It shall blot out the marks of infamy, He died the brave man's death! Not of the God Unworthy, do I seek his altar thus, By fortune, not by fault. Cease your lament! And if your ill-doom'd King deserved your love, Who bravely bore misfortune; who when life With cowards shall your King receive his doom; Suffer thro' endless ages! He shall join The Spirits of the brave, with them at morn And follow thro' his fields of light the Sun; Sport in the stream of splendour; company But often in the amber cloud of noon Diffus'd, will I o'erspread your summer fields, And on the freshened maize and brightening meads Shower plenty. Spirits of my valiant Sires, I come! Mexitli, never at thy shrine Flow'd braver blood! never a nobler heart Steam'd up its life to thee! Priest of the God, The WIFE of FERGUS. Fergusius 3. periit. veneno ab uxore dato. Alii scribuR cum uxor sæpe exprobrasset ei matrimonii contemptum et pellicum greges, neque quicquam profecisset, tandem noctu dormientem ab ea strangulatum. Quæstione de morie ejus habitâ, cum amicorum plurimi insimularentur, nec quisquam ne in gravissimis quidem tormentis quicquam fateretur, mulier, alioqui ferox, tot innoxiorum capitum miserta, in medium processit, ac e superiore loco cædem a se faciam confessa, ne ad ludibrium superesset, pectus cultro transfodit: quod ejus factum varie pro cujusque ingenio est acceptum, ac perinde sermonibus celebratum. Buchanan. SCENE The Palace Court. The Queen speaking from the Cease.. cease your torments! spare the sufferers! Scotchmen, not theirs the deed; . . the crime was mine. Mine is the glory. Idle threats! I stand Secure. All access to these battlements Is barr'd beyond your sudden strength to force; E Shame on ye Scotchmen, that a woman's hand Ye coward race!.. that not a husband's sword Of what beast matter hast thou moulded them Your fathers, whom your sons must blush to name! Aye,.. ye can threaten me! ye can be brave In anger to a woman! one whose virtue Upbraids your coward vice; whose name will live The cankering moss. Fools! fools! to think that death As if I knew not what must consummate For I loved Fergus. Bear me witness, God! My lips pronounced the unrecallable vow That made me his, him mine; bear witness Thou! In all obedience, in all love, I kept Holy my marriage vow. Behold me Thanes! He sought my love; with seeming truth, for one, Time hath not changed that face; .. I speak not now That if the truest and most perfect love |