O flop, fhe cried, O ftop thy arm! Thou doft thy brother slay! And here the Hermit paus'd and wept : At length he cried, Ye lovely pair, Ere I could ftop my piercing sword, Were thou thyfelf that hapless youth? The Hermit wept, and fo did they; O blind and jealous rage, he cried, The Hermit paus'd; they filent mourn'd; Ah! when I heard my brother's name, And faw my lady bleed, I rav'd, I wept, I curft my arm In vain I clafp'd her to my breast, In vain I prefs'd his bleeding corse, My brother, alas! spake never more; His precious life was flown. She kindly ftrove to footh my pain, Regardless of her own. BERTRAM, fhe faid, be comforted, And live to think on me. May we in heaven that union prove, Which here was not to be. BERTRAM, fhe faid, I ftill was true; Thou only hadst my heart: May we hereafter meet in blifs; We now, alas! muft part. For thee I left my father's hall, And flew to thy relief, When, lo! near Chiviot's fatal hills I met a Scottish chief. Lord Malcolm's fon, whose proffer'd love I had refus'd with scorn; He flew my guards, and feiz'd on me And in thefe dreary hated walls He kept me clofe confin'd; And fondly fued and warmly prefs'd To win me to his mind. Each rifing morn increas'd my pain, Each night increas'd my fear; When, wandering in this northern garb, Thy brother found me here. He quickly form'd this brave defign To fet me, captive, free; And on the moor his horfes wait Ty'd to a neighbouring tree. Then hafte, my love, efcape away, And fometimes fondly think on her Thus pouring comfort on my foul, She gave one parting fond embrace, In wild amaze, in fpeechless woe, Devoid of fenfe I lay; Then fudden all in frantic mood I meant myself to flay. And, rifing up in furious hafte, A crowd that from the caftle came Had mifs'd their lovely ward; And feizing me, to prifon bare, And deep in dungeon barr'd. It chanc'd that on that very morn Their chief was prifoner ta'en: Lord PERCY had us foon exchang'd, And ftrove to footh my pain. |