the purple clouds, lighted up with fiery gleams, were thickly scattered around the glowing wheels of his golden chariot, and every interval of the firmament was rich with a mosaic of mingled amethyst, sapphire, and carbuncle. The distant shores, with their green-leaved forests, hill-cities,* and clustered villages, embosomed in glen and dingle; how new and lovely looked they in the eyes of Dalclutha, while the deep blue lines of the eastern moorlands of Elmet and Brigantia rose sublimely in the far off horizon, blending their shadowy tints with the gorgeous colouring of the skies! The white cliffs of Binn-ach-Rhen rising in lofty majesty, with rocky rampart, crumbling tower, and rugged battlement of marble shades and dyes, proudly frowned on the ocean's gentle waves, that now rose, not with rebellious swell, covering in stormy warfare their steep sides with sheets of foam, but sunk with murmured wail at their feet, like a conquered captive sueing for compassion at the chariot wheels of the victor. The mountain promontory of Gabrantuici, stretched far into the liquid fields of azure, embathed its giant forehead in the golden radiance of day's departing orb. The deep appeared like a vast mirror of molten glass, reflecting all the mingled pomp of the rosy heavens, and where the bays and sounds receded in their placid dimness; the waters partook of the shadowy hues of darkly-purple headland, islet, rock, and cape, forming a beautiful picture of such lights and shades, softness and repose, as never received life and spirit from the pencil of a Poelemburg, in his most inspired moments, nor the brilliant tints of a Claude Lorraine equalled in his richest display of a summer sunset. The cries of the soaring sea-fowl that peopled the air, accorded well with the lovely scene, while the softly murmured melody which floated o'er the calm profound, to fancy seemed the music of ocean nymphs amid their coral bowers. The sweet twilight fell on land and sea, and the now far distant Gabrantuici began to fling a veil of mist around his stern and eagle-haunted brows, and appeared like the guardian spirit of the deep, wrapped in his cloudy might, as Dalclutha, like another Helen, on her voyage to the shores * We allude to the mountain fortresses of the ancient Britons. Vide “Munimenta Antiqua.” + Flamborough Head. This promontory is not marked in the map of Ptolemy, I have, therefore, ventured to give it the name of a town or station near it, noted in his geography. of Ilium, cast her blue eye, rich in its starry lustre, o'er the expansive prospect. O'twas an hour in which memory so dearly loves to think on those who are far away, on those whose absence we tenderly regret, when their forms seem to float before us, and their parting words to come on our ears in the plaintive sighs of the passing wind! How fondly then do we wish for their endearing society, to share our pleasure, and partake of our feelings! But the beautiful, the impassioned Dalclutha, sighed for no youthful hunter, reclined, after the chase, by the tomb of other years, for no brave hero, sleeping on his blood-stained sword beneath the mountaingrave of the mighty; for he, her own Dunalbion, her gallant hunter of the forest wilds, her warrior of a hundred battles, stood by her side; and all her world of joy and hope centered in his delightful and delighting smile of boundless adoration. Not so felt Utha,—she sighed and moaned below the deck, bewailing her hard fate, which, at her years, had doomed her to be taken from her country, and borne to a strange land, among a savage horde, whose very name made every particle of her blood to thrill with horror. She sighed for the dismantled halls of Caer Conan, though she dared not remain behind for fear of the wrath of King Ardoc, and could not look on the mighty world of waters, on which the vessel floated, without trembling. A southern breeze sprung up, and the fleet-winged bark rushed onward, like a proud and beautiful thing of life and spirit. Cape and isle were left far behind, and the full-orbed moon, rising half-veiled, like a bashful virgin, transformed the billows, betwixt the sullen shadows of passing clouds, into long and quivering lines of silver and pearl. Dalclutha reposed in the cabin with her querulous nurse, the night passed swiftly away, and when the radiant eye of morning glanced along the ocean's eastern verge, the shores of Pictavia were seen dimly rising o'er the dark blue waters. Dunalbion, with his ships of plunder, now steered towards the west, and landing far beyond the wall of Adrian, arrived about set of sun, with his bride, captives, and treasure, at the foot of the mountain, on which was encamped the chief horde of the fierce and wandering Attacotti. Their moveable town was encompassed with a deep and double fosse, and two strong ramparts rising above each other, having only one entrance to the east, near the steepest part of the hill, which was guarded by lunettes and mounds that intersected and flanked each other, and were raised for bodies of archers to stand on, and gall with cross flights of arrows an assailing foe; while immense bars of wood, and whole trees were placed as gates athwart the narrow avenues. Here also were heaps of great stones piled up, ready to be rolled down in rocky showers, on those who presumed to ascend with hostile step the vast acclivities of this ancient hill fortress, which was now occupied by the wildest and most ferocious of nomadic tribes. From its summit might be seen, far to the south, the celebrated ramparts of Gal-Sever, the noblest monument of Roman art and Roman industry within the limits of the empire, with its towns and towers at regular intervals, stretching o'er mountain, plain, and valley, from sea to sea; now lately repaired, improved, and fortified, by Carausius, with new forts and bulwarks, and well lined with armed watchmen, whose spears the Attacotti could discern, flashing in the evening sunbeams, as they paced to and fro the lofty battlements; and often on the vesper breeze, from southern land, as those wild freebooters listened darkly in their wrath, reclined on the ridge of their own green rampire, came the wail of horn, and trumpet swell, answering each