Part 16 (1/2)

Unpleased Llewellyn homeward hied, When, near the portal-seat, His truant Gelert he espied, Bounding his lord to greet.

But when he gained the castle-door, Aghast the chieftain stood; The hound was smear'd with gouts of gore-- His lips and fangs ran blood!

Llewellyn gazed with wild surprise, Unused such looks to meet; His favourite check'd his joyful guise, And crouch'd and lick'd his feet.

Onward in haste Llewellyn pa.s.s'd (And on went Gelert too), And still where'er his eyes were cast, Fresh blood-gouts shock'd his view!

O'erturn'd his infant's bed he found, The blood-stain'd cover rent, And all around the walls and ground With recent blood besprent.

He call'd his child--no voice replied; He search'd--with terror wild; Blood! blood! he found on every side, But nowhere found the child!

”h.e.l.l-hound! by thee my child's devour'd!”

The frantic father cried, And to the hilt his vengeful sword He plunged in Gelert's side!

His suppliant, as to earth he fell, No pity could impart; But still his Gelert's dying yell Pa.s.s'd heavy o'er his heart.

Aroused by Gelert's dying yell, Some slumberer waken'd nigh: What words the parent's joy can tell, To hear his infant cry!

Conceal'd beneath a mangled heap, His hurried search had miss'd: All glowing from his rosy sleep, His cherub boy he kiss'd!

Nor scratch had he, nor harm, nor dread; But the same couch beneath Lay a great wolf, all torn and dead-- Tremendous still in death!

[Ill.u.s.tration: SYRIAN WOLF.]

Ah! what was then Llewellyn's pain, For now the truth was clear; The gallant hound the wolf had slain To save Llewellyn's heir.

Vain, vain was all Llewellyn's woe-- ”Best of thy kind, adieu!

The frantic deed which laid thee low, This heart shall ever rue!”

And now a gallant tomb they raise, With costly sculpture deck'd; And marbles, storied with his praise, Poor Gelert's bones protect.

Here never could the spearman pa.s.s, Or forester, unmoved; Here oft the tear-besprinkled gra.s.s Llewellyn's sorrow proved.

And here he hung his horn and spear; And oft, as evening fell, In fancy's piercing sounds would hear Poor Gelert's dying yell.

W. SPENCER.

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Letter T.]

The important feature which the Great Wall makes in the map of China, ent.i.tles this vast barrier to be considered in a geographical point of view, as it bounds the whole north of China along the frontiers of three provinces. It was built by the first universal Monarch of China, and finished about 205 years before Christ: the period of its completion is an historical fact, as authentic as any of those which the annals of ancient kingdoms have transmitted to posterity. It was built to defend the Chinese Empire from the incursions of the Tartars, and is calculated to be 1500 miles in length. The rapidity with which this work was completed is as astonis.h.i.+ng as the wall itself, for it is said to have been done in five years, by many millions of labourers, the Emperor pressing three men out of every ten, in his dominions, for its execution. For about the distance of 200 leagues, it is generally built of stone and brick, with strong square towers, sufficiently near for mutual defence, and having besides, at every important pa.s.s, a formidable and well-built fortress. In many places, in this line and extent, the wall is double, and even triple; but from the province of Can-sih to its eastern extremity, it is nothing but a terrace of earth, of which the towers on it are also constructed. The Great Wall, which has now, even in its best parts, numerous breaches, is made of two walls of brick and masonry, not above a foot and a half in thickness, and generally many feet apart; the interval between them is filled up with earth, making the whole appear like solid masonry and brickwork. For six or seven feet from the earth, these are built of large square stones; the rest is of blue brick, the mortar used in which is of excellent quality. The wall itself averages about 20 feet in height, 25 feet in thickness at the base, which diminishes to 15 feet at the platform, where there is a parapet wall; the top is gained by stairs and inclined planes. The towers are generally about 40 feet square at the base, diminis.h.i.+ng to 30 feet a the top, and are, including battlements, 37 feet in height. At some spots the towers consist of two stories, and are thus much higher. The wall is in many places carried over the tops of the highest and most rugged rocks; and one of these elevated regions is 5000 feet above the level of the sea.