Numerous

“ Edwin, a gallant youth, animated with the generous love of arms, smit with the renown of Albert’s Prowess, and ambitious of profiting by the narrative of his exploits, repaired with other warriors to his hospitable castle. His eye, keen and piercing, indicated a fiery, vigorous, and active spirit. His form was well fitted to kindle desire in the bosom of tender maids: and the heart of Adela was not insensible to his merit. ”

“ A peal of laughter shook the misty air; the horses trembled in every joint; and to the flowing mane of the king’s beautiful steed a lambent kind of fire affixed itself, who, no longer obeying the curbing rein, flew forward with amazing speed, followed by Edmund with equal velocity. In vain did they endeavour to stop their rapid career–they seemed impelled by some powerful impulse, and entered the wood, of which traditionary tales had told wonders. ”

“ With slow and solemn pace it entered the room; its figure and dress exactly corresponded with the miniature, and, before it spoke, Glanville knew it was the form of the late baron.
“Dismiss thy fears, brave youth,” said the spectre, in a hollow founding voice, “for innocence like thine has nought to dread. I come to confirm the suspicions that hang on thy mind; and to tell thee, that in this mangled form, thou beholdest the shadow of him who once was owner of this deserted mansion, the lord of Raymond’s wide domains. ”

“ A faint glimmering of light served to show the nature of the place. Sir Bertrand entered–a deep hollow groan resounded from a distance through the vault–he went forward; and, proceeding beyond the first turning, discerned the same blue flame which had before conducted him–he followed it. The vault, at length, suddenly opened into a lofty gallery, in the midst of which a figure appeared, completely armed, thrusting forward the bloody stump of an arm, with a terrible frown, and menacing gesture, brandishing a sword in his hand. Sir Bertrand undauntedly sprang forward ”

“ To think is madness. Peace! conscience, peace! I will not hear thee! She shall be mine.” Fitzalan, wrought to phrensy during this soliloquy, had raised his dagger: a door now opened just before him, from which Fitzurban came out, with a lamp and sword in his hand. As soon as he saw Fitzalan, he shrieked, dropped the sword, and before he could call for mercy, felt the dagger in his bosom. He fell; and seeing Fitzalan prepare to repeat the blow, feebly uttered, “Hold! in mercy hold your hand! It is enough!” ”

“ The gate stood open; and whilst disengaging themselves from their dying horses, they spied a pale light proceeding from a door at the extreme end of a wide hall, whose dark side received not the faintest ray.
“Too sure are we,” said James, “in the fatal wood of which I spoke; nor shall we escape from its dreaded inclosure.”
“Let us, however,” exclaimed Edmund, “learn why we are brought hither; let us follow the light, which seems to direct, our steps across the gloomy hall.” ”

“ When the noise had ceased, Glanville falling on his knees, solicited from heaven fortitude and courage to meet the horrors of the approaching night; and then taking from the table his sword, together with the casket that contained the miniature of the late baron, he descended the same flight of steps which had conducted him to the apartment where he had patted the night; and having recrossed the moat, ascended a neighbouring hill, on the brow of which he perceived a miserable hut. ”

“ Hasten hence to join the forces of the British king, to whom the name of Raymond is well known. In the adverse army thou will meet thy father’s murderer; hunt him through every rank; he will fall beneath thy conquering sword; yet spare his hated life, till, in the presence of the royal Edward, he has confessed the crime that clogs his guilty foul. Fear not the justice of the English monarch; he will place thee in the possession of thy family’s honours and estates, and thus appease the manes of thy departed fire. ”

“ Sir Bertrand flew to the lady, and clapsed her in his arms she threw up her veil, and kissed his lips; when instantly the whole building shook as with an earthquake, and fell asunder with a horrible crash. ”

“ Jolet promised to obey his injunctions, and was going to question him on the occurrences of the night, and his adventure at the cattle; when Glanville checked his curiosity; and telling him that a short time would unfold all he wished to be informed of, took an affectionate leave of the honest peasant, and set out in pursuit of the British camp.
A vatiety of thought presented itself to the agitated mind of the young soldier, as he pursued his uncertain way. ”

