CANTO IV. (The sprightly morn with early blushes spread)

The sprightly morn with early blushes spread, Rears o'er the eastern hills her rosy head; The storm subsides, the breezes as they pass Sigh on their way along the pearly grass. Sweet carol all the songsters of the spray, Calm and serene comes on the gentle day,

Amidst attendant fair CULENA moves, CULENA, fruit of INDULPH's nuptial loves! Too soon to fate the beauteous queen resign'd, But left the image of herself behind. To the calm main the lovely nymphs repair, To breathe along the strand the morning air; They brush with easy steps the dewy grass Observing beauteous nature as they pass.

Th' imperial maid moves with superior grace, Awe mix'd with mildness sat upon her face; High inbred virtue all her bosom warms, In beauty rises, and improves her charms. Silent and slow she moves along the main, Behind, her maids attend, a modest train! Observe her as she moves with native state, And gather all their motions from her gait.

Thus thro' IDALIA's balm-distilling grove, Majestic moves the smiling Queen of Love: Her hair flows down her snowy neck behind, Her purple mantle floats upon the wind; The Graces move along, a blooming train! And borrow all the gestures of their queen.

Thus steal the lovely maids their tardy way Along the silent border of the sea. Slow-curling waves advance upon the main, And often threat the shore, and oft abstain. A woody mound, which rear'd aloft its head, Threw trembling shadows o'er a narrow mead: From a black rock crystalline waters leap, Arch as they fall, and thro' the valley creep, Chide with the murm'ring pebbles as they pass, Or hum their purling journey thro' the grass.

Pleas'd with the scene the wand'ring virgins stood; The main below, above the lofty wood. Their eyes they sate with the transporting scene, And, sitting, press the fair-enamel'd green; Enjoy with innocence the growing day, And steal with harmless talk the time away.

Mean time fierce CORBRED, who preferr'd in vain His suit to AGNES, fairest of the train; Who fled from TWEED to shun his hated arms, Intrusting fair CULENA with her charms; Saw the disdainful nymph remote from aid, And bent his lustful eyes upon the maid. He rush'd with headlong russians from the wood, And seiz'd the fair: the virgins shriek aloud. For help, for help! the struggling virgin cries, And as she shrieks, aloud the wood replies. ALPIN along,—his men were sent before, Stalk'd on his thoughtful way along the shore. The distant plaint assail'd the Hero's ear, He drew his sword and rush'd to save the fair. Before the chief the dastard CORBRED fled, And to her brave preserver left the maid. Prostrate on earth the lovely virgin lay, Her roses fade, and all her charms decay: In humid rest her bending eye-lids close; With slow returns her bosom fell and rose: At length returning life her bosom warms, Glows in her cheeks, and lights up all her charms,

Thus when invading clouds the moon assail, The landskip fails, and fades the shining vale; But soon as CYNTHIA rushes on the sight, Reviving fields are silver'd o'er with light.

Th' affrighted fair the gallant warrior leads To join, upon the sand, the flying maids. They croud their cautious steps along the sea, Quake at each breath, and tremble on their way; Their tim'rous breasts unsettl'd from surprize, To ev'ry side they dart their careful eyes.

Thus on the heathy wild the hunted deer Start at each blast, together croud thro' fear; Tremble and look about, before, behind, Then stretch along, and leave the mountain-wind.

The gallant youth presents the rescu'd fair, Confirms their trembling breasts, removes their care; The gen'rous story from herself they hear, And drink his praises with a greedy ear; Steal on the youth their eyes as AGNES spoke, And pour their flutt'ring souls at ev'ry look.

But fair CULENA feels a keener dart, It pierc'd her breast and sunk into her heart; She hears attentive, views, admires and loves, Her eye o'er all the man with pleasure roves. With painsul joy she feels the flame increase, Her pride denies it, but her eyes confess: She starts, and blushing turns her eye aside, But love steps in, and steals a look from pride.

Thus fair CULENA struggles up the stream, And 'tempts in vain to quench the rising flame. At length, with blushing cheek and bending look, Th' imperial maid the warrior thus bespoke. "O gen'rous chief! for thus your deeds wou'd say, How shall our gratitude thy kindness pay? INDULPH shall hear, and INDULPH shall reward; Such gen'rous actions claim a king's regard."

