Foxholme Hall Part 12

Borasco sat in a very melancholy and downcast mood, with his chin resting on his hand, while several deep sighs, which sounded somewhat like thunder, burst from his heaving bosom, and echoed round and round the hall. At last he looked up and said, "It is very well for you, brother Kings, who are fancy free, to laugh; but let me tell you, if you felt as I do you would find it no laughing matter. And thou, O mighty Neptune, if thou canst not help me to win the lovely in aid, I know not what I shall do, while I remain as hideous as I own I am."

Neptune, on hearing this, thought deeply for some minutes; he then spoke:--

"Be not, my brave Borasco, thus dismay'd, You know my love, and I will give thee aid.

I grant thee leave to seek some human form In which the life-blood yet is flowing warm, Which from some sea-tossed, shattered wreck is torn, And on the sh.o.r.e by raging billows borne.

Such you may enter, while your present form Returns to mingle with the air and storm.

But also learn, the force of fire or steel, Like other mortals, you'll be doomed to feel; And if of mortal life you are bereft, You must resume the native form you left, And thence for ever in that shape remain, Nor e'er in human semblance s.h.i.+ne again; And also, every year you most repair To this my court in that same form you wear, Leaving your mortal shape in seeming sleep, While for one day you stay beneath the deep.

Such is, Borasco, tried and faithful friend, The best a.s.sistance which I now can lend."

On hearing these words, the looks of the Spirit of the Storm brightened.

He rose and made obeisance. "Thanks, mighty Sovereign," he exclaimed; "my hopes brighten, my courage returns. I will, with your permission, at once hasten and put into execution this most excellent plan. It must succeed, and cannot fail to secure my happiness; and I here promise to obey your mandates, and faithfully to return once a year, to pay my respects at your court."

"Do so," replied Neptune; "but remember that I can give you power only over the form of a human being who in his lifetime has been guilty of many crimes. With the innocent and virtuous no Spirit must interfere.

Now let our court break up; and, Kings of the Sea, and ye, great Spirits of the Wind and Air, disperse yourselves across the billowy main."

On hearing these words the Spirits answered:

"We fly, mighty Monarch, we fly at thy will, With tempest and tumult the ocean to fill; Where rocks and where sandbanks and whirlpools abound, And barks are hurled onward, we there shall be found."

When the Spirits ceased speaking they dispersed, with a loud rus.h.i.+ng sound, in all directions, while the Kings of the Sea, the Islands, and Rocks, retired with a more dignified pace, and the vast hall was left, as before, in solitude and silence.

STORY SIX, CHAPTER FOUR.

The seas were, in those days, infested by a band of pirates, who were possessed of several large s.h.i.+ps, with which they defied all efforts to destroy them. The chief of the pirates was called Don Alonzo. Though very blood-thirsty and wicked, for he robbed all he met, and spared no one who made any resistance, he was very brave, and young, and handsome; indeed, on looking at him, few would believe that he could commit the crimes of which he was guilty. It happened that his s.h.i.+p, having separated from her consorts, was sailing across the Pacific.

Now, as Borasco was returning from Neptune's conclave to his own palace, he espied her in the far distance floating calmly on the waves. He soon knew her to be the s.h.i.+p of the pirate Alonzo, and instantly summoning all his wildest spirits to his aid, a violent tempest began to rage, and thus the Spirit of the Storm sang, as, riding on his foam-crested steed, he followed the doomed bark:--

"'Tis now that the billows are covered with foam-- 'Tis now my wild spirit rejoices to roam, When waves tossing high with dark clouds are at play, To dim the pale moon with their bright frothy spray; When loud-rolling thunder resounds thro' the skies, And fast through the night air the northern mist flies; Oh! now is the time when my spirit is free, And wildly I ride o'er the fathomless sea.

"Yon tempest-toss'd vessel before me now flies, And loudly I echo the mariners' cries, As sadly they gaze on the breakers before, Which madly leap over the iron-bound sh.o.r.e, When hope has deserted, and, pallid with fear, The stoutest heart trembles at death drawing near.

Oh! now is the time I shout loudest with glee, And gaily ride over the foam-covered sea."