“ I mingled in their company, and in the lineaments of the courteous youth recognised the inconstant Edwin. O gentle lady, may heaven so help me in my utmost need, as I now speak the words of truth! And may the saints and holy angels so succour thee as thy mishap requires! The faithless youth hath committed treason against thy love. Seduced by the blandishment of an artful dame, he hath become forgetful of thy peerless beauty.”
The heart of Adela throbbed with anguish during the recital. “Valorous heroic warrior!” ”

“ Along the room on both sides were gigantic statues of black marble, attired in the Moorish habit, and holding enormous sabres in their hands. Each of them reared its arm, and advanced one leg forward, as the knight entered; at the same moment the lid of the coffin flew open, and the bell tolled. The flame still glided forward; and Sir Bertrand resolutely followed, till he arrived within six paces of the coffin. Suddenly a lady in a shroud and black veil rose up in it, and stretched out her arms toward him–at the same time the statues clashed their sabres, and advanced. ”

“ Edmund retreated some paces; then cried, “I am answered; thou divined truly, I wished to learn who or what ye are, who thus, dwelling in this place, replete with wonders, practise ceremonies, of which I am now satisfied I had better remain ignorant; all I ask, is liberty for my friend and self; for that we depart not hence without your leave, I feel now most thoroughly convinced.”
“Ere the sun rises on this middle world, your re-request,” said one of the hags, “shall be granted; yet, perhaps for ever shall you and him you call friend be parted. Listen then to what we tell.” ”

“ Hugo! to your care I commit the man I detest. At present you may both retire.” They bowed and obeyed.
When he was somewhat recovered from his tempest of passion and agony, Fitzalan rose from the ground, and with agitated steps paced his prison, carefully examining every corner of it, in expectation of discovering some outlet that might afford him the hope of escape, though ever so distant. His search was not in vain. A part of the wall, when struck, returned a hollow sound; this proved to be a small door, which he supposed led to some other of the dungeon under the castle. ”

“ I should desire no better sport than to have such a commission every day. Faith, I would soon be as rich as the baron; and not a whit less honest with it. But come, come, spur on, he cannot be far before us; and the sooner we get through the business, the sooner we shall get our reward. But, if we should lose him through you fears, you may e’en go back to the castle by yourself: for my part, I would as soon meet the devil as meet the baron, when he has been disappointed in one of his projects.”
Fitzalan heard this mysterious discourse with a considerable degree of anxiety. ”

“ Already, doubtless, have they been offered to those accursed idols of which tradition speaks, I fear, but too truly. Let us rather perish with hunger, than taste such poisonous viands.”
The walls of this apartment were composed of black stone, against which, immediately above the table, hung a suit of iron armour, of a size so prodigious, that it seemed formed when a race of giants inhabited the earth; on the helmet sat a raven, which, as Edmund approached, seemed as though going to dart down upon them.
“Let us,” said he, snatching up a flaming brand, “explore the wonders of this place.” ”

“ When will Edwin return, adorned with conquest, and confident with success? His merit shall shine unrivalled; and Edgar shall be covered with shame.”
At length the page returned; and, repairing to the apartment of his mournful mistress, “Now heaven forefend,” said he, “most gracious lady, that the tidings I bring should injure thy tender frame more than thou art able to endure! May the saints and ministring angels uphold thee!”–“Hath he perished?” cried Adela, with a look of terror and amazement. “In what bloody field hath he fallen? Where lies the lifeless body? ”

“ Edwin bounded toward him, clung round him, and expressed his joy by a thousand infantine, endearing actions. Fitzalan embraced her with the most unbounded rapure; and when the tumult of joy had a little subsided, proceeded to relate his adventure in the dungeon, in the following words:–
“My dearly beloved Edith,” and with these words he tenderly embraced her, “Heaven has rewarded you for your constancy. Fitzurban, that slave whose cankered mind projected our ruin, is no more! ”

