The Works of Walter Scott, Esq: The Vision of Don Roderick

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE VISION OF DON RODERICK. . leaking their crests amid the cloudless skies, And darkly clustering in the pale moonlight, Toledo's holy towers and spires arise, As from a trembling lake of silver white. Their mingled shadows intercept the sight Of the broad burial-ground outstretch'd below, And nought disturbs the silence of the night 5 All sleeps in sullen shade, or silver glow, All save the heavy swell of Teio's ceaseless flow. All save the rushing swell of Teio's tide, Or, distant heard, a courser's neigh or tramp; Their changing rounds as watchful horsemen ride, To guard the limits of King Roderick's camp. For, through the river's night-fog rolling damp, Was many a proud pavilion dimly seen, Which glimmer'd back, against the moon's fair lamp, Tissues of silk and silver twisted sheen, And standards proudly pitch'd, and warders arm'd between. But of their Monarch's person keeping ward, Since last the deep-mouth'd bell of vespers toll'd, The chosen soldiers of the royal guard Their post beneath the proud Cathedral hold: A band unlike their Gothic sires of old, Who, for the cap of steel and iron mace, Bear slender darts, and casques bedeck'd with gold, While silver-studded belts their shoulders grace, Where ivory quivers ring in the broad falchion's place. In the light language of an idle court, They murmur'd at their master's long delay, And held his lengthen'd orisons in sport: ? What will Don Roderick here till morning stay, To wear in shrift and prayer the night away ? And are his hours in such dull penance past, For fair Florinda's plunder'd charms to pay Then to the east their weary eyes they cast, And wish'd the lingering dawn would glimmer forth at last. But, far within, Toledo's prelate lent An ear of...