"And on the borders of those lands, 'tis told, 49 There lies a lake, some dead great city's grave, Where, when the moon is at her full, behold Pillar and palace shine up from the wave! And o'er the lake, seen but by gifted seers, Its phantom bark a silent phantom steers. "It chanced, as round our fires we sate at night, 50 And saga-runes to wile our watch were sung, That with the legends of our father's might And wandering labours, this old tale was strung, Then the roused King much question'd:--what we knew We told, still question from each answer grew. "That night he slept not--with the morn was gone; 51 And the dove led him where the snow-storms sleep." Then Lancelot rose, and led his destrier on, And gain'd the boat, and motion'd to the deep, His purpose well the Alemen divine, And launch once more the bark upon the brine. And ask to aid--"Know, friends," replied the knight, 52 "Each wave that rolleth smooths its frown for me; My sire and mother, by the lawless might Of a fierce foe expell'd and forced to flee From the fair halls of BENOIC, paused to take Breath for new woes, beside a Fairy's lake. "With them was I, their new-born helpless heir, 53 The hunted exiles gazed afar on home, And saw the fires that dyed like blood the air Pall with the pomp of hell the crashing dome. They clung, they gazed--no word by either spoken; And in that hush the sterner heart was broken. "The woman felt the cold hand fail her own; 54 The head that lean'd fell heavy on the sod; She knelt--she kiss'd the lips,--the breath was flown! She call'd upon a soul that was with God: For the first time the wife's sweet power was o'er-- She who had soothed till then could soothe no more! "In the wife's woe, the mother was forgot. 55 At last--(for I was all earth held of him Who had been all to her, and now was not)-- She rose, and look'd with tearless eyes, but dim, In the babe's face the father still to see; And lo! the babe was on another's knee!-- "Another's lip had kiss'd it into sleep, 56 And o'er the sleep another, watchful, smiled;-- The Fairy sate beside the lake's still deep, And hush'd with chanted charms the orphan child! Scared at the cry the startled mother gave, It sprang, and, snow-like, melted in the wave. "There, in calm halls of lucent crystalline, 57 Fed by the dews that fell from golden stars, But through the lymph I saw the sunbeams shine, Nor dream'd a world beyond the glist'ning spars; Buoy'd by a charm that still endows and saves, In stream or sea, the nurseling of the waves.