s: animous: the vigorous heroes sought a less crowded land,


s: until the migrating folk in great multitudes came where


s: their noble leaders firmly took possession. The rulers


s: of the people settled with their dear followers in Sennar,


s: ample and broad; in the years of their life the fields


s: were ever verdant and the earth fair for the people at


s: that time, with increasing abundance of each [kind of]


s: Then many a man argued with his dear friend, one


s: resolute hero with another, that for their greater glory,


s: before the masses of the people should scatter again over


s: the earth, numbers of the nation in search of land, they


s: should build a city and raise up a tower to the stars of


s: heaven as a sign that they had sought Sennar fields because


s: the mighty fore-fathers of the race, the patriarchs, long


s: lived there with pleasure: with craft the people wrought,


s: in labor and industry, until in arrogance and rashness they


s: showed their skill, built a fortress and raised aloft scaling-


s: ladders towards heaven, mightily erected a solid stone wall


s: beyond man's measure, eager for glory:--[all this did] the


s: heroes with their hands. Then Holy God came to inspect


s: the work of the race of men, the fortress of the warriors,


s: and that beacon-tower likewise which the sons of Adam


s: began to rear up to the skies; and the steadfast King


s: achieved the prevention of this evil design, when in


s: wrath he distributed different languages among the


s: inhabitants of earth, so that they no longer had control


s: of their speech. They found then multitudes at the


s: tower with victorious strength, leaders of work in vast


s: battalions: but not one of the tribes understood what


s: another was saying. It could not be, that they should


s: build up the stone wall further; but they wretchedly


s: parted in bands separated by their speech: one had


s: become to another a strange race, after the Lord by the


s: fullness of his might had confused the speech of men.


s: The disunited sons of the patriarchs then parted in


s: four directions to seek land: behind them, both the


s: mighty tower of stone and the lofty city stood on Sennar


s: Then the race of Sem increased and multiplied under


s: the clouds, until a man arose in the number of that


s: kingly people, a sagacious man, prudent in habit. To


s: this nobleman sons were born, two free children were


s: born in Babylon, and these chieftains, strong-minded


s: heroes, were called Abraham and Aaron. The Sovereign


s: of the Angels was friend and guide to both these leaders.


s: Then to Aaron was born a son, upright in life, whose


s: name was Loth. Thereafter the righteous heroes,


s: Abraham and Loth, throve nobly in the Lord's sight, as


s: the inheritance in the kingdom came to them from their


s: parents; therefore they widely glorified the sons of men


s: Now the period of time had come when Abraham


s: brought a wife, a fair and free-born bride to his house,


s: where he possessed a dwelling: the woman was named


s: Sarra, as the books tell us. They enjoyed life thus for


s: many winters, held the property together in peace for


s: many years. But it was not vouchsafed to Abraham


s: as yet that his bright-faced bride should bring into the


s: world a guardian for his heritage, that Sarra [should


s: Then Abraham's father set out with his family and


s: he wisely wished to seek the land of Canan, with his


s: household. The cousins chosen by the Lord, Abraham


s: and Loth, went with him out of their heritage. Then


s: the nobly-born sons of the patriarchs took up their


s: dwelling in Carran, the men with their wives. In his


s: home here Abraham's father departed this life, the


s: steadfast worthy: he had told 205 winters, in all, when


s: he fared forth ripe in years to meet his fate.


s: Then the holy Guardian of the heavenly kingdom, the


s: "Set forth now, and take thy movable possessions and


s: fertile herds with thee. Give up Carran, thy father's


s: dwelling-place. Depart, as I bid thee, O dearest of


s: men, and heed well my instructions, and seek the land


s: which I shall show thee, a broad verdant country. Thou


s: shalt live blessed under my protection: if any of the


s: dwellers on earth greet thee with evil, I will set upon


s: them my curse and my hatred, long-lasting affliction;


s: and I shall give favors, abundance of blessings, to those


s: who treat thee well. Through thee shall all earth-


s: dwellers, sons of man, receive peace and friendship,


s: my grace and blessing, in this world. Far spreading


s: under the sun shall be the number of thy race by [the


s: birth of] sons and daughters, until many a region of the


s: earth shall be filled with thy progeny."


s: Then Abraham, preëminently upright, rich, and blessed


s: with gold and silver, set out to take his flocks and


s: possessions from Carran into the country of Egipt, as


s: the Warder of Victory, our Ruler, bade him through his


s: Word: they sought the land and nation of Canan. Thus


s: the man dear to God came to lead his wife, his dear bed-


s: fellow, and his nephew's wife, into this inheritance, into


s: happiness. He had [numbered] 75 winters when he


s: had to fare forth, to give up Carran and his kinsfolk.


s: So Abraham set out, mindful of the instructions of the


s: Father Almighty, to look for the broad land beyond


s: these nations, at his Lord's command, until prospering


s: in his journey the courageous man came to Siem, of the


s: Cananite race. Then the Lord and King of the Angels,


s: Sovereign of men, manifested himself to Abraham and


s: "This is the country, verdant and bright and adorned


s: with fruits, that I intend to give into the power of thy


s: Then the good man built an altar and offered sacrifice


s: of souls. Thereupon Abraham traveled still further from


s: the east in order to search with his eyes for the choicest


s: of lands (he remembered the favors, God's promises,


s: which the King of Victory Himself truthfully declared


s: to him through his holy word), until the people came with


s: their possessions to the place where the town is called


s: Bethlem: the glad-hearted chieftain and his brother's


s: son, pious men, went forward over the storied land from


s: the east, with their possessions, over the precipitous


s: mountain-sides, and chose a dwelling-place for them-


s: selves where the fields seemed bright and fair to them.


s: There Abraham for the second time built an altar:


s: there he called upon God with noble words, and offered


s: sacrifice to the Lord of his life. Not at all sparingly


s: did God, through His own hand, give him reward for


s: this,--rich bounty, in the very place of sacrifice.


s: There for a while the wise leader dwelt in his home


s: and enjoyed happiness, the hero with his bride, until a


s: frightful calamity began to press upon the Cananite


s: race, cruel hunger, deadly to home-staying men. Then


s: to seek sustenance; the sage fled before evil: the plague


s: was too strong. Abraham spoke,--for he saw the white


s: brightly,--and then the ruler, the sagacious man, began


s: their eyes upon thy countenance, then should the nobly-


s: born chieftains suppose, O woman fair as a goddess, that


s: thou art my bright bed-fellow whom some one of the


s: warriors will wish to have for himself, then I may well


s: fear for myself lest some one of my foes may deprive


s: me of life with the edge of his sword by reason of his


s: amorous desire. Say then, Sarra, that thou art my


s: sister, my blood-relation, when the strange men ask


s: thee what degree of familiarity may exist between us


s: two foreigners, who come from so far away: hold fast


s: true speech from them, and thus thou shalt preserve


s: my life,--if the Lord of Peace, our Almighty Ruler,


s: grant me longer life in this world, as he did before, who


s: ordained these travels for us in order that we might seek


s: aid and secure sustenance for ourselves in Egipt."


s: Thereupon Abraham, the vigorous leader, proceeded


s: strange to him, and friends unknown. Many haughty


s: men spoke of the beauty of his wife in their remarks,


s: men distinguished by their wealth: to many high-spirited


s: men, vassals of the king, his wife seemed noble in counte-


s: nance. They brought the news to their liege-lord, and


s: few women did they repute fairer before the king, but


s: they lauded exceedingly Sarra's countenance for its


s: great beauty, until he bade them bring the lovely woman


s: to his own hall. The ruler of the people and chief of


s: the nobles bade them enrich Abraham with treasures.


s: But the Lord God became aggrieved and incensed against


s: Farao for his love of the woman: the joy of his house-


s: hold bore this wrath hardly with his intimates. How-


s: ever, the ruler of the people perceived what the Lord


s: was sending upon him for punishment: urged on by


s: fear, the king of Egipt called Abraham to him and gave


s: him his bride, [returned] his wife into his keeping, bade


s: him seek friends elsewhere, noblemen of another race.


s: Then the ruler of the country ordered his vassals and


s: ministers to escort him out of their land again, honor-


s: ably, uninjured in any respect, so that he might be in


s: Then Abraham took [all his] possessions out of the


s: both brides and rings, while they brought their flocks


s: to Bethlem, a familiar dwelling-place, [brought] their


s: womenfolk and treasures and their worldly goods.


s: Then they began to build there, and to erect their city


s: and settle their homes, and renew their prosperity.


s: The men built an altar in the meadows near the one that


s: Abraham had formerly reared to his Lord, when he


s: came to this western land: there the fortunate man


s: exalted the Name of the Eternal Lord once more; the


s: high-minded ruler offered sacrifice to the King of the


s: Angels, thanked exceedingly the Source of Light and


s: Abraham and Loth lived in these dwellings and had


s: abundance of prosperity, ruled over their heritage, until


s: they could not enjoy plenty together any longer in that


s: land and keep the possessions of both there, but the


s: worthy warriors had to seek broader seats elsewhere.


s: There were often dissensions among the followers of the


s: steadfast heroes, quarrels among the herdsmen. Then


s: the blessed Abraham, mindful of their honor, began to


s: "I am thy father's born brother, thou art my nephew;


s: quarrels shall not wax great between us, nor anger


s: grow: may God forbid that! But we are blood-re-


s: lations: between us shall nothing be except, most fit-


s: tingly, long-enduring love. Now bethink thee, Loth,


s: that about our borders dwell mighty men, powerful


s: peoples with lords and vassals, the Cananite and Feretite


s: nations, with energetic warriors: their landed property


s: will not make any more room for us. Therefore shall


s: we remove our differences from this place and seek


s: broader dwelling-places for ourselves: I speak what is


s: best for us both, son of Aron, a true saying. I leave


s: the choice to thee, dear friend. Ponder with thyself


s: and consider in thy heart in which direction thou wilt


s: take thy departure, go forth with thy herds: now I have


s: Then Loth left him to seek land by the Iordan, fertile


s: country: it was refreshed with waters and enriched with


s: fruits, bright with rivers, and like to the earthly par-


s: adise of God, until God the Saviour because of men's


s: sins gave Sodoma and Gomorra to destruction, to the


s: dark flames. So the son of Aron chose his dwelling-


s: place there, a settlement in the city of Sodoma, and


s: brought thither all his possessions, rings and private


s: property from Bethlem, goods, and wrought gold. For


s: many years thereafter he dwelt by the Iordan: fair


s: dwelling-places were there, but vicious men also, hateful


s: to the Lord. The people of Sodoma were bold in sin,


s: shameful in their deeds: they brought upon themselves


s: eternal woe. Loth would never adopt the customs of


s: the country, but he always eschewed the habits of this


s: people, [their] evil and sin, even though he had to live


s: in their land, and kept himself pure, virtuous, and pa-


s: tient, even in this nation, just as if--mindful of [his


s: Lord's] teaching--he did not know what these people


s: Abraham dwelt by the habitations of the Cananites:


s: the King of the Angels, Lord of mankind, held him under


s: his protection, with abundance of good things and


s: worldly treasures, love and joy; therefore the races of


s: men, children of baptism, sing his praise widely under


s: the clouds. Pious and prudent, he freely obeyed the


s: Lord in his land as long as he enjoyed the heritage:


s: never need a defenceless human being ever become in


s: any way a terrified and fearful man before the Lord,


s: if he will always, until his departure from life, thank


s: Him heedfully in speech and in heart, by word and deed,


s: Then I found that the king of the Elamites, Orlahomar,


s: a pious leader, made an expedition: in aid of him Am-


s: brafel set forth from Sennar with a great multitude.


