Erwin

“ From this day forwards Erwin’s leisure was totally engrossed by Rosanna. The habitations of Tell and Melthal were not so very distant, but that by setting out at the same time the lovers were certain to meet halfway, time enough to pass some hours together undisturbed: besides the intimate connection, which subsisted between the two families, furnished too many opportunities of intercourse, to admit of their often complaining of long absence from each other. The passion, which grew stronger in their bosoms with every hour, was carefully concealed from every one ”

“ If she thinks proper still to reside in the shades of her native vallies, there too will I take up my abode: if she rather desires to see the world (which in truth has its charms and can show some scenes, with which even these enchanting solitudes must not come in competition) perhaps her happy Erwin may succeed in procuring for her there a situation better suited to 331her merits, than that which she must fill in the obscurity of these retired mountains.”—
—“Dear Erwin,” interrupted Rosanna, “speak no more of this; speak not of my merits, or of removing me to the great world! Ah! ”

“ Erwin's countenance changed.
"Ah, how pale you become!" said Lanzo. "You see, dear Count, wise men should always look to the issue of their projects. But don't be down-hearted; this Lombard angel is still only a child, and, in a few years' time, things may change a good deal." And he sprang to the ground.
"You are not leaving me thus, Lanzo? Methinks, a light collation, with me, in the Imperial tent, should not be refused."
"Many thanks, Count! Believe me, there are other things to be done in Barbarossa's tent, besides giving lodgings to a poor devil." ”

“ Is it not enough to make me hate that world, that it soon must rob me of your society? and alas! who knows, whether you will return from that wild tumult, which I only know by description, with sentiments as kind and as honest and true an heart, as you will bear away with you!”—
Poor Rosanna was bathed in tears, while she made these representations. She had had dreams, and omens, and forebodings, which promised nothing good, 332and which her lover soon banished by means, which every lover (the false as well as the true) equally practises on similar occasions. But Erwin was true as the truest ”

“ Chicago Inter-Ocean:
“***‘My Bunkie and Other Ballads,’ by Erwin Clarkson Garrett, are poems straight from the heart of a private soldier, full of freshness and color, swing and melody.***”
“Mr. Garrett’s songs are racy of the soil and of the life they celebrate. They have an appeal for all Americans, but particularly for the thousands of American young men who in war times saw the Philippines over the sights of a Krag-Jorgensen.” ”

“ And once upon a time Arthur was holding his Court at Caerlleon upon Usk, at Whitsuntide. And, behold, there came to him ambassadors, wise and prudent, full of knowledge, and eloquent of speech, and they saluted Arthur. "Heaven prosper you," said Arthur, "and the welcome of Heaven be unto you. And whence do you come?" "We come, Lord," said they, "from Cornwall; and we are ambassadors from Erbin the son of Custennin, thy uncle, and our mission is unto thee. And he greets thee well, as an uncle should greet his nephew, and as a vassal should greet his lord. ”

“ Soon these things came to the ears of the old King Erbin, and great heaviness was upon him. And he called the Lady Enid to him one day, and with stern sorrow in his eyes spoke thus:
'Fair woman, is it thou that hast turned my son's spirit into water? Is it thy love that hath made his name a byword among those who should love him because he is not as he once was—a man no one could meet in arms and overcome? ”

“ The far-flung Nations knew.
Lord of the last least horizon—
King of the Outer Seas—
Where beat a heart, where stood a mart,
There bended suppliant knees—
To Thee—Resplendent Sovereign—
Cradled among the hills,
Who still through the countless centuries
The wondering watcher thrills.
Only a Tale of the Ages—
Power and Pride and Death—
And the afterlight of an Empire’s might—
And the soft Campania’s breath.{115} ”

“ PART III. OTHER VERSES. MY SAPPHIRE.
I have a sapphire rich and fair
And soft as a velvet sky,
When only the stars are shining low
And the heavens hold a mystic glow
And a hushed world stands agaze to know
The wonderful Whence and Why. ”

“ If that memory dies out, if the venerating thoughtfulness of the living ceases, the soul of the departed is at once deprived of the sole element in which it still maintained its shadow of an existence. ”

