Page:The Works of Lord Byron (ed. Coleridge, Prothero) - Volume 3.djvu/129

Of transient Anger's hasty blush,^{[lower-roman 1][decimal 1]}
But pale as marble o'er the tomb,
Whose ghastly whiteness aids its gloom.
His brow was bent, his eye was glazed;240
He raised his arm, and fiercely raised,
And sternly shook his hand on high,
As doubting to return or fly;^{[lower-roman 2]}
Impatient of his flight delayed,
Here loud his raven charger neighed—
Down glanced that hand, and grasped his blade;
That sound had burst his waking dream,
As Slumber starts at owlet's scream.
The spur hath lanced his courser's sides;
Away—away—for life he rides:250
Swift as the hurled on high jerreed^{[decimal 2]}
Springs to the touch his startled steed;
The rock is doubled, and the shore
Shakes with the clattering tramp no more;
The crag is won, no more is seen

Variants

1. Of transient Anger's Darkening blush.—[MS.]
2. As doubting if to stay or fly—
   Then turned it swiftly to his blade;
   As loud his raven charger neighed—
   That sound dispelled his waking dream,
   As sleepers start at owlet's scream.—[MS.]

Notes

1. [For "hasty," all the editions till the twelfth read "darkening blush." On the back of a copy of the eleventh, Lord Byron has written, "Why did not the printer attend to the solitary correction so repeatedly made? I have no copy of this, and desire to have none till my request is complied with."—Notes to Editions 1832, 1837.]
2. Jerreed, or Djerrid [Jarïd], a blunted Turkish javelin, which is darted from horseback with great force and precision. It is a favourite exercise of the Mussulmans; but I know not if it can be called a manly one, since the most expert in the art are the Black Eunuchs of Constantinople. I think, next to these, a Mamlouk at Smyrna was the most skilful that came within my observation.
   [Lines 250, 251, together with the note, were inserted in the Third Edition.]