Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 1, No. 3, August, 1850.Various
History
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 1, No. 3, August, 1850.
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
The supernatural part of the story of Fawdon is treated by its first
relater, Harry the Minstrel, as a mere legend, and that not a very
credible one; but as a mere legend it is very fine, and quite sufficient
for poetical purposes; nor should the old poet's philosophy have thought
proper to gainsay it. Nevertheless, as the mysteries of the conscience
are more awful things than any merely gratuitous terror (besides leaving
optical phenomena quite as real as the latter may find them), even the
supernatural part of the story becomes probable when we consider the
agitations which the noble mind of Wallace may have undergone during
such trying physical circumstances, and such extremes of moral
responsibility. It seems clear, that however necessary the death of
Fawdon may have been to his companions, or to Scotland, his slayer
regretted it; I have suggested the kind of reason which he would most
likely have had for the regret; and, upon the whole, it is my opinion,
that Wallace actually saw the visions, and that the legend originated in
the fact. I do not mean to imply that Fawdon became present, embodied or
disembodied, whatever may have been the case with his spectre. I only
say that what the legend reports Wallace to have seen, was actually in
the hero's eyes. The remainder of the question I leave to the
psychologist.
PART THE FIRST.
WALLACE with his sixteen men
Is on his weary way;
They have hasting been all night,
And hasting been all day;
And now, to lose their only hope,
They hear the bloodhound bay.
The bloodhound's bay comes down the wind,
Right upon the road;
Town and tower are yet to pass,
With not a friend's abode.
Wallace neither turn'd nor spake;
Closer drew the men;
Little had they said that day,
But most went cursing then.
Oh! to meet twice sixteen foes
Coming from English ground,
And leave their bodies on the track,
To cheat King Edward's hound
Oh! to overtake one wretch
That left them in the fight,
And leave him cloven to the ribs,
To mock the bloody spite.
Suddenly dark Fawdon stopp'd,
As they near'd a town;
He stumbled with a desperate oath,
And cast him fiercely down.
He said, "The leech took all my strength,
My body is unblest;
Come dog, come devil, or English rack,
Here must Fawdon rest."
Fawdon was an Irishman,
Had join'd them in the war;
Four orphan children waited him
Down by Eden Scawr.
But Wallace hated Fawdon's ways,
That were both fierce and shy;
And at his words he turn'd, and said,
"That's a traitor's lie.
"No thought is thine of lingering here,
A captive for the hound;
Thine eye is bright; thy lucky flesh
Hath not a single wound:
The moment we depart, the lane
Will see thee from the ground."
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