Beside the pond, and with one hand did pour
The water from a vessel bottomless,
While with her other hand she flung, in sport,
Handfuls of gold enchanted, from her lap
Into the water. Further, from the trench
The stream escaped meandered o’er the plain,
Silent, but one might see its current flow;
For on its moving, trembling surface, bright
The shimmering moonlight sparkled all its length,
Like the fair Samogitian serpent, called
Givoitos;218 which, although it seems to sleep,
Lying among the heather, crawleth on,
As it by turns with gold and silver gleams,
Till sudden from the eye it vanishes,
In moss and fern. The stream, meandering thus,
Lay hid among the alders, shadowy black
Upon the horizon’s verge, their forms upraising
Light, scarcely to the eye expressed, like spirits
Half on the earth, half in the clouds beheld.
Between the two ponds sat within the trench
A mill half-hidden, like an ancient guardian
Spying upon the lovers, listening
Their conversation; seized with anger, he
Spreads wide his arms, and shaking head and hands,
Doth stammer threats. Thus suddenly the mill
Now shook his moss-grown brow, and whirled around
His many-fingered fist, loud-clattering,
And stirred his toothèd wheels; thereby he drowned
The loving conversation of the ponds,
And roused the Count from out his reverie.
The Count, perceiving Thaddeus had approached
So near his warlike station, cried, “To arms!
Seize him!” At once the jockeys sprang to earth.
Ere Thaddeus might be well aware what chanced,
They captured him. Towards the house they rush,
They entered in the courtyard, woke the household;
Loud barked the dogs, and sentries shouted loud.
The Judge half-dressed came forth; he saw a crowd
Of men well armed, and thought them robbers, till
He recognised the Count. “What means all this?”
He asked. The Count his sabre brandished o’er him,
But seeing him disarmed his rage grew cool.
“Soplica,” said he, “thou eternal foe
Unto my family, I will chastise thee
To-day for recent and for ancient crimes.
So do me justice for my fortune’s plunder,
Ere I revenge me for my honour’s wrong.”
But making sign of cross, the Judge replied,
“In the name of Father and the Son! Sir Count,
Fie, fie! are you a robber? Heaven forbid!
Is this becoming to your noble birth
And breeding, and your high rank in the world?
I will not let myself be wronged!” Just then
Up rushed the servants of the Judge, some armed
With sticks, with rifles others. Standing far
The Wojski gazed with curiosity
In the Count’s eyes, but in his sleeve concealed
A knife. Now had begun a fight; the Judge
Prevented this, however. ’Twere in vain
To make defence; for newer enemies
Arrived upon the scene; among the alders
They saw a gleam, the light of rifle shots.
The bridge across the stream resounded loud
With horses’ hoofs, and “Hey! upon Soplica!”
A thousand voices cried. The Judge did shudder:
He knew Gervasy’s signal. “This is nothing,”
The Count said; “more of us will soon be here!
Surrender, Judge, for these are my allies.”
Then rushed the Assessor, crying, “I arrest you
In name of his Imperial Majesty.
Yield up your sword, Sir Count, or I will call
For military help; and know you, sir,
That whoso ventures an assault by night,
By the twelfth hundred ukase is apprised,
That like an evil”—Here, upon his face
The Count with sword-flat struck him, and the Assessor
Fell stupefied, and in the nettles lay.
All thought he had been wounded, or were dead.
“I see,” the Judge said, “your intent is murder.”
All cried aloud. Sophia’s shrieks o’erpowered
The others; clasping close the Judge, she screamed,
Like child transfixed with needles by the Jews.219
Meanwhile, among the horses Telimena
Proceeded, and towards the Count outstretched
Her clasped hands. “Upon thine honour,” cried she
With piercing voice, with head thrown back, with hair
Streaming, “By all things holy, we implore thee
Upon our knees! Count, darest thou refuse?
The ladies pray thee! Cruel one, thou first
Must murder us!” She fell down in a swoon.
The Count sprang forth to help her, much surprised,
And somewhat troubled by this scene. “Miss Sophy,”
He said, “and Madam Telimena, ne’er
This sword shall be defiled by guiltless blood.
Soplicas! ye are all my prisoners! Thus
Did I in Italy, when underneath
That rock the Sicils call Birbante-Rocca,
I captured the intrenchments of the robbers;
Those armed I slew, commanded to be bound
The unarmed; they behind our horses went,
And decked my glorious triumph; after that
We hanged them at the base of Etna’s mount.”
This was a happy chance for the Soplicas,
The Count, possessing better horses than
Those of the noblemen, and wishing first
To engage the enemy, had left them far
Behind, and by a mile220 at least outran
Their cavalry, and with his jockey train,
Obedient and used to discipline,
He had some sort of army regular,
While all those nobles, as insurgents wont,
Were stormy, and most prompt to hang their foes.
The Count had time to cool from his first rage,
And thought how fitliest he might end the war
Without the need of shedding blood. So then
He gave commandment to imprison all
The household of Soplica in their house,
As prisoners of war, and at their doors
He posted sentries. Then “Down with Soplica!”
Arose. The nobles in tumultuous crowd
Rushed in; besieged the mansion, and by storm
Took it; the easier because the leader
Was captive, and the garrison dispersed.
But yet the victors longed to fight; they sought
For foes, and not admitted to the house,
They ran to the farm buildings, to the kitchen.
When they the kitchen entered, there the sight
Of pots, the fire extinguished scarce, the fresh
Odour of food, the crunching of the dogs
Gnawing the remnants of the supper, took
All hearts, and quickly changed the thoughts of all;
It cooled their rage, and kindled need of food.
Tired by their march and council all day long,
Three times they cried in concert, “Eat, eat, eat!”
“Drink! drink!” arose the answer. Thus there were
Two choruses, some calling out for food,
For drink the others. Loud the uproar still
Re-echoed; where it only reached it caused
All mouths to water, and with hunger moved
Each one; at signal given from the kitchen,
The army all dispersed for foraging.
Gervasy, from the Judge’s rooms repulsed,
Respecting the Count’s sentinels, must yield
Perforce. So as he might not there take vengeance
Upon his enemy, he thought upon
The expedition’s second great intent.
Like an experienced man and versed in law,
He would install the Count all legally
In his new
