ADELGITHA. THE ordeal's fatal trumpet sounded, And sad pale ADELGITHA came, When forth a valiant champion bounded, And slew the slanderer of her fame. She wept, deliver'd from her danger; But when he knelt to claim her glove — "Seek not," she cried, "oh ! gallant stranger, For hapless ADELGITHA's love. "For he is in a foreign far land Whose arm should now have set me free ; And I must wear the willow garland For him that 's dead, or false to me." 66 Nay! say not that his faith is tainted!". He raised his vizor-At the sight She fell into his arms and fainted ; It was indeed her own true knight! ABSENCE. 'Tis not the loss of love's assurance, It is not doubting what thou art, But 'tis the too, too long endurance The fondest thoughts two hearts can cherish, When each is lonely doom'd to weep, Are fruits on desert isles that perish, Or riches buried in the deep. What though, untouch'd by jealous madness, Our bosom's peace may fall to wreck ; Th' undoubting heart, that breaks with sadness, Is but more slowly doom'd to break. Absence! is not the soul torn by it From more than light, or life, or breath? 'Tis Lethe's gloom, but not its quiet, The pain without the peace of death! THE RITTER BANN. THE Ritter Bann from Hungary Came back, renown'd in arms, But scorning jousts of chivalry And love and ladies' charms. While other knights held revels, he Was wrapt in thoughts of gloom, And in Vienna's hostelrie Slow paced his lonely room. There enter'd one whose face he knew,— Whose voice, he was aware, He oft at mass had listen'd to, In the holy house of prayer. |