bole.

ARTHUR;

OR, THE

NORTHERN ENCHANTMENT.

Book VI.

To bleak Biarmia's *) coast, on Fancy's plu.

mes

Upborne, th' adventrous Muse her fight assu

mes :

Where, half the circling year grim darkness

reigns: Save, when thick glimmering mid th' ethereal

plains,
Heaven's sparkling fires, or meteor's wide - stretch'd

blaze,
The scene in horror vifibile arrays.

The summer, now scarce felt his genial fini

le,

Had fled indignant from th' ungrateful foil;
When rushing from his polar cavern, borne
On lowering clouds, aloft his clanging horn
Fierce Winter blew: the denizens of air,
A friendly flock, to milder climes repair;
Or chirping plaintive on the leafless spray,
No more with chearful notes falute the day;
But swoll'n in ruffled plumage, hunger's rage,
On the red haw, or purpled whort assuage.

The

*) An account is given of this Country by Olaus Magnus;

L. I. c. I, It is the Eastern, or Muscovite part of Lapland. Ohthere, the Capt. Cook of the Toth. century, calls it Beormos.

bole.

The forest bends beneath the 'weight of

snow;
And, as at intervals the cold winds blow,
The glittering shower in wild confufion flies,
With brightness clothes the plains, while gloom in

vests the skies.
No longer bursting o'er their rugged mound
The torrents foam; in crystal fetters bound,
They stand erect; like pillars cloth'd with light;
And seem to prop the rock's projecting height.

The shivering herds to diftant vales repair;
And the gaunt wolf, while thro' the depth of

air
Glides the pale moon, her beams in hatred views,
And her still course with howling wild pursues:
Or famine - pinch’d, and sunk his glaring eyes
In hollow fockets, faintly growls, and dies.

There, a vast cave, unknown to mortal eyes,
Deep-buried in a pathless forest lies:
Huge incicles, impending from the heigh, ':
Of beetling cliffs, ting'd with transparent light,
Like .polish'd spears revers'd, its janvs fur-

round, And shoot their

rays

around. But darkness reign'd within; fave when l'e.

tird, With quenchless hatred to mankind inspir'd, The fifters meet; then mix'd with vap'rous

gloom,

many colour'd

Fla

Gole.

Flames bursting thro? the central point, illume
The dismal cavern; while from realms pro-

found
Spirits unblest arise, and wheel around
In mystic dance. There now in orgies dire,
Gainst Britain's prince to wreak their ruthless

ire,
Valdandi, Skulda, join can man proclaim
Th? unhallow'd rité the deed without a na-

The deed, which startles e'en the fiend of

night,
At which, if acted in day's sacred light,
The Sun, with horror struck, had backward

fed ;
Or veil'd in dark’ning clouds his blazing head.

Still from the Daemons, by their potent

spell
Controll’d, dark words of doubtful import fell,
Unpleasing to their ears: in wild despair
They beat their breasts, and rend their snaky

hair;
Draw from their mangled fides the gushing blood,
And sprinkle o'er the flame the purple flood;
And whilst they brave the power who rules the

skies,
Invoke their kindred fiends with fiercer cries.
Earth Shakes more black the circling vapour

! flows,
And the red flame with keener radiance glows.

» Sleeps vengeance then, ye fons of baleful

night,
Exclaims fierce Urda, by the lurid light
Dimly descried; -Oh shame, oh dire disgrace!
Shall we be baffled by man's puny race?

Say hole.

Say, have I weav'd in fate's mysterious loom
The web of Hengist's life, and stamp'd his

doom
In vain? No, yet again our knight renown'd
Shall rise, shall triumph, and his foes.confounde
Spirits of night! reception due prepare:
Take him, my sisters, to your guardian care.
His former strength renew; and thro' his loul
Bid the swoll'n tides of rage and vengeance roll.
Whare'er the impulse of his mind inspires,
Regard, nor counteract his wild desires,
But, whilft his breast with high-wrought fary

glows,
Hurl him, like heaven's red bolt, to blast our

foes.
I breathe the scent of carnage! death pursues
His course, and royal blood his steel embrues!
Vifons of keen delight! why interpose
These hared clouds, and on the prospect close ?
Sifters, rejoice! behold, enough is known -
Kate aids our will destruction is our own!"
„Receive your charge.“ – This faid, she fwift

enshrouds
Her form of terror mid encircling clouds,
And raihing forward on the howling blast,
The groaning forest trembled as she past.

Stretch'd on his couch the Saxon monarch

lies;
The shades of darkness swim before his eyes.
His feeble pulse, his quick, disorder'd breath,
Appear the omens of approaching death.
But ah! not yet mus Hengist fall!

the powo

er

Of magic charms prolongs life's transient hour.
Again with vital heat his bofom glows, '
And thro' his veins the genial current flows.

bole.

Awaking from his death · like fwoon, his

eyes
He wildly casts around him; whilft arise
Far different scenes before his wond'ring view,
From those the Mule so late in terror drew.
The hags abhorr'd, and all the forms of dread,
The livid flames, and dusky Imoke was fled.
The dismal cave a lovelier form assum'd;
A stately hall with pendant lamps illum'd.
From
every

fide reflected lustre shines,
That mocks the splendor of Golconda's mines.
The sapphire's blue, and topaz' golden gleams,
The ruby's glow, the crystal's liquid beams,
Mix'd with the diamond's varied rays, unite
In glittering wreaths to captivate the sight.

A marble pillar huge, of snow - white hue,
The centre graced, and o'er the ceiling threw
Its branches wide: the pictur'd forms between,
Of vanquish'd chiefs, and conqu’ring knights were
And by them stood fair maids, their valour's pri-

ze,
With plausive smiles, and love - illumin'd eyes.

seen;

Around his couch, to fight a beauteous

band
Of gentle youths, attending spirits stand.
With notes harmonious now they footh his ear;
And now his soul with air-form'd vifions cheer.

But tho', whate'er could give to trouble

ease,
Whate'er the wish could form, or fancy please,
Was there; – no joy can gloomy Hengist find;
His late disgrace weighs heavy on his mind.

Nor