s: Four kings then set out with mighty power to seek


s: Sodoma and Gomorra, southward from there. Then was


s: the country of the men by Iordan widely besieged by


s: warriors, the land [was surrounded] by foes. Many


s: a terrified pale-cheeked maiden would have to go trem-


s: bling to the embrace of a stranger: the defenders of


s: the brides and rings would fall, weak with wounds.


s: Against them with warlike zeal five kings came forth


s: from the south, with their armies, who wished to rid


s: the city of Sodoma of its foes: for twelve winters before


s: of necessity they had had to yield tribute and pay


s: indemnity to the men of the north, until the people


s: no longer would enrich the king of the Elamites with


s: their own treasures, but revolted from him.


s: In rage the slaughter-hordes came together: the jav-


s: elins were loud; the dark fowl sang among the flying


s: weapons, the dewy-feathered [raven] looked for the slain.


s: The warriors rushed on in cohorts with unfaltering cour-


s: age, until the nations' armies had come together widely,


s: from south and north, protected by their helmets. There


s: was bitter struggle, exchanges of deadly spears, great


s: tumult of war, loud din of conflict. The heroes drew


s: from the sheath with their hands the ring-mailed sword,


s: keen of edge. Then was booty easy to find for the


s: chieftain who before this was not readily sated with


s: battle! The northern men were fatal to the southern


s: men: the men of Sodoma and Gomorra, dispensers of


s: gold, were bereft of their dear allies at the shield-clash-


s: ing. They went forth from their homesteads to save


s: themselves by flight; behind them the youths of the race


s: fell, slain by the sword, [and] their allies [were] cleft with


s: the edge. The leader of the army of the Elamites had


s: victory in battle, was master of the battlefield. The


s: survivors of the weapons fled to seek fastnesses. The


s: enemy seized upon gold, robbed with devastation the


s: treasure-cities of the people, Sodoma and Gomorra. Then


s: misery requited the great strongholds; the maidens,


s: wives, and widows, deprived of friends, departed from


s: their homesteads. The enemy led out with them from


s: the city of Sodoma, with their spoils, the kinsman of


s: We may now relate this true history further, as to


s: what was the fate of the war-wolves after the battle,


s: who carried off Loth and the goods of the people, the


s: treasures of the southlanders, [and] exulted in victory.


s: A warrior, a survivor of the sword who was spared


s: in battle, escaped from them suddenly, to seek Abraham:


s: he reported to the Ebrew chieftain the outcome of the


s: fray,--the people of Sodoma sorely stricken, the nation's


s: wealth, and Loth's situation. Thereupon Abraham re-


s: ported the evil tidings to his friends; the steadfast hero


s: requested aid of his favorite companions, Aner, Mamre,


s: and thirdly Escol, saying that it would be gall to his


s: heart and bitterest grief if his nephew should have to


s: suffer slavery: bade the warriors famed in battle think of


s: some plan so that his dear kinsman might be freed, the


s: hero with his bride. In reply the three brothers, famed


s: in war, with great readiness assuaged his grief by their


s: hardy words, and pledged their troth to Abraham that


s: they would avenge his injury upon his foes, with him,


s: Then the holy man bade his companions take their


s: weapons: he found there 318 spear-bearing warriors,


s: loyal to their ruler, of whom he knew that every one


s: could well support the tawny linden-shield in an onset.


s: So Abraham set out with the three chieftains who had


s: just pledged their troth to him, and the band of their


s: followers. He wished to rescue his kinsman at least,


s: Loth, from suffering. These warriors were famous:


s: they bore their shields forth boldly on the march. The


s: war-wolves, [meanwhile], had nearly reached their


s: camping-place: then the prudent man, the son of Thare,


s: spoke to his war-leaders in these words, (great was his


s: need!), that they should advance on the enemy in two


s: divisions with grim conflict and hard swordplay: said,


s: Then I heard how under the cover of night the heroes


s: ventured on into battle: the din of shields and shafts


s: arose in their sleeping-quarters, the slaughter of archers


s: and impact of battle-arrows; sharp swords smote hate-


s: fully under the breast of men, and the bodies of foes


s: fell thickly, where the exulting heroes and comrades


s: were bringing together the spoil. Victory, men's glory


s: in war, turned aside again from the battle of the north-


s: men. Abraham gave armed conflict and not in any


s: wise wrought gold, as ransom for his nephew; he slew


s: and felled the enemy in fair fight: to aid him, the Guard-


s: ian of the heavenly kingdom took [a part in the fray].


s: The four armies were put to flight, [with] the kings and


s: leaders of the people: behind them pressed the joyful


s: band and [there] the heroes were slain; the others were


s: given over to flight,--those who had stolen the gold of


s: Sodom and Gomorra, and robbed the stewards: fiercely did


s: the uncle of Loth requite them for it. The noble leaders


s: of the Elamites were fleeing, bereft of power, until they


s: were not far from Domascus. Then Abraham set out on


s: the war-track to see the retreat of the wicked men. Lot


s: was freed, the chieftain with his possessions, [while] the


s: women [and] wives were restored to joy. Far and wide


s: they saw the birds of prey rending the murderers of free-


s: men in sword-slaughter. Abraham brought back again


s: the treasure and brides of the southlanders, the children


s: of the nobles nearer their homes, the maidens to their


s: families. Of all men living here [on earth], no one ever


s: achieved a more worthy military expedition with a


s: small force which was attacking so great a multitude.


s: Then the people of Sodoma was southward from


s: there, to bear the news as to what rout of their fierce


s: foes had occurred. Forthwith the king of the people,


s: bereft of his nobles and stripped of friends, went out to


s: meet Abraham; he brought with him the master of the


s: treasure of Solomia: that was the great Melchisedec,


s: bishop of the people. He came with gifts to greet fairly


s: the prince of the warriors, [to approach] Abraham honor-


s: ably, and he pronounced upon him the blessing of God


s: "Highly wert thou exalted among the number of heroes


s: before the eyes of Him who gave thee the glory of the ash-


s: spear in battle: that is God himself, who mightily de-


s: stroyed the forces of the hostile armies and let thee with


s: thy weapons hew out bloody paths broadly [through the


s: foe], regain the booty, and fell the warriors. They were


s: encamped by the way: nor could the withdrawing army


s: prevail in hand-to-hand conflict, but God put it to flight,


s: who with His own hands preserved thee with thy warriors


s: in the fight, against the terror of superior numbers, and


s: rightfully holdest with the Keeper of the skies."


s: With his own hand the hero gave him a return for this


s: blessing, and Abraham bestowed upon the bishop of God


s: the value of every tenth part of the army's booty. Then


s: spoke the war-king, ruler of Sodoma, bereft of his people,


s: "Give me back the maidens of my people, whom thou


s: by the might of thy army hast snatched from the deadly


s: bonds of the foe. Keep thou the wrought gold which


s: formerly was the property of our people, [keep] the


s: herds and the treasure. Only let me lead back again


s: in freedom, to their hearths and desolated homes, the


s: children of the people, the wives and boys and wretched


s: widows. The young men, my companions, who should have


s: held the borders with me, are dead, [all] but a very few."


s: Then Abraham answered him straightway, in the pres-


s: ence of the chieftains exalted in valor, power, and vic-


s: "Ruler of the people, I pledge to thee this my word,


s: before the Holy One who is sole Master of heaven and


s: this earth: there is no worldly treasure that I will take


s: for my own, neither riches nor money of thine which I


s: have rescued from the [hostile] bowmen, O great king,


s: protector of thy nobles, lest thou oft hereafter say that


s: I became rich on earth through the treasure and former


s: wealth of the kingdom of Sodom; but thou shalt


s: take hence the booty which I regained for thee in battle,


s: all except the shares of these noble warriors, Aner, and


s: Mamre, and Escol. I am unwilling to deprive these


s: warriors of their rights: for they stood by me in the


s: combat, and fought in your behalf. Go now and take


s: home the wrought gold and the beloved maidens, the


s: womenfolk of thy people. Thou needst not fear for


s: a while the attack of the hostile warriors, the battle


s: of the northmen, for the birds of prey sit all smeared


s: with blood, among the fastnesses of the mountains, well


s: gorged with the slaughter of the armies."


s: So the king set out on his return home with the spoils


s: which the pious lord of the Hebrews, regardful of honor,


s: Then again to Abraham the High-King of Heaven


s: showed himself, with holy speech comforted the wise-


s: "Great are thy rewards. Let not now thy heart


s: grow idle, thou steadfast [doer] of my will. Nor needst


s: thou fear anyone, while thou heedest my commandment,


s: for with my own hands will I shelter and shield thee


s: during thy life-time here against every woe: thou


s: Then Abraham, famed for his deeds, answered his


s: Lord and asked Him, in the fullness of his days:


s: "O Ruler of spirits, what dost thou give me for free-


s: men's solace, now that I am thus solitary? I have no


s: need to found an ancestral seat for any sons of mine, but


s: after me shall my distant kinsmen dispose of my goods;


s: thou hast not given me a son, and therefore sorrows


s: weigh upon me very heavily in my heart; I myself can


s: not devise any counsel. My steward goes rejoicing in


s: his sons, and is firmly persuaded in his thoughts that


s: after me his sons shall be the keepers of the heritage:


s: they see that no children are born to me of my bride."


s: "Never shall thy steward possess the heritage of thy


s: sons: but thine own children shall hold the treasure,


s: when thy flesh lies [in the grave]. Behold the sky. Count


s: their glorious radiance far and wide to shine brilliantly


s: over the broad surface of the sea. Such shall be the


s: multitude of thy descendants, rich in progeny. Let not


s: thy heart be bound by sorrow. A son shall yet be born


s: to thee, a child born of thy wife by ordinary birth, who


s: after thee shall be the keeper of the inheritance, rich in


s: property. Grieve no more: I am the Lord, who many


s: winters ago led thee out of the stronghold of Caldea


s: with but few followers, and promised thee a broad


s: dwelling-place for thy possession: I give thee now my


s: pledge, man of the Hebrews, that many a broad land


s: on this earth shall be peopled with thy progeny, regions


s: of the world as far as Eufrates even from the borders


s: Nile cuts off and the sea bounds: all this shall thy sons


s: own, each of the countries, as these three waters sur-


s: round with their streams the lofty cities of stone, the


s: foamy floods [surround] the refuge of the people."


s: Then Sarra was grieved at heart that no son had come


s: to Abraham through their wedlock, a free-born heir for


s: their solace; so the sorrowful one began to speak to her


s: "The Ruler of heaven has denied me this, that I


s: might augment the number of thy family under the


s: skies with sons of thine own. Now I am hopeless that


s: an heir will ever be given us together: I am too old, in


s: my misery. My lord, do as I bid thee. Here is a


s: woman, a fair damsel, an Egiptian maid in our possession:


s: bid her now repair to thy bed forthwith, and see if


s: the Lord will allow any heir for thy goods to come into


s: Then the holy man yielded to the advice of his wife,


s: and bade the handmaiden go to his couch as a bride.


