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The Poetical Works of Sir Walter Scott, Complete
The Poetical Works of Sir Walter Scott Complete Author:Walter Scott 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: WILLIAM AND HELEN From heavy dreams fair Helen rose, And eyed the dawning red: " Alas, my love, thou tarriest long! O art thou false or dead?" With ga... more »llant Fred'rick's princely power He sought the bold Crusade; But not a word from Judah's wars Told Helen how he sped. With Paynim and with Saracen At length a truce was made, And ev'ry knight return'd to dry The tears his love had shed. Our gallant host was homeward bound With many a song of joy : Green waved the laurel in each plume, The badge of victory. And old and young, and sire and son, To meet them crowd the way, With shouts, and mirth, and melody, The debt of love to pay. Full many a maid her true-love met, And sobb'd in his embrace, And flutt'ring joy in tears and smiles Array'd full many a face. Nor joy nor smile for Helen sad; She sought the host in vain; For none could tell her William's fate, If faithless, or if slain. VIII. The martial band is past and gone; She rends her raven hair, And in distraction's bitter mood She weeps with wild despair. " O rise, my child," her mother said, " Nor sorrow thus in vain; A perjured lover's fleeting heart No tears recall again."— " O mother, what is gone, is gone, What's lost for ever lorn: Death, death alone can comfort me; O had I ne'er been born! " O break, my heart, 0 break at once! Drink my life-blood, Despair! No joy remains on earth for me, For me in heaven no share."— " 0 enter not in judgment, Lord!" The pious mother prays; " Impute not guilt to thy frail child! She knows not what she says. XIII. " O say thy pater noster, child! 0 turn to God and grace! His will, that turn'd thy bliss to bale, Can change thy bale to bliss."— "O mother, mother, what is bliss?...« less