“ We’ll tramp anew the jungle through
Where ferned Pitcairnias rise,
And the softly fanned Tjemaras stand
Green lace against the skies,
And the last red ray of the tropic day
Flickers and flares and dies.
Across the full-swung, shifting seas
There comes a beck’ing gleam,
Strong as the iron hand of Fate—
Sweet as a lover’s dream. ”

“ By every ocean, gulf and land,
Stout hearts and humble knees:
Oh men of the Outer Reaches—
Oh men of the palm-lined beaches—
Oh men where the ice-pack bleaches—
Oh Brethren o’ the far-flung seas. ”

“ In the teeth of the driving gale.
Oh the fair-weather lights o’er the sheltered bights
Are welcome sights to see—
But the foul-weather lights o’ the stormy nights,
Are the Lamps of the Years to be. ”

“ Of the men on a homeward tack
And a steady wheel and an even keel
That never a wind may rack.
Ye sing a song of the strong men
In the birth of a splendid youth,
Ye sing a song of the strong men
And ye sing mayhap in truth;
But I—I sing of the old men
Who’ve weathered the outer seas,
And lifting the bark through the growing dark,
Bear back in the sunset breeze. ”

“ For she’s the breeze o’ the Southern Seas
Where the egg-spume waters turn.
My love she wraps me in her arms
With a crushing grasp and wild,
For she was born o’ the six-months morn,
A strong, tumultuous child.
My love needs throw a kiss to me,
And the kiss is the rainbow spray,
Then laughing in glee, coquettishly,
She lightly trips away. ”

“ The Emperor, however, without noticing his half audible words, raised his voice and addressed Father George of Altenburg, even before he had reached the table, saying, "Father, we have ever heard that you are a good and holy man, and we now call upon you to speak truth, and to tell us who is that young man now standing before us, as you will answer to God."
"This," said Father George, laying his left hand upon Ferdinand's shoulder, "is Ferdinand of Ehrenstein, the son of my beloved friend, the late Count." ”

“ Seas that use in the sunset hues
Till all is a blended sky.
Seas that reek with the golden streak
And the flash of phosphor fire—
Seas that glance in a moonlit dance
With feet that never tire.
Seas that melt in the mist-hung belt
When sky and waters close—
Seas that meet the day’s retreat,
Amber and gold and rose.
Purple seas and garnet seas, emerald seas and blue,
Foaming seas and frothing seas spraying rainbow dew:
Laughing seas and chaffing seas, gay in the morning light,
Endless seas and bendless seas ayawn in the starless night. ”

“ There once lived in Denmark a mighty King named Hetel, whose fame spread far and wide. His wife Hilda bore him two children, a son and a daughter called Ortwin and Gudrun, who were endowed with such surpassing strength and beauty that as they grew to manhood and womanhood the whole country rang with their praises. Ortwin’s master-in-arms was Count Wate, a hero who loved the strife and tumult of battle better than making merry with fair dames, and from him the young prince acquired skill in all knightly exercises. ”

“ They entered the staterooms,
In search of diamonds and gold.
If I could win those Nymphs
To be my wives,
I would try and coax them
To flee with me,
To the upper world,
To keep them for
My enchanted brides. ”

“ The beautiful boy Erling, fair-haired, fair-browed, and blue-eyed, came up beside his father. Earl Haakon gazed down at the boy. “Thou art too young for the fight—but not too young— Come, Erling! Come with me! The gods are angry! They have turned their faces from us and are calling for a sacrifice. They are asking for a rich sacrifice, before they will give us victory. Come, Erling! ”

“ In the death that may not die.
And though it sailed o’er every wave,
By reef and barrier bar,
’Neath the glare of the South Seas’ scorching sun
And the gleam of the lone North Star.{75}
Though it lifted the lights o’ the Ports-o’-Call,
By green and crimson beam,
It never lifted the Light again—
The Light that fled as a dream.
Over a blue-black endless sea—
Over a timeless void—
Callous and careless plunged the Ship
That never a storm destroyed.
Skimming the foaming coral reef—
Daring the mid-deep wind—
Clipping the roar of the white lee shore
Where the Gods of Chance run blind. ”

“ One wished that it should be given to the lady best beloved by him, and another to the lady whom he loved best. And all they of the household, and the knights, disputed sharply concerning the head. And with that they came to the palace. And when Arthur and Gwenhwyvar heard them disputing about the head of the stag, Gwenhwyvar said to Arthur, "My lord, this is my counsel concerning the stag's head; let it not be given away until Geraint the son of Erbin shall return from the errand he is upon." ”