s: Her spirit exalted itself, when she had become pregnant


s: with a man-child by Abraham; stiff-necked in scorn she


s: began to despise her mistress, showed insolence, was


s: overweening, and was unwilling to endure servitude but


s: Then I heard how the wife spoke to her husband in the


s: sorrow of her heart, with these words; sad in mind she


s: "Thou dost not deal properly and rightfully with me.


s: Thou hast hitherto allowed it to happen that my hand-


s: maiden afflict me every day by deed and word, ever


s: since Agar entered thy bed in place of thy wife, as was


s: my entreaty: she shall pay for this mercilessly, if I


s: may still control mine own before thee, dear Abraham;


s: of this may the Almighty Lord of Lords be judge


s: The wise-minded man then answered her at once in


s: "Never shall I leave thee without honor, while we


s: both live; but thou must manage thine own maid as


s: Then Abraham's queen became unkind, wrathful in


s: heart towards her serving-maid, hard and cruel, spoke


s: bitter insults to the woman. Thereupon the latter fled


s: from threat and thraldom: she would not endure evil


s: and retribution for what she had formerly done to Sarra,


s: but went forth on a journey to go into the wilderness.


s: There a servant of glory, an angel of the Lord, found her


s: "Whither do you intend to push your journey, my


s: "Deprived of every pleasure, jeered out of the house


s: by the hatred of my mistress, I have fled from woes,


s: afflictions, and injuries. Now with tear-stained cheek


s: must I await my fate in the wilderness, [the time]


s: when hunger or a wolf removes life and sorrow together


s: "Seek not thou in flight far hence to avoid thy con-


s: cubinage, but return again, earn honor for thyself, begin


s: submissively to cultivate dutifulness, become dear to


s: thy master. Thou shalt, Agar, bring a son into the world


s: to Abraham: with my word I tell thee now that this


s: man-child shall be called Ismahel, among men. He


s: shall be rough, warlike, hostile to the races of men and


s: to his own kinsfolk: many a one shall struggle against


s: him in wrath, with assault of arms. From this prince


s: nations shall spring, numberless peoples. Depart now


s: to seek thy master again: live with those who own thee!"


s: In accordance with the angel's command, she at once


s: returned to her lord, as the holy spirit-messenger of God


s: bade her, in sapient speech. Thus was Ismael born to


s: Abraham, even when he had [lived] 86 winters in the


s: world. The son grew and flourished, as the angel, the


s: true minister of peace, had promised to the woman by


s: About thirteen years after that, the Lord and Ever-


s: "Dear man, as I command thee, so do thou keep well


s: our covenant: I will to all time exalt thee in blessings.


s: Be thou zealously observant of my will in thy deeds:


s: I will still further confirm with truth the pledge which


s: I gave to thee as earnest of comfort, when thy spirit


s: grieved. Thou shalt hallow thy household: set a true


s: sign of victory on each one of the male sex, if thou wilt


s: have in me a Master or dear Friend of thy race. I shall


s: dost obey me in thy innermost thoughts and art willing


s: to fulfil my commands. In his infancy shall every


s: individual of the male sex in this race, about seven nights


s: after he comes into the world, be marked for me with


s: the sign of victory, or from the face of the earth be


s: driven far through my hostility, thrust out from his


s: possessions. Do as I bid: I will be true to you all, if


s: ye bear that sign with true faith. Thou shalt possess


s: a son, a child by thy wife, whom men shall all call Isaac.


s: Nor needst thou be ashamed of this son: but I will give


s: to this man-child my divine gifts, by the might of the


s: spirit, abundance of friends, with prosperity. He shall


s: receive my grace and blessing, love and favor. From


s: this prince shall come broad nations, shall arise many


s: famous warriors, keepers of kingdoms, world-kings widely


s: Then Abraham in haste laid his cheek on the earth,


s: and with scorn turned over these words in his mind, the


s: thoughts of his heart: at that period of time he himself


s: did not believe that Sarra, his grey-haired bride, could


s: bring a son into the world to him; he knew well that his


s: wife had already numbered at least one hundred winters,


s: by actual reckoning. So then, wise in years, he spoke


s: "May Ismael live according to Thy commandments,


s: Lord, and give thee thanks with wise and steady mind


s: and stout heart, doing Thy will day and night in word


s: "Though much worn in years, Sarra shall bring a son


s: into the world to thee; the future shall truly proceed in


s: accordance with these words here pronounced. I will now


s: bless with my grace Ismael, as thou art petitioner, for


s: thy first born, so that he may dwell many days in the


s: kingdom of this world with spreading progeny; be thou


s: sure of that! But Isaac thy son, the young child who


s: has not yet come into the world, I will distinguish ex-


s: ceedingly with abundance of joys and every kind of


s: riches, in his days, and certainly leave in his heart my


s: pledge and holy faith, and be kind to him."


s: Abraham did as the Eternal bade him, set the sign


s: of peace on his son, by the Lord's command, and bade


s: every one of his household of the male sex bear that


s: high sign,--wise in heart, and mindful of the pledge


s: which God had given him as assurance of good faith,--


s: and then himself received the exalted sign. The Lord


s: and Just King continually advanced his glory in the


s: kingdom of this world, with blessings: He wrought this


s: for him as soon as he might first perform the will of his


s: Then the woman laughed at the Lord of Mankind not


s: at all mirthfully, but full of years she laid away this


s: promise in her mind with much scorn: she did not


s: believe it true that the fulfilment of this promise was to


s: follow. But when the Ruler of Heaven heard that the


s: wife of Abraham had given way to hopeless laughter,


s: "Sarra will not believe in the truth of my word:


s: nevertheless this decree shall be fulfilled, as I promised


s: thee at first. I tell thee truth, at this very season a son


s: shall be born of thy wife: when I return to this same


s: dwelling another time, then shall my promise of increase


s: be fulfilled: thou shalt look upon a son, thine own child,


s: Then at once, after this speech, they departed with


s: speed, eager to be gone; from the place of the confer-


s: ence, the holy spirits made their way (the power of


s: light itself was in their midst!) until they could look


s: upon Sodom, the lofty city: they saw palaces tower up


s: above treasures, halls above red gold. Then the right-


s: eous Ruler of the skies began to speak with Abraham,


s: "In this city I hear tumult, the din of sinners ex-


s: ceedingly loud, the vain-glory of those drunk with ale;


s: evil speech have the people, behind their walls: for the


s: sins of the race, of the treacherous apostates, are heavy.


s: I will now find out what the men are doing, O man of


s: the Hebrews, [to see] whether they [actually] commit


s: sins so grossly in their habits and thoughts as they


s: perversely speak of crimes and vices: sulphur and black


s: flame, sorely and grimly, hotly and vehemently, shall


s: The men with their wives were approaching their


s: punishment, sufferings within their walls: arrogant in


s: riches, they requited the Lord for their prosperity with


s: insult, until the Protector of spirits, the Source of Light


s: and Life, would tolerate their offence no longer: but to


s: them the steadfast King sent two strong messengers


s: of his, who arrived at eventide at the fortress of Sodoma,


s: in their traveling. At the city-gate they found the


s: warrior, the son of Aron, sitting by himself, so that they


s: appeared before the eyes of the wise man as young men.


s: Then the servant of the Lord arose before the spirits,


s: went forward to greet the strangers civilly, thought their


s: demeanor very proper and agreeable, and invited the


s: men to be his guests for the night. The noble messengers


s: "For the courtesy which you have extended to us,


s: accept our thanks. In this street we expect quietly


s: to wait for the time when the Lord shall let the sun


s: Then humbly Loth bowed at the feet of the strangers


s: and eagerly offered them the repose and refreshments


s: and shelter and service of his dwelling. They accepted


s: thankfully the benevolence of the good man, and followed


s: him forthwith inside his walls, as the Hebrew chieftain


s: invited them. There in his hall the generous wise-


s: souled man gave them fair hospitality, until twilight


s: departed: then came night, after the close of day, and


s: veiled with darkness the lake-streams, seas, and broad


s: land, and [all] the pomp of this life. Then the men of


s: Sodoma came, young and old, hateful to God, to demand


s: the strangers, with a great throng so that they surrounded


s: Loth and his guests by the multitude of their force;


s: they bade [him] lead out of the lofty hall the holy mess-


s: engers [and put] the men in their power; they said


s: openly in words that they would have intercourse with


s: the men shamefully, and had no regard for decency. Then


s: Loth, who often knew what was best, quickly arose in his


s: house, and went out at once; and the son of Aron, mindful


s: of his cunning, spoke thus over all the mass of people:


s: "Here are within two spotless [maidens], my daughters:


s: neither of these damsels knows intercourse as yet through


s: sleeping with a man: do then as I bid you, and cease


s: from this sin. I give them both to you, before you


s: commit this vileness against nature, heinous evil against


s: the sons of men. Receive these maidens and let my


s: guests go free, since I will defend them against you as


s: Thereupon the crowd, the shameless race, answered


s: "It seems very right and fitting that thou shouldst


s: depart out of this neighborhood, thou who bereft of


s: friends and with the step of an exile soughtest this people


s: from afar, in thy need: wilt thou, if thou mayst, be our


s: Then I heard of Loth how the heathen masses gripped


s: him with their hands, with hostile grasp: his guests


s: aided him well and the righteous strangers drew him


s: out of the clutches of the enemy back within the walls,


s: and then speedily closed fast the eyesight of every one


s: of the people of Sodoma standing around: the whole


s: crowd of citizens forthwith became blind; nor could


s: they, in their evil rage, break into the house after the


s: guests, as they intended, but the messengers of God


s: were [too] active for them; the stranger had power, irre-


s: sistible vigor, and was very severe upon the people in


s: peace spoke fairly to Loth, in these words:


s: "If thou hast a son, or dear relative, or any friend


s: among these people besides these maidens whom we see


s: here, lead out of this city those who are dear to thee, with


s: great haste, and save thine own life, lest thou perish


s: with these law-breakers. For the Lord has commanded


s: us, because of the people's sins, to give over Sodoma and


s: Gomorra to black flame and fire, and to slay these people,


s: and so wreak His wrath [upon them]. It has nearly


s: reached the appointed time. Set out on thy way, to


s: save thy life: the Lord is merciful to thee...."


s: "I cannot, with these womenfolk, seek my safety


s: so far from here in a journey on foot. You manifest


s: to me kindness and fair friendship, you grant me grace


s: and good-will. I know a lofty town near here, a little


s: fortress: leave me there, in honor and peace, so that we


s: may seek safety above, in Sigor. If you will protect that


s: lofty fastness from the fire, we can abide in that place


s: unharmed, in safety, and so preserve our lives."


s: Then the righteous angels answered him benevol-


s: "Thou shalt be successful in this petition, now thou


s: speakest about that city: withdraw immediately to that


s: fastness. We shall keep thee in peace and safety. We


s: must not wreak the wrath of God upon these law-


s: breakers and destroy the sinful race, before thou hast


s: led thy children and wife likewise into Sægor."


