THE DESTRUCTION OF SENNACHERIB THE Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold; And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea, When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee. Like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green, That host with their banners at sunset were seen: Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown, That host on the morrow lay wither'd and strown. For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast. 8 And breathed in the face of the foe as he pass'd; And the eyes of the sleepers wax'd deadly and chill, And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still! 12 And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide, But through it there roll'd not the breath of his pride; And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf, And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf. 16 And there lay the rider distorted and pale, With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail: And the tents were all silent, the banners alone, The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown. And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail, And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal; And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword, Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord! 1815. 20 24 Lord Byron. THE RELIEF OF LUCKNOW OH, that last day in Lucknow fort! We knew that it was the last; That the enemy's lines crept surely on, And the end was coming fast. To yield to that foe meant worse than death: It was one day more of smoke and roar, There was one of us, a corporal's wife, And her mind was wandering. She lay on the ground, in her Scottish plaid, 12 "When my father comes hame frae the pleugh," she said, "Oh! then please wauken me." She slept like a child on her father's floor, When the house dog sprawls by the open door, It was smoke and roar and powder stench, And the soldier's wife, like a full-tired child, I sank to sleep; and I had my dream And wall and garden;-but one wild scream There Jessie Brown stood listening Till a sudden gladness broke All over her face; and she caught my hand 16 20 24 28 32 "The Hielanders! O! dinna ye hear The slogan far awa? The McGregor's. O! I ken it weel; "God bless the bonny Hielanders! We're saved! we're saved!" she cried; And fell on her knees; and thanks to God Flowed forth like a full flood-tide. Along the battery-line her cry Had fallen among the men, 36 40 And they started back;-they were there to die; But was life so near them, then? They listened for life; the rattling fire Were all; and the colonel shook his head, But Jessie said, "The slogan's done; But winna ye hear it noo, The Campbells are comin'? It's no a dream; Our succors hae broken through!" We heard the roar and the rattle afar, But the pipes we could not hear; So the men plied their work of hopeless war, And knew that the end was near. It was not long ere it made its way,- 44 48 52 56 |