Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Ballad.
Ballad .
THE NOBLE SOUL ,
mc Life for Life . The Baron sat in his stately hall ,
On a dais ot high degree ; On p late of gold was tho banquet served , But of nought there tasted he .
Mute was the harp ; and the minstrel ' s song In its echoes died away , For sorrow with heavy hand oppressed The Baron that fatal day .
On the chase intent , his only sou , In the vigour of life that morn : At the close of day , a lifeless corse To the castle gate was borne .
For a murd ' rous hand had laid him low ; And , quenched by untimely death Tho lamp of life , and a father ' s hope Had vanished with parting breath .
" Go , fetch me forth from his dungeon cell , And let him before me stand ! The villain , who dared with my dear son ' s blood To stain his unrighteous hand .
" A father ' s vengeance he soon shall fool , Stern Justice asserts her sway ; By ling ' ring torture his life prolonged , For Death shall he wildly pray . "
Unmoved by fear , with undaunted mien , With glance from an eagle eye , Prepared for the worst that Fate decreed , Prepared for a doom so nigh ,
The captive stood in the Baron ' s hall , And looked with a scornful gaze , As the thronging vassals press around . And their threat'ning daggers raise .
Fierce flashed the eyes of the angry lord , When the caitiff wretch ho viewed ; Thrice had the sword by his fury urged In his life-blood been imbrued .
But he checked his hand and thus outspoke , "No mercy restrains my steel , A thousand deaths shalt thou die in one , And tho keenest tortures feel .
"But , if for this deed of blood , thy soul The pardon of Heaven would crave , If , murderer , ever thy bones would rest In the quiet of tho grave .
" Declare what cause could impel thy hand The blood of my sou to shod ; Why hast thou heaped such a load of care And grief on this aged head Y "
" Thy son was slain to fulfil a vow ; A vow which to Heaven I made : That the life his band iu anger took , B y death should alone be paid .
" My son was as dear to mc as thine , As loved as thine own could bc , The heavy anguish thy heart must feel , Was as deeply felt by me .
I air was the form of my noble boy , As ever the eye conld view , The pride and hope of a father ' s heart , Who never a sorrow know ,
'' J- ill in evil hour , Oh ! sad mischance , Thy sou to our homo drew nigh * , Alt ! well may the thought aftlicfc thy soul , And force from thy breast the sigh .
Ballad.
" For had not F ^ ite in her stern decree , To a destined doom betrayed , Thy son with his hound in eager chase Had ne ' er to our cottage strayed .
" Ne ' er had the stag with his footsteps fleet " From covert in terror fled , Ne ' er would the hound , in swift pursuit , So distant a course have led .
"But so it chanced—with an instinct true , Which never restraint could brook , Swift as an arrow from archer ' s how , Old Bruno my son forsook .
" And now , together , the rival pair , With ardour their efforts strain , Each striving by fleetness to outstrip , For each would the ririze obtain .
" Closely they press on the wearied stag , And its struggling side by side . So fully matched , it wore hard to say , How the issue would decide .
" At length , by effort , but ill repaid , Poor Bruno , with sudden bound , First with his fangs on the proy he seized , And in triumph on the ground ,
" 1 he iintlered monarch of forest glade Now prone in the dust hc lay ; And with tearful eyes aud many a groan , Was sobbing his life away .
" Deeply incensed was the high-born youth That his hound defeat had known . And angered more that his hopes and pride , A peasant had overthrown .
" ' Oh never again , thou laggard hound , Th y fame shalt thou thus disgrace , The stain affixed to thy hi gh renown , But Death can alone efface .
" Nor shall thy rival in triumph live , To share in his master ' s pride , Nor shall peasant voice its prowess praise , And the lordly name deride . '
" No mevcy restrained his cruel hand , But instant , without delay , In the pangs of death , on thcgroundoiitstretched The victor and vanquished lay .
' * ' Now foul befall thee ! thou ruthless lord !' My sou in his anger said ; ' May Heaven requite this evil deed , With curses npon thy head ! ' "
" 'Base peasant slave ! and wilt , thou presume So boldly th y voice to raise ; And kno \ ves . t thou not that unguarded speech To its punishment betrays . '
" As fuel fresh to his recent wrong , More fiercely his anger burned At theso threat ' niiig words , and haught y look My son with like scorn returned .
" Now in their breasts an o erwhelniing tide Of impetuous passions rage ; Uea . son no more with 2 'ower controls , Nor their fury can assuage .
¦ ' At length , half maddened with frtnzy wild , That peasant his wrath should brave , Sudden , the noblo his dagger drew , And the fatal death-blow gave .
* ' Oh , woeful sight for a father s eyes , When home , as a corse they bore My chiefest joy , yet I grief restrained , And a solemn oath I swore .
