and faid, "Brother, I am just now in"formed that the murderer of my ne"phew is not far from this; I go inflantly in pursuit of him. Do you tomorrow morning return to Maloane "and abide there till I come." The lady joined in this request, and next day The fet out with her train. 66 Gyron had not forgotten the words of Sir Lac; and no fooner had the lady left the caftle of the Two fifters than he followed her at a distance. But Sir Lac, not to mifs the charming booty, had set out early in the morning and concealed himfelf in a thick wood through which the fix and twenty knights with their charge had to pafs. When they approached he fell upon then like lightning from heaven, put them all to flight, and carried off the lady. Sir Gyron had accidentally loft the way that they had taken, but, as he was endeavouring to regain it, fortune threw the robber in his way, who, full of tranf port, was riding off with the booty. What happened may eafily be conceived. In a moment the two knights were engaged with the fury of lions, while the lady ftood by, wringing her hands, and offering up fervent petitions to all the faints in heaven, more in behalf of her friend than of herfelf. But the valiant Sir Gyron did not hold her long in fufpenfe, for he overthrew his opponent, and forced him to receive his life, at the interceffion of the lady. How exceve was her joy when the found herself delivered, and by the hand of the man whom of all the world the loved! How great was the joy of the knight at recovering her, and punishing the confidence of the ravifher! Both looked at each other for a while in filence, their whole foul in their eyes. All around them is woods and folitude and filence: he and the as it were alone in the world. What a moment for the oblivion of friendship! But Gyron foon came to himself, and stepping back a few paces, “Lady, faid he, now you are de "livered from that falfe knight, you may proceed to Maloane without in"terruption." "My lord, faid fhe, that Iam delivered, thanks be to God and to your valiant "arm: for I should have been for ever difhonoured had not your courage de"fended ne. But what can I now do? "my attendants have all fled, even my "damfels have forfaken me." "Lady, "returned the knight, be comforted, "your people cannot be far off, they "will foon again affemble round you. ing they mounted their horfes and proceeded. Now, when the lady of Maloanc, haying recovered of her fright, faw herfelf thus alone with her knight, whom more than all the world fhe loved, and refl、cted on his manly virtues, and how at the tournament he excelled the bravest of the brave knights that were there, and how courteous and beautiful and noble he was in all things, beyond all other men fhe had ever known, her heart grew big, and the did not know whether the fhould fpeak or how the could remain filent. Love and Shane contended in her bofom, the one urging her to fpeak, the other to be filent. Lady, fays Love, fpeak without fear; he cer tainly will not refufe you again: the man does not deferve the name of knight who could reject the proffered love of fuch a lady twice. Lady, fays Shame, on the other hand, beware of another attempt. Gyron loves Danayn fo ftedfaftly and fo truly that he would not be unfaithful to him for any thing the world contains. Be affured he will refule you. Thus the lady remained undetermined, and they continued to ride on a long while without a word being uttered on either fide. In the mean time there was no fmall conflict in the heart of Gyron. As often as he turned his eyes on the lady his refolution was thaken, and he thought that, could he once prefs her bofom to his, he would afk no more of life. To fruggle longer he thought impoffible, and not very honourable to fo beautiful a woman and one who loves him. Every thing confpires to fecond their wishes; the time, the place fo quiet, fo funtary: fuch another opportunity could hardly ever return. But, the wife of thy friend, of thy companion in arms, who loves thee more than his own eyes! Heaven forfend, that fo brave a knight fhould be difhonoured by the man whofe fidelity he has fo firmly trued. How could thou ever after lift up thy eyes to s? or to thofe of any other perfon to *łom honour is facred? Nay, how could t thou ever endure thyfelf after fuch a deed? Agitated with these diftra&ting thoughts he continued to ride on befide the lady in filence; yet could he not forbear now and then to let his eyes wander towards $ 2 hers hers, and the oftener he looked on her the fairer fhe feemed. Twice or thrice he was on the point of telling her fo, but fhame withheld him. At last it became neceflary for the lady of Maleanc to give vent to the emotions of her heart. "Dear Sir," faid he, ❝ tell me, fo may God profper you in all your adventures, what is that of "a other things which can inspire a "kright with the highest degree of va"1ur and of courage?" Lady, an"wered Gyron, it is love, without “doubt. Such is the power of true "love that it can transform, cowardice "itfelf into valour. And, believe me, "Ifhould not have been able to deliver you from the power of Sir Lac, had not love given me strength; nor would he, though one of the moft valiant of knights have been able to conquer your fix and twenty attendants, had not "the love he bore to you infpired him," "How! faid