Wallace, Or, the Fight of Falkirk; A Metrical Romance (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1810 edition. Excerpt: ...on its pride " Already thro' the silent line The dreadful battle-word is given; Swords wav'd aloft, like death-stars shine, And war-cries sweep the azure heaven Earl Marshal spurs his milk-white steed, He falls on the Scot like a bolt of fire, He turns the moss with skill and speed, And with menace loud, and gallant deed, He flings his lance on message dire As with strong arm he whirls it rolmd, And sends it whizzing thro' the air; " Go pin some rebel to the ground, And to his shuddering soul declare, 'Tis Bigod strikes the foremost blow, Bigod, whose very eye sheds death-fire on the foe." VI. The Scottish line, with steady eye, Beheld the insulting weapon fly The Scot, whose blood by fate was given, First in his country's cause to flow, I With unmov'd limbs, undrooping brow, Gaz'd calmly on the coming blow Which sent his soul to heaven VII. Now on earl Marshal's coat of mail, And thick amid his clustering train, Rattles the bowman's fatal hail And many a horseman bites the plain, Who ne'er shall manage steed again, And stung to fury many a horse, Mad with the smart of the frequent wound, Dashes, with unresisted force, His rider to the ground Yet Wallace bids his steeled band All mute and still as the sea-rock stand, Tho' bold the ocean wave rages against the strand. VIII. Now, Stewart now, thou veteran knight O St. Andrew bless thy sinewy arm Give eagle vigour to thy sight, Guide in its path thy arrow's flight, To drink yon baron's life-blood warm ' The arrow flies with erring speed, It sticks in the breast of the plunging steed Bigod is thrown --See, wild with ire, His red eye flashes streams of fire, Rising he waves his two-edged...