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THE WARRIOR'S RETURN.

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THE WARRIOR'S RETURN.

1 SIR WALTER returned from the far Holy Land,
2 And a blood-tinctured falchion he bore;
3 But such precious blood as now darkened his sword
4 Had never distained it before.
5 Fast fluttered his heart as his own castle towers
6 He saw on the mountain's green height;
7 "My wife, and my son!" he exclaimed, while his tears
8 Obscured for some moments his sight.
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9 For terror now whispered, the wife he had left
10 Full fifteen long twelvemonths before,
11 The child he had claspt in his farewel embrace,
12 Might both, then, alas! be no more.
13 Then, sighing, he thought of his Editha's tears
14 As his steed bore him far from her sight,
15 And her accents of love, while she fervently cried,
16 "Great God! guard his life in the fight!"
17 And then he remembered, in language half formed
18 How his child strove to bid him adieu;
19 While scarcely he now can believe, as a man,
20 That infant may soon meet his view.
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21 But should he not live! .... To escape from that fear,
22 He eagerly spurred his bold steed:
23 Nor stopped he again, till his own castle moat
24 Forbade on the way to proceed.
25 'T was day-break: yet still past the windows he saw
26 Busy forms lightly trip to and fro:
27 Blest sight! that she lives, "he exclaimed with smile,
28 " Those symptoms of housewifery show:
29 "For, stranger to sloth, and on business intent,
30 The dawn calls her forth from her bed;
31 And see, through the castle, all busy appear,
32 By her to their duty still led."
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33 That instant the knight by the warder was seen,
34 For far flamed the cross on his breast;
35 And while loud blew the horn, now a smile, now a tear,
36 Sir Walter's mixt feelings expressed.
37 'Tis I, my loved vassals! "the warrior exclaimed, ....
38 The voice reached his Editha's ears;
39 Who, breathless and speechless, soon rushed to his arms,
40 Her transport betraying by tears.
41 "And dost thou still love me?" he uttered, when first
42 A silence so rapturous he broke;
43 She tried to reply, but in vain .... while her sobs
44 A volume of tenderness spoke.
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45 Behold how I'm changed! how I'm scarred! "he exclaimed,
46 " Each charm that I boasted is o'er: "....
47 " Thou hast bled for THY GOD, "she replied," and each scar
48 Endears thee, my warrior, the more. "
49 "But where is my child?" he cried, pale with alarm,
50 "Thou namest not my Alfred .... my boy!" ........
51 "And comes he not with you?" she said; .... "then some woe
52 Embitters our beverage of joy."
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53 "What meanest thou, my love?" ....... " When to manhood he grew,
54 And heard of his father's great name,
55 'O let me', he cried, 'to the Holy Land go,
56 To share my sire's dangers, and fame.
57 "'Perchance my young arm, by the cause nerved with strength,
58 May lower the Pagan's proud crest:
59 And the brave Christian knights, in reward of my zeal,
60 May bind the red cross on my breast,' ....
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61 "'And think'st thou,' I said, 'with the son I can part,
62 Till the father be safe in my arms?
63 No .... hope not I'll add to the fears of the wife
64 The mother's as poignant alarms.'
65 "I ceased .... and his head on my bosom reclined,
66 While his golden hair shaded his cheek;
67 When, parting his ringlets, I saw the big tears
68 His heart's disappointment bespeak.
69 The sight overcame me: 'Most loved,' I exclaimed,
70 'Go, share in thy father's renown!
71 Thy mother will gladly, to dry up thy tears,
72 Endure an increase of her own.'
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73 "He kissed me ... he thanked me .... I armed him myself,
74 And girt his pure sword on his side;
75 So lovely he looked, that the mother's fond fears
76 Were lost in the mother's fond pride."
77 "He went then? ... How long has my warrior been gone?"
78 "A twelvemonth, my Walter, and more."
79 Indeed! .... then he scarcely could reach the far land
80 Until the last battle was o'er. "
81 "I told him, my Walter, what armour was yours,
82 And what the device on your shield,
83 In hopes of your meeting. " .... " Alas!" he returned:
84 "My armour I changed on the field!
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85 "A friend whom I loved from the dawning of youth,
86 For conquest and courage renowned,
87 Fell, fighting beside me, and thus he exclaimed,
88 While life issued fast from the wound:
89 "'And must I then die ere the flag of the Cross