other from tower to tower along the whole line of the immense circumvallation. Then would they utter yells of frantic rage, and shower curses on the impregnable barrier which bounded their moving steps to the barren mountains, and wolf-haunted forests of Caledonia, and prevented their rushing, like famished tigers, o'er all the fertile regions of the south, to plunder and destroy its Romanized inhabitants, for whose wealth in corn and cattle, these marauding brigands of the desert felt an insatiable longing. As Dunalbion conducted the princess up the narrow and winding path which led to this hill city, followed by his bands, bearing the spoils he had taken, the rampart walls were thronged with ferocious-looking warriors, mingled with their wives and children, to hail their chief's return; and as he approached, an universal shout of joy arose from line to line, borne on the evening winds o'er hill and valley, even to Gal-Sever's guarded towers. The gates or bars at the entrance were flung aside, and all the chiefs and elders, followed by the whole tribe, came forth to meet their triumphant prince and his bride with congratulation and acclaim. The bagpipes sounded merrily,* and the fame-proclaiming bard swept his Phoenician harp to the wild and mountain music that oft had rung in the halls of Fingal o'er the warriors feast of shells. Utha, as she heard the burst of melody and repeated shoutings, and saw the stalwart chieftains in their mantles of many colours, with massy chains of iron, and even gold, round their loins, arms, and ancles, their hair flowing in long and profuse curls over their shoulders, their faces tinctured with various dyes, and their naked arms and bosoms ornamented with the figures of beast and bird, began to feel her downcast spirits revived, and softly whispered to Dalclutha "Indeed, my princess, these are fine men, noble-looking warriors. I protest I seem restored to the days of my early youth when I look upon them. What beauty and taste in colours! what a charming style of painting they exhibit! These are none of your milk-white Roman varlets-these are genuine sons of Britain. They bear the delightful marks of their true lineage stamped on their faces, and all their limbs plainly show that they despise the innovations of the hated stranger from beyond the seas. Perchance what I have heard, after all, may be false. No doubt their enemies have wickedly belied them. At that moment the aged dame lifted up her eyes towards the entrance of the camp, which she now approached, and caught at one glance an appalling view of several ghastly heads, blackened by the sun and winds, and grinning skulls, which these bands of rovers had there set up on poles, as trophies of their might in war, and merciless revenge on their foes in their predatory incursions. Utha instantly turned pale with fear and horror, and vainly wished herself and the The bagpipe was an ancient Hebrew instrument of music, and, I have no doubt, also a Celtic one. The Romans were acquainted with it, as the image of a Roman soldier playing on it, dug up where now St. Paul's cathedral stands, fully proves. + The British warriors preserved the bones of their enemies whom they slew; and Strabo says of the Gauls (who were, as he informs us, far more civilized than the Britons, but still very similar in their manners and customs) that when they return from the field of battle they bring with them the heads of their enemies fastened to the necks of their horses, and afterwards place them before the gates of their cities. This barbarous custom has continued almost down to the present period; witness the heads of traitors fixed on iron spikes over the gates of Temple Bar. XVIII. R princess once more within the walls of Caer Conan tower, under the protection of the king of Brigantia. Dunalbion, with his bride and Utha, entered the hill-city, followed by all his fierce-eyed train of savage warriors, and a numerous throng of strange, wild, and barbarous-looking females and children; the latter being nearly naked, while many of the former were clad in tattered and squalid habiliments, yet not without various ornaments of rings, jewels, beads, and amulets of gold, glass, jet, amber, and pearl. With these, the hood-veiled Druid, in his gold wrought vest, of more colours than even the prince himself might wear, his scrip of sacred herbs, his staff, and sullen brow, his long and silvery beard streaming on the mountain winds; and Bardic choir, in garments of white, decorated with broad stripes of azure, singing the fame of their chief, formed such a moving pageant of fierce and Indian-like wildness, as now can only be seen in the eternal forests of the Mississippi, on the banks of the Amazon, or in the remote islands of the eastern ocean. Passing the outer barrier, the throng proceeded onward into the city, which consisted of huts and tents erected on each side of numerous lanes, or pathways, exceedingly narrow and intersecting each other. In the centre stood a pavilion, composed of several large tents joined together, and forming different apartments; this was the dwelling of the chief, Dunalbion, to which he led his betrothed bride. The furniture and adornments of this mountain-king's abode were splendid and noble, and it bore far more the appearance of a Roman general's tent than the rude lodgment of a leader of the wildest and fiercest robber clan that ever sacked a burning colony, or desolated a flourishing province. The pavilions were lined with Sidonian tapestry and purple cloth of gold; the couches were spread with coverings of blue and crimson, wrought with gold and silver flowers, and various suits of refulgent armour, shields and helmets of steel and brass, and glittering banners were tastefully arranged on every side. Instruments of music were lying on the tables, inlaid with pearl and gems, and even gilded rolls of the Greek and Roman authors were mingled here and there with Tuscan vases, beautifully painted with oriental flowers, and richly sculptured altars with transparent urns, in which were burning eastern spices and fragrant gums. Utha began to forget the horrid-looking heads and skulls which she had seen at the entrance of the hill-city, and |