The Death of Ulric.
A FRAGMENT FROM THE LAST CANTO OF "ULRIC, OR THE VOICES."
By Theodore S. Fay.
[The following fragment is the concluding canto of the second unpublished part of a poem written in 1846 and 47. The first part appeared under the name of "Ulric; or, the Voices." There is a period of ten years between the two parts. Emmeline's son, Fritz, has grown into a youth of nineteen. In rather a strong contrast to the present state of the eastern continent, where a now crusade appears being organized, not against, but in favor of Islamism, the Ottoman government, after possessing itself of the most beautiful and celebrated countries of the ancient oriental world, conceived the ambitious design of subjugating Europe to the faith of the Prophet. Weakened and distracted by civil wars, the Christian princes might well tremble to behold Constantinople the seat of the Sultan, and the Crescent advancing to Venice, Vienna, and Bavaria. Solyman II., furious at his defeat by the knights of St. John, in the island of Malta, had invaded Hungary with a powerful army, and laid siege to Sigeth, the bulwark of Styria against the Turk.
Ulric had promised to join his standard to that of the noble Count Zerrini (according to a custom of those days) whenever the Turkish forces should again threaten Europe. He reached Sigeth with his force just before the formidable army had approached its walls. Both Ulric and Zerrini believed that the European Maximillian II., who lay in the neighborhood with an army not inferior to that of the besiegers, would at least attempt its relief; and on the supposition that so noble an enterprise would be almost certainly victorious, and would open a brilliant career to the son of Emmeline, he had taken him as one of his aides. Arrived at Sigeth, it transpired that the Emperor had resolved not to aid the city; and death now stared in the face of every one within the fatal walls of Sigeth. The canto opens at the moment when Zerrini and Ulric had adopted the desperate expedient of cutting their way out. This celebrated action of Zerrini is a well-known historical incident. The Turks left 30,000 dead on the field. Solyman died during the siege. His successor granted Maximillian a twelve years' truce. Zerrini, as the poem relates, fell while cutting his way out of the fortress.]
But that which Hell to earth has given.
Hark! peal on peal resound!
Where the hot battle fiercely burns,
The cannon's fiery fury turns
On Sigeth's gate. Hark! madly tear
Each crash along the broken air.
Death and destruction madly glare,
And shake the affrighted ground.