90 Waves proudly o'er Saracen towers?
91 But grant me, loved Walter, this dying request,
92 For victory must surely be ours:
93 "'My armour well tried, and my falchion, my shield,
94 In memory of me deign to wear!
95 'T would sooth me to know, when the victory comes on,
96 That something of mine will be there!'
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97 "I granted his wish, and his arms I assumed,
98 While yet he the action could see,
99 And marked with delight that his last closing look
100 Was fixt with fond pleasure on me.
101 "Yet now, this remembrance so dear to my heart
102 Is clouded by anxious regret;
103 Since, but for this change on the field of the fight,
104 The father and son would have met!"
105 "But if he has fought, and has fallen, my love!" ....
106 "Suppress," cried the knight with a frown,
107 "A fear so ill-founded; .... if Alfred had died,
108 He'd have fallen a child of renown."
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109 Yet vainly he strove by the father's proud hopes
110 To conquer the father's fond fears;
111 He feared for the life of his boy, though with smiles
112 He answered his Editha's tears.
113 And more and more forced grew the smile on his lip,
114 His brow more o'erclouded with thought;
115 At length he exclaimed, "From the field of renown
116 One mournful memorial I've brought.
117 "I grieve that I won it! .... A Saracen chief
118 Fell bleeding before me in fight,
119 When lo! as I claimed him my prisoner and prize,
120 A warrior disputed my right.
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121 "'I'm new to the battle,' he cried, 'and this prize
122 Will wreathe my young brow with renown,
123 Nor will I the conquest resign but with life: ....
124 That chief by this arm was o'erthrown.'
125 "His daring enraged me, ... for mine seemed the stroke
126 Which laid the proud Saracen low; ....
127 Besides, from his bosom depended no cross,
128 His right to such daring to show."
129 "But surely, my Walter, the daring bespoke
130 A soul nobly eager for fame:
131 So many your laurels, that one you could spare, ....
132 O tell me you granted his claim!"
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133 "No, Editha, no! .... martial pride steeled my heart,
134 The youth I to combat defied;
135 He fought like a hero! but vainly he fought, ...
136 Beneath my strong falchion he died."
137 "O ill-fated youth! how I bleed for his fate!
138 Perhaps that his mother, like me
139 Had armed him, and blest him, and prays for his life,
140 As I pray, my Alfred, for thee! ....
141 "But never again shall he gladden her eyes,
142 And haste her fond blessing to crave!
143 O Walter! I tremble lest you in return
144 Be doomed to the sorrow you gave!
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145 "Say, did not the cross, when your victim he fell,
146 Lie heavy and cold on your breast; ....
147 That symbol of him full of meekness and love,
148 Whose deeds mercy only expressed?"
149 Yes .... pity, shame, penitence seized on my soul;
150 So sweet too his voice was in tone!
151 Methought as he lay, and in agony groaned,
152 His accents resembled thine own.
153 "His casque I unlaced, and I chafed his cold brow,
154 And fain every wound would have healed;
155 So young, and so lovely he seemed, that I wept
156 As by him I tenderly kneeled.
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157 "He saw my distress, and his last dying grasp
158 Forgiveness and kindness expressed;
159 And then, with a look I shall never forget,
160 He breathed his last sigh on my breast."
161 "But what's this memorial?" with cheek deadly pale
162 His Editha falteringly cried: ...
163 "This scarf from his bosom!" .... he uttered no more,
164 For Editha sunk by his side.
165 Ah then in her danger, her pale look of death,
166 He forgot all the laurels he'd won.
167 O father accurst! "she exclaimed," in that youth
168 You slaughtered your Alfred .... your son! "
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Title (in Source Edition): THE WARRIOR'S RETURN.
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Genres: lyric; narrative verse

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Opie, Amelia Alderson, 1769-1853. The Warrior's Return, and Other Poems. By Mrs. Opie. 2d. ed. London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, Paternoster-row, 1808, pp. [1]-[18].  (Page images digitized by Library of Congress Research Institute.)

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Typography, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation have been cautiously modernized. The source of the text is given and all significant editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. This ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.