Again he winds his bugle horn, Hark forward, forward! holla, ho! And through the herd in ruthless scorn He cheers his furious hounds to go.
In heaps the throttled victims fall; Down sinks their mangled herdsman near; The murdrous cries the stag appal, Again he starts, new-nerved by fear.
With blood besmeared, and white with foam, While big the tears of anguish pour, He seeks, amid the forests gloom, The humble hermits hallowed bowr.
All mild, amid the route profane, The holy hermit poured his prayer: Forbear with blood Gods house to stain: Revere His altar, and forbear!
The meanest brute has rights to plead, Which, wronged by cruelty or pride, Draw vengeance on the ruthless head; Be warned at length, and turn aside.
Still the fair horseman anxious pleads; The black, wild whooping, points the prey. Alas! the Earl no warning heeds, But frantic keeps the forward way.
Holy or not, or right or wrong, Thy altar and its rights I spurn; Not sainted martyrs sacred song, Not God Himself shall make me turn.
He spurs his horse, he winds his horn, Hark forward, forward! holla, ho! But off, on whirlwinds pinions borne, The stag, the hut, the hermit, go.
And horse and man, and horn and hound, The clamour of the chase was gone; For hoofs, and howls, and bugle sound, A deadly silence reigned alone.
Wild gazed the affrighted Earl around; He strove in vain to wake his horn, In vain to call; for not a sound Could from his anxious lips be borne.
High oer the sinners humbled head At length the solemn silence broke; And from a cloud of swarthy red The awful voice of thunder spoke:
Oppressor of creation fair! Apostate spirits hardened tool! Scorner of God! Scourge of the poor! The measure of thy cup is full.
Be chased for ever through the wood, For ever roam the affrighted wild; And let thy fate instruct the proud, Gods meanest creature is His child.
Twas hushed: one flash of sombre glare With yellow tinged the forests brown; Up rose the Wildgraves bristling hair, And horror chilled each nerve and bone.
Earth heard the callher entrails rend; From yawning rifts, with many a yell, Mixed with sulphureous flames, ascend The misbegotten dogs of hell.
What ghastly huntsman next arose, Well may I guess, but dare not tell: His eye like midnight lightning glows, His steed the swarthy hue of hell.