the lady, and does true love actuate you then?" "Certain ❝ly, laid he, and fuch love as I believe "no other knight ever felt. I confider myfelt as highly fortunate that I can "beaft of having fet my heart on the "faireft of her fex; and on her account "I have performed actions that other wife I would hardly have attempted, "That I have performed them is owing "only to her, and hers is all the praise.' The lady of Maloane when he heard her knight talk thus was filled with excefs of joy; for her heart whispered her, if Gyron is in love, he loves thee and none elfe." And as he ceafed to fpeak, "My lord, faid the, tell me I pray you, fo may God profper you in all your adventures, who is the la "dy who has been fo happy as to infpire Sir Gyron with a love fo true." So help me God, said he, as that la dy is no other than yourfelf, and well affured muft you be of this in your own heart. Yes, deareft lady, it is you I love and with fuch true and perfect love, as never knight loved. Alas, returned fhe, do I "not remember the time when you thought otherwife, when you feernfully rejected the love I proffered to you? Tell me, Sir knight, what you would now have me beleve." "Dear eft lady, faid Gyron, believe that I was then blind and infenfible. But "take me now for your own knight, and be aflured that no heart was ever more true, or more paffionate than ff mine." Judge of the rapture with which the lady of Maloane heard thefe words, And now as they rode onward a winding path prefented itfe.f through the wood that led towards a brook. “ Lady, laid Gyron, the fatigue of yesterday's tournament, with the labour of this "morning, and the heat of the day, "begin to opprefs me; with your leave I would willingly take a little reft at "that brook which lies before us." Sir, anfwered the lady blushing, as 66 you pleafe." Now when they reach. ed the brook Sir Gyron difmounted, and tied his horfe to a tree. The place was a cool grove by the brook, fweetly over fhadowed with trees and encircled with bufhes, fo ftill and fo folitary as if it had been formed on purpose for lovers to reft in. Here he fet down the lady as he received her in his arms from her horfe; and then began to unarm himself piece by piece, taking off his helmet, then un buckling his corflet and fhield he laid them by the margin of the brook. Above all he put his good fword that had once belonged to that flower of chival ry, Hector the Brown, who dying had given it to him, and for whofe fake he valued it more than he would have done a kingdom. But in this moment of intoxication he thinks but little on his fword, or on the duty of a knight. He has forgotten, for the firft time in this life, the honour and fidelity of friendship, and the paffion of love overcoming him, has flifled every noble feeling in his breaft. Gyron is no longer Gyron, he has forgotten his friend, the grous, the unfufpicious Danayn, he has forgotten himfell, he is haftening with impa tience to difarm; and the fair lady, in fweet confufion, her eyes caft cu the ground, and her heart throbbing with love and defire, ftands blushing and filent befide him. At this very moment, his good fword which he had carelessly laid on the mar gin of the brook, fuddenly fell into the ftream. At the noife of its fall he flarte ed, he left the lady, and rap to fave his fword; he drew it out, and wiping it dry, turned it round and round to fee if it was uninjured, when the golden infcription which Hector had caufed to be engraven on the blade flared him in the face. He fiopped and read it." Let 66 none but the virtuous wield this fword; Honour is above all. Perfidy "difgraces all. Infamy attend the man "who would hide a coward's heart in a lion's fkin." Gyron read this infcription again and again, as if he had never seen it before, sns felf to his friend, takes upon himself all the guilt, and conce is nothing from him but the weakness of his wite. And when he had made an end of his confeffion, reaching out his nand to Danayn, "Par"don me, Brother, faid he, if thou "canft, and let me die, but hate not "my memory-for repentance antici"pated the crime. In my heart alone was the guilt, and my heart's blood "fhall expiate it." and like one relieved from the power of Sir Gyron, without returning any anfwer, continued to gaze ftedfaftly on his Sword; the lady drew ftill nearer, and in the fofteft accents repeated, "Dear "Sir, do you ail aught?" "Do I ail aught? returned the knight, "with a deep figh. So may God have "mercy on my foul, as after fuch an infi"delity to my friend and brother Sir Da"nayn, I think myself unworthy to live." And as he faid this he began again to look carneftly on his fword, Thon good Sword," faid he, in bitter grief, "into whofe hands art thou fallen? "How different a man was he who "owned thee laft? Treachery and infi"delity never entered his heart his "whole life long. Pardon me. I am "unworthy to wear thee longer, but "I will revenge thee and him; for he hoped better things of me when he "confided thee to my hands." With thefe words, before the lady could prevent it, he thruft himself through with the fword, and pulling it out, would have again repeated the blow, had not she in all the agonies of defpair flung herself into his arms; "Deareft Sir, cried fhe, "fpare, fpare yourself for heavens fake, "do not thus murder yourself and me for "nothing for imaginary guilt," "Oh! cried he, Lave me I beleech you. I "am not worthy to live, and I will die " rather than live in infamy.