William Stephen Pryer

“ Sea, sea,
Laugh on in glee;
How dear to the sailor thy sweet monody!
Soul-soothing calm,
Soul-healing balm,
For hearts beating fondly for hearts on the sea!
Sea, sea,
Tempest-lashed sea!
O spare in thy fury, smite not angrily
Hearts true and brave,
Breasting thy wave,
Who love as they trust thee, thou beautiful sea!
Sea, sea,
Bring back to me
One that thou bearest to war's pageantry!
Bear him my love,
Life-lasting love,
For him and him only, then speed him to me!
Sir Harold at Acre. So sang Rowena, from her turret bower,
Her plaintive notes each night,
In seamen's ears. ”

“ Once more on Ragnor's brow the beacons blaze,
The Orient Pearl to greet,
On her return.
Two brides wait mid a throng of friends to meet
Their war-proof knights. The shades of rank they spurn;
They'd vowed for each a sister's love for aye and aye.
Heart Chords. Sweet harpings break the stilly night's repose.
The seamen list once more,
As from her bower,
There fall those witching sounds they've heard before,
In days long gone, from Ragnor's lofty tower.
When hearts with voices blend what heavenly music flows!
Breathe fair, ye winds, breathe fair;
My true love's on the sea. ”

“ Is Ragnor's beetling brow, the seaman's dread,
That scowls by night and day
On that same sea
And with earth-shaking sound is heard to say,—
Which sound the waves roll back with mocking glee—
"What! Not enough of life ye must e'en have the dead?"
The ragged remnants of an ancient crown
Adorn his kingly head:
'Tis Hastyngs' Tower.
Here dwelt a maiden fair, so fair, 'tis said,
That suitors rich and princely sought her bower,
To sue in vain: whereat her father's haughty brow would frown.
Sir Guy de Warre. Like Ragnor's rocks. ”

“ When Eric woke to thought, the light had flown,
With Hope upon its wing
And left Despair.
One thought alone could light and comfort bring—
His secret—This, not death should from him tear.
Rowena's safe retreat, he never would make known!
The rasp of grating chains and rush of air
Awoke the sleeping page
From frightful dreams.
A voice he heard. Alas! 'twas fierce with rage,
While on his sight there flashed the fitful gleams
Of warders' arms. In haste they clangour down the stair.
"Come forth, young man! Sir Guy awaits above.
We dare not tarry long;
He's mad this morn. ”

“ Rowena's Te Deum. "O flowers," she sang, "sweet flowers,
Where beauty hath her throne,
Yea, smile away life's hours;
For you they'll soon be flown!
Then nursed awhile in womb of mother earth,
Ye'll rise, to taste with me, the joys of second birth!
O birds of happy wing!
With flowers' sweet incense blend
Your joyous notes and sing;
For soon your songs will end!
When summer's warmth again awakes your trills,
Ye too may know the joy which now my bosom fills!
The world seems one great heart,
Whose pulses move my soul. ”

“ Till on young Eric's heels the spurs of knighthood shine!"
Once more old Ragnor's rocks resound with cries,
Of grief? Nay—joy and pride!
For on the sea,
A noble, full-rigged ship doth stately ride—
The Orient Pearl—her white cross streaming free;
Whose captain Mike and crew now laugh at frowning skies!
The Deserted Brides. Hearts bound so late by love's sweet hallowed chain
By war's fierce edicts rent,
Lie bleeding sore;
And scan with eyes from weeping well-nigh spent,
Love's waning signals till they see no more. ”

“ Eric Entombed. Entombed alive! A struggling streak of light
Made visible the gloom,—
His living shroud.
He felt himself alive yet without room
To live or breathe. He groaned, then cried aloud,
"O God, while in this porch of hell, be Thou my light!"
Next morn—if morn, it were—no count of hours,
The dungeon-tenant kept,—
A silver ray
Woke hope afresh, as down a cord there crept
A basket full of meats, while 'neath them lay
A lamp and tools, with hints where he might try their powers.
Henceforth work's pulses guaged his night and day,
As sandstone rock he bored. ”

