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SAXON STORIES.

BY MR. THOMAS CHATTERTON,

I.

ETHELGAR.

Tnot for thunders roar, the lightnings shine on the rising waves, and the black clouds sit on the brow of the lofty hill; who then protects the flying deer, swift as a sable cloud, tost by the whistling winds, leaping over the rolling floods, to gain the hoary wood, whilst the lightnings shine on his chest, and the wind rides over his horns? When the wolf roars, terrible as the voice of the Severn, moving majestic as the nodding forest on the brow of Michel-stow; who then commands the sheep to follow the swain, as the beams of light attend upon the morning? Know, O man! that God suffers not the least member of his work to perish, without answering the purpose of their creation. The evils of life, with some are blessings; and the plant of death healeth the wound of the sword. Doth the sea of trouble and affliction overwhelm thy soul; look unto the Lord, thou shalt stand firm in the days of temptation, as the lofty hill of Kinwulf; in vain shall the waves beat against thee, thy rock shall stand.

IS not for thee, O man! to murmur at the will of the Almighty.

Comely as the white rocks, bright as the star of the evening, tall as the oak upon the brow of the mountain, soft as the showers of dew that fall upon the flowers of the field, Ethelgar arose, the glory of Exanceastre*. Noble were his ancestors, as the palace of the great Kenrick. His soul, with the lark, every morning ascended the skies, and sported in the clouds. When, stealing down the steep mountain, wrapt in a shower of spangling dew, evening came creeping to the plain; closing the flowers of the day, shaking her pearly showers upon the rustling trees; then was his voice heard in the grove, as the voice of the nightingale upon the hawthorn spray. He sung the works of the Lord; the hollow rocks joined in his devotions, the stars danced to his song. The rolling years, in various mantles drest, confest him man. He saw Egwina of the Vale; his soul was astonished, as the Britons who fled before the sword of Kenrick. She was tall, as the towering elm; stately, as a black clowd bursting into thunder; fair, as the wrought bowels of the earth; gentle and sweet, as the morning breeze; beauteous, as the

* Exeter.

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sun; blushing, like the vines of the west: her soul, as fair as the azure curtain of heaven. She saw Ethelgar; her soft soul melted, as the flying snow before the sun. The shrine of St. Cuthbert united them: the minutes fled on the golden wings of bliss. Nine horned moons had decked the sky,, when Elgar saw the light. He was like a young plant upon the mountain's side, or the sun hid in a cloud: he felt the strength of his sire; and, swift as the lightnings of heaven, pursued the wild boar of the wood. The morn awoke the sun; who, stepping from the mountain's brow, shook his ruddy locks upon the shining dew: Elgar arose from sleep; he seized his sword and spear, and issued to the chace. As waters swiftly falling down a craggy rock, so raged young Elgar through the wood; the wild boar bit his spear, and the fox died at his feet. From the thicket a wolf arose, his eyes flaming like two stars. He roared, like the voice of a tempest: hunger made him furious; and he fled, like a falling meteor, to the war. Like a thunderbolt tearing a black rock, Elgar darted his spear through his heart. The wolf raged like the voice of many waters; and, seizing Elgar by the throat, he sought the regions of the blessed!......The wolf died upon his body...... Ethelgar and Egwina wept......they wept like the rains of the spring: sorrow sat upon them as the black clouds upon the mountains of death but the power of God settled their hearts.