s: Then the kinsman of Abraham set out for the fastness:


s: the chieftain did not spare the pace for his womenfolk,


s: but he pushed his steps most hastily until he had brought


s: his wife and children to the citadel of Sægor. When the


s: sun rose, [when] the peaceful luminary of the nations


s: went forth, then, I have heard, the Master of Glory sent


s: sulphur out of heaven, and swart flame for the punish-


s: ment of men, swelling fire, since they had offended the


s: Lord for a long period in former days: thus the Ruler of


s: spirits gave them retribution. Utmost terror seized upon


s: the heathen race: tumult arose in the city, the outcry


s: of the accursed race over shameful death, just beginning.


s: The flame seized upon all that it found green, in the rich


s: city, just as around outside no small portion of the broad


s: earth was filled with conflagration and terror: trees


s: and earth's harvests turned to ashes and embers, even


s: as far as the avenging curse direly extended over the


s: broad country of the people. The devastating fire


s: rushing on in tumult devoured all things together, far


s: and wide, that men had owned in the cities of Sodoma


s: and Gomorra: all this, together with the people, God


s: When Loth's wife, his bride in the city, heard the din


s: of fire, the death of the people, then she looked back-


s: ward [to see] this devastation. The Scriptures tell us


s: that she immediately turned into the likeness of a pillar


s: of salt: ever since then this statue has stood there


s: motion less (this is a strange story), where she incurred


s: this severe penalty because she would not obey the


s: ministers of glory in their commands: now, stiff and


s: erect, she will have to await her doom in that place, at


s: the Lord's Judgment Day, when the world has com-


s: pleted its [allotted] number of years. This is one of


s: the miracles which the King of Glory has wrought.


s: Then Abraham went forth alone, at dawn, so that he


s: again stood in the place where the pious leader had


s: formerly spoken with his Lord in words. He saw the


s: reek of death and destruction ascending widely from


s: the earth. Riches and feasting preoccupied [the people]


s: to such an extent that they had become bold in wicked


s: deeds, eager for sin: they forgot the Truth and God's


s: commandments, and who had given them prosperity


s: and wealth in their cities; therefore the King of the


s: Angels sent his fervid fire to punish them. Our faithful


s: Lord then remembered Abraham mercifully, the dear


s: man, as he often had done, and saved his kinsman, Loth,


s: when the multitude perished. The [latter] hero, famed


s: for his deeds, did not dare to tarry longer in the strong-


s: hold for fear of the Lord, but Loth departed from the


s: city with his children to seek a dwelling-place far from


s: the place of slaughter, until they found a cave in the


s: side of a high dune: there the pious Loth, dear to his


s: Lord, dwelt in righteousness for a great number of days,


s: They did thus with the drunken man: ... the elder


s: of the two went first to her father's bed. Nor did the


s: venerable man know when the two maidens ... were


s: with him in the manner of a bride, fast bound [as he


s: was] in heart, mind, and memory, drunken with wine,


s: so that he could not escape the enterprise of the maidens.


s: The young women became pregnant, and the devoted


s: sisters brought men-children into the world, sons to


s: their old father. One of these noble children was called


s: Moab by his mother, that daughter of Loth who was the


s: elder in years of life; the Scriptures tell us, the sacred


s: Books, that the younger called her son Ammon. From


s: these princes sprang numberless people, the glories of


s: two nations: one of these nations all earth-dwellers call


s: Moabites, a widely famed race; the other, men and


s: Then the brother of Aron set out with his wife to take


s: his possessions and his household to Abimelech. Abra-


s: ham told all men that Sarra was his sister, [and] thus


s: preserved his life by his words: he knew very well that


s: he had few relatives and friends among that people.


s: Then the king sent his ministers and bade them bring


s: to him [the wife of Abraham]. Thus for the second


s: time in a foreign land, the wife of Abraham was taken


s: from her husband to the embrace of a stranger. Then


s: the eternal Lord assisted him, as he had often done:


s: our Preserver came himself by night to where the king


s: lay drunken with wine. Thereupon the Lord of Truth


s: began to speak to the king through a dream, and threat-


s: "Thou hast taken Abraham's wife, his bride from the


s: hero; for that deed death shall tear thy soul from thy


s: To him thus the sinner, gorged with feasting, replied


s: "What! Wilt Thou ever, High King of the Angels,


s: through thy wrath let him be deprived of life who lives


s: here in righteous habits, [who] in his counsel is upright


s: in mind, and who asks mercy of Thyself? In her own


s: words, unasked, this woman told me first that she was


s: Abraham's sister. I have not sinned against her, nor


s: wrought any evil at all, up to this time!"


s: Then again the Eternal Lord and True God spoke to


s: "Give back this woman to Abraham, his wife, into


s: his possession, if thou wishest for life any longer in this


s: world, as protector of the nobles. He is good and wise,


s: and may himself speak with [God] and see the King of


s: Glory. Thou shalt die, with thy flocks and thy sub-


s: stance, if thou deniest his wife to the warrior: if he will


s: at once honestly and patiently prefer to me thy earnest


s: wishes, he may obtain his request that I yet allow thee


s: living to enjoy pleasures and prosperity in thy days,


s: Then the keeper of the people broke forth from sleep,


s: bade his councillors come to him; shaken with terror,


s: Abimeleh quickly told the nobles the word of the Master.


s: The men dreaded [as retribution] for this deed, blows


s: from the hand of the Lord in accordance with the dream.


s: The king himself bade them bring Abraham before him,


s: in great haste. Then the ruler of the kingdom spoke:


s: "Man of the Ebrews! this wilt thou now tell me in


s: words: what have I done that, since thou broughtest


s: thy possessions into this country among us, Abraham,


s: thou hast thus bitterly contrived a plot against me?


s: Thou, a foreigner, wouldst deceive us in this country


s: with evil and pollute us with sin: thou saidest in plain


s: words that Sarra was thy sister, thy blood relation;


s: through that woman thou wouldst have foully put upon


s: me sin, measureless evil! We received thee honorably,


s: and in friendship gave thee a dwelling-place among this


s: people, land at thy pleasure: now thou makest return


s: and thankest us [most] ungratefully for our favors!"


s: "I did that, not for evil nor for hostility nor for any


s: woe that I might bring upon thee. But by this strat-


s: agem, O ruler of men, I protected myself against blows


s: of the fierce sword, far from my kinsfolk [as I was]


s: Since the Holy One first led me from the family of


s: the prince, my father, I have sought out many peoples,


s: strange allies, and this woman with me, destitute of


s: friends: I always kept this peril in mind, when some foe


s: should deprive me--a stranger--of my life, who wished


s: to have this woman for his own. Therefore I have told


s: warriors in plain words that Sarra was my sister, wher-


s: ever on this earth we have had to contend against


s: foreigners in our exile. I did the same thing in this


s: country, great king, after I chose thy protection: nor


s: was there any knowledge in my heart as to whether


s: the fear of God Almighty was in this race, when I first


s: came here; therefore I concealed from thy ministers and


s: from thyself as well as possible the true statement that


s: Sarra was wont to enter my bed with me as my wife."


s: Then Abimæleh began to enrich Abraham with worldly


s: treasures and returned his wife to him: he gave him


s: to boot, when he received his wife, live stock and bright


s: silver and serving-folk. The protector of the nobles


s: spoke further to Abraham, in these words:


s: "Dwell with us and choose thee a dwelling-place in


s: this land, a noble site where it is most to thy liking: I


s: must have thee; be a faithful friend to us; we will give


s: Then quickly the dispenser of treasure spoke further


s: "Nor need Abraham, thy lord and master, set it in


s: reproach against thee that thou hast trodden the ways


s: of my dwelling, O woman goddess-fair: for I have richly


s: repaired thine offence with him, with white silver. Do


s: not trouble yourselves to seek riches and strange friends


s: Abraham did as his king bade him, and at the ruler's


s: behest accepted friendship, love, and peace. He was


s: dear to God: therefore he enjoyed tranquility happily


s: and proceeded under the shadow of his Creator, covered


s: by His protecting wings, while he lived. But God


s: was still angry at Abimeleh for the sin which he had


s: committed against Sarra and Abraham, when he sepa-


s: rated these two loving ones, the wife and the husband.


s: He received a severe penalty for this deed: for neither


s: free nor slave women could reward the men their


s: masters with children, for the Lord prevented it, until


s: the holy Abraham began to pray Eternal God for grace


s: in behalf of his king. The Protector of the Angels granted


s: him his prayer, and restored to the king the fertility


s: of the free and the enslaved, men and women; again


s: the Ruler of the skies allowed the number of their off-


s: spring to increase, their prosperity and possessions: the


s: Almighty Keeper of Mankind became mild in heart


s: towards Abimeleh, as Abraham entreated Him.


s: Then the Almighty Lord came to Sarra, as He Himself


s: promised: Our Master, the Ruler of Life, had fulfilled His


s: promise to the dear man and woman. A son was be-


s: gotten of Abraham upon his wife, whom the Prince of


s: the Angels named Isaac even before the mother was great


s: with child by the chieftain. Abraham with his own hand


s: set the sign upon him, as the Lord glorious in splendor


s: bade him, about a week from the time when his mother


s: The boy grew and throve, inasmuch as noble [traits]


s: were native to him from his ancestors. Abraham had


s: a son: he had waited for this for a long time, since the


s: Lord first through His own word foretold this day of


s: happiness. Now the matter so happened that his wife


s: once saw Ismael playing before Abraham where they


s: were both seated at a banquet, holy in heart, and all


s: their household retainers were drinking and singing.


s: Then the noble woman spoke, as wife to husband:


s: "Forgive me, my dear lord, keeper of the ring! But


s: bid Agar depart elsewhere, and take Ismael with her.


s: We should no longer be together, for my pleasure, if I


s: might have my way. Never shall Ismael share the


s: heritage with Isaac, my own son, after thee, when thou


s: Then was Abraham heavy at heart, because he must


s: drive away his own son into exile; then speedily the


s: True God came to his aid, for He knew that the heart


s: of the man was in dire straits. The King of the Angels,


s: "Let the sorrow and heart-felt grief slip from thy


s: breast, and obey the woman, thy wife. Bid both Agar


s: and Ismael to go away, [send] the boy from thy home.


s: I will make his race far-spreading and powerful in the


s: number of its sons, prosperous in blessings, as I promised


s: Then the man obeyed his Master and drove from his


s: home the sad-minded pair, [drove] from his patrimony


s: "Clear it is and manifest that the True God, the King


s: of Glory, is on thy side, since he gives thee the victory,


s: with wise power, and strengthens thy heart with


s: divine gifts. Therefore thou hast succeeded hitherto


s: in whatsoever thou hast begun to perform against


s: friend or foe, in word or deed. The Lord our Master


s: thrusteth forward thy desires with His own hands:


s: that is widely known among men. I pray thee now,


s: chief of the Ebrews, by my words, to give me a faithful


s: assurance of thy pledge that thou wilt be a true friend


s: to me, in return for the good things which I have given


s: for thy glory, since thou camest solitary from afar into


s: this country with the tread of an exile. Requite me


s: now with thy favor, so that I may not be sparing of land


s: and pleasure to thee. Be propitious now to this people


s: and city of mine, if Our Almighty Lord who holdeth the


s: fates will grant that thou mayst further distribute riches


s: and pleasing treasures, and set up thy landmarks, among


s: Then Abraham gave pledges to Abimeleh that he would


s: After this the holy son of Thare, chief of the Ebrews,


s: was a dweller in the Filistine nation for a long time,


s: alone amid strangers. The Lord of the Angels showed


s: him a dwelling-place which the men dwelling in the city


s: called the land of Bersaba. There the pious man built


s: a high hall, constructed a place of shelter and planted


s: a grove, erected an altar and on the sacrificial stone


s: made an offering, an oblation, at once, to his Master


s: who had given him a prosperous life under the sky.


