-"How, ride to-night a thousand miles?

-"Looke up, the moone is bright, and we

"Outstride the earthlie men:

"I'll take thee to the bridal bed,

"And night shall end but then."—

"And where is, then, thy house and home,

"And where thy bridal bed?"—

-"'Tis narrow, silent, chilly, dark;

"Far hence I rest my

head."

-"And is there any room for mee,

"Wherein that I may creepe?"—

-"There's room enough for thee and mee, "Wherein that we may sleepe.

"All as thou lyest upon thy couch,

66

Aryse, no longer stop;

"The wedding guests thy coming waite,

"The chamber door is ope."

All in her sarke, as there she lay,
Upon his horse she sprung,

And with her lilly hands so pale
About her William clung.

And hurry-skurry forth they goe,

Unheeding wet or drye;

And horse and rider snort and blow,

And sparkling pebbles flye.

How swift the flood, the mead, the wood,

Aright, aleft, are gone;

The bridges thunder as they pass,

But earthlie sowne is none.

Tramp, tramp, across the land they speed,
Splash, splash, across the see:

-"Hurrah! the dead can ride

apace;

"Dost feare to ride with mee?

"The moone is bryghte, and blue the nyghte, "Dost quake the blast to stem?

"Dost shudder, mayde, to seeke the dead?"—

"How glumlie sownes yon dirgye song,

Night-ravens flappe the wing;

"What knell doth slowlie toll ding dong? "The psalmes of death who sing?

"It creeps, the swarthie funeral traine, "The corse is on the beere ;

"Like croke of todes from lonely moores, "The chaunt doth meet the eere."

-"Go, bear her corse when midnight's past, "With song, and tear, and wayle;

"I've gott my wife, I take her home,

"Lead forth, O clarke, the chaunting quire,

"To swell our nuptial song;

"Come, preaste, and read the blessing soone, "For bed, for bed we long."

They heede his calle, and husht the sowne,

The biere was seen no more;

And followde him ore feeld and flood

Yet faster than before.

Halloo! halloo away they goe,
Unheeding wet or drye;

And horse and rider snort and blowe,

And sparkling pebbles flye.

How swifte the hill, how swifte the dale,

Aright, aleft, are gone ;

By hedge and tree, by thorpe and towne,
They gallop, gallop on.

Tramp, tramp, across the land they speede,

Splash, splash, acrosse the see;

Hurrah! the dead can ride apace;

"Dost fear to ride with me?

"Look up, look up, an airy crewe,

"In roundel daunces reele ;

"The moone is bryghte, and blue the nyghte,

"Come to, come to, ye gostlie crew,

"Come to, and follow me,

"And daunce for us the wedding daunce,

"When we in bed shall be."

And brush, brush, brush, the gostlie crew
Come wheeling ore their heads,

All rustling like the wither'd leaves
That wyde the whirlwind spreads.

Halloo! halloo! away they goe,
Unheeding wet or drye,

And horse and rider snort and blowe,
And sparkling pebbles flye.

And all that in the moonshyne lay,
Behynde them fled afar;

And backward scudded overhead,

The skye and every star.

Tramp, tramp, across the land they speede,

Splash, splash, across the see;

Hurrah! the dead can ride

"Dost fear to ride with me?

apace;

"I weene the cock prepares to crowe,

"The sand will soone be runne;

"I snuff the earlye morning aire,

"Downe, downe! our work is done.