Those who spend a summer's day
Gazing on Lough Neagh's bay.
Soaring high yon sea-bird flings
Mimic rainbows from its wings;
Stretching widely to the right
Far beyond the reach of sight,
'Neath a sky of cloudless hue
Ting'd with Adriatic blue,
Slumbering in Nature's arms

Broad Lough Neagh spreads her charms;

To the left new beauties rise

Bright before the joy-struck eyes,
Where soft Nature as her own
Claims the beautiful Tyrone-
Yon blue mountain tow'ring proudly
Bounds the trance-enraptur'd gaze ;
There the goat uncheck'd and freely
O'er the fragrant heather plays-
Hills and smiling vales between
Mingle sweetly in the scene-
Gaze!-the view will never part
From the vision of your heart;
Sinking deep, like dew at eve,
Memory's soft kiss will cleave
To the bosom, till the day
When life's sun-beam flits away-
Thus young beauty's beaming eye
(Modestly afraid to vie

With the Syrens who advance
Rob'd with blush-less arrogance,)

Seen but once will surely dwell

Deeply in that magic cell

Where Remembrance locks her treasure

Sweet with never-fading pleasure

Earth in beauty seems to vie
With the blue and cloudless sky;
Sol beholds his crimson glow
Mirror'd on the lake below-
Nought is moving-all is still,
Save yon sparkling bubbling rill,
Where the chatt'ring swallows play
Circling 'neath the noon-tide ray-
Hist! what sounds by distance mellow'd
Strike upon the drowsy ear,
Floating on the wings of Zephyr
Soft and indistinctly clear?
See those maidens-hark! how each
Carols on the snow-white beach,
Glad they wile their hours away
With some wild and plaintive lay-
That white sea-bird late so high,
Soaring proudly to the sky,
Shunning Sol's meridian ray
Cools his plumage in the bay;
Let us also shun the heat
On yon moss-envelop'd seat,

"Neath that tow'r which seems to stand (z)

Monarch of the vassal land,

While the joyous sun-beams play

O'er each buttress clad with grey;

A

(Thus the cheek of Age will know

A bright transitory glow,
When some artless child at play
Laughing through a summer's day
Chases sorrow's cloud away.)
At the base of this tall pile
Nature's countless flowrets smile;
Each with each in beauty vies ;
Hoary child of centuries

Thou hast view'd through many a year

Scenes of happiness and fear

Thou could'st tell how Beauty's eye,

Beacon-star of chivalry,

Cheer'd the knights who proudly went

From beneath thy battlement

Forth to combat-thou could'st tell
How they nobly fought and fell
To protect thy chiefest pride,
Knightly Valour's blushing bride-
Know you not the tale which those
Hoary turrets could disclose?
Listen then-each peasant boy
Tells of Bassett and Mountjoy. (AA)
O'er Lough Neagh's waters gaze
To the left, where 'neath the rays
Of warm noontide, many a fawn
Crops yon emerald-tinted lawn ;
Thence the lord of Mountjoy Castle
Led his followers to battle;
See you not those walls which there
Marks of by-gone grandeur bear,

Crumbling on yon verdant hillock?
Once the lord of Derrywarrock
Scal'd their summit 'neath the light
Of the meek-eyed Queen of night;
Thence in triumph he convey'd
Guerdon of his toil, a maid;
Mountjoy's only child was she,
Love was crown'd with Victory;
Beauty clung to Valour's side,
Then a captive, soon a bride—
Well she knew her haughty sire,
Burning with revengeful ire,
Ne'er would willingly bestow
Gertrude on his deadly foe-
Mountjoy's vassals throng'd around
Yonder isolated mound;

Eager for the fray they came
To avenge their suzerain-

Yet Tradition tells the tale

How they vainly strove to scale
This spray-moisten'd spot which still
Rises o'er the waves-with skill
Each approach was guarded well
By a watchful sentinel;

All who dar'd the dang❜rous way
Found a grave within the bay;
Deeply then the circling tide
With a crimson stain was dyed-

Bassett's standard fair and free
Wav'd on high, till treachery

Pour'd the headlong stream of fight

Through yon gates-this moss-clad wall
Proud, though tott'ring to its fall,
Brightly blaz'd-the torch was there
Flashing in the midnight air-
Midst the embers' fiery glow,
Circled by the raging foe,
Basset's falchion cleft a way
To the waters of the bay
Where his ready galliots lay-
Thick as hail the iron storm
Pour'd upon his mail-clad form-
When he saw his beauteous bride
Safe-he bounded to her side-
Madden'd beyond all control,
Fierce with bitterness of soul,
Mountjoy's haughty lord drew near,
Taunting him with caitiff fear;
"Wretch, unto a life of vice
Thou hast added cowardice.".
Back upon the blood-stain'd strand
Basset lept his mail-clad hand
Levell❜d Mountjoy on the sand-
Fierce the stroke-one moment more
He had welter'd in his gore-
Gertrude was his safe-guard; she
Scream'd aloud with agony-
"Spare, O spare his life," (she cried,)

"Spare the father of your bride."
Love's soft fingers stay'd the blow
Destin'd for his prostrate foe;