"A true sister's love, Sir Knight —
That thou mayst attain;
But no other love invite,
For 'twould cause me pain.
I would see thee calm draw near,
Calm depart as well.
In thine eye I mark a tear: —
Why, I can not tell."

And he hears in dumb distress,
But can scarcely heed;
And with one intense caress
Leaps upon his steed.
At his rigorous behest
All his Switzers come,
Bound (the cross on every breast)
To the holy tomb.

There are feats of derring-do
Wrought by heroes' arms;
And their plumes go crashing through
Unbelieving swarms.
And the Toggenburger's name
Scares the pagan host,
Yet no peace his heart can claim,
No relief can boast.
For a year he strove with grief,
Then could bear no more.
All in vain he sought relief,
And his arms forswore.
Lo! a bark on Joppa's strand:
Full her canvas swells,
And he hies him to the land
Where his darling dwells.

And the pilgrim knocked at last
At her castle gate.
Open, true, the gate was cast,
But, alas! too late.
For these words his ears assail
As it opens wide: —
"Yesterday she took the veil,
Now is Heaven's bride."

Then for aye he steals away
From his fathers' home,
Leaves his weapons to decay,
Lets his courser roam.
Quits his castle's lordly height,
Wandering in despair,
With his noble limbs bedight
In a shirt of hair.
Just a little hut he rears,
And from thence he sees
Where the convent wall appears
'Mid the linden trees.
From the earliest sunbeam's slope
Till the evening glow
There he sits in eager hope,
Hoping through his woe.

On the cloister many an hour
Did his glances hang,
Watching o'er his darling's bower
For the lattice' clang;
Till the dear presentment showed
Like some sculptured queen,
And in reflex glory flowed
O'er the tranquil scene.

Then he laid him down to sleep,
Deadening his pain
With the thought that dawn would peep,
Morning break again.
Thus he sat for years on years,
Hiding every pang,
Only quickening his ears
For the lattice clang.
Till the dear presentment showed
Like some sculptured queen,
And in reflex glory flowed
O'er the tranquil scene.
So he sat till, on a day,
Passed his flickering breath,
But the lattice o'er the way
Claimed his eyes in death.