By
September 18 he, with one consort, reached the harbour of Arzina, where
all perished early in 1554. His will, dated in January of that year, was
found when the ships were discovered by the Russians soon after.
Willoughby has been taken here as the representative of the great age of
British naval adventure and exploration.
_Arzina_ is placed near the western headland of the White Sea, east of
the Waranger Fiord, and west of Nova Zembla and the mouth of the
Petchora.
CROSSING SOLWAY
May 16: 1568
Blow from the North, thou bitter North wind,
Blow over the western bay,
Where Nith and Eden and Esk run in
And fight with the salt sea spray,
And the sun shines high through the sailing sky
In the freshness of blue Mid-may.
Blow North-North-West, and hollow the sails
Of a Queen who slips over the sea
As a hare from the hounds; and her covert afar;
And now she can only flee;
And death before and the sisterly shore
That smiles perfidiously.
O Mid-may freshness about her cheek
And piercing her poor attire,
The sting of defeat thou canst not allay,
The fever of heart and the fire,
The death-despair for the days that were,
And famine of vain desire!
--On Holyrood stairs an iron-heel'd clank
Came up in the gloaming hour:
And iron fingers have bursten the bar
Of the palace innermost bower:
And fiend-like on her the Douglas and Ker
And spectral Ruthven glower.
Pages:
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80