Ballad.
' ' " That I would not rest , nor mourn his loss , Till speedy revenge I knew ; Though weak the law to avenge his death , Yet Justice should have her due .
" Thy son for days did I watch unseen , But never alono had found , For numerous friends his steps attend , And vassals his form surround .
" To-day it chanced that ahir he strayed , When instant before his sight I stood confessed and declared my wrong , And dared him to mortal fight .
' ' Short was the strife , for his arm unucived , In vain could his fate control , Bravel y he fought , but a deep remorse Sat heavy upon his soul !
* ' He fell , and with dying breath declared , That justly did Fate decree , His death should atone the life he took , And I his avenger be .
" He pressed the hand that had laid him low , And in fainting tones besought , The pardon he granted I would give , For the deed his hand had wrought .
" Thus freely forgiven , I forgave , Revenge from my breast had fled ; With pity I viewed the gallant youth , Who , low at my feet , lay dead .
"The vow I had sworn was now fulfilled , Nor cared 1 by flight to save A hateful life , but to captive bonds Myself as a prisoner gave .
" And now let thy voice my doom proclaim , Let torture and death he near , The keenest torments thou oaust devise , Will 1 suffer without fear .
" No mercy , Baron , 1 ask of thee , This boon would I only crave , Tbat my mangled corse afc length may join My son in his lowly grave . "
He ceased—in silence he boldly stood , And calmly , to fate resigned , Expectant waits to bo led away , To torture and death consigned .
The Baron paused , for though passion urged That revenge should have its way , To tho voice of Justice auger yields , And Reason asserts her sway .
Then he raised his head and thus he spoke , As the list ' ning crowd drew near . [ doom , ' * Though vengeance would instant urge th y From me thou hast naught to fear .
' For though thy hand has destroyed my hopes , 1 dare not the deed arraign ; Alas ! I feel and confess with grief , That justly my son was slain .
" The life my son in his anger took , As forfeit bis own repaid ; . Two father ' s hearts , by the selfsame grief , 11 avc thus desolate been made .
" Then take thy lifo , but avoid my sight , And afar , in some distant laud , ln safety dwell , and never again . Do thou in my presence stand .
" May Heaven bless , as we each forgive , And grant us His strength to bear With hearts resigned to His Holy will , Thc sorrows we loth must share ! " F . W . DRIVER , M . A .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Ballad.
Ballad .
THE NOBLE SOUL ,
mc Life for Life . The Baron sat in his stately hall ,
On a dais ot high degree ; On p late of gold was tho banquet served , But of nought there tasted he .
Mute was the harp ; and the minstrel ' s song In its echoes died away , For sorrow with heavy hand oppressed The Baron that fatal day .
On the chase intent , his only sou , In the vigour of life that morn : At the close of day , a lifeless corse To the castle gate was borne .
For a murd ' rous hand had laid him low ; And , quenched by untimely death Tho lamp of life , and a father ' s hope Had vanished with parting breath .
" Go , fetch me forth from his dungeon cell , And let him before me stand ! The villain , who dared with my dear son ' s blood To stain his unrighteous hand .
" A father ' s vengeance he soon shall fool , Stern Justice asserts her sway ; By ling ' ring torture his life prolonged , For Death shall he wildly pray . "
Unmoved by fear , with undaunted mien , With glance from an eagle eye , Prepared for the worst that Fate decreed , Prepared for a doom so nigh ,
The captive stood in the Baron ' s hall , And looked with a scornful gaze , As the thronging vassals press around . And their threat'ning daggers raise .
Fierce flashed the eyes of the angry lord , When the caitiff wretch ho viewed ; Thrice had the sword by his fury urged In his life-blood been imbrued .
But he checked his hand and thus outspoke , "No mercy restrains my steel , A thousand deaths shalt thou die in one , And tho keenest tortures feel .
"But , if for this deed of blood , thy soul The pardon of Heaven would crave , If , murderer , ever thy bones would rest In the quiet of tho grave .
" Declare what cause could impel thy hand The blood of my sou to shod ; Why hast thou heaped such a load of care And grief on this aged head Y "
" Thy son was slain to fulfil a vow ; A vow which to Heaven I made : That the life his band iu anger took , B y death should alone be paid .
" My son was as dear to mc as thine , As loved as thine own could bc , The heavy anguish thy heart must feel , Was as deeply felt by me .
I air was the form of my noble boy , As ever the eye conld view , The pride and hope of a father ' s heart , Who never a sorrow know ,
'' J- ill in evil hour , Oh ! sad mischance , Thy sou to our homo drew nigh * , Alt ! well may the thought aftlicfc thy soul , And force from thy breast the sigh .
Ballad.
