VI. Foremost and leaning from her golden cloud The venerable Margaret see!' Welcome, my noble son, (she cries aloud) The fragrance of its blushing head: Shall raise from earth the latent gem To glitter on the diadem. VII. "Lo! Granta waits to lead her blooming band, Not obvious, not obtrusive, she 1 Countess of Richmond and Derby: the mother of Henry the Seventh, foundress of St. John's and Christ's Colleges. 2 The Countess was a Beaufort, and married to a Tudor: hence the application of this line to the Duke of Grafton, who claims descent from both these families. No vulgar praise, no venal license flings; Nor dares with courtly tongue refined Profane thy inborn royalty of mind: She reveres herself and thee. With modest pride to grace thy youthful brow, The laureate wreath, that Cecil wore, she brings,' Submits the fasces of her sway, While spirits bless'd above and men below Join with glad voice the loud symphonious lay. 66 VIII. Through the wild waves as they roar, With watchful eye and dauntless mien, Thy steady course of honor keep, Nor fear the rocks, nor seek the shore: And gilds the horrors of the deep." 1 Lord Treasurer Burleigh was chancellor to the University in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The Fatal Sisters. FROM THE NORSE TONGUE. To be found in the Orcades of Thormodus Torfæus; Hafniæ, 1697, folio: and also in Bartholinus, p. 617. lib. 3. c. i. 4to. Vitt er orpit fyrir valfalli, &c. In the eleventh century Sigurd, Earl of the Orkney Islands, went with a fleet of ships and a considerable body of troops into Ireland, to the assistance of Sictryg with the silken beard, who was then making war on his father-in-law Brian, King of Dublin: the earl and all his forces were cut to pieces, and Sictryg was in danger of a total defeat; but the enemy had a greater loss by the death of Brian, their king, who fell in the action. On Christmas day (the day of the battle), a native of Caithness in Scotland saw at a distance a number of persons on horseback riding full speed towards a hill, and seeming to enter into it. Curiosity led him to follow them, till looking through an opening in the rocks he saw twelve gigantic figures resembling women: they were all employed about a loom; and as they wove, they sang the following dreadful song; which when they had finished, they tore the web into twelve pieces, and (each taking her portion) galloped six to the north, and as many to the south. These were the Valkyriur, female divinities, servants of Odin (or Woden) in the Gothic mythology. Their name signifies Choosers of the slain. They were mounted on swift horses, with drawn swords in their hands and in the throng of battle selected such as were destined to slaughter, and conducted them to Valkalla, the hall of Odin, or paradise of the brave: where they attended the banquet, and served the departed heroes with horns of mead and ale. Now the storm begins to lower, Iron sleet of arrowy shower Hurtles in the darken'd air. Glittering lances are the loom, Where the dusky warp we strain, Weaving many a soldier's doom, Orkney's woe and Randver's bane. See the grisly texture grow! ('Tis of human entrails made) And the weights, that play below, Each a gasping warrior's head. Shafts for shuttles dipp'd in gore, Shoot the trembling cords along. Sword, that once a monarch bore, Keep the tissue close and strong. Mista, black terrific maid, Sangrida, and Hilda, see, Join the wayward work to aid: 'Tis the woof of victory. Ere the ruddy sun be set, Pikes must shiver, javelins sing, Blade with clattering buckler meet, (Weave the crimson web of war) Let us go, and let us fly, Where our friends the conflict share, Where they triumph, where they die. |