Harold, Book 10. The Last Of The Saxon Kings

cing his heart at peace, man leaves vent to his energies and passions, and permits their current to flow towards the aims and objects which interest labour or arouse ambition. Thus

t in the regular mechanism of the springs, which set the large wheels of thy soul into movement, is thine nevermore!"-and straightway all exertion seems robbed of its object-all aim of its alluring charm. "Othello's occupation is gone!" With a start, that man will awaken from the sunlit visions of noontide ambition, and exclaim in h

rom his heart, his existence, at the very moment when he had deemed himself most secure of its rewards-when he most needed its consolations? Hitherto, in that love he had lived in the future-he had silenced the voice of the turbulent human passion by the whisper of the patient angel, "A little while yet, and thy bride sits beside thy throne!" Now what wa

e various resorts of entertainment crowded by careless revellers. And the tread of steps mounted the stairs without his door, and there paused;-and there was the murmur of two voices without; one the clear voice of Gurth,-one softer and more troubled. The Earl lifted his head from his bosom, and his heart beat quick at the faint and scarce heard sound of

?' Recall, recall those words. And deemest thou now that I, who have gazed for years into thy clear soul, and learned there to sun my woman's heart in

knowest thou?-Who hath told thee?-What led

she resumed: "I do not say to thee, 'Grieve not to part;' for I know too well thy faith, thy tenderness-thy heart, so grand and so soft. But I do say, 'Soar above thy grief, and b

esolation to which thou wouldst doom thy life. We were betrothed to each other by ties strong as those of the Church,-over the grave of the dead, under the vault of h

ed me from the world-so utter was my youth's ignorance or my heart's oblivion of the stern laws of man, that when it pleased thee that we

eed, and leaving to him only broken exclamations,-fragments, in each of which has his heart itself seemed shivered; "no, no,-not

rang from the hands of Nature-if not the cloister, may I find the grave!-Harold, to the last let me be worthy of thee; and feel, at least, that if not

, "dost thou know that it is not only to resign thee that

ourless cheek, as she added, with proud voice, "I know it: but that other is not Aldyth, it is England! In her, in Aldyth, behold the dear cause of thy native lan

ound his brother. "Oh, Harold!" he said, "dear to me as the drops in my heart is my young bride, newly wed; but if for one tithe of the claims that now call thee to the torture and trial-yea, if but for one hour of good service to freedom and law-I would consent without a groan to behold her no more. And if men asked

against it, hiding his face; then, approaching softly, she knelt, lif

ms. Edith resisted not that mute appeal;

nessed their union by the heathen grave, now rose above the tower

knelt the fair form and looked the last look of Edith, stood the motionless image, and gazed the solemn eye, of the dark son of Sweyn. But Harold lean