“ However, if recollections of my personal campaigns against Cæsar—armed only with a Latin vocabulary and grammar—serve me rightly, the old Roman was not merely a worthy foe, but one who might well be held up as a worthy example; who dealt with his chronicles as he dealt with his enemies on the field, in a simple, direct, forcible manner, bare of circumlocution, tautology or ambiguity—that he who runs may read—and reading, know his Gaul and Gallic chieftains, his Cæsar and his Cæsar’s legionaries, even as Cæsar knew them. ”

“ We must not have our food poisoned by doubts and fears."
The Count spoke thoughtfully, pausing when he had done; and Ferdinand replied, "I am glad you have taken such a resolution; my good lord. It is true, I fear these things not; but still it is high time that something should be done to inquire into this matter, or to remove it. You have yourself now heard, and I have seen strange things, of which, I trust, some holy man, some priest of a good and saintly life, may be able to free us."
"No, no," replied the Lord of Ehrenstein, "we will have no priests, lad, nor monks either. ”

“ The man, in the mean while, helped himself liberally to the wine which the smith offered, and in a minute or two after, the master of the forge raised himself suddenly, saying, "The horse must be shod by this time, and you must onto Ehrenstein with all speed, to bear these tidings to the lords there, for they must not let the youth lie long in Eppenfeld."
"Oh, the Count will see right done, and that quickly," answered his companion.
"If the one Count doesn't, the other will," replied Franz Creussen; "but you speed on, and let them have the intelligence at all events;" ”

“ Gerlinda did not reply, but she allowed him to take her hand, and she listened as he went on in the same tone: "Herr von Eberstein is greatly attached, I know, to his family traditions, and no one could require him, at his age, to resign what has been life to him for so long; he belongs, body and soul, to the past. But you, Fräulein von Eberstein, are just entering upon life, and in the nineteenth century we must adapt ourselves to the spirit of the age and see things as they are. Do you remember what I said to you on the castle terrace?" ”

“ But the Solitary there in his cramped and lonely lair,
It’s enough to drive a man insane.
He’s time to repent for the money that he spent
And the temper that cursed him too,
When he’s breaking rock all day by the shores o’ ’Frisco Bay
Where he sees the happy homeward-bounds come through. ”

“ Blind rage and blinding hate,
To them who charge the shell-swept zone
Or in the trenches wait.
Should we say “all,” or modify
Our statement? Any fool
Knows that exceptions always rise
To prove an iron-clad rule. ”

“ And he said to Geraint, “I am a feeble and an aged man, and whilst I was able to maintain the dominion for thee and for myself, I did so. But thou art young, and in the flower of thy vigour and of thy youth: henceforth do thou preserve thy possessions.” “Truly,” said Geraint, “with my consent thou shalt not give the power over thy dominions at p. 32this time into my hands, and thou shall not take me from Arthur’s Court.” “Into thy hands will I give them,” said Erbin, “and this day also shalt thou receive the homage of thy subjects.” ”

“ Seek ye a weapon,
Be brave, be brave.
OWONDLO.
Those fish that are so bold,
With yet no weapon for defense,
Make my thoughts aflame,
While my blood runs cold.
But on I will search,
A weapon for defense.
(Owondlo spies five Sea Nymphs enjoying themselves ; he hides and watches them)
OWONDLO.
What now behold,
This merry feast.
They laugh, they sing,
They joke in secret,
Ten thousand ways untold.
Ha ! ha ! They smack their lips
And dine on sea currants,
From Nature's hidden garden.
(1st Sea Nymph walks proudly about)
OWONDLO.
How fair she is? ”

“ If not, he may be any man else's son, but not the late good Count of Ehrenstein's--a worthy man he was as ever drew a sword."
"Ha!" said the Emperor, fixing his eyes upon him; "I thought he had been your enemy, and curbed, with a strong hand, your lawless doings."
"Ay, my lord Emperor," answered the Baron; "but yet, though the lion rends us and we fly him, we love him better than the wolf, and own him for a gallant beast. The last Count was fierce enough with us who live after the old fashion. He slew William of Feldhofen, and burnt the castle of John of Bernau ”