s: Some speak of lords, some speak of lairds,


s: And he hath sent it to Johnnie Armstrang,


s: They ran their horse on the Langholm howm,


s: And brake their spears with meikle main;


s: The ladies lookit frae their loft windows--


s: And a subject of yours, my liege," said he.


s: "I'll gi'e thee all these milk-white steeds,


s: As four of their braid backs dow {6} bear."


s: Shall for thee fecht, tho' all shou'd flee."


s: But England shou'd have found me meal and mault,


s: "She shou'd have found me meal and mault,


s: "But had I kenn'd, ere I came frae hame,


s: There hang nine targats {8} at Johnnie's hat,


s: "What wants that knave that a king shou'd have,


s: "Oh, where got thee these targats, Johnnie.


s: That blink sae brawly {9} aboon thy brie?"


s: It shou'd have been tauld this hundred year,


s: "God be with thee, Kirsty, {11} my brother,


s: Lang may'st thou live on the Border side,


s: Ere thou see thy brother ride up and down!


s: She thought it had been her own wed lord.


s: For, but if I pierce that bluidy butcher,


s: "Set fire to the house!" quo' the false Gordon,


s: Says--"Mither dear, gi'e o'er this house,


s: "Wha looks to freits, {14} my master dear,


s: Let it ne'er be said brave Edom o' Gordon


s: She wept, and kissed her children twain;


s: And soon in the Gordon's foul heart's bluid


s: And when thou wak'st then sweetly smile;


s: His tempting face, and flatt'ring chear,


s: Thy faith unchang'd, unchang'd thy love;


s: But quick as thought the change is wrought,


s: Whose greatest grief's for wronging thee.


s: But I wat they had better staid at hame;


s: With my fa ding diddle, la la dew diddle.


s: For Mangerton house auld Downie is gane,


s: Her coats she has kilted up to her knee;


s: While tears in spaits fa fast frae her eie.


s: "What news, what news, sister Downie, to me?"


s: Mitchel is killd, and tane they hae my son Johnie."


s: "Neer fear, sister Downie," quo Mangerton;


s: My barns, my byres, and my faulds, a' weel filld,


s: And I'll part wi them a' ere Johnie shall die.


s: "The Laird's Jock ane, the Laird's Wat twa,


s: "Your horses the wrang way maun a' be shod;


s: But look like corn-caugers gawn ae road.


s: Sae now a' their horses are shod the wrang way,


s: