“But from thy breast the blood we will suck out,
Unless thou follow us beneath the mould!
Decide, decide, nor longer pause in doubt!”
Cold sweat I shed, and as, with trembling hand,
I strove to whirl my beaming faulchion round,
It sank, enthrall’d by magic’s potent band.
Each witch drew nigh, with dagger high uprear’d;
Just then a cock, beyond the wild wood’s bound,
Crew loud—and in the earth they disappear’d.
I flung myself upon my frighten’d barb,
Just as the shades began to grow less murk,
And sun-beams clad the sky in gayer garb.
Let each young warrior from such places fly:
Disease and death beneath the flowers lurk;
And elves would suck the warm blood from his eye.
THE HEDDYBEE-SPECTRE.
FROM THE OLD DANISH.
I clomb in haste my dappled steed,
And gallop’d far o’er mount and mead;
And when the day drew nigh its close,
I laid me down to take repose.
I laid me down to take repose,
And slumbers sweet fell o’er my brows:
And then, methought, as there I slept,
From out the ground the dead man leapt.
Said he, “If thou art valiant, Knight,
My murder soon will see the light;
For thou wilt ride to Heddybee,
Where live my youthful brothers three:
“And there, too, thou wilt surely find
My father dear and mother kind;
And there sits Kate, my much-loved wife,
Who with her women took my life.