—” But the noble Danayn felt in that moment the exalted nature of his friend's virtue and his fidelity more than ever, Gyron's heart lay open to him as his own: he begs of him to pardon hunfelf, conjures him by taenly friendship to live, and fwears that he will love and honour him more than ever. Overcome by fuch goodness, Sir Gyroh at laft confented to live, and was carried on a bier to the nearent castle, where there dwelt a knight an old friend of Danayn's. This knight had a niece, who in beauty fcarcely yielded to the lady of Maloanc, and who was welk fkilled in the virtues of plants, and in all the mysteries of the healing art. This young lady fecretly loved Gyron, and by her art and attention is wound was cured in a few weeks. But fata' waş the wound which the adventure of the brook had made in the heart of the lady of Maloane. It was too weak to bear the fudden tranfitions from doubt to hope, from hope to joy, and from joy to forrow. A fever feized her agitated frame which in three days put a period to her life, and Gyron's name was the laft word that trembled on her tongue. Here the old knight was filent; and with a penetrating look beheld all the ladies and all the knights that fat round the table, filent. The pearly tears trickled over the glowing cheeks of all the virgins, and the eyes of all the knights were caft on the ground. The lady Guenever the Queen, who during the re lation, was fometimes pale as death, and fometunes red as fire, to conceal her agi tation faid with a figh, "It is a difmal "tale." Then king Arthur rofe up from the table, and all role up; and Arthur faid to Branor; A chamber, Sir knight, At this very moment Danayn was returning from his expedition. He had overtaken and punished the murderer of his nephew, and now he was haften ing back to taloanc to his friend, and as he was paffing through the wood not far from the brook, he thought he heard the voice of forrow; he inftantly turned, and lo! he faw Gyron lying on the is prepared for you in the cattle as ground all bloody, and his own lady long as you fhall chule to remain with danding by, wringing her hands. Da 66 us. "Sir king, replied the old man, nayn, without afking any questions fprings "fo may God profper you in all your from his horfe and runs to the affiftance "undertakings, as I have vowed never of his friend. But Gyron retufes all in my life to fleep within the verge incpour, determines to die, accufes him-of a court," The knights looked at each each other in filence, and Branor bowed his horfe, rode away, by the light of the himfelf before the king and before the moon, back into his wood.. queen, put on his helmet, and bestriding THE MORNING WALK. Written on leaving EAST LOTHIAN, in Spring 1790. W O, Sylvan Nymph! refound thy tuneful lay, From underneath this branch of spreading bay. What beauteous views the distant prospect yields, Of painted lawns and dew-befpangled fields; How fmooth yon veffels glide along the waves, Where Fortha's ftream her flow'ry islands laves; Yon dropping cloud that sheds the morning dew, With yellow radiance gilds the mountain's brow, Whofe wood-crown'd fummit, nodding on the stream, Makes lofty trees inverted forests seem, And mofs-grown rocks bestudded o'er with sheep, Appear in fhadows on the crystal deep. Sweet fings the Linnet from the blof fom'd thorn, The foaring Lark proclaims the blushing morn, And while the Turtle warbles from the grove, The plaintive Bullfinch murmurs forth her love, The Shepherd's lute re-echoing from the hill, Is sweetly soften'd by the gurgling rill, Whose moss fring'd banks reflect a various hue, Of blooming cowflips crown'd with pearly dew, HEN failing Morn in Ocean's bo- There, the low daizy, with the violet fom laves. And o'er the hills her azure mantle waves; Wak'd by his refy beams, the lyre 1 Atring, And roam abroad of rural fweets to fing. Now, while fair Lothian's plains in bloom appear, And fragrant groves a lively verdure wear, Can fancy flumber? Can the paft'ral Mufe, To paint thefe vernal fcenes, her aid refufe? No: penfive thus I'll wander to the fade, And there invoke the fong-infpiring maid. Aurora now emits her golden rays, And Nature's fweeteft rural fcenes difplays. Ye hills, near neebors o' the ftarns, That proudly cock your crefting cairns; Ye cliffs, the haunts of failing yearns, Where echo flumbers; Come join, ye Nature's sturdieft bairns, My wailing numbers. Mourn, ilka grove the cufhat kens; Or o'er the lins wi' hafty stens Flinging your treafure. Mourn, little harebells o'er the lee; In fcented bowers; Ye rofes on your thorny tree, The first of flowers. At dawn, when every graffy blade Mourn, ye wee fangsters of the wood; Ye grous that crap the heather bud; Ye curlews fkirlin' thro' a clud; Ye whiftlin pliver; And mourn, ye birrin paitrick brood, He's gane for ever. Mourn, footy coots, and fpeckled teals; Ye houlets, frae your ivy bower, Wail thro' the dreary midnight hour, Mourn, clamouring crails at clofe o' day, O rivers, forefts, hills, and plains! Oft have ye heard my ruftic ftrains: But now, what elfe for me remains But tales of woe; And frae my een the crapping rains Muft ever flow! Mourn, |