, 1863-12-19
[FRoM Wilson's TALES OF THE BORDERS. I
The Doom of Souls.

You have, no doubt, heard Of Hermitage
Castle, which stands upon the river of that
name, at no great distance from IIawick
In the days of the great and good King
Robert the Bruce, that castle was inhabited
by Lord SOULS. He was man whose very
name spread terror far and wide; for he was
tyrant and sorcerer. He had giants
strength, an evil eye, and a demons heart;
and he kept his familiar locked in a chest.
Peer and peasant became pale at the name
of Lord SOULS. His hand smote down the
strong, his eye blasted the healthy. He
oppressed the poor, and he robbed the rich.
He ruled over his vassuls with rod Of iron.
From the banks Of the Tweed, tho Teviot,
and the Jed, with their tributaries, to beyond
the Lothians, an incessant cry was raised
against him to Heaven and to the King.
But his life was protected by a charm, and
mortal weapons could not prevail against
him. He was man Of great stature, and
his person was exceedingly powerful. He
had also royal blood in his veins, and laid
claim to the crown of Scotland in opposition
to the Bruce. But two things troubled him;
the one was, to place the crown of Scotland
on his head-the other, to possess the hand
of fair and rich maiden, named Marion,
whowas about to wed with Walter, the young
heirof Branxholm, the stoutest and the bold
est youth on all the Borders. SOULS was a
man who was not only of cruel heart, but
it was filed with forbidden thoughts; and,
to accomplish his purposes, he went down
into the dungeon of his castle, in tho dead
of night, that no man might see him perform
the deed without name. He carried o
small lampin his hand, which threw around
a lurid light, like glow-worm in sepul-
chre; aud, as he went, he locked the doors
behind him. He carried cat in his arms.
Behind him, dog followed timidly, and
before him, into the dungeon he drove a
young bull that had never nipped the grass.
He entered the deep and gloomy vault, and,
with loud voice, exclaimed
Esprit Of darkness / comew
He placed the feeble lamp upon the ground
in the middle Of the vault, and, with pick
axe, which he had previously prepared, he
dug pit and buried the cat alive; and, as
the poor suffocating creature mewed, he ex-
claimed the louder
esprit of darkness, comew
He then leaped upon the grave Of the
living animal, and, seizing the dog BY the
neck, he dashed it violently against the wall,
towards the left corner where he stood, and,
unable to rise, it lay howling long and pit
eously on the floor. Then did he plunge
his knife into the throat Of the young bull,
and while lis bleatings mingled with the
howhng Of the dying dog, amidst ythatmight
be called the blue darkness Of the vault, he
received the blood in the palms Of his hands,
and stalked around the room sprinkling il
in circles, and crying with loud voice
esprit Of darkness, hear met"
Again he digged pit, and, seizing the
dying animal, hurled Il into the grave, feet
upwards; and again he groaned, while the
sweat stood on his brow
aCOme, spiritl comeT'
He took horseshoe, which had lain in
the vault for years, and which was called,
in the family, the spirits shoe, and nailed
itagainst the door, so that ii hungobliquely;
and, as he gave the last blow to the nail,
again he cried
Esprit, l obey thee! GOMEZ
Afterwards he took his place in the mid
die Of the floor, and nine times he scattered
around him handful Of salt, at each time
exclaiming-
esprit, arisew era
Then did he strike thrice nine times with
his hand upon chest which stood in the
middle Of the floor, and by its foot was the
pale lamp, and at each blow he cried
Arise, spirit! arisew
Therefore, when he had done ethese things,
and cried twenty and seven times, the lid Of
the chest began to move, and fearful. figure
with ared cap upon It's head, and which
resemblcd nothing in heaven above or on
earth below, rose, and with hollow voice
inquired A k6tisis INs
"What want ye, Soulisp
aPower, spiritl power~ he cried, "that
mine eyes may have their desire, and that
every weapon formed by man may fall llscathe-
less on my body, as the spent light Of n
waning moon"
aThy wish is granted, MORTAL" groaned
the fend. "To-morrow eve, young Branx-
holm's bride shall sit within thy bower, and
his sword return bent from thy bosom, Us
though he had dashed il against q rock.
FAREWELL invoke me not again for seven
years, nor open the door Of the vault, but
then knock thrice upon the chest and l Twill
answer thee. Away! follow thy course of
sin and prOsper-bSI 6srare Or coming
pood." tt
With loud and sudden noise the lid Of
the massey chest fell, and the spirit disap-
peared, and from the floor Of the vault issued
1 deep sound, like the reverbing Of thunder
SOULS took up the Pickering lamp, and leav-
ing the dying dog still bowling in the corner
where he had driven it, he locked the iron
door and placed the key in his bosom.
In the morning his ysssals came to him,
and they prayed him on their bended knees
that he would lessen the weight Of their hard
bondage; but be laughed at their prayers,
and answered them with stripes. He op-
pressed the widow and prosecuted the faith
erless; he de6ed the powerful and trampled
on the weak. His name spread terrorwhere-
Soever il was breathed, and there was not in
all Scotland a man more feared than the wiz
ard Souls, the Lord of Hermitage.
He rode forth in the morning with twenty
ofhis chosen MEN behind him, and wherever
they passed the castle or the cottage where
A n q q