History of the Clan MacLean from its first settlement at Duard Castle, in the Isle of Mull, to the present period

POKTRY ON OR AbOUT THE MacLeANS.
453
That, were she not a Campbell, fit she were
To be a queen, or ev'n the thing she is—
Our very chieftain's dame. But, in these towers,
The daughter of Argyle to be our lady!
Mor. Out! mountain savages! is this your spite?
Go to!
2d High. Speak'st thou to us? thou Lowland loun !
Thou wand'ring pedlar's son, or base mechanic!
Com'st thou to lord it here o'er brave MacLeans?
We'll carry loads at leisure, or forbear.
As suits our fancy best, nor wait thy bidding.
(Exeunt Highlanders grumbling, and followed by
Morton.)
(Manet Benlora, who now comes forward, and
after remaining some time on the front of the
stage, wrapt in thought, not observing Lochtarish,
who enters behind him.)
Heigh ho! heigh ho, the day!
Lnch. How so? What makes Benlora sigh so
deeply?
Ben. (Turning round). And does Lochtarish ask ?
Full well thou know'st.
The battles of our clan I've boldly fought,
And well maintained its honor.
Loch. Yes, we know it.
Ben. Who dared, unpunish'd, a MacLean to in-
jure?
Yea: he who dared but with a scornful lip
Our name insult, I thought it feeble vengeance
If steed or beeve within his walls were left.
Or of his holds one tower unruined stood,
t Loch. Ay; who dared then to brave us?
Ben. Thus dealt Benlora ev'n with common foes;
But in the warfare of our deadly feud.
When rung the earth beneath our bloody strife.
And brave MacLeans brave Campbells boldly
fronted,
(Fiends as they are, I still must call them brave),
What sword more deeply drank the heated blood
Than this which now I grasp— but idly grasp?
Loch. There's ne'er a man of us that knows it
not,
That swears not by thy valor.
Ben. Until that fatal day, by ambush ta'en,
And in a dungeon kept, where, two long years.
Nor light of day, nor human voice e'er cheer'd
My loneliness, when did I ever yield.
To ev'n the bravest of that hateful name.
One step of ground upon the embattled field —
One step of honor in the banner'd hall?
Loch. Indeed thou hast our noble champion
been;
Deserving well the trust our chief deceased.
This chieftain's father, did to thee consign.
But when thou wert a captive, none to lead us.
But he, our youthful lord, yet green in arms,
We fought not like MacLeans; or else our foe.
By fiends assisted, fought with fiend-like power.
Far— far beyond the Campbells' wonted pitch.
Ev'n so it did be6all: — we lost the day:^
That fatal day! — Then came this shameful peace.
Ben. Ay, and this wedding; when, in form of
honor
Conferr'd upon us, Helen of Argyle
Our sov'reign dame was made,— a bosom worm.
Nursed in that viper's nest, to infuse its venom
Through all our after rae'e.
Tills is my welcome!
From dungeon freed, to find my once-loved home
With such vile change di.sgraced; to me more
hateful
Than thraldom's murkiest den. — But to be loosen'd
From captive's chains to find ray hands thus
bound!
Loch. It is, indeed, a vile and irksome peace.
Ben. Peace, say they! who will bonds of friend-
ship sign
Between the teeming ocean's briny broods.
And say, " Sport these upon the hither waves.
And leave to those that farther billowy reach?"
A Campbell here to queen it o'er our heads.
The potent dame o'er quell'd and beaten men.
Rousing or soothing us, as proud Argyle
Shall send her secret counsel! hold, my heart!
This, base degenerate man! — this, call ye peace!
Forgive my weakness; with dry eyes I laid
My mother in her grave, but now my cheeks
Are, like a child's, with scalding drops disgraced.
Loch. What 1 shall look upon, ere in the dust
My weary head is laid to rest, heaven knows.
Since I have lived to see Benlora weep.
Ben. One thing, at least, thou ne'er shalt live to
see—
Benlora crouching, where he has commanded.
Go, ye who will, and crowd the chieftain's hall,
And deal the feast, and nod your grizzled heads
To martial pibrochs, played, in better days.
To those who conquer'd, not who woo'd their
foes;
My soul abhors it.— On the sea-beat rock.
Removed from ev'ry form and sound of man;
In proud communion with the fitful winds
Which speak, with many tongues, the fancied
words
Of those who long in silent dnst have slept;
While eagles scream, and sullen surges roar —
The boding sounds of ill: — I'll hold my feast, —
My moody revelry.
Loch. Nay, why so fierce?
Think'st thou we are a tame and mongrel pack?
Dogs of true breed we are, though for a time
Our master-hound forsakes us.— Rouse him forth
The noble chase to lead: his deep-toned yell
Full well we know: and for the opening sport
Pant keenly.
Ben. Ha! is there amongst ye still
Spirit enough for this?
Loch. Yes, when good opportunity shall favor.
Of this, my friend, I'll speak to thee more fully
When time shall better serve.
MacLean, thou know'st,
Is of a soft, unsteady, yielding nature;
And this, too well, the crafty Campbell knew,
When to our isle he sent this wily witch
To mold, and govern, and besot his wits.
As suits his crafty ends.— I know the youth;
This dame or we must hold his will in thraldom:
Which of the two.— But softly: Steps approach.
Of this again.
Ben. As early as thou wilt.
Loch. Then he it so: Some staunch determined
spirits
This night in Irka's rocky cavern meet;
There must you join us. Wear thou here the
while
A brow less cloudy, suitetl to the times.
29