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The rural album, containing descriptive and miscellaneous poems
The rural album containing descriptive and miscellaneous poems Author:Thomas Bell 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: I. tfarntoell tttastle, tip Ah ! 'tis the solemn hour of midnight deep, When lost in deathlike silence all things sleep ; Dark from the massive pile the sh... more »adows fall, Scarce seen the mould'ring arch and ivied wall, Save where the pale and full-orb'd queen of night Steals o'er the rounded tow'rs with silv'ry light. Yes ! 'tis the midnight hour, when mortals sleep, And birds of night alone their vigils keep. The owl, snug-nestled in the ruin'd wall, Breathes forth his gentle hush, as if to call On those intruding here, at hours so late, Softly to tread lest they disturb his mate ; Or, starting wildly from some frightful dream, High overhead pours forth his wailing scream ; While Philomela on some shelter' d thorn Bests for awhile, and waits the break of morn. The world is still — the snow-white clouds above, Chaotic mingling, scarcely seem to move, But slowly bear their fleecy forms along, A wide-spread, shapeless and fantastic throng. 1 Historical notices of the Castle, and to the other local pieces, will be found at the end of the book under the number corresponding with that at the head of each poem. This is the scene for meditation's pow'r, This is the muse's fascinated hour, When Fancy, leaving the dull bounds of day Flies off, uncheck'd, in other realms to stray. Hark! on the list'ning ear, the Warder's horu Sounds loud and cheerly o'er the verdant lawn ; Along the ramparts swells the warlike sound, And to their posts the watchful sentries bound. The friendly challenge tells no foe is near,— Some midnight wand'rer claims protection here, Some Pilgrim trav'lling to a distant shrine ; Or red-cross Knight, from holy Palestine ; Or ancient Minstrel here, perchance, may stray To tune his harp to jocund roundelay. Now Fancy, wand'ring, paints the foe-men ni...« less