She said: and thus the chief;—"Imperial maid, More than the debt thy approbation paid. In this I did not strive with gallant men, Or drive disorder'd squadrons from the plain; But frighted from his prey a sensual slave, The gloomy sons of guilt are never brave. Whoe'er wou'd seize on a defenceless fair, Wou'd shun the sword and fly amain from war."

He said, and stalk'd away with manly state, Grandeur, with awe commix'd, inform'd his gait, His pond'rous mail reflects the trembling day, And all his armour rings along the way.

The royal maid observes him as he flies, In silence stands, and from her bosom sighs, Slowly moves on before the silent fair, And in the palace shuts her secret care.

Mean time young Alpin seeks the king and peers; But fair Culena in his bosom bears. In vain against the rising flame he strove, For all the man dissolv'd at once to love.

Within the high-arch'd hall the nobles sat, And form'd in council the reviving state; For instant peace solicitous prepare, And raise a bulwark 'gainst the future war. No high-flown zeal the patriot hurl'd along, No secret gold engag'd the speaker's tongue, No jarring seeds are by a tyrant sown, Nor cunning senate undermines the throne. To public good their public thoughts repair, And CALEDONIA is the gen'ral care. No orator in pompous phrases shines, Or veils with public weal his base designs. Truth stood conspicuous, undisguis'd by art, They spoke the homely language of the heart.

Arriv'd the gallant warrior of the night; They hear with eager joy the gloomy fight. His conduct, courage, and compassion raise, And ev'ry voice is forward in his praise.

The great DUMBAR his awsul stature rears, His temples whiten'd with the snow of years. On the brave youth he bends his solemn look, Then, turning round, thus to the nobles spoke. "Beneath the royal banner, SCOTS asar Had urg'd on Humber's banks the foreign war; My father dead, tho' young I took the shield, And led my kindred-warriors to the field. The noble CALEDONIAN camp was laid Within the bosom of a spacious mead. Green-rising hills encompass'd it around, And these king Malcolm with his archers crown'd; Full on the right a spacious wood arose, And thither night convey'd a band of foes. The king-commands a chief to clear the wood, And I the dang'rous service claim aloud. I went, expell'd the foes, and kill'd their lord, And ever since have worn his shining sword. I now retire from war, in age to rest; Take it brave youth; for you can wield it best."

He said, and reach'd the sword.—The youth reply'd, Shooting the heavy blade athwart his side, "My lord with gratitude this sword I take, Esteem the present for the giver's sake. It still may find the way it oft explor'd, And glut with hostile blood its second lord; To bloody honour hew its wasteful path, A faithful sickle in the fields of death.

He thus.—With placid mein great INDULPH rose, And spoke; "Thus always meet our Albion's foes; With foreign blood your native arms adorn, And boldly fight for ages yet unborn. For us, my lords, fought all our godlike sires; The debt we owe to them, our race requires: Tho' future arms our country should enslave, She shall acquit our ashes in the grave; Posterity degen'rate, as they groan, Shall bless their sires, and call their woes their own. Let us, my lords, each virt'ous spark inspire, And where we find it, blow it to a fire. Thy service, gallant ALPIN, in this war, Shall both be INDULPH's and the senate's care, Mean time, with manly sports and exercise Let us from bus'ness turn the mental eyes: The mind relax'd acquires a double force, And with new vigour finishes the course."

He added not: the godlike chiefs obey; All rise at once; great INDULPH leads the way. The palace here, and there a virid mound, Confine a flow'ry spot of grassy ground. The under-rock, emerging thro' the green, Chequers with hoary knobs the various scene. Thither repair the chiefs and scepter'd king, And bend upon the plain the hollow ring. Obedient servants from the palace bear The horny bow, the helm, the shining spear, The mail, the corslet, and the brazen shield; And throw the ringing weight upon the field. Imperial INDULPH, tow'ring o'er the plain, With placid words address'd the warrior-train: "Let those who bend the stubborn bow arise, And with the feather'd shast dispute this prize; An antique bow a BALEARIAN wore, When Romans thunder'd on our ALBION's shore. The skilful archer, dealing death afar, Threw on our Scottish host the distant war; Great FERGUS springs, a king devoid of fear, And thro' his body shoots the reeking spear; The bloody spoil thro' striving cohorts brings, And sends this relique down to after kings."

