THE LION-HUNT.1 MOUNT-mount for the hunting-with musket and spear! Ride up Eildon-Cleugh, and blow loudly the bugle: In the gorge of the glen lie the bones of my steed, Ho! the Hottentot lads have discovered the track- Through the rough rocky kloof into grey Huntley-Glen, 7 Now mark yonder brake where the blood-hounds are howling ; The circumstances described in this very spirited poem, came under the personal observation of the writer, Mr. Pringle, and may be read in detail in the 8th Chapter of his interesting "Narrative of a Residence in South Africa." 2 The names in this piece are-with the exception of "the Rennies," who were Scottish friends of the author-those of Mulatto farmers, and Hottentot and Dutch servants, residing in the neighbourhood. 3 Spoor-a Dutch word-track, the lion's track. Gorge-the throat or narrow passage at the opening of a defile. 5 Fatherland-here means Scotland, which was the native country of the emigrants. 6 Kloof a Dutch word--a small valley, opening into a larger one. 7 Fell-perhaps derived from fall,-a declivity or ridge of mountains. Leave the horses behind-and be still every man: He comes! the tall jungle before him loud crashing, He couches-aye now we'll see mischief, I dread : Bezuidenhout-up man!-'tis only a scratch— (You were always a scamp, and have met with your match!) His hide, with the paws and the bones of his skull, Pringle. SOLITUDE. DEEP solitude I sought. There was a dell 1 Leaguer-for beleaguer-to besiege, beset. 2 Sir Walter Scott, a friend of the author. 3 Lonely-synonymous with alone-feeling alone, habitually without com pany; alone-by itself, actually without company. Hence we may speak of a "lonely fount," and of "being alone." There without witness. But the violet's eye1 Looked up to greet me, the fresh wild-rose smiled, Its history.-Up came the singing breeze, Woke in that dell. The dexterous spider threw, Yet I strangely thought Spirit of light and love!-It might not be !— There is no solitude in thy domains, Save what man makes, when in his selfish breast Speaketh thy name. The simple flowers and stream Who holdeth converse in their language pure, Mrs. Sigourney. SCHOOL-DAYS. Be it a weakness, it deserves some praise, The personification of the different inanimate objects is very delicately and gracefully managed. 2 Citadel-An ingenious application of the term to the ant-hill, as being the insect's place of refuge, or stronghold. 3 Listening-synonymous with hearing-endeavouring or being disposed to hear; hearing-simply catching a sound, whether voluntarily or not. Hence we may listen without hearing, and hear without listening-but we never listen without giving attention. The "listening heart" is disposed to hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of his works. The scene is touching, and the heart is stone Cowper. THE SPANISH CHAMPION.4 THE warrior bowed his crested head, and tamed his heart of fire, And sued the haughty king to free his long-imprisoned sire;5 1 The inversion of the style occasions some obscurity in this passage. The meaning is that the heart that feels not at that sight, is stone, and feels, or can feel, at no sight whatever. 2 Grave, carev, hack, hew, all different modes of cutting, may be thus distinguished. To grave is to cut into, or hollow out, with a view to execute some design. Carve. or about.. Hack. for the purpose of deforming. Hew........ down or off.. Hence we may correctly say that the names were "graven" or "carved," and the bench "hacked" or notched and "hewed," or deprived, by cutting, of some portion. 3 Devious, from Latin de and via, from or out of the way; here, on one side, not straight forward. Pope wittily says of some one that he "never deviated into right." The celebrated Spanish champion, Bernardo del Carpio, renowned for his exploits against the no less famous French hero Roland, as well as against the Moors in Spain, lived in the reign of Alonzo II. king of Leon. 5 Sire-the count of Saldana, Bernardo's father, who had been imprisoned by the king for many years. "I bring thee here my fortress keys, I bring my captive train, I pledge thee faith, my liege, my lord!-oh, break my father's chain!" 66 Rise, rise! even now thy father comes, a ransomed man this day; Mount thy good horse, and thou and I will meet him on his way. Then lightly rose that loyal son, and bounded on his steed,2 With one that 'midst them stately rode, as a leader in the land; "Now haste, Bernardo, haste! for there, in very truth, is he,— The father whom thy faithful heart hath yearned so long to see." His dark eye flashed, his proud breast heaved, his cheek's blood came and went; He reach'd that grey haired chieftain's side, and there, dismounting, bent; A lowly knee to earth he bent,-his father's hand he took,- That hand was cold-a frozen thing-it dropped from his like lead, He looked up to the face above-the face was of the dead! A plume waved o'er the noble brow-that brow was fixed and white; He met at last his father's eyes-but in them was no sight! Up from the ground he sprang, and gazed, but who could paint that gaze? They hushed their very hearts, that saw its horror and amaze; They might have chained him, as before that stony form he stood, For the power was stricken from his arm, and from his lip the blood. 1 Fortress keys-Bernardo, after many ineffectual efforts to procure his father's release, had taken up arms in despair, but at length assented to the king's proposal to give up the person of his father in exchange for the castle of Carpio. 2 Steed, charger-a steed is a horse for the stud, of fine shape and high mettle; a charger, a heavy war-horse, used for bearing down upon, or charging the enemy in battle. |