hear;  And when she marked the henchman's eye  Wet with unwonted sympathy;  'Kinsman;' she said; 'his race is run  That should have sped shine errand on 。  The oak teas fallen?the sapling bough Is all  Duncraggan's shelter now  Yet trust I well; his duty done;  The orphan's God will guard my son。  And you; in many a danger true  At Duncan's hest your blades that drew;  To arms; and guard that orphan's head!  Let babes and women wail the dead。'  Then weapon… clang and martial call  Resounded through the funeral hall;  While f

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