Britain ... - Blue-Lite

Scene III.] THE DEVOTED ONE. 361
ERMINGILD.
All, my lord.
To-morrow, when shall rise May-Evening's star,
The sun-rites of the ancient heathen dwellers
Who once this isle possessed, will be performed
By Saxon Christians. High on cairn, and rock,
And mountain-steep will blaze a thousand fires ;
And round the May-pole, with its flower-sheaves crowned,
Maidens and youths will dance in 18
frolic glee, ( )
Beneath the midnight stars.
To do with Waldimar ?
ZANDAGAST.
E&MINGILD.
But what have they
Attend my words.
Nothing have they ; yet through the land will ring
Loud joy and merriment, and all the sky
Will shine with lights, an honour meetly due
To Waldimar's translation. On that night,
As our good priests
affirm who with us dwell,
The dead will from their graves, where they have lain
Unnumbered ages, rise, and flock to meet
The mighty gods of air, and flood, and fire,
With goblins grim, and dwarfs, and fairy sprites,
And giant demons of lone fen and moor,
High festival to hold on Vadha's rock,
From distant lands
J
In Rimmon's gloomy woods. ( 9)
Will gather there those prophet hags, who with
The blood of infants newly slain consult
The Immortal Ones, and o'er the earth have power
To cast the dread enchantment and the spell
Which to their will resistless all things bind.
Thither our priests shall at the midnight hour
M