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The golden sun rose to the highest of his power; the apple perfumed the gale; and the juicy grape delighted the eye. Ethelgar and Egwina bent their way to the mountain's side, like two stars that move through the sky. The flowers grew beneath their feet; the trees spread out their leaves; the sun played upon the rolling brook; the winds gently passed along. Dark, pitchy clouds, veiled the face of the sun: the winds roared like the noise of a battle; the swift hail descended to the ground; the lightnings broke from the sabled clouds, and gilded the dark-brown corners of the sky; the thunder shook the lofty mountains; the tall towers nodded to their foundations; the bending oaks divided the whistling wind; the broken flowers fled in confusion round the mountain's side. Ethelgar and Egwina sought the sacred shade; the bleak winds roared over their heads, and the waters ran over their feet. Swift from the dark cloud the lightning came; the skies blushed at the sight. Egwina stood on the brow of the lofty hill, like an oak in the spring; the lightnings danced about her garments, and the blasting flame blackened her face. The shades of death swam before her eyes; and she fell breathless down the black steep rock; the sea received her body, and she rolled down with the roaring water.

Ethelgar stood terrible as the mountain of Maindip. The waves of despair harrowed up his soul, as the roaring Severn plows the sable sand: wild as the evening wolf, his eyes shone like the red vapours in the valley of the dead; horror sat upon his brow. Like a bright star shooting through the sky, he plunged from the lofty brow of the hill; like a tall oak, breaking from the roaring wind. St. Cuthbert appeared in the air. The black clouds fled from the sky; the sun gilded the spangling meadows; the lofty pine stood still; the violets of the vale gently moved to the soft voice of the wind; the sun shone on the bubbling brook. The saint, arrayed in glory, caught the falling mortal: as the soft dew of the morning hangs upon the lofty elm, he bore him to the sandy beach, whilst the sea roared beneath his feet. Ethelgar opened his eyes, like the grey orbs of the morning folding up the black mantle of the night...

Know, O man!' said the member of the blessed, to submit to the will of God! He is terrible, as the face of the earth, when the waters sunk to their habitations; gentle, as the sacred covering of the oak; secret, as the bottom of the great deep; just, as the rays of the morning. Learn that thou art a man, nor repine at the stroke of the Almighty; for God is as just as he is great.' The holy vision disappeared, as the atoms fly before the sun. Ethelgar arose, and bent his way to the college of Kenewalcin: there he flourishes, as a hoary oak in the wood of Arden.

II.

KENRICK.

HEN Winter yelled through the leafless grove; when the black hid the face of the sun; when the silver brook stood still, and snow environed the top of the lofty mountain; when the flowers appeared not in the blasted fields, and the boughs of the leafness trees bent with the loads of ice; when the howling of the wolf affrighted the darkly glimmering light of the western sky......Kenrick, terrible as the tempest, young as the snake of the valley, strong as the mountain of the slain; his armour shining like the stars in dark night, when the moon is veiled in sable, and the blasting winds howl over the wide plain; his shield like the black rock; prepared himself for war.

Ceolwolf of the high mountain, who viewed the first rays of the morning star, swift as the flying deer, strong as a young oak, fierce as an evening wolf, drew his sword; glittering, like the blue vapours in the valley of Horso; terrible, as the red lightning bursting from the dark-brown clouds. His swift bark rode over the foaming waves, like the wind in the tempest; the arches fell at his blow, and he wrapt the towers in flames. He followed Kenrick, like a wolf roaring for prey.

Centwin of the Vale arose; he seized the massy spear. Terrible was his voice, great was his strength; he hurled the rocks into the sea, and broke the strong oaks of the forest. Slow in the race, as the minutes of impatience his spear, like the fury of a thunderbolt, swept down whole armies; his enemies melted before him, like the stones of hail at the approach of the sun.

Awake, O Eldulph! thou that sleepest on the white mountain, with the fairest of women. No more pursue the dark-brown wolf. Arise from the mossy bank of the falling waters. Let thy garments be stained in blood, and the streams of life discolour thy girdle! Let thy flowing hair be hid in a helmet, and thy beauteous countenance be writhed into terror!

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Egward, keeper of the barks, arise! like the roaring waves of the sea: pursue the black companies of the enemy.

Ye Saxons, who live in the air, and glide over the stars, act like yourselves!'

Like the murmuring voice of the Severn, swelled with rain, the Saxons moved along. Like a blazing star, the sword of Kenrick shone

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