" For had not F ^ ite in her stern decree , To a destined doom betrayed , Thy son with his hound in eager chase Had ne ' er to our cottage strayed .
" Ne ' er had the stag with his footsteps fleet " From covert in terror fled , Ne ' er would the hound , in swift pursuit , So distant a course have led .
"But so it chanced—with an instinct true , Which never restraint could brook , Swift as an arrow from archer ' s how , Old Bruno my son forsook .
" And now , together , the rival pair , With ardour their efforts strain , Each striving by fleetness to outstrip , For each would the ririze obtain .
" Closely they press on the wearied stag , And its struggling side by side . So fully matched , it wore hard to say , How the issue would decide .
" At length , by effort , but ill repaid , Poor Bruno , with sudden bound , First with his fangs on the proy he seized , And in triumph on the ground ,
" 1 he iintlered monarch of forest glade Now prone in the dust hc lay ; And with tearful eyes aud many a groan , Was sobbing his life away .
" Deeply incensed was the high-born youth That his hound defeat had known . And angered more that his hopes and pride , A peasant had overthrown .
" ' Oh never again , thou laggard hound , Th y fame shalt thou thus disgrace , The stain affixed to thy hi gh renown , But Death can alone efface .
" Nor shall thy rival in triumph live , To share in his master ' s pride , Nor shall peasant voice its prowess praise , And the lordly name deride . '
" No mevcy restrained his cruel hand , But instant , without delay , In the pangs of death , on thcgroundoiitstretched The victor and vanquished lay .
' * ' Now foul befall thee ! thou ruthless lord !' My sou in his anger said ; ' May Heaven requite this evil deed , With curses npon thy head ! ' "
" 'Base peasant slave ! and wilt , thou presume So boldly th y voice to raise ; And kno \ ves . t thou not that unguarded speech To its punishment betrays . '
" As fuel fresh to his recent wrong , More fiercely his anger burned At theso threat ' niiig words , and haught y look My son with like scorn returned .
" Now in their breasts an o erwhelniing tide Of impetuous passions rage ; Uea . son no more with 2 'ower controls , Nor their fury can assuage .
¦ ' At length , half maddened with frtnzy wild , That peasant his wrath should brave , Sudden , the noblo his dagger drew , And the fatal death-blow gave .
* ' Oh , woeful sight for a father s eyes , When home , as a corse they bore My chiefest joy , yet I grief restrained , And a solemn oath I swore .
Ballad.
' ' " That I would not rest , nor mourn his loss , Till speedy revenge I knew ; Though weak the law to avenge his death , Yet Justice should have her due .
" Thy son for days did I watch unseen , But never alono had found , For numerous friends his steps attend , And vassals his form surround .
" To-day it chanced that ahir he strayed , When instant before his sight I stood confessed and declared my wrong , And dared him to mortal fight .
' ' Short was the strife , for his arm unucived , In vain could his fate control , Bravel y he fought , but a deep remorse Sat heavy upon his soul !
* ' He fell , and with dying breath declared , That justly did Fate decree , His death should atone the life he took , And I his avenger be .
" He pressed the hand that had laid him low , And in fainting tones besought , The pardon he granted I would give , For the deed his hand had wrought .
" Thus freely forgiven , I forgave , Revenge from my breast had fled ; With pity I viewed the gallant youth , Who , low at my feet , lay dead .
"The vow I had sworn was now fulfilled , Nor cared 1 by flight to save A hateful life , but to captive bonds Myself as a prisoner gave .
" And now let thy voice my doom proclaim , Let torture and death he near , The keenest torments thou oaust devise , Will 1 suffer without fear .
" No mercy , Baron , 1 ask of thee , This boon would I only crave , Tbat my mangled corse afc length may join My son in his lowly grave . "
He ceased—in silence he boldly stood , And calmly , to fate resigned , Expectant waits to bo led away , To torture and death consigned .
The Baron paused , for though passion urged That revenge should have its way , To tho voice of Justice auger yields , And Reason asserts her sway .
Then he raised his head and thus he spoke , As the list ' ning crowd drew near . [ doom , ' * Though vengeance would instant urge th y From me thou hast naught to fear .
' For though thy hand has destroyed my hopes , 1 dare not the deed arraign ; Alas ! I feel and confess with grief , That justly my son was slain .
" The life my son in his anger took , As forfeit bis own repaid ; . Two father ' s hearts , by the selfsame grief , 11 avc thus desolate been made .
" Then take thy lifo , but avoid my sight , And afar , in some distant laud , ln safety dwell , and never again . Do thou in my presence stand .
" May Heaven bless , as we each forgive , And grant us His strength to bear With hearts resigned to His Holy will , Thc sorrows we loth must share ! " F . W . DRIVER , M . A .