Attempt > Volume 1 and Select writings

166
THE ATTEMPT
passage occurs during the tournament among the knights of “ the round table ” for the
hand of Gyneth, a daughter of King Arthur, just when young Yanoc was slain, whom
fame spoke of Merlin’s race:—
“ But then the sky was overcast,
Then howl’d at once a whirlwind’s blast,
And rent by sudden throes,
Yawn’d in mid lists the quaking earth,
And from the gulf—tremendous birth!—
The form of Merlin rose.”
Gyneth, you may remember, had the power to stay the bloodshed had she pleased.
Not using this power, she was spellbound for a hundred years, as thus described—
“ Slow the dark-fringed eyelids fall,
Curtaining each azure ball;
Slowly as on summer eves,
Violets fold their dusky leaves.”
Collections of the prophecies of Merlin were published at Paris in 1490; in
English, at London 1529-33 ; in Latin, at Venice 1554. These are to be found in the
Cotton and some few other libraries.
Incognita.
^ thlf of tin last feturg.
Chapter VIII.
On the evening of the day on which Mr Howard died, as Alice was sitting
sorrowLully enough in her small sitting room, the door was opened, and a gentleman
ushered into her presence, who bowed respectfully; and apologizing for intruding
upon her at such a time, by stating that his reasons for so doing were immediate and
urgent, without further preamble, asked her if she knew a Mr Campbell 1 Poor
Alice trembled with some vague apprehension of evil, as she replied in the affirmative,
and gazed eagerly on her visitor, as if waiting to hear of some new calamity. He at
once read the meaning of her gaze, and replied, “ Do not be alarmed; Mr Campbell is
well.” Alice drew a deep sigh of relief, and then recollecting that she had neglected