“ Sir Harold said, "where dwells my lady bride.
That light she vowed should never quit her bower.
Haste, captain, haste, I pray, and land me there this night."
"Steer straight for yonder light on Ragnor's crown!"
The captain made reply.
They set the helm;
And now with wings outstretched they swiftly fly,
Where demons will with mocking laugh o'erwhelm
And dance with fiendish glee to see them sink and drown. ”

“ The smuggler promised, but when Eric read
The note, he knew Sir Guy
Was far away.
No need of guide, the horse did homewards fly
And at St. Hilda's gate alone made stay.
This was the night young Eric stood beside Rowena's bed.
Soon after midnight, life once more returned;
Her pulse beat full and fast.
The fever's power,
Some mystic spell had bound but not to last,
Save for one long more dead than living hour;
And now with force renewed, it once more raged and burned.
"Fly, Eric, fly," she cried, and pointed where
The morn's sweet dawning gleamed. ”

“ Dark-visaged man, his countenance repelled;
His restless eyes flashed fire;
His voice sent dread
Through every soul that felt his fearful ire.
At its fell sound both beast and children fled.
Rowena, with her mother, hid till it had quelled.
Sir Harold dared his daughter's hand to seek!
No word the fierce knight spake
But ope'd the door,
And, scowling, said—"No Saxon churl shall make
Rowena wife; and dare he woo her more,
Upon him, would Sir Guy a direful vengeance wreak."
Sir Harold Spurned. To sue and lose, his knightly soul might bear ”

“ Sir Guy had heard afar the tidings fell
Of Harold Wynn's return
From Holy Land.
The news more fiercely made his wrath to burn.
Hence hot with hate he sought Old Ragnor's strand,
Whose peaceful haunts became again a very hell.
By Eric fed, the beacon lamp once more
Shone o'er the treach'rous sea
Which hid Death's maw.
Rowena had a secret gate whose key,
Her page had used. Her light, Sir Guy first saw.
O madd'ning sight! "If saved, Rowena dies," he swore.
The light of life, he quenched, and straightway hung
A lamp to lure to death. ”

“ She woke and lo! he stood 'mong those beside her bed.
She clasped his hand and whispered low. He bent
Once more to hear that voice
He must obey,
E'en though 'twixt life and death, no choice
It might him leave. She only bade him stay
Nor leave her more. The lady mother gave assent.
As flowers to sun respond with blushing hues
And grateful scents distil
Their voiceless praise;
So now as through her veins life's pulses thrill
Amid the breath of flowers and wood-choirs' lays,
She could, no more than they, her hymn of thanks refuse. ”

“ Then woe to all who have incurred his frown!
For sure he'll vengeance take on John and every foe."
To Die or Live? At least he knew his fate—Condemned to die!
He bade farewell to all,
Then went below.
The darkness closed around him like a pall
The dead. Yet drain the bitter cup of woe
For her, e'en to the dregs, he would without a sigh.
Yet did he not despair. Athwart the gloom
A gleam of hope there stole.
As clothed in light,
He saw the form that could his fears control,
And which the darkness only made more bright—
It was her angel presence lit his rock-hewn tomb! ”

“ And fill our hearts with joy and peace!"
Home, Sweet Home! They light the beacon fires the hills around.
All eyes are eager bent
Across the sea,
To cheer the night, a hundred voices blent
To chase the gloomy hours with mirthful glee;
Till shouts of "ship ahoy!" made every heart rebound.
******
And now for many days round Ragnor's Towers,
Life flowed in mirth away.
"Let feast and song,"
Sir Harold said, "have free unbounded sway;
For grief and gloom have lorded here too long.
Let joy now rule the day and strew her path with flowers!"
And yet a year, the joy-bells ring again ”

“ To beg she soon might see her Harold face to face.
The smuggler begged young Eric show the road
He'd come. Then armed they go;
But without need;
For where Rowena's page alighted, lo!
The missive lay. They hasten back with speed;
And as they give God thanks, more eyes than one o'erflowed.
Another Dungeon Tenant. "We e'en must quit, dear Mike, thy safe retreat;
'Tis clear, they're on our track.
Of this be sure,
That you henceforth in life shall nothing lack
That heart can wish or wealth of mine procure. ”