6. Cotton. Goss)'pium herbaceum [Smith's note]. the Indians in diving for the pearl oysters, see the The worm's 'filmy toil' in line 46 produces silk. account of the Pearl fisheries in Percival's Vieiv of 7. Diamonds, the hardest and most valuable of Ceylon [Smith's note]. precious stones. For the extraordinary exertions of
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50 / CHARLOTTE SMITH
Till the last ray shot upward, fires the clouds
95 With blazing crimson; then in paler light, Long lines of tenderer radiance, lingering yield To partial darkness; and on the opposing side The early moon distinctly rising, throws Her pearly brilliance on the trembling tide.
100 The fishermen, who at set seasons pass Many a league off at sea their toiling night, Now hail their comrades, from their daily task Returning; and make ready for their own, With the night tide commencing:?The night tide
105 Bears a dark vessel on, whose hull and sails Mark her a coaster8 from the north. Her keel Now ploughs the sand; and sidelong now she leans, While with loud clamours her athletic crew Unload her; and resounds the busy hum
no Along the wave-worn rocks. Yet more remote Where the rough cliff hangs beetling0 o'er its base, projecting All breathes repose; the waters rippling sound Scarce heard; but now and then the sea-snipe's9 cry Just tells that something living is abroad;
115 And sometimes crossing on the moonbright line, Glimmers the skiff, faintly discern'd awhile, Then lost in shadow.
Contemplation here, High on her throne of rock, aloof may sit, And bid recording Memory unfold
120 Her scroll voluminous?bid her retrace The period, when from Neustria's hostile shore0 Normandy The Norman launch'd his galleys, and the bay O'er which that mass of ruin1 frowns even now In vain and sullen menace, then received
125 The new invaders; a proud martial race, Of Scandinavia2 the undaunted sons,
8. Ship that sails along the coast. 9. In crossing the channel this bird is heard at night, uttering a short cry, and flitting along near the surface of the waves. The sailors call it the Sea Snipe; but I can find no species of sea bird of which this is the vulgar name. A bird so called inhabits the Lake of Geneva [Smith's note]. 1. Pevensey Castle [Smith's note]. 2. The Scandinavians (modern Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Lapland, &c.) and other inhabitants of the north, began towards the end of the 8th century, to leave their inhospitable climate in search of the produce of more fortunate countries. The North-men made inroads on the coasts of France; and carrying back immense booty, excited their compatriots to engage in the same piratical voyages: and they were afterwards joined by numbers of necessitous and daring adventurers from the coasts of Provence and Sicily.
In 844, these wandering innovators had a great number of vessels at sea; and again visiting the coasts of France, Spain, and England, the follow
ing year they penetrated even to Paris: and the unfortunate Charles the Bald, king of France, purchased at a high price, the retreat of the banditti he had no other means of repelling.
These successful expeditions continued for some time; till Rollo, otherwise Raoul, assembled a number of followers, and after a descent on England, crossed the channel, and made himself master of Rouen, which he fortified. Charles the Simple, unable to contend with Rollo, offered to resign to him some of the northern provinces, and to give him his daughter in marriage. Neustria, since called Normandy, was granted to him, and afterwards Brittany. He added the more solid virtues of the legislator to the fierce valour of the conqueror? converted to Christianity, he established justice, and repressed the excesses of his Danish subjects, till then accustomed to live only by plunder. His name became the signal for pursuing those who violated the laws; as well as the cry of Haro, still so usual in Normandy. The Danes and Francs produced a race of men celebrated for their
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BEACHY HEAD / 51
Whom Dogon, Fier-a-bras, and Humfroi led To conquest: while Trinacria to their power Yielded her wheaten garland; and when thou,
130 Parthenope! within thy fertile bay Receiv'd the victors?
In the mailed ranks Of Normans landing on the British coast Rode Taillefer; and with astounding voice Thunder'd the war song daring Roland sang
135 First in the fierce contention: vainly brave, One not inglorious struggle England made? But failing, saw the Saxon heptarchy3 Finish for ever. Then the holy pile,4 Yet seen upon the field of conquest, rose,
ho Where to appease heavens wrath for so much blood, The conqueror bade unceasing prayers ascend, And requiems for the slayers and the slain. But let not modern Gallia0 form from hence France Presumptuous hopes, that ever thou again,
145 Queen of the isles! shalt crouch to foreign arms. The enervate sons of Italy may yield; And the Iberian, all his trophies torn And wrapp'd in Superstition's monkish weed, May shelter his abasement, and put on
150 Degrading fetters. Never, never thou! Imperial mistress of the obedient sea; But thou, in thy integrity secure, Shalt now undaunted meet a world in arms.
England! 'twas where this promontory rears
155 Its rugged brow above the channel wave, Parting the hostile nations, that thy fame, Thy naval fame was tarnish'd, at what time Thou, leagued with the Batavian, gavest to France5
valour; and it was a small party of these that in 983, having been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, arrived on their return at Salerno, and found the town surrounded by Mahometans, whom the Salernians were bribing to leave their coast. The Normans represented to them the baseness and cowardice of such submission; and notwithstanding the inequality of their numbers, they boldly attacked the Saracen camp, and drove the infidels to their ships. The prince of Salerno, astonished at their successful audacity, would have loaded them with the marks of his gratitude; but refusing every reward, they returned to their own country, from whence, however, other bodies of Normans passed into Sicily (anciently called Trinacria); and many of them entered into the service of the emperor of the East, others of the Pope, and the duke of Naples was happy to engage a small party of them in defence of his
