Constantia: or, The Man of Law's Tale, Modernized from Chaucer - Part 28

Tedious it were, tho' wondrous strange to tell,
What new adventures o'er the main befel;
How fondly prattling, while her Infant smiled,
She the long hours and wintery nights beguiled;
Till fe'z'd by pirates on the Atlantic wave,
A prince of Gallia bought the Imperial Slave:
How, in calm peace and friendship long retain'd,
High trust and grace her winning sweetness gain'd;
Till she to Rome, predestinate event!
Associate with her lord and mistress went.

But now to Britain let the Muse repair;
For there the valiant A LLA claims her care.
Triumphant soon from Scotia he return'd,
And to behold his loved C ONSTANTIA burn'd:
This wings his feet along the toilsome way —
But thoughts are swifter, swifter far than they;
Hope, elevate, the distant journey metes,
And to his march his heart the measure beats.

But when o'er Tweed he led his conquering host,
And trode the verdure of Northumbria's coast,
While laurels round their trophied temples twined,
And banners wanton'd in the curling wind,
No wonted crowds their once-loved A LLA meet,
No prostrate knees, or hailing voices greet:
Blank was his passage o'er the pensive ground,
And silence cast a mournful gloom around;
Or if his Prince some straggling peasant spied,
As from a basilisk he slunk aside.

What this might mean, revolved within his breast,
Conjecture dire, and whispering doubts suggest;
More dread than death, some hideous ill impart —
This the first fear e'er seized on A LLA'S heart.
But worse, O worse than fancy yet could fear,
When now the killing truth arrests his ear!
Athwart his eyes, and mantling round his soul,
Thick clouds of grief and dreary darkness roll;
His sense, nor tears nor uttering groans could tell,
But froze and lock'd in speechless woe he fell.
At length by care, by cruel kindness, brought
To all the anguish of returning thought,
Swift from the sheath he drew the deadly guest,
And would have pierc'd this vulture in his breast;
Such was the sting of agonizing pain,
His frenzy would the immortal soul have slain!
But this prevented, round the attending crew,
With baleful glance, his eager eyes he threw:
" C ONSTANTIA ! " he requires with frantic tongue
" C ONSTANTIA ! " still the restless accents sung:
To her, as present, now his fondness speaks;
As absent, into desperate action breaks.
" O never, never more, my Queen! " he cries,
" Shall that known form attract these dying eyes!
" Never? — O, 'tis the worst, the last despair —
" Never is long, is wondrous long to bear!
" Down, down, ye cloud-topt hills, your summits stoop;
" With me, in sign of endless mourning, droop!
" Snapt be the spear, bright armour ground to dust;
" Repose thou corslet in eternal rust;
" Still'd be each tube, the trumpet's warlike swell —
" Empire, and same, all, all, with Thee, farewell!
" For Thee alone, thy conquering soldier arm'd,
" The banner waved, and sprightly clangor charm'd:
" But arms and loathed desire with Thee are dead;
" And joy — no, never to return — is fled! "

Thus raved the youth, to wilful woes resigned;
And offer'd aid was sickness to his mind.
To frenzy by uxorious transports rais'd,
His vengeance on his aged parent seiz'd;
Who, doom'd to lose that too designing head,
A victim to his loved C ONSTANTIA bled.
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