s: Then the powerful King began to try this hero,


s: tested stringently what the noble one's fortitude was,


s: and spoke to him in stern words with his voice:


s: "Go forth now speedily, Abraham, hasten thy steps,


s: and take with thee thine own child. Thou shalt thyself


s: offer up Isaac to me, thy son as a sacrifice. After thou


s: ascendest on foot the steep dune, the bordering circle of


s: that high land which I shall show thee from here, there


s: thou shalt prepare a funeral pyre, the death-pile of thy


s: son, and then thyself sacrifice thy son with the edge


s: of the sword and then burn his dear body with black


s: He did not decline the expedition, but straightway


s: began to hasten the procedure: the word of the King


s: of Angels was sacred to him, and his Master was beloved.


s: Then the pious Abraham forsook his nightly repose,


s: with no resistance at all to the command of the Saviour,


s: but the holy man girded himself with his grey sword


s: and declared that the fear of the Keeper of Spirits


s: dwelt in his breast. Worn with age, the dispenser of


s: gold began to harness his asses, and bade two young men


s: go with him: his own son was the third and he himself


s: the fourth. Without delay he then set out to lead Isaac


s: from his own home, the ungrown child, as the Lord


s: bade him; hastened exceedingly and hurried forth on


s: the way, as the Lord showed him the paths over the


s: wastes, until the glorious beginning of the third day


s: arose across deep water. There the worthy man saw


s: a high dune rise, as the King of Glory had foretold to


s: "My men! Remain ye here in this place. We shall


s: return, after we have offered to the King of Spirits what


s: The noble man then departed with his own son toward


s: the designated spot which the Lord showed him, striding


s: through the forest; the son bore the wood, the father


s: fire and sword. Then the man young in years began


s: to ask Abraham about the affair, in these words:


s: "We have here fire and sword, my lord: where is the


s: noble victim that you expect to bring as a burnt-offering


s: Abraham replied (he had once for all decided that he


s: "That the True King, Guardian of mankind, will


s: himself provide, as it seemeth to him meet."


s: Then with unfaltering purpose he ascended the steep


s: dune, with his son, as the Eternal had bidden him, until


s: he stood on the crest of the high land, on the [spot]


s: which the mighty, faithful Lord had shown him in his


s: words. Forthwith he began to build the funeral-pyre


s: and kindle the fire, and he bound his son hand and foot,


s: and then laid young Isaac on the pile, and then straight-


s: way grasped the sword by the hilt: he was resolved to


s: kill his son with his own hands and allay the flames with


s: At that moment a minister of God, one of the angels,


s: called Abraham from above, with a loud voice. Motion-


s: less he answered the angel and awaited the herald's


s: speech. To him then forthwith God's glorious spirit-


s: messenger spoke from above, out of heaven, in these


s: "Beloved Abraham! Do not slay thine own son, but


s: take the boy alive from the pile, thy child. The God


s: of Glory has spared him. Prince of the Ebrews, through


s: the holy hand of the King of Heaven thou shalt thyself


s: receive recompense and true rewards of victory, ample


s: gifts: the Keeper of Spirits will enrich thee with blessings,


s: because his peace and favor were dearer to thee than


s: The pyre stood there blazing. The Lord of mankind


s: had made joyful the breast of Abraham, kinsman of


s: Loth, when he gave him back his son, Isaac, alive. Then


s: the holy hero looked about over his shoulder, and there


s: not far from him the brother of Aron beheld a ram


s: standing alone, caught fast in the thorn-bushes. Abra-


s: ham took this and laid it on the pyre with great zeal,


s: in place of his own son, brandished the sword, and dec-


s: orated the burnt-offering, the smoking altar, with the


s: blood of the ram, offered that oblation to God, [and fin-


s: ally] gave thanks for these blessings and for all those


s: mercies which, late and early, the Lord had bestowed


s: He shipped his-self all aboard of a ship,


s: For the notes to this beautiful Poem, see the end of the work.


s: She steele the keys of her father's prisin,


s: And swore Lord Bateman she would let go free.


s: Vos, "I vish Lord Bateman as you vos mine!"


s: "O have you got houses, have you got land,


s: And what would you give to the fair young lady


s: As out of prisin would let you go free?"


s: And I vill give it all to the fair young lady


s: For sevin long years, and keep it strong,


s: Saying, "Farevell, Farevell to you, Lord Bateman,


s: And swore Lord Bateman she would go see.


s: O ven she arrived at Lord Bateman's castle,


s: "Who's there! who's there!" cries the proud young porter,


s: "O Yes! O yes!" cries the proud young porter;


s: "He's just now takin' his young bride in."


s: "O! bid him to send me a slice of bread,


s: O! avay and avay vent this proud young porter,


s: Until he come to Lord Bateman's charmber,


s: "Vot news, vot news, my proud young porter,


s: "O she bids you to send her a slice of bread


s: Saying, "I vill give half my father's land


s: If so be as Sophia has crossed the sea."


s: Then up and spoke this young bride's mother,


s: Sayin, "You'll not forget my ounly darter,


s: "O it's true I made a bride of your darter,


s: But she's neither the better nor the vorse for me;


s: But she may go home in a coach and three."


s: Lord Bateman then prepared another marriage,


s: Saying, "I vill roam no more to foreign countries


s: His goblets brimmed with every costly wine,


s: Without a sigh he left to cross the brine,


s: And traverse Paynim shores, and pass earth's central line.


s: Vos, "I vish Lord Bateman as you vos mine!"_


s: _Oh, in sevin long years I'll make a wow,


s: I'll make a wow, and I'll keep it strong_.


s: _Avay and avay vent this proud young porter,


s: _Until_ he came to Lord Bateman's chamber,


s: Lord Bateman's eye is upon him, and he quails.]


s: _Vot news! vot news! my proud young porter?_


s: _And broke his sword in splinters three._


s: _Then up and spoke this young bride's mother,


s: _With both their hearts so full of glee._


s: Kate Greenaway used an early version of the rhyme to illustrate


s: The young brows, wreathed, all unsought,


s: "Wasn't it a funny dream!--perfectly bewild'rin'!--


s: Last night, and night before, and night before that,


s: Seemed like I saw the march o' regiments o' children,


s: Marching to the robin's fife and cricket's rat-ta-tat!


s: Lily-banners overhead, with the dew upon 'em,


s: On flashed the little army, as with sword and flame;


s: Like the buzz o' bumble-wings, with the honey on 'em,


s: Came an eerie, cheery chant, chiming as it came:--


s: _Where go the children? Travelling! Travelling_!


s: _Where go the children, travelling ahead_?


s: _Some go to kindergarten; some go to day-school_;


s: _Some go to night-school; and some go to bed_!


s: Smooth roads or rough roads, warm or winter weather,


s: Brave boys and brave girls, rank and file together,


s: Marching out of Morning-Land, over dale and down:


s: Out through the orchards, with blossoms on the boughs


s: Wild, sweet, and pink and white as their own glad faces;


s: And some go, at evening, calling home the cows.


s: _Some go to foreign wars, and camps by the firelight_--


s: _Some go to glory so; and some go to bed_!


s: Some go through grassy lanes leading to the city--


s: Thinner grow the green trees and thicker grows the dust;


s: Ever, though, to little people any path is pretty


s: So it leads to newer lands, as they know it must.


s: Some go to singing less; some go to list'ning;


s: Some go to thinking over ever-nobler themes;


s: Some go anhungered, but ever bravely whistling,


s: Turning never home again only in their dreams.


s: _Where go the children? Travelling! Travelling_!


s: _Where go the children, travelling ahead_?


s: _Some go to conquer things; some go to try them_;


s: _Some go to dream them; and some go to bed_!


s: He'll mock you--yes, an' strangers, too,


s: Wunst when his Aunt's all dressed to call,


s: There are many things that boys may know--


s: May know that the round old earth rolls East;--


s: And know that the ice and the snow and the rain--


s: Sip from the earth in their endless thirst,


s: And pour again till the low streams leap.--


s: It has been to him since the dawn's first smile,


s: Of brook-laced woodland and spun-sunshine;--


s: He may know each call of his truant mates,


s: And the paths they went,--and the pasture-gates


s: Of the 'cross-lots home through the dusk so deep.--


s: From the flagrant drowse on the parlor-floor,


s: To the pleading voice of the mother when


s: To the sense of a kiss, and a moonlit room,


s: A sweet white cot--and a cricket's cheep.--


s: 'Way up-stairs, when she ought to _not_,


s: But she won't _mind_ what _she_ say--till,


s: An' a-screamin', "Oh, my child! my child!"


s: Jule wuz a-bringin' their basket o' clo'es


s: She's ist in time!" An' what you s'pose?


s: Nen Gracie smiled--ist _sobbed_ an' smiled--


s: An' cried, "My child! my precious child!"


s: It's a long, sweet way across the orchard!--


s: There's enough for you and enough for me."--


s: It's a long, sweet way across the orchard.


s: _There's enough for you and enough for me_--


s: _It's a long, sweet way across the orchard_.


s: The dusk sags down, and the moon swings free,


s: I want to be a Soldier, with a sabre in my hand


s: Or a little carbine rifle, or a musket on my shoulder,


s: Or just a snare-drum, snarling in the middle of the band;


s: I want to hear, high overhead, The Old Flag flap her wings


s: While all the Army, following, in chorus cheers and sings;


s: _I want to be a Soldier, with a sabre in my hand_


s: _Or a little carbine rifle, or a musket on my shoulder_,


s: _Or just a snare-drum, snarling in the middle of the band_.


s: I want to see the battle, and be in it to the end;--


s: And then I know my wits will go,--and where I _should'nt_ be--


s: Well, there's the spot, in any fight, that you may search for me.


s: That the Thunder, up in a thunder-cloud,


s: Said, "Since I can't be heard, why, then


s: "She's the stilliest child I ever heard!"


s: An' squint an' shut his eyes bofe tight,


s: Says, "Tom can't _crow_, but he kin _cry_."


s: And so, I think, they're _singing_ then!


s: 'S a _kiss_.... Good morning, Mommy dear!


s: Here's little Billy bangin' on his big bass drum!


s: A-noddin' an' a-bobbin' with his bim! bom! boom!


s: A-humpin' an' a-thumpin' with his bam! bom! bim!


s: Er is it only Billy with his bim! bam! bim!


s: We'll all march off with Billy an' his bom! bim! bam!