Onward sailed the sea-robbers, thoughtless of coming danger, when suddenly the gentle breeze, which had hitherto been wafting them on their course, rose to a furious gale. Over the s.h.i.+p heeled to its rage.

The tall masts bent and cracked, and one by one, with crash upon crash, they were carried away, till the s.h.i.+p drove before the tempest a helpless wreck on the waste of waters. The wild cries of the seamen, as they saw their doom approach, rose above the shrieks of the sea-bird, or the mocking laughter of the Spirits of the Storm. Their chief alone stood undaunted, youth in his eye, and manly vigour in every limb; though the lightning flashed around his head--though the foaming billows washed over the frail planks on which his feet were planted, and death with all its horrors frowned upon him.

On, on drove the s.h.i.+p--dark clouds above, the yawning waves below--till the land (it was the Island of Gracia), at that part fringed with sharp, threatening rocks, appeared ahead. On she went. The eager waves leaped round her; they lifted her to their summit, and then down she came, cras.h.i.+ng upon the rocks. Her timbers were riven asunder and scattered far and wide, and of the human beings who lately trod her deck but one alone was washed on sh.o.r.e, and from his body life had departed, though it was uninjured, either by the rocks or shattered planks and spars. It was that of Alonzo, the captain of the pirate crew. No sooner did Boras...o...b..hold the work which his powers had accomplished, than he hastened to the beach, and there he found, stretched on the sand, the body of the pirate. He looked at it delighted, for the form was very handsome; and though life was gone, it yet retained its warmth. High rocks surrounded the spot, so that no human being could observe what was happening. A voice (it seemed to come from the air) then uttered, in an awful tone, the following spell:--

"Dark form! my mystic words obey, To thin air vanish, haste away!

Go, wander o'er the boundless main, Nor dare this shape resume again, Till by dark spells of potent might, I summon thee to re-unite."

As he spoke the hideous form began gradually to expand into vast proportions, growing each moment more mist-like and indistinct. Signs of animation now returned to the body of Alonzo, who speedily arose, and while he waved his arm, the shape Borasco had lately worn mingled with the surrounding atmosphere, till it finally disappeared like a mist blown off from the sea.

Alonzo, or rather Alonzo's form animated by Borasco's spirit, walked slowly on, for he felt weary, as a person does who has long buffeted with the waves, for with the form so he partook in a measure of the human feelings of the pirate. His nature, however, in other respects was not altered; his love for Serena was rather increased than lost, and he was still the same bold Spirit he had before been, with the same power, only softened and refined by the magic influence of love.

He looked into a mirror-like pool of water among the rocks, and there, seeing his new figure reflected, he drew himself up, and stretching out his arms proudly, he exclaimed, "Ah, I now look like a man indeed; I feel the life-blood rush fleetly through my veins, my pulses beat steadily; methinks when the maiden sees me she will not fly from me as she did before. Ah, now in truth I have a chance of winning her.

Thanks, thanks, mighty Neptune! for the aid you have afforded me. The dawn approaches; she will soon be here! and then once more, lovely Princess! I shall again behold thy matchless beauty." As he spoke a few faint streaks, the harbingers of the rising sun, appeared, in the eastern sky, the wind went down, and the sea grew perfectly smooth.

After wandering along the sea beach for some distance to stretch his legs, for he naturally felt somewhat strange in his new form, he at length, overcome with fatigue and a desire for repose, laid himself down on the dry sand under the shade of an overhanging rock. Here, in the course of a few minutes, he fell fast asleep; and so sound was his sleep that he appeared like some s.h.i.+pwrecked mariner who had been drowned and washed on sh.o.r.e by the stormy waves.

STORY SIX, CHAPTER FIVE.

The bright sun was shedding his beams across the dancing waves, when the lovely Serena and her maidens, tempted by the beauty of the morning, left the palace to enjoy the fresh air on the beach, no longer dreading to meet the hideous monster who had once so frightened them in the same spot. As they walked on they talked of the storm which had raged during the night. "And, my Princess," said Linda, one of the maidens, "they say that there was seen last night, by those who were on the watch, a huge black ma.s.s driving towards the sh.o.r.e, but that it burst asunder, and only fragments of wood and some extraordinary-shaped things were found among the rocks. Some people think it was a big canoe, and others a monster, but no one is certain."