Thus, grasping the long bow, the monarch said: Rose valiant Grahame and youthful SOMERLED. Next GOWAL in the strife demands a part, Fam'd on his native hills to wing the dart.

Full on the mound a helm, their aim, was plac'd; And GOWAL drew the nerve, first, to his breast; The bow reluctant yields, then backward springs; The nerve resounds, thro' air the arrow sings. Close to the aim, the earth the arrow meets, And as it vibrates the bright helmet beats. Applause ensues.—The shaft was sent by Grahame, And cut its brazen journey thro' the aim. The prize on him the murm'ring chiefs bestow, Till SOMERLED assumes the antient bow. The dancing chord the leaping arrow left, And, rushing, took on end Grahame's birchen shalt; Tore on its way, around the shivers fly, And SOMERLED brings off the prize with joy.

"Who," cries the king, "this shield his prize shall bear, And fling with skilful hand the martial spear? Behind this buckler mighty KENNETH stood, When Tay, impurpled, ran with Pictish blood."

He said, and plac'd a mark, the knobby round, And measur'd back with equal steps the ground. The valiant Grahame, the Mountain-youth arose; Gowal again his martial stature shows; Bent on the knobby splendour of the prize, First from his hand the singing weapon flies. The steel-head mark'd a circle as it run, Flam'd with the splendour of the setting sun.

Thus when the night the weeping sky o'er-veils, Athwart the gloom the streaming meteor sails, Kindles a livid circle as it flies, And with its glory dazzles human eyes.

Thus flew the spear, and, sinking in the mound, With quick vibrations beat the air around; But miss'd the shield.—Grahame's not unpractis'd art Dismisses thro' the air the murm'ring dart: Full on the middle boss it takes the shield; The fighting metals clatter o'er the field: From the firm knob the point obliquely flies, And on the field the trembling weapon lies.

Next valiant ALPIN takes the pond'rous spear, And, bending back, dismisses it thro' air: The long, quick weapon, flying o'er the field, Falls on the boss, and perforates the shield; The waving shaft is planted on the mound; And with applause the neighb'ring rocks resound.

Young SOMERLED wrench'd from the rock a quoit, A huge, enormous, sharp, unwieldy weight; Such now-a-days as many panting swains A witness rear on long-contested plains: Slow-bending down, at length the hero springs; The rolling rock along the heavens sings; Falling, it shakes at once the neighb'ring ground, And on the face of earth indents a wound.

Thus when strong winds the aged tow'r invade, And throw the shapeless ruin from its head; It falls and cleaves its bed into the ground; The valley shakes, and rocks complain around.

All try the mark to reach, but try in vain; All, falling short, unequal wound the plain. ALPIN with diffidence assumes the stone, For such a space had SOMERLED o'er thrown: Th' unwieldy rock a while he weighs with care, Then, springing, sends it whizzing thro' the air; The wond'ring warriors view it as it rolls; Far o'er the distant mark the discus falls: It shakes the plain and deals a gaping wound; Such as when headlong torrents tear the ground.

Th' applauding chiefs own in the manly game The Hero great, as in the fields of fame.

CULENA, leaning on her snowy arms Observant, from the window points her charms, Th' imperial virgin saw with pleasing pain, The fav'rite youth victorious on the plain: Sadly she sigh'd, accusing cruel fate, Which chain'd her in captivity of state.

The veil of night had now inwrapt the pole; The feast renew'd, goes round the sparkling bowl. Great INDULPH rose with favour-speaking mein; Approaching ALPIN thus the king began: "Say, will the stranger tell from whence he came To reap this harvest of unrivall'd fame? Nobler the youth, who, tho' before unknown, From merit mounts to virtue and renown, Than he, set up by an illustrious race, Totters aloft, and scarce can keep his place!" The monarch spoke:—attentive look the peers, And long to drink his voice with greedy ears.