The night call had sounded, when Joe was aroused By a step at the door of his cell; 'Twas a comrade with whom he had often caroused, That now entered to bid him farewell. "Ah, Tom! is it you come to bid me adieu? 'Tis kind my lad! give me your hand! Nay-nay-don't get wild, man, and make me a child! I'll be soon in a happier land!"
With hand clasped in silence, Tom mournfully said, "Have you any request, Joe, to make?— Remember by me 'twill be fully obeyed;
Can I anything do for your sake?"
"When it's over, to morrow!" he said, filled with sorrow,
"Send this token to her whom I've sworn All my fond love to share!"-'twas a lock of his hair, And a prayer-book, all faded and worn.
"Here's this watch for my mother; and when you write home,"
And he dashed a bright tear from his eye"Say I died with my heart in old Devonshire, Tom, Like a man, and a soldier!-Good-bye!" Then the sergeant on guard, at the grating appeared, And poor Tom had to leave the cold cell,
By the moon's waning light, with a husky "Goodnight!
God be with you, dear comrade!--farewell!"
Gray dawned the morn in a dull cloudy sky,
When the blast of a bugle resounded;
And Joe ever fearless, went forward to die,
By the hearts of true heroes surrounded.
"Shoulder arms!" was the cry as the prisoner passed "To the right about-march!" was the word: [by: And their pale faces proved how their comrade was loved,
And by all his brave fellows adored.
Right onward they marched to the dread field of doom:
Sternly silent, they covered the ground;
Then they formed into line amid sadness and gloom,
While the prisoner looked calmly around.
Then soft on the air rose the accents of prayer,
And faint tolled the solemn death-knell,
As he stood on the sand, and with uplifted hand,
Waved the long and the lasting farewell.
"Make ready!" exclaimed an imperious voice:
-"Present!"-struck a chill on each mind:
Ere the last word was spoke, Joe had cause to rejoice,
For "Hold!-hold!" cried a voice from behind.
Then wild was the joy of them all, man and boy,
As a horseman cried, "Mercy!-Forbear!"
With a thrilling "Hurrah!- -a free pardon!
And the muskets rang loud in the air.
Soon the comrades were locked in each other's embrace :
No more stood the brave soldiers dumb. [face, With a loud cheer they wheeled to the right-aboutThen away at the sound of the drum!
And a brighter day dawned in sweet Devon's fair land, Where the lovers met never to part;
And he gave her a token-true, warm, and unbroken, The gift of his own gallant heart!
Ah! what a sound will rise-how wild and drearyWhen the death angel touches those swift keys! What loud lament and dismal Miserere
Will mingle with their awful symphonies.
Is it, O man, with such discordant noises,
With such accursed instruments as these,
Thou drownest Nature's sweet and kindly voices,
And jarrest the celestial harmonies?
Were half the power that fills the world with terror,
Were half the wealth bestowed on camps and
Given to redeem the human mind from error, There were no need of arsenals nor forts;
The warrior's name would be a name abhorred;
And every nation that should lift again
Its hand against a brother, on its forehead
Would wear forevermore the curse of Cain.
Down the dark future, through long generations,
The echoing sounds grow fainter and then cease.
And like a bell, with solemn, sweet vibrations,
I hear once more the voice of Christ say "Peace!"
Peace! and no longer from its brazen portals
The blast of war's great organ shakes the skies,
But, beautiful as songs of the immortals,
The holy melodies of love arise.
Now all is calm and fresh and still;
Alone the chirp of flitting bird, And talk of children on the hill,
The timid good may stand aloof,
And bell of wandering kine, are heard.
No solemn host goes trailing by
The black-mouthed gun, and staggering wain;
Men start not at the battle cry,—
O, be it never heard again!
Soon rested those who fought; but thou
Who minglest in the harder strife
For truths which men receive not now,
Thy warfare only ends with life.
A friendless warfare! lingering long
Through weary day and weary year;
A wild and many weaponed throng
Hang on thy front and flank and rear.
Yet nerve thy spirit to the proof,
And blanch not at thy chosen lot;
No hope of gilded spurs to-day.
But, see! look up-on Flodden bent
The Scottish foe has fired his tent."
And sudden, as he spoke,
From the sharp ridges of the hill,
All downward to the banks of Till
Was wreathed in sable smoke.
Volumed and vast, and rolling far,
The cloud enveloped Scotland's war,
As down the hill they broke;
No martial shout, nor minstrel tone,
Announced their march; their tread alone,
At times their warning trumpet blown,
At times a stifled hum,
Told England from his mountain throne
King James did rushing come-
Scarce could they hear or see their foes
Until at weapon-point they close.
They close in clouds of smoke and dust,
With sword-sway and with lance's thrust;
And such a yell was there
Of sudden and portentous birth,
As if men fought upon the earth
And fiends in upper air:
O, life and death were in the shout,
Recoil and rally, charge and rout,
And triumph and despair.
Long looked the anxious squires; their eye
Could in the darkness naught descry.
At length the freshening western blast
Aside the shroud of battle cast;
And first, the ridge of mangled spears
Above the brightening cloud appears;
And in the smoke the pennons flew;
As in the storm the bright sea-mew.
Then marked they, dashing broad and far,
The broken billows of the war,
And plumed crests of chieftains brave
Floating like foam upon the wave,
But naught distinct they see:
Wide raged the battle on the plain;
Spears shook, and falchions flashed amain;
Fell England's arrow-flight like rain;
Crests rose, and stooped, and rose again,
Wild and disorderly.