“ Fatigue had so oppressed the spirits of the youthful traveller, that he soon fell into a profound deep. His repose was undisturbed; nor did he shake his slumber off till the sun-beams darted full upon his face, through the broken lattice of his apartment. Starting from his couch, he gazed like one just wakened from a dream, suspended in doubt, till the adventures of the preceding day recurred to his memory, whether that he saw was real, or the vision of created fancy.–“If there is ought to be believed in dreams,” said he, “then those I have had to-night portend some strange event. ”

“ Mean time preparations shall be made for the bridal solemnity, in a manner becoming the dignity of this alliance.”
Adela, after remonstrating in vain against the severity of his commands, intreated, with an humble and dejected air, that the marriage ceremony might be delayed. “Can Edgar,” said she, “prize the cold and constrained embraces of a heart that throbs for another? Will the sighing and anguish of a broken spirit accord with the fond caresses of a bridegroom? To Edwin my faith was plighted, and on him my imagination hath dwelt. ”

“ I soon descried a gallant show of knights and splendid dames, mounted on milk white coursers, and pursuing the rapid deer. When the chace was ended, they stopped by the side of a chrystal brook; and a comely youth, arrayed in shining apparel, alighted from his foamy steed, and with courtly obeisance presented the prey to a fair and smiling lady. ”

“ The boar was quickly roused, and the first wound given by James. Furious with pain, the beast turned on his royal foe, who received him with his spear, which was shivered to pieces by the shock. Already were the tusks of the savage fastened on the noble steed the king rode, when a well-directed blow from Edmund almost fevered the chine of the fierce animal, who was quickly dispatched by the spectators of the combat.
James mounted a fresh horse, and ere long another boar was raised, who taking his course to the north, seemed by his speed to set his pursuers at defiance. ”

“ Animated by the example of this gallant stranger, they rallied their broken forces; and, under the directions of this youth, returned to the charge. An obstinate conflict ensued; but the superior skill and bravery of Glanville and his followers at length bore down all before them, drove the enemy from the field, and conducted the convoy in safety to the camp.
Some of the party, who had fled from the field on the first appearance of a defeat, had spread through the camp the fatal tidings of the convoy’s loss; so that the utmost consternation prevailed. ”

“ I am come for thee! thou hast often said that death with me was preferable to life without me; come, then, and enjoy all the ecstasies of love these ghastly features, added to the contemplation of a charnel-house, can inspire ”

“ The sun had just risen above the horizon as he entered a small village, the inhabitants of which were in the greatest consternation, from the near approach of the enemy’s forces; a party of winch he learned were, at that moment, attacking a guard of men who were conveying forage to the British camp. This information roused the martial armour of Glanville, who longed to enter the lists with the combatants. A wounded soldier, who had escaped from the field, gave the melancholy tidings that, overpowered by numbers, the English were giving way ”

“ The cautious youth, before he left his parent’s house, aware that the country through which he had to pass was thinly inhabited, and bare of accommodations, had taken with him those implements by which that necessay element, fire, is raised into action; and which to a traveller, in a country void of inhabitants, is so very essential. ”

“ Happy! wretch that I am, how can I talk of happiness? Haunted day and night by ten thousand fiends, my life is a burthen: yet I dare not die! Was I not deeply damned enough before, but I must plunge myself yet deeper in perdition! ”

“ Yet Scotland’s king, and England’s heir,
Shall equal be our dearest care.”
The liquid contained in one horn was thrown on the king; a second was poured over Edmund: and the third into the fire; when the hags joining their hands, wheeled round it with a flying motion–the flame forsook the wood. Borne upward in a chariot of fire, the three figures ascended through the outlet in the roof, formed for the smoke, which filled the hall with a suffocating and offensive smell. ”

“ In an unlucky moment I was induced to sign, in obedience to my father’s will, a covenant with Almanzor, which he pretended would place me next heir to the Moorish throne. Each signature was made with our blood, and a requiem was afterward sung for the success of the union. But alas! minds are not easily transferred; my soul owned allegiance to Sir Walter, a generous Knight of this country, and whom this horrid eastern tyrant had destroyed in conflict ”