Poems (Campbell)/Gavin the False
GAVIN THE FALSE.
"Again I feel my bosom glow
With love, with rapture, and delight;
His faith is prov'd, his love I know,
Nor time can cool, nor absence blight.
With love, with rapture, and delight;
His faith is prov'd, his love I know,
Nor time can cool, nor absence blight.
I hasten now, with trembling joy,
To meet him by the river's side;
No fearful doubts my breast annoy,
For I shall soon be Gavin's bride.
To meet him by the river's side;
No fearful doubts my breast annoy,
For I shall soon be Gavin's bride.
My parents smile upon us too,
And love my Gavin as their child!"
Thus youthful Rosa sung, and flew
To meet him in the flow'ry wild.
And love my Gavin as their child!"
Thus youthful Rosa sung, and flew
To meet him in the flow'ry wild.
'Twas morning hour, the sunny beams
Had scarcely sipp'd the dews away;
Bright were the fields, the woods, and streams,
And loud the sweet lark's matin lay.
Had scarcely sipp'd the dews away;
Bright were the fields, the woods, and streams,
And loud the sweet lark's matin lay.
Serenely bloom'd the landscape round,
And rapture throbb'd in Rosa's heart,
For there no vice had entrance found,
But all was pure and void of art.
And rapture throbb'd in Rosa's heart,
For there no vice had entrance found,
But all was pure and void of art.
She tripp'd along the verdant vale,
And almost reach'd the destin'd grove,
When, lo! upon the whisp'ring gale
Breath'd a soft voice—the voice of love.
And almost reach'd the destin'd grove,
When, lo! upon the whisp'ring gale
Breath'd a soft voice—the voice of love.
She stopp'd—for well she knew that voice—
"Alas! to whom can Gavin speak?
To meet me here was Gavin's choice"—
And deeper blushes dy'd her cheek.
"Alas! to whom can Gavin speak?
To meet me here was Gavin's choice"—
And deeper blushes dy'd her cheek.
She saw him through the chequer'd shade—
She mark'd the rapture in his eye—
She saw a lovely stranger maid,
That smil'd, and gave him sigh for sigh.
She mark'd the rapture in his eye—
She saw a lovely stranger maid,
That smil'd, and gave him sigh for sigh.
She heard him all his vows repeat;
Quick throbb'd her heart—she heard no more
But swiftly turn'd her trembling feet,
And sought the river's fatal shore.
Quick throbb'd her heart—she heard no more
But swiftly turn'd her trembling feet,
And sought the river's fatal shore.
"Gavin!" she cried—he caught the word;
Echo return'd the desp'rate cry—
But, ah! too late false Gavin heard,
He only came to see her die.
Echo return'd the desp'rate cry—
But, ah! too late false Gavin heard,
He only came to see her die.
Stretch'd on the river's brink she lay;
An aged shepherd rais'd her head,
And sadly shook his tresses grey,
And sorrow'd o'er the dying maid.
An aged shepherd rais'd her head,
And sadly shook his tresses grey,
And sorrow'd o'er the dying maid.
Her fading eye was dim with death,
Her drenched ringlets loosely flow,
And short and quick the parting breath
Upheav'd her bosom's virgin snow.
Her drenched ringlets loosely flow,
And short and quick the parting breath
Upheav'd her bosom's virgin snow.
He would have spoke—but conscious guilt
And wild remorse his bosom wrung;
And more than death the traitor felt
As o'er the injur'd maid he hung.
And wild remorse his bosom wrung;
And more than death the traitor felt
As o'er the injur'd maid he hung.
"False!—yet belov'd—forgiv'n—adieu!"—
Her quiv'ring lips no more could say;
To happier realms the spirit flew—
To realms of everlasting day!
Her quiv'ring lips no more could say;
To happier realms the spirit flew—
To realms of everlasting day!
Poor Rosa! in the grave was laid;
But frantic Gavin, far and wide,
Long, long, a houseless maniac stray'd,
Still raving on his murder'd bride.
But frantic Gavin, far and wide,
Long, long, a houseless maniac stray'd,
Still raving on his murder'd bride.
And she, whose base, detested fraud
Had lur'd his erring heart astray,
Despis'd, deserted, and abhor'd,
In friendless mis'ry pines away.
Had lur'd his erring heart astray,
Despis'd, deserted, and abhor'd,
In friendless mis'ry pines away.