"There are many strange things happening," replied Serena. "Last night my father dreamed a dream; he dreamed that one of the sages of our people came to him, and reminded him of a prophecy which was uttered years ago: it ran thus:--

"`In hour of danger Saved by a stranger, The King and state Give him guerdon great, But a Sea-monster will prey On his reward that day.'

"My sire awoke repeating the words, and the sage was gone, but the storm was raging with greater fury than before."

"Since the day we saw the dreadful monster, wonders have never ceased,"

observed Linda; "now, I should not be surprised if some other wonder was going to happen."

While they were speaking they happened to approach the very spot where the form of Alonzo was sleeping. The Princess and her maidens started with surprise, and then cautiously drew near, curious to know what strange being he was; for, from his dress, which was the costume of Spain, and from his appearance being so totally different to that of the islanders, they did not at first suppose that he was a human being.

Remembering the fright they had had before, from the strange monster which had appeared so suddenly out of the sea, they approached very cautiously, thinking this might do them some harm if they were not careful. Hand-in-hand they advanced, treading lightly, and uttering no sound, and ready every instant to run away. At last they all got close up to him, and began to examine him with curious eyes, their fears gradually growing less and less. Linda was the first to make the wonderful discovery, that instead of a strange monster, he was a young and handsome man. "Oh, my dear mistress, I am sure he must be a Prince, for he is so very good-looking and prince-like," she exclaimed, bending over him; as she did so she uttered an exclamation of sorrow, and wrung her hands; "Alas, alas!" she cried, "but I fear he is dead!"

The maidens now all drew near, and knelt mournfully round him, when at last the Princess ventured to take his hand. Instead of letting it drop, she exclaimed joyfully, "Oh, no! he is not dead; his pulse yet beats with life, and look, the colour mantles on his cheeks."

Her touch, or the voices of her maidens expressing their satisfaction, awoke Alonzo, as Borasco now called himself, out of his deep sleep. He opened his eyes, and fixing them on her, he said in a low voice, expressive of his surprise, "Do I dream? Are you a mortal? or have the skies sent some being radiant with beauty to dwell on earth?"

The Princess was not insensible to the compliment, though it was rather high-flown; but she was so astonished at hearing him speak, that, instead of answering him, and not knowing what else to say, she asked, "What are you? whence do you come?"

Before Alonzo could answer these questions he had to collect his thoughts sufficiently to frame a story; for he had had till then no idea that they would naturally be put to him. He therefore rose, and, kneeling at the feet of the Princess, took her hand, and replied, "I come from the sea, fair Princess! My s.h.i.+p was dashed to pieces last night on those pointed rocks, while I, her chief, was cast on sh.o.r.e, and am the sole survivor of her crew. My name is Alonzo, and I am your humble slave, fair lady."

The Princess, though she did not comprehend all the stranger said, and certainly did not understand his compliments, had not the slightest doubt of the truth of the story. She entreated him to rise, and then retired with her maidens to consult what should be done; for there existed in Gracia a law which condemned to death any stranger who should venture to the island, of whose character and history the chiefs and magistrates were not fully satisfied. Without, therefore, their permission, she could not venture to invite him to her father's palace.

At this juncture a number of the islanders appeared from the wood close by, and seeing a strange person standing by himself, for the Princess and her maidens were hid from them by the rocks, they rushed down and seized him, demanding who he was. The Princess heard their voices, but before she could interfere, overwhelmed by numbers, the stranger was borne to the ground. He struggled in vain, and was surprised to find how easily he was overcome; for he forgot that with a mortal form he possessed only the strength of a mortal, and had at first supposed that he could drive them off with as much ease as he would have done had he retained the form of Borasco.

The Princess hurried forward. "Oh, spare him! spare him!" she exclaimed; "I am certain he will do no harm. See how amiable and gentle he looks!"

The islanders loved their Princess, and therefore refrained from offering further violence to the stranger, but still they held him tight, and insisted on carrying him into the presence of King Zaphor.

Now, Serena, as she felt that she might more successfully plead his cause before her indulgent father than any one else, gladly consented to this arrangement.

