The London university magazine Author:Unknown Author Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE GUERILLA BRIDE. IT is a tale of Spain—Romantic Spain! Mother of ardent knighthood, once again Thy song is wakening! What, though thy name Boast n... more »ot the lustre of its early fame, Yet are our bosoms kindled as we view The source from whence, of old, the Minstrel drew His thousand tales of wonder! Chance nor Time Can throw a shadow o'er thy lovely clime, Nor change can work on thy eternal hills! Nor quench the living pulse of love that thrills The glowing bosoms of thy daughters fair.— Story and song float on thy sunny air ; Peopling each stately relic Time has left, With bright creations that in darkness slept;— Memorials of thy pomp in days gone by, Wherein thou wast alone—the Queen of Chivalry ! A heavy wail comes by—a voice of doom Rings on mine ear—no wreath of joy or bloom I twine for thee—from what thou wert, I turn To muse on thy abasement—what thou art! Alas ! that all thy glory should depart: Thou art no more than a funereal urn Of the once mighty : What remains for thee ?— The curse of slaves, the scorfings of the free. Woe to thee, Spain!—Woe ! from that fatal hour When thy dark myriads cross'd the western wave ; The curse that the despoil'd Peruvian gave Hath fallen upon thee in its withering power! Woe to thee, Spain ! the earth that drank the blood Of slaughter'd innocence, sends up to heav'n Its cry for vengeance: lo! the crimson flood Pollutes thy very altars—unforgiven— The plague spot on thy race—the stern decree, Of blood for blood, shall be fulfill'd in thee. How thy fair vallies, and thy mountains dim, Blush'd with the fruitage of the laden vine; How free at evening 'rose the peasant's hymn, Blending with the meek twilight's soft decline: How gaily, when the lusty grape wax'd red, The venduniadores n...« less