Stunn'd by that loud and dreadful sound,

Which sky and ocean smote,

Like one that hath been seven days drown'd

My body lay afloat;

But swift as dreams, myself I found

Within the Pilot's boat.

Upon the whirl, where sank the ship,
The boat spun round and round ;
And all was still, save that the hill
Was telling of the sound.

I moved my lips--the Pilot shriek'd
And fell down in a fit :

The holy Hermit raised his eyes,
And pray'd where he did sit.

And now, all in my own countree,

I stood on the firm land!

The Hermit stepp'd forth from the boat,
And scarcely he could stand.

'O shrieve me, shrieve me, holy man !?
The Hermit cross'd his brow,

'Say quick,' quoth he, ‘I bid thee say—

'What manner of man art thou?'

Forthwith this frame of mine was wrench'd

With a woful agony,

Which forced me to begin my tale;

And then it left me free.

Since then, at an uncertain hour,

That agony returns:

And till my ghastly tale is told,

This heart within me burns.

I pass, like night, from land to land ;
I have strange power of speech;
That moment that his face I see,

I know the man that must hear me :
To him my tale I teach.

-What loud uproar bursts from that door!
The wedding guests are there :
But in the garden-bower the bride
And bridemaids singing are :
And hark the little vesper bell,
Which biddeth me to prayer!

O wedding-guest! this soul hath been
Alone on a wide, wide sea:

So lonely 'twas, that God Himself
Scarce seeméd there to be.

O sweeter than the marriage-feast,
'Tis sweeter far to me,

To walk together to the kirk
With a goodly company!

To walk together to the kirk,

And all together pray,

While each to his Great Father bends,
Old men, and babes, and loving friends,
And youths and maidens gay!
-Farewell, farewell! but this I tell
To thee, thou Wedding-guest!
He prayeth well who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.
He prayeth best who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.'

- The Mariner, whose eye is bright,
Whose beard with age is hoar,

Is gone and now the wedding-guest
Turn'd from the bridegroom's door.

He went like one that hath been stunn'd,
And is of sense forlorn :-
A sadder and a wiser man,
He rose the morrow morn.

* 13*

THE FEARFUL STORY

'O WHERE have ye been, my long-lost lover, 'This long seven years and mair ?'

'-O, I'm come again to seek your love,

6

And the vows that ye did swear.'

'Now haud your tongue of my love and vows, 'For they can breed but strife;

'Now haud your tongue of my former vows, 'For I am another man's wife.'

-Had I kenn'd that ere I came here,

'I ne'er had come to thee;

'For I might ha’e married the king's daughter, 'Were it not for the love of thee.

'I despised the crown of gold,

'And the fair ladye also ;

'And I am come back to my own true Love, 'But with me she'll not go.

'Ye may leave your husband to himself,

'And your little son also,

'And sail with me across the sea

'Where the stormy winds do blow.'

'-O, what have you to keep me with, 'If I with you should go

'If I should forsake my good husband, 'My little young son also?'

6

-See ye not yon seven pretty ships

'The eighth brought me to land—

'With merchandise and mariners, 'And wealth in every hand?'

7 haud, hold

She turn'd her round upon the shore,

Her Love's ships to behold;

Their mainyards and their topmasts high
Were cover'd o'er with gold.

And she has gone to her little young son,
Kiss'd him both cheek and chin :

'O fare ye well, my little son!

'For I'll never see you again.'

She has drawn the slippers on her feet,
Well wrought with threads o' gold,
And he's wrapt her round with the soft velvét
To hold her from the cold.

She had not sail'd a league from land,

A league but barely three,

Till she minded on her dear husband,
And her little young son tee.

'O if I were on shore again,

On shore where I would be,

'No living man should flatter me

'To sail upon the sea!'

-'O haud your tongue of weeping,' says he,

'Let all your mourning be;

'I'll show ye how the lilies grow

'On the banks of Italie.'

'-O, what hills are yon, yon pleasant hills, 'That the sun shines sweetly on?'

' ---O, yon are the hills o' Heaven,' he said, 'Where you will never win.'

'-O, whatna mountain is yon,' she said, 'Sae dreary with frost and snow?'

'—O, yon is the mountain of Hell,' he cried, 'Where you and I must go!'

43 minded on, remembered

44 tee, too

And aye when she turn'd her round about,
Aye taller he seem'd for to be:
Until that the tops of that gallant ship
No taller were than he !

He strack the mainmast with his hand,
The foremast with his knee;

The gallant ship was broken in twain,
And sank into the sea!

*14*

Unknown

THE WRECK OF THE HESPERUS

IT was the schooner Hesperus,

That sail'd the wintry sea;

And the skipper had taken his little daughter, To bear him company.

Blue were her eyes as the fairy flax,

Her cheeks like the dawn of day,

And her bosom white as the hawthorn buds,
That ope in the month of May.

The skipper he stood beside the helm,

With his pipe in his mouth,

And watch'd how the veering flaw did blow

The smoke now West, now South.

Then up and spake an old Sailor, Had sail'd the Spanish Main, pray thee, put into yonder port, 'For I fear a hurricane.

'I

'Last night, the moon had a golden ring,
'And to-night no moon we see !'

The skipper, he blew a whiff from his pipe,
And a scornful laugh laugh'd he.

3 skipper, captain II veering flaw, changeable gusts of wind 16 hurricane, sudden storm

17 ring, halo