Amid the scene of tumult, high
They saw Lord Marmion's falcon fly:
And stainless Tunstall's banner white,
And Edmund Howard's lion bright,
Still bear them bravely in the fight;
Although against them come
Of gallant Gordons many a one,
And many a stubborn Highlandman,
And many a rugged Border clan,
With Huntley and with Home.
Far on the left, unseen the while,
Stanley broke Lennox and Argyle;
Though there the western mountaineer
Rushed with bare bosom on the spear,
And flung the feeble targe aside,
And with both hands the broadsword plied,
'Twas vain; but fortune, on the right,
With fickle smile, cheered Scotland's fight.
Then fell that spotless banner white,
The Howard's lion fell;
Yet still Lord Marmion's falcon flew
With wavering flight, while fiercer grew
Around the battle-yell.
The Border slogan rent the sky!
A Home! a Gordon! was the cry:
Loud were the clanging blows;
Advanced--forced back-now low, now high,
The pennon sunk and rose;
As bends the bark's mast in the gaie,
When rent are rigging, shrouds and sail,
It wavered 'mid the foes.
No longer Blount the view could bear: "By heaven and all its saints, I swear,
I will not see it lost!
Fitz-Eustace, you with Lady Clare
May bid your bead, and patter prayer-
I gallop to the host."
And to the fray he rode amain,
Followed by all the archer train.
The fiery youth, with desperate charge,
Made, for a space an opening large —
The rescued banner rose,
But darkly closed the war around,
Like pine-tree, rooted from the ground,
It sunk among the foes.
Then Eustace mounted too; yet staid,
As loath to leave the helpless maid,
When, fast as shaft can fly,
Bloodshot his eyes, his nostrils spread,
The loose rein dangling from his head,
Housing and saddle bloody red,
Lord Marmion's steed rushed by:
And Eustace, maddening at the sight,
A look and sign to Clara cast,
To mark he would return in haste,
Then plunged into the fight.
Ask me not what the maiden feels,
Left in that dreadful hour alone: Perchance her reason stoops or reels;
Perchance a courage, not her own, Braces her mind to desperate tone. The scattered van of England wheels; She only said, as loud in air
The tumult roared, "Is Wilton there?"
They fly! or maddened by despair
Fight but to die-"Is Wilton there?"
With that, straight up the hill there rode
Two horsemen drenched with gore,
And in their arms, a helpless load,
A wounded knight they bore.
His hand still strained the broken brand;
His arms were smeared with blood and sand.
Dragged from among the horses' feet,
With dinted shield. and helmet beat,
The falcon crest and plumage gone,
Can that be haughty Marmion!
Young Blount his armor did unlace,
And, gazing on his ghastly face,
Said "By St. George, he's gone!
That spear-wound has our master sped-
And see the deep cut on his head!
Good-night to Marmion."
"Unnurtured Blount! thy brawling cease: He opes his eyes," said Eustace, "peace!"
When, doffed his casque, he felt free air,
Around 'gan Marmion wildly stare:
"Where's Harry Blount? Fitz-Eustace where?
Linger ye here, ye hearts of hare!
Redeem my pennon-charge again!
Cry Marmion to the rescue!'-vain!
Last of my race, on battle plain
That shout shall ne'er be heard again!
Yet my last thought is England's: Fly!
To Dacre bear my signet-ring:
Tell him his squadrons up to bring:
Fitz-Eustace, to Lord Surrey hie;
Tunstall lies dead upon the field,
His life-blood stains the spotless shield:
Edmund is down; my life is reft;
The Admiral alone is left,
Let Stanley charge with spur of fire-
With Chester charge, and Lancashire,
Full upon Scotland's central host,
Or victory and England's lost.
Must I bid twice? hence, varlets! fly!
Leave Marmion here alone-to die."
They parted, and alone he lay:
Clare drew her from the sight away,
Till pain wrung forth a lowly moan, And half he murmured,-"Is there none Of all my halls have nurst,
Page, squire, or groom, one cup to bring, Of blessed water from the spring,
To slake my dying thirst?"
O woman! in our hours of ease,
Uncertain, coy and hard to please,
And variable as the shade
By the light quivering aspen made;
When pain and anguish wring the brow,
A ministering angel thou!
Scarce were the pitying accents said,
When, with the Baron's casque, the maid
To the nigh streamlet ran;
Forgot were hatred, wrongs, and fears:
The plaintive voice alone she hears,
Sees but the dying man.
She stooped her by the runnel's side,
But in abhorrence backward drew;
For, oozing from the mountain's side,
Where waged the war, a dark-red tide
Was curdling in the streamlet blue.
Where shall she turn! behold her mark
A little fountain cell,
Where water, clear as diamond spark,
In a stone basin fell.
Above, some half-worn letters say,
"Drink, weary pilgrim, drink and pray
For the kind soul of Sybil Grey,
Who built this cross and well."
She filled the helm, and back she hied,
And with surprise and joy espied
A monk supporting Marmion's head;
A pious man whom duty brought
To dubious verge of battle fought,
To shrive the dying, bless the dead.
Deep drank Lord Marmion of the wave, And, as she stooped his brow to lave"Is it the hand of Clare," he said, "Or injured Constance, bathes my head?" Then, as remembrance rose"Speak not to me of shrift or prayer!
I must redress her woes.
Short space, few words are mine to spare; Forgive and listen, gentle Clare!"
"Alas!" she said, the while
O, think of your immortal weal!
In vain for Constance is your zeal;
She died at Holy Isle."
Lord Marmion started from the ground,
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