Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-03-22
Auttb-Carulina 5tuu1arh

Alonzo the Brave, and the Fair lmOsene.
BY HIATT Le,ois, better knowa as Monk" Lewis.
A warrior so bold, and virgin so bright,
:, Oonversd as they sat on the green;
They gaz'd on each other with tender delight;
AlonzO the Brave was the name of the knight
The maids was the Fair Imogens.
"Aud oh !" said the youth, "since to. morrow 60
10 6ght in far distant land,
Your tears for my absence soon ceasing to flow;
Some other will court you and you will bestow '--
ntQn wealthier sutton your hand!'
"Oh hush these suspicious" Fair Imogene said,
"Ofensive to love and to me:
For, if you be living. or if you be dead,
swear by the Virgin, that none in your stead,
Shall husband of lmogcne be.
"If e'er l, by lust or by wealth led aside,
Forget my Alonzo the Brave
God grant that, to punish my falsehood and pride,
Your ghost at the marriage may sit by my side,
May tax me with perjury, claim me as bride,
And bear ME away to the grave"
To Palestine hasten'd the hero so bold;
His love she iamented him sore:-
But scarce had a twelvemonth elapsed, when be.
holdl
4 baron, all cover'd with Jewels and gold
Arriy'd at Fair Imogenes door.
his treasure, his presents, his spacious domain,
Soon made her untrue to her vows:
he dazzled her eyes, he bewilderd her brain:
He caught her affections so light and so vain,
And carried her home as his spouse
And now had the marriage been blest by the
priest;
The reveIry now was begun;
feast
Nor yet had the laughter and merriment ceasd,
When the bell at the castle tolld-oNE!
Chen first with amazement Fair Imogene found
That stranger was PLACID by her side:
Ills air was terrific, he u.ter'd no sound,
lie spake not he mov'd not he look d not around
But earnestly gaze on the bride:
His vzor was clos'd, and gigantic his height;
His armour was sable to view
ali pleasure and laughter were hushd at his sight;
lhe dogs; as they ey'd him, drew back in alright;
The lights in the chamber burnd blue!
His presence all bosoms appear'd to dsmsy,
The guests sat in silence and fear;
At length spake the bride, while she trembled, 81
pray,
Sir knight that your helmet aside you would lay,
And deign to psrtake of eur cheer!"
ghe lady is silent; the stranger complies;
HIS vizor he slowly unclos'd;--
Oh, God! what sight met Fair 4mogene's eyes!
What words can express her dismay and surprise,
When skeletons head was expos'd!
All present then utter terrified shout
all turn'd with disgust from the scene;
The worms they crept in, and the worms they crept
out;
And sported his eyes and his temples about
Whilst the spectre address Imogsre:-
"Behold me, thou false one; behold mel" he
cried; 70
Remember Alonzo the Brave!
God grants, that to punish thy falsehood and
pride,
My ghost at thy marriage should sit by thy side !;
Should tax thee with perjury, claim thee as BRIDE
And bear thee away to the grave"
Thus saving, his arms round the lady he wound,
While loudly she shriekd in disway;
Then sunk with his prey through the wide yawn-
ing ground;
Nor ever again was fair Imogene found
Or the spectre that bore her away
Not long lv'd the baron; and none, since that
time,
To inhabit the castle presume;
For chronicles tell that, by order sublime,
There Imogene suffers the pain of her crime,
And mourns her deporable doom.
At midnight, four times in each year, does her
sprte,
When mortals in slumber are bound,
Array'd in her bridal apparel OF white,
Appear in the hall with the skeleton knight,
And shreks as he whirls her around!
While they drink out Of skulls newly torn from the
grave,
Dancing round them the spectres are seen:
Their liquor IS blood and this horrible stave
They howl-"To the health of Alonzo the Brave,
And his consort, the Fair Imogene"