King Zaphor sat in state, with his wise men and councillors around him, when Alonzo was brought bound before him by a large concourse of his subjects. The Princess, attended by her maidens, also appeared in court, for there was no one else to plead his cause; and as she had been the first to discover him, she considered that she was in duty bound to protect him. Alonzo stood before the King with a dignified air, and his arms folded on his bosom, his personal appearance gaining him many friends; but when he was questioned as to his occupation and calling, he began to reflect whether he had not done an unwise thing in entering the form of so wicked a person as the pirate captain, handsome though he was; for he feared that should the Princess discover that his form was that of Alonzo, nothing that he could say to the contrary would persuade her that he was not Alonzo himself. He felt, indeed, the truth that beauty, without real goodness and a good character, is worthless indeed.

He, however, gave the same account of himself that he had done to the Princess, in so clear and concise a way, that he gained much in the good opinion of the wise men. He then vowed so earnestly, that far from wis.h.i.+ng to injure any of the inhabitants of the Island of Gracia, he would devote himself to their service, that he made a still further advance; and when the Princess spoke in his favour, it was unanimously decreed that, not only should his life be spared, but that full permission should be given him to remain in the island.

The fair Serena was delighted at her success, and consequently took greater interest than before in the stranger. King Zaphor, with great courtesy and kindness, invited him to his palace, where a feast was prepared, and a chamber made ready for him. All the chiefs of the island attended the feast, and were much pleased, as was the King, with his wisdom and general information. The King, indeed, confessed that he was superior to any of the councillors who sat at his council-table; and this made them not a little jealous of him, as people of small minds are apt to be of strangers who surpa.s.s them in intellect. Meantime the Princess listened attentively to all Alonzo said, and the interest she felt ripened into a still warmer feeling--a feeling with which Borasco in his proper shape would never have inspired her. The stranger rapidly gained his way into her good graces, and days, weeks, and months pa.s.sed happily away without their finding them an hour too long.

STORY SIX, CHAPTER SIX.

Months wore on, and the wisdom of Alonzo had wonderfully increased the prosperity of King Zaphor's dominions. All the people began to respect the stranger, and to look upon him as the husband of the Princess, and their future sovereign. One day, as Alonzo and Serena were wandering by the sh.o.r.e, they saw approaching far off on the sea, a number of large canoes. Alonzo regarded them attentively till he felt convinced that they were war-canoes full of warriors, intending to attack the island.

So he hurried back to collect all the fighting men to repel the enemy.

On came the canoes, and it was soon seen that Alonzo was not mistaken, for before the fighting men of the island could a.s.semble, they had run upon the beach. Alonzo and a few followers were the only persons ready to meet, the invaders, who had already formed on the sand, expecting an easy victory. With a sharp sword in his hand--a sword forged within the bowels of the earth, and which had been brought to him by a Sea Spirit from an island in the Mediterranean--he rushed down among them. His sharp sword flashed fire, as he whirled it round his head, among the showers of arrows which flew about him, and numbers of the enemy lay cut to pieces at his feet. Fearless of the deadly weapons aimed at him, so rapidly did he perform his work, that all the invaders were either destroyed or had fallen on their knees to sue for mercy before the King and his followers could get up to the scene of action.

Thus the Island of Gracia was delivered from the greatest peril to which it had ever been exposed. Then the King gave a banquet to commemorate the happy event, and he summoned to it his lords and councillors, and all the chief men of the island, and they all came and congratulated the King on his victory.

The King, however, graciously would not claim the credit which was not his due; but, pointing to Alonzo, who sat on his right side, told them that they owed their freedom to him. Then, taking him by one hand, he took Serena by the other, and informed his chiefs that he thus betrothed those whose hearts were already one, and he inquired whether they would consent to receive the stranger as their future chief. No sooner had the King done speaking, than all the n.o.bles arose, and exclaimed, "Hail to the brave stranger, our gallant defender! hail to Prince Alonzo, the husband of our beloved Princess, our future sovereign!"

The King was much pleased with this expression of the loyalty of his subjects, nor was the Princess less so at their approval of a husband to whom she was so devotedly attached. Thus the stranger Alonzo was raised to the highest dignity of the state.