---My tongue bears
witness to what my ears heard and my eyes saw.''
The wretched female clasped her bands close
together, and held them up towards heaven like a
sibyl announcing war and desolation, while, in impotent
yet frightful rage, she poured forth a tide
of the deepest imprecations.---``Base Saxon churl!''
she exclaimed, ``vile hypocritical juggler! May
the eyes that looked tamely on the death of my
fair-haired boy be melted in their sockets with
ceaseless tears, shed for those that are nearest and
most dear to thee! May the ears that heard his
death-knell be dead hereafter to all other sounds
save the screech of the raven, and the hissing of
the adder! May the tongue that tells me of his
death and of my own crime, be withered in thy
mouth---or better, when thou wouldst pray with
thy people, may the Evil One guide it, and give
voice to blasphemies instead of blessings, until men
shall fly in terror from thy presence, and the thunder
of heaven be launched against thy head, and
stop for ever thy cursing and accursed voice! Begone,
with this malison!---Elspat will never, never
again bestow so many words upon living man.''
She kept her word---from that day the world
was to her a wilderness, in which she remained
without thought, care, or interest, absorbed in her
own grief, indifferent to every thing else.
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