s: Ef you don't hear little Billy an' his big bass drum!


s: Though neighbers says you're on the line


s: An' say _she'll_ find--ef we'll keep still--


s: Whose tree you air _fer shore_, she say,


s: _Before_ he speak'; an' _when_ he speak'


s: It's ist some piece _she_ learn' him to!


s: Ef they _can't_ speak an' got fine clo'es,


s: Yet all in vain I praise The Little Lady!


s: So Love goes groping for The Little Lady.


s: As it wildly swoops upon The Little Lady.


s: When Bess gave her Dollies a Tea, said she,--


s: To say you've drinked _two_ cups, you see,--


s: But say you've drinked _a couple_ of tea."


s: Picnics is fun 'at's purty hard to beat.


s: I purt'-nigh ruther go to them than _eat_.


s: With our Char_lot_ty to the Trick-Dog Show.


s: When two little boys--renowned but for noise--


s: May hurt a whole school, and the head it employs,


s: Need learning--and yet something further they need,


s: Though fond hearts that love them may sorrow and bleed.


s: O the schoolmarm was cool, and in no wise a fool;


s: And in ruling her ranks it was _her_ rule to _rule_;


s: So when these two pupils conspired, every day,


s: Some mad piece of mischief, with whoop and hoo-ray,


s: That hurt yet defied her,--how happy were they!--


s: At the ring of the bell they 'd rush in with a yell--


s: And they'd bang the school-door till the plastering fell,


s: They'd clinch as they came, and pretend not to see


s: As they knocked her desk over--then, _My!_ and _O-me!_


s: How awfully sorry they'd both seem to be!


s: This trick seemed so neat and so safe a conceit,--


s: They played it three times--though the third they were beat;


s: For the teacher, she righted her desk--raised the lid


s: And folded and packed away each little kid--


s: Closed the incident so--yes, and locked it, she did--


s: He's 'way 'crosst the wheat-field there,


s: _There!_ he's whizzed off down the lane--


s: Now, Tudens, you sit on _this_ knee--and 'scuse


s: It having no side-saddle on;--and, Jeems,


s: You sit on _this_--and don't you wobble so


s: And chug my old shins with your coppertoes;--


s: And, all the rest of you, range round someway,--


s: Ride on the rockers and hang to the arms


s: Of our old-time splint-bottom carryall!--


s: Or push or shove or scrouge, or breathe _out loud_,


s: Or chew wet, or knead taffy in my beard!--


s: Trying to tell you "just one story more!"


s: His two boys--six and eight years old we were,--


s: From home, where he was chopping wood. We raced,


s: We slipped and slid; reaching, at last, the north


s: Side of Tharp's corn-field.--There we struck what seemed


s: Our glad surprise, proposed we follow it.


s: The snow was quite five inches deep; and we,


s: Keen on the trail, were soon far in the woods.


s: Our old dog, "Ring," ran nosing the fresh track


s: After following the trail more than a mile


s: To northward, through the thickest winter woods


s: He seemed to strike _another_ trail; and then


s: Old "Ring"--leaping to this side, then to that,


s: Of a big, hollow, old oak-tree, which had


s: Been blown down by a storm some years before.


s: There--all at once--out leapt a lean old fox


s: From the black hollow of a big bent limb,--


s: Hey! how he scudded!--but with our old "Ring"


s: Sharp after him--and father after "Ring"--


s: And father noticed that the fox kept just


s: About four feet ahead of "Ring"--just _that_--


s: No farther, and no nearer! Then he said:--


s: "There are young foxes in that tree back there,


s: And the mother-fox is drawing 'Ring' and us


s: Away from their nest there!" "Oh, le' 's go back!--


s: Do le' 's go back!" we little vandals cried,--


s: "Le' 's go back, quick, and find the little things--


s: _Please_, father!--Yes, and take 'em home for pets--


s: 'Cause 'Ring' he'll kill the old fox anyway!"


s: So father turned at last, and back we went,


s: And father chopped a hole in the old tree


s: About ten feet below the limb from which


s: The old fox ran, and--Bless their little lives!--


s: There, in the hollow of the old tree-trunk--


s: There, on a bed of warm dry leaves and moss--


s: Their eyes just barely opened--_Cute_?--my-oh!--


s: _The_ cutest--the most cunning little things


s: "Raw weather for the little fellows _now_!"


s: Said father, as though talking to himself,--


s: "Raw weather, and no home _now_!"--And off came


s: His warm old "waumus"; and in that he wrapped


s: Them soft and warm against him as he could,--


s: And home we happy children followed him.--


s: _Old "Ring"_ did not reach home till nearly dusk:


s: The mother-fox had led him a long chase--


s: "Yes, and a fool's chase, too!" he seemed to say,


s: And looked ashamed to hear us _praising_ him.


s: But, _mother_--well, we _could not_ understand


s: _Her_ acting as she did--and we so _pleased_!


s: I can see yet the look of pained surprise


s: And deep compassion of her troubled face


s: With the young foxes in it, on the hearth


s: Beside her, as she brightened up the fire.


s: She urged--for the old fox's sake and theirs--


s: That they be taken back to the old tree;


s: But father--for _our_ wistful sakes, no doubt--


s: Said we would keep them, and would try our best


s: Building a snug home for the little things


s: Its fractured handle and its stoven ribs:


s: Called in John Wesley Thomas, our hired man,


s: And gave him in full charge, with much advice


s: Regarding the just care and sustenance of


s: _Warm_ milk, John Wesley! Yes, and _keep 'em by_


s: _The stove_--and keep your stove _a-roarin'_, too,


s: Both night and day!--And keep 'em _covered_ up--


s: Not _smothered_, John, but snug and comfortable.--


s: And now, John Wesley Thomas, first and last,--


s: You feed 'em _milk_--_fresh_ milk--and always _warm_--


s: Of course we'll grade that by the way they _thrive_."


s: But, for all sanguine hope, and care, as well,


s: The little fellows _did not_ thrive at all.--


s: Indeed, with _all_ our care and vigilance,


s: Squeaked, like some battered little rubber toy


s: Just clean worn out.--And that's just what it was!


s: And--nights,--the cry of the mother-fox for her young


s: Was heard, with awe, for long weeks afterward.


s: And we boys, every night, would go to the door


s: And, peering out in the darkness, listening,


s: Could hear the poor fox in the black bleak woods


s: Still calling for her little ones in vain.


s: As, all mutely, we returned to the warm fireside,


s: Mother would say: "How would you like for _me_


s: To be out there, this dark night, in the cold woods,


s: Ever'thing's ist like it _used_ to be:--


s: He says they's mermaids, an' mermens, too,


s: An' little merchildern, like me an' you--


s: An' little mergirls, with little merdolls.


s: 'Cause she's so smart, an' goes to school


s: His little-est poet's his little-est niece,


s: An' this is her little-est poetry-piece.


s: O here's a little rhyme for the Spring- or Summer-time--


s: Just a little bit o' tune you can twitter, May or June,


s: It's a song just broken loose, with no reason or excuse--


s: You can sing along with it--or it matters not a bit--


s: "O I live in the heart of the whole round world,


s: A daring prince, of the realm Rangg Dhune,


s: That caught and stuck on the horns of the moon,


s: And he hung up there till next day noon--


s: When all at once he exclaimed, "Hoot-toot!"


s: Now don't you never _tell_!--'cause _Sis_,


s: Us childern.--'Spect it's 'cause she fall


s: Skips round on--Pa maked _them_--yes-sir!--


s: An' 's drunk an' 'buse our Ma, an' swear


s: An' stove's 'most out--our Ma she rolled


s: We don't _'spect_ nothin' from Old Kriss!"


s: An' cried, an' locked the door, an' prayed,


s: Enough gold chain Old Kriss bringed to 'er!


s: Though, say she know it "_ain't_ Old Kriss--


s: An' when he' lights an' shuts his wings,


s: An' tell their ma their pa hain't fetch'


s: An' clumbed up there. An' Miz Bear _cried_--


s: Ist like their ma--bofe cried fer him!--


s: But he clumbed on, _clean out o' sight_,


s: They strike the ground--_k'spang-k'spat!_--


s: The old Snake rattlin', sharp an' clear,


s: His back an' rowed--an' rowed--an' rowed--


s: With a hey! and a hi! and a hey-ho rhyme!


s: While Kate picks by, yet looks not there.


s: _The grasses curdle where the daisies blow!_


s: And ho! how white is the hawthorn now!--


s: And the daisied world rocks round them there.


s: Give me your fogs, with the sails adrip,


s: Or the weltering path thro' the starless night--


s: Whilst little Paul, convalescing, was staying


s: Close indoors, and his boisterous classmates paying


s: Him visits, with fresh school-notes and surprises,--


s: With nettling pride they sprung the word "Athletic,"


s: With much advice and urgings sympathetic


s: Lad might look, quoth Paul: "I've pondered o'er that


s: 'Athletic,' but I mean to take, before that,


s: For raiment, Fays shall weave for thee--


s: Thus gowned and crowned with gems and gold,


s: An' there I saw--wite out in the trees--


s: Would bow an' bow, with the leaves in the breeze,


s: An' waggle his whiskers an' raggledy hair,


s: Ist like the leaves'u'd wave in the breeze--


s: O' locus'-blossoms they've plum' filled up?"


s: An' "_Um-yum, honey!_" wuz last he said,


s: An' waggled his whiskers an' bowed his head;


s: An' I yells, "Gimme some, won't you, please,


s: Is _Good_ little girl; an' th'other 'n' she


s: An' she's the _funniest_ Ma! 'Cause when


s: An' say, "Dear _Good_ little girl, good-bye!--


s: _Where's that Bad little girl wuz here_?


s: _An' Good little girl's comed back to stay."_


s: When frost's all on our winder, an' the snow's


s: All out-o'-doors, our "Old-Kriss"-milkman goes


s: A-drivin' round, ist purt'-nigh froze to death,


s: With his old white mustache froze full o' breath.


s: But when it's summer an' all warm ag'in,


s: Our alley, 'thout no coat on, ner ain't cold,


s: Ner his mustache ain't white, ner he ain't old.


s: O the night was dark and the night was late,


s: And they picked the locks of his palace-gate,


s: They picked the locks of his palace-gate,


s: His coffers of gold and his priceless plate,--


s: But loud laughed he in the morning red!--


s: For of what had the robbers robbed him?--


s: Of the childish dreams in his wise old head--


s: "And they're welcome to all things else," he said,


s: I have stood in line in mud and slime and sleet,


s: With the dirty water oozing from my feet,


s: And I wondered what they'd hand me out to eat.


s: I have sweated in an August training camp,


s: That would make a prohibition town look damp,


s: And I waited for some gold-fish (and a cramp!).


s: The Headquarters Company of the Reserve Mallet taking its bath at


s: Y.M.C.A. Water is heated in the old farm fire-place.


s: And, "Buddy," says he, "you can't blame me,


s: And, "Buddy," says he, "you can't blame me


s: And, "Buddy," says he, "you can kid with me


s: But there'll be a dud where you used to be


s: American and French field artillery gun crews


s: Same old job with just a couple percent more risk than usual


s: Using a shell-shocked tree for a telegraph pole.


s: Wonder if......good Christ! Where's Charlie?


s: This damn trench is dark--ouch! Damn it,


s: The roofs of Vaux after a few minutes of Yank barrage lifted--


s: In 1870 Grandpère was taken as a prisoner to Coblenz


s: But the places where I'd like the top to be!


s: (In the next war I'll be living at the Pole.)


s: Built for speed / and with light pack to match


s: Mule and Prairie Schooner in a country made desert by war


s: He handles a big naval gun mounted on railroad cars near Soissons


s: In the war of 1870 he drove a team instead of a camion.


s: Too old to serve in the active army and so assigned to the more


s: An American ambulance at a poste de secours (first aid station)


s: The ghosts we leave--do they stand guard?


s: He's been on every front from Chateau-Thierry to the Rhine


s: A type to match the ideal of every man who looks


s: No one knows where the poilu slang word "Pinard" came from,


s: but everyone knows what it means. It's half way between water


s: and red wine, with the kick mostly in the taste. It is served


s: as an army ration. The poilu's canteen is always full of it.


s: "We ain't no thin red 'eroes, Nor we aren't no blackguards too."


s: One of the Agent-de-ville = M.P. teams of Paris patrolling the


s: boulevard. They have authority over both Yank and poilu.


s: French Colonial Types: White, black, and half-way


s: A Yank going on leave having a midnight cup of "vin rouge" in a


s: The barber shop quartette on the trip home--


s: Brought up  to the front by the  ration detail


s: French Colonials from Northern Africa used in shock troops


s: I'll be stepping wide in these russet shoes!


s: Leather putts beside, honest I can't lose!


s: Guess the guy that had 'em left 'em in a hurry!


s: I'll be walking on air!  Yes ... they was the top's!


s: He won't need 'em out there - if a big one drops.


s: If I get that leave I can use 'em to dance.


s: Well, I should grieve, --he had his chance.


s: Brand-new russet shoes, I'll be stepping high!


s: Someone's got to lose, glad I ain't the guy.


s: If I'm going to use 'em, guess I'll have to hurry,


s: Marcus who helps keep the big planes in order


s: (Blackened teeth are an aid to health and beauty)


s: An ancestral pipe and a French briquette to light it with


s: You don't need ... to say ... "fall out!"


s: Compaigne, Paris, and interior cities. This "cave" was considered


s: Far from Broadway--S.R.O.--Christmas 1917 at a YMCA hut


s: Henri, who tends sheep with his assistant (Leroy)


s: re-establishing their life there by the American Red Cross


s: The site of the home of Madam Crépin where the Red Cross set up a


s: Cut off from rations for three days in the wood--with one can of


s: Well, I stood there, laughing, drinking,


s: Then I says: "Vous, all right, cherry--"


s: (President Wilson, center, reads, other figures labelled as)


s: It felt just like when you have dropped your pack


s: After a hike, and straightened out your back


s: And seem just twice as light as any bird.


s: We stood up straight and, God! but it was good!


s: When you have crouched like that for months, to stand


s: Straight up and look right out toward No-Man's-Land


s: And feel the way you never thought you could.


s: If you had listened then I guess you'd heard


s: But all we did was stand and stare and stare,


s: Just stare and stand and never say a word.


s: INTRODUCTION                          page xi


s: It has been observed that epic poetry, which is collective


s: and objective in its nature, always reaches its full


s: development in a nation sooner than lyric poetry, which is


s: individual and subjective. Such is certainly the case in


s: Spain. Numerous popular epics of much merit existed there


s: in the Middle Ages. Of a popular lyric there are few


s: traces in the same period; and the Castilian lyric as an


s: art-form reached its height in the sixteenth, and again in


s: the nineteenth, centuries. It is necessary always to bear


s: in mind the distinction between the mysterious product


s: called popular poetry, which is continually being created


s: but seldom finds its way into the annals of literature,


s: and artistic poetry. The chronicler of the Spanish lyric


s: is concerned with the latter almost exclusively, though he


s: will have occasion to mention the former not infrequently


s: as the basis of some of the best artificial creations.


s: lines of variable length. There were also numerous monkish


s: narrative poems _(mester de clereçia)_ in stanzas of four


s: Alexandrine lines each, all riming _(cuaderna vía)_.]


s: If one were to enumerate _ab origine_ the lyric


s: productions of the Iberian Peninsula he might begin


s: with the vague references of Strabo to the songs of its


s: The later Spaniards who wrote Christian poetry in Latin,


s: as Juvencus and Prudentius, might then be considered. But


s: in order not to embrace many diverse subjects foreign


s: to the contents of this collection, we must confine our


s: inquiry to lyric production in the language of Castile,


s: which became the dominating tongue of the Kingdom of


s: Such a restriction excludes, of course, the Arabic lyric,


s: a highly artificial poetry produced abundantly by the


s: Moors during their occupation of the south of Spain; it


s: excludes also the philosophical and religious poetry of


s: form. Catalan poetry, once written in the Provençal manner


s: and of late happily revived, also lies outside our field.


s: Even the Galician poetry, which flourished so freely under


s: the external stimulus of the Provençal troubadours, can be


s: included only with regard to its influence upon Castilian.


s: The Galician dialect, spoken in the northwest corner of


s: the Peninsula, developed earlier than the Castilian of the


s: central region, and it was adopted by poets in other parts


s: for lyric verse. Alfonso X of Castile (reigned 1252-1284)


s: could write prose in Castilian, but he must needs employ


s: nobles, with King Diniz (reigned 1279-1325) at their head,


s: filled the idle hours of their bloody and passionate lives


s: by composing strangely abstract, conventional poems of


s: love and religion in the manner of the Provençal _canso,


s: dansa, balada_ and _pastorela_, which had had such a


s: luxuriant growth in Southern France in the eleventh and


s: twelfth centuries. A highly elaborated metrical system


s: to represent the imitation of songs of the people. The


s: popular element in the Galician productions is slight, but


s: it was to bear important fruit later, for its spirit is


s: that of the _serranas_ of Ruiz and Santillana, and of


s: _villancicos_ and eclogues in the sixteenth century.


s: It was probably in the neighborhood of 1350 that lyrics


s: began to be written in Castilian by the cultured classes


s: of Leon and Castile, who had previously thought Galician


s: the only proper tongue for that use, but the influence of


s: the Galician school persisted long after. The first real


s: lyric in Castilian is its offspring. This is the anonymous


s: _Razón feyta d'amor_ or _Aventura amorosa_ (probably


s: thirteenth century), a dainty story of the meeting of two


s: lovers. It is apparently an isolated example, ahead of its


s: time, unless, as is the case with the Castilian epic, more


s: poems are lost than extant. The often quoted _Cántica de


s: la Virgen_ of Gonzalo de Berceo (first half of thirteenth


s: century), with its popular refrain _Eya velar_, is an


s: oasis in the long religious epics of the amiable monk of


s: S. Millán de la Cogolla. One must pass into the succeeding


s: century to find the next examples of the true lyric. Juan


s: RUIZ, the mischievous Archpriest of Hita (flourished _ca_.


s: infuse a personal vigor into stale forms. In his _Libro de


s: buen amor_ he incorporated lyrics both sacred and profane,


s: _Loores de Santa María_ and _Cánticas de serrana_, plainly


s: in the Galician manner and of complex metrical structure.


s: The _serranas_ are particularly free and unconventional.


s: The Chancellor Pero LÓPEZ DE AYALA (1332-1407), wise


s: still more intricate in versification. They are included


s: in the didactic poem usually called _El rimado de


s: Poetry flourished in and about the courts of the monarchs


s: of the Trastamara family; and what may be supposed a


s: representative collection of the work done in the reigns


s: preserved for us in the _Cancionero_ which Juan Alfonso de


s: Baena compiled and presented to the last-named king. Two


s: schools of versifiers are to be distinguished in it. The


s: older men, such as Villasandino, Sánchez de Talavera,


s: himself, continued the artificial Galician tradition, now


s: run to seed. In others appears the imitation of Italian


s: models which was to supplant the ancient fashion.


s: Francisco Imperial, a worshiper of Dante, and other


s: Andalusians such as Ruy Páez de Ribera, Pero González de


s: Uceda and Ferrán Manuel de Lando, strove to introduce


s: Italian meters and ideas. They first employed the Italian


s: hendecasyllable, although it did not become acclimated


s: till the days of Boscán. They likewise cultivated the


s: _metro de arte mayor_, which later became so prominent


s: (see below, p. lxxv ff.). But the interest of the poets of


s: the _Cancionero de Baena_ is mainly historical. In


s: spite of many an illuminating side-light on manners,


s: of political invective and an occasional glint of


s: imagination, the amorous platitudes and wire-drawn


s: love-contests of the Galician school, the stiff allegories


s: of the Italianates leave us cold. It was a transition


s: period and the most talented were unable to master the


s: The same may be said, in general, of the whole fifteenth


s: century. Although the language became greatly clarified


s: toward 1500 it was not yet ready for masterly original


s: work in verse. Invaded by a flood of Latinisms, springing


s: from a novel and undigested humanism, encumbered still


s: with archaic words and set phrases left over from the


s: Galicians, it required purification at the hands of the


s: real poets and scholars of the sixteenth century. The


s: poetry of the fifteenth is inferior to the best prose of


s: the same epoch; it is not old enough to be quaint and not


s: modern enough to meet a present-day reader upon equal


s: These remarks apply only to artistic poetry. Popular


s: poetry,--that which was exemplified in the Middle Ages by


s: the great epics of the Cid, the Infantes de Lara and


s: other heroes, and in songs whose existence can rather be


s: inferred than proved,--was never better. It produced the


s: as far as one may judge from their diction and from


s: contemporary testimony, received their final form at


s: about this time, though in many cases of older origin. It


s: produced charming little songs which some of the later


s: court poets admired sufficiently to gloss. But the


s: cultured writers, just admitted to the splendid cultivated


s: garden of Latin literature, despised these simple wayside


s: flowers and did not care to preserve them for posterity.


s: The artistic poetry of the fifteenth century falls


s: naturally into three classes, corresponding to three


s: currents of influence; and all three frequently appear in


s: the work of one man, not blended, but distinct. One is


s: the conventional love-poem of the Galician school, seldom


s: containing a fresh or personal note. Another is the


s: responsible, though Petrarch, he of the _Triunfi_, and


s: Boccaccio cannot escape some blame. Third is a vein of


s: highly moral reflections upon the vanity of life and


s: certainty of death, sometimes running to political satire.


s: Its roots may be found in the Book of Job, in Seneca and,


s: Tob (_ca_. 1350), in the _Rimado de Palacio_ of Ayala, and


s: in a few poets of the _Cancionero de Baena_.


s: John II was a dilettante who left the government of the


s: kingdom to his favorite, Álvaro de Luna. He gained more


s: fame in the world of letters than many better kings by


s: fostering the study of literature and gathering about him


s: a circle of "court poets" nearly all of noble birth. Only


s: two names among them all imperatively require mention.


s: was the finest type of _grand seigneur_, protector of


s: letters, student, warrior, poet and politician. He wrote


s: verse in all three of the manners just named, but he will


s: certainly be longest remembered for his _serranillas_, the


s: fine flower of the Provençal-Galician tradition, in which


s: the poet describes his meeting with a country lass.


s: Santillana combined the freshest local setting with


s: perfection of form and left nothing more to be desired in


s: that genre. He also wrote the first sonnets in Castilian,


s: but they are interesting only as an experiment, and had no


s: followers. Juan de MENA (1411-1456) was purely a literary


s: man, without other distinction of birth or accomplishment.


s: His work is mainly after the Italian model. The _Laberinto


s: de fortuna_, by which he is best known, is a dull allegory


s: with much of Dante's apparatus. There are historical


s: are weighed down by three millstones: slavish imitation,


s: the monotonous _arte mayor_ stanza and the deadly


s: earnestness of his temperament. He enjoyed great renown


s: Two anonymous poems of about the same time deserve


s: mention. The _Danza de la muerte_, the Castilian


s: representative of a type which appeared all over Europe,


s: shows death summoning mortals from all stations of


s: life with ghastly glee. The _Coplas de Mingo Revulgo_,


s: promulgated during the reign of Henry IV (1454-1474), are


s: a political satire in dialogue form, and exhibit for the


s: first time the peculiar peasant dialect that later became


s: a convention of the pastoral eclogues and also of the


s: The second half of the century continues the same


s: tendencies with a notable development in the fluidity of


s: the language and an increasing interest in popular poetry.


s: Gómez Manrique (d. 1491?) was another warrior of a


s: literary turn whose best verses are of a severely moral


s: nature. His nephew JORGE MANRIQUE (1440-1478) wrote a


s: single poem of the highest merit; his scanty other works


s: are forgotten. The _Coplas por la muerte de su padre_,


s: beautifully translated by Longfellow, contain some


s: laments for the writer's personal loss, but more general


s: reflections upon the instability of worldly glory. It is


s: not to be thought that this famous poem is in any way


s: original in idea; the theme had already been exploited to


s: satiety, but Manrique gave it a superlative perfection of


s: form and a contemporary application which left no room for


s: There were numerous more or less successful love-poets


s: with their unreadable allegories in _arte mayor_. The


s: repository for the short poems of these writers is the


s: _Cancionero general_ of Hernando de Castillo (1511). It


s: was reprinted many times throughout the sixteenth


s: century. Among the writers represented in it one should


s: distinguish, however, Rodrigo de Cota. His dramatic


s: _Diálogo entre el amor y un viejo_ has real charm, and


s: has saved his name from the oblivion to which most of his


s: fellows have justly been consigned. The bishop Ambrosio


s: Montesino (_Cancionero_, 1508) was a fervent religious


s: poet and the precursor of the mystics of fifty years


s: The political condition of Spain improved immensely in


s: the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella (1479-1516) and the


s: tranquility which might be expected to foster artistic


s: production. Such was the case; but literature was not the


s: first of the arts to reach a highly refined state. The


s: first half of the sixteenth century is a period of


s: humanistic study, and the poetical works coming from it


s: were still tentative. JUAN DEL ENCINA (1469-1533?) is


s: important in the history of the drama, for his _églogas,


s: representaciones_ and _autos_ are practically the first


s: Spanish dramas not anonymous. As a lyric poet Encina


s: excels in the light pastoral; he was a musician as well


s: as a poet, and his bucolic _villancicos_ and _glosas_


s: in stanzas of six-and eight-syllable lines are daintily


s: written and express genuine love of nature. The Portuguese


s: GIL VICENTE (1470-1540?) was a follower of Encina at


s: first, but a much bigger man. Like most of his compatriots


s: of the sixteenth century he wrote in both Portuguese and


s: Castilian, though better in the former tongue. He was


s: The intimate connection between Spain and Italy during the


s: period when the armies of the Emperor Charles V (Charles I


s: of Spain: reigned 1516-1555) were overrunning the latter


s: country gave a new stimulus to the imitation of Italian


s: meters and poets which we have seen existed in a premature


s: state since the reign of John II. The man who first


s: achieved real success in the hendecasyllable, combined in


s: sonnets, octaves, _terza rima_ and blank verse, was Juan


s: BOSCÁN ALMOGAVER (1490?-1542), a Catalan of wealth and


s: culture. Boscán was handicapped by writing in a tongue


s: not native to him and by the constant holding of foreign


s: models before his eyes, and he was not a man of genius;


s: yet his verse kept to a loftier ideal than had appeared


s: for a long time and his effort to lift Castilian poetry


s: from the slough of convention into which it had fallen was


s: successful. During the rest of the century the impulse


s: given by Boscán divided Spanish lyrists into two opposing


s: hosts, the Italianates and those who clung to the native


s: meters (stanzas of short, chiefly octosyllabic, lines, for


s: the _arte mayor_ had sunk by its own weight).


s: The first and greatest of Boscán's disciples was his close


s: friend GARCILASO DE LA VEGA (1503-1536) who far surpassed


s: his master. He was a scion of a most noble family, a


s: favorite of the emperor, and his adventurous career,


s: passed mostly in Italy, ended in a soldier's death. His


s: poems, however (_églogas, canciones_, sonnets, etc.),


s: take us from real life into the sentimental world of the


s: Arcadian pastoral. Shepherds discourse of their unrequited


s: loves and mourn amid surroundings of an idealized Nature.


s: The pure diction, the Vergilian flavor, the classic finish


s: of these poems made them favorites in Spain from the


s: first, and their author has always been regarded as a


s: With Garcilaso begins the golden age of Spanish poetry and


s: of Spanish literature in general, which may be said to


s: close in 1681 with the death of Calderón. It was a period


s: of external greatness, of conquest both in Europe and


s: beyond the Atlantic, but it contained the germs of future


s: decay. The strength of the nation was exhausted in


s: futile warfare, and virile thought was stifled by the


s: Inquisition, supported by the monarchs. Hence the


s: luxuriant literature of the time runs in the channels


s: farthest from underlying social problems; philosophy and


s: political satire are absent, and the romantic drama, novel


s: and lyric flourish. But in all external qualities the


s: poetry written during this period has never been equaled


s: in Spain. Its polish, color and choiceness of language


s: have been the admiration and model of later Castilian


s: The superficial nature of this literature is exhibited


s: in the controversy excited by the efforts of Boscán and


s: Garcilaso to substitute Italian forms for the older


s: Spanish ones. The discussion dealt with externals; with


s: meters, not ideas. Both schools delighted in the airy


s: nothings of the conventional love lyric, and it matters


s: little at this distance whether they were cast in lines of


s: The contest was warm at the time, however. Sá de Miranda


s: (1495-1558), the chief exponent of the Italian school in


s: Portugal, wrote effectively also in Castilian. Gutierre de


s: are two others who supported the new measures. One whose


s: historian. He entertained his idle moments with verse,


s: writing cleverly in the old style but turning also toward


s: the new. His sanction for the latter seems to have proved


s: Cristóbal de CASTILLEJO (1490-1556) was the chief defender


s: of the native Spanish forms. He employed them himself in


s: light verse with cleverness, clearness and finish, and


s: also attacked the innovators with all the resources of


s: a caustic wit. In this patriotic task he was for a time


s: aided by an organist of the cathedral at Granada, Gregorio


s: however, who is noted for the delicacy of his poems in


s: whatever style, was later attracted by the popularity of


s: This literary squabble ended in the most natural way,


s: namely, in the co-existence of both manners in peace and


s: harmony. Italian forms were definitively naturalized in


s: Spain, where they have maintained their place ever since.


s: Subsequent poets wrote in either style or both as they


s: felt moved, and no one reproached them. Such was the habit


s: of Lope de Vega, Góngora, Quevedo and the other great


s: A Sevillan Italianate was Fernando de HERRERA


s: (1534?-1597), admirer and annotator of Garcilaso. Although


s: an ecclesiastic, his poetic genius was more virile than


s: that of his soldier master. He wrote Petrarchian sonnets


s: to his platonic lady; but his martial, patriotic spirit


s: appears in his _canciones_, especially in those on the


s: battle of Lepanto and on the expedition of D. Sebastian of


s: Portugal in Africa. In these stirring odes Herrera touches


s: rank of Spanish lyrists. He is noteworthy also in that


s: he made an attempt to create a poetic language by the


s: rejection of vulgar words and the coinage of new ones.


s: Others, notably Juan de Mena, had attempted it before, and


s: Góngora afterward carried it to much greater lengths; but


s: the idea never succeeded in Castilian to an extent nearly


s: so great as it did in France, for example; and to-day the


s: best poetical diction does not differ greatly from good


s: Beside Herrera stands a totally different spirit, the


s: Salamancan monk Luis DE LEÓN (1527-1591). The deep


s: religious feeling which is one strong trait of Spanish


s: character has its representatives in Castilian literature


s: from Berceo down, but León was the first to give it fine


s: artistic expression. The mystic sensation of oneness with


s: the divine, of aspiration to heavenly joys, breathes in


s: all his writings. He was also a devoted student of the


s: classics, and his poems (for which he cared nothing and


s: which were not published till 1631) show Latin rather than


s: Italian influence. There is nothing in literature more


s: pure, more serene, more direct or more polished than


s: _La vida del campo, Noche serena_ and others of his


s: The other great mystics cared less for literature, either


s: as a study or an accomplishment. The poems of Saint


s: Theresa (1515-1582) are few and mostly mediocre. San Juan


s: de la Cruz, the Ecstatic Doctor (1542-1591), wrote the


s: most exalted spiritual poems in the language; like all the


s: mystics, he was strongly attracted by the Song of


s: Songs which was paraphrased by Pedro Malón de Chaide


s: _Canción_. It has the rime-scheme of the Spanish


s: _quintilla_, but the lines are the Italian eleven-and


s: seven-syllable (cf. pp. 9-12). Religious poems in more


s: popular forms are found in the _Romancero espiritual_


s: (1612) of José de Valdivielso, and in Lope de Vega's


s: There were numerous secular disciples of Garcilaso at


s: about the same period. The names most deserving mention


s: are those of Francisco de la Torre (d. 1594?), Luis


s: (1536?-1620), all of whom wrote creditably and sometimes


s: with distinction in the Italian forms. Luis de Camoens


s: Lusiadas_, employed Castilian in many verses with happy


s: These figures lead to the threshold of the seventeenth


s: century which opened with a tremendous literary output in


s: many lines. Cervantes was writing his various novels;


s: the romance of roguery took on new life with _Guzmán de


s: Alfarache_ (1599); the drama, which had been developing


s: rather slowly and spasmodically, burst suddenly into full


s: flower with Lope de Vega and his innumerable followers.


s: The old meter of the _romance_ was adopted as a favorite


s: form by all sorts and conditions of poets and was turned


s: from its primitive epic simplicity to the utmost variety


s: of subjects, descriptive, lyric and satiric.


s: From out this flood of production--for every dramatist was


s: in a measure a lyric poet, and dramatists were legion--we


s: can select for consideration only the men most prominent


s: as lyrists. First in the impulse which he gave to


s: literature for more than a century following stands Luis


s: mainly that of a disappointed place-hunter. His abrupt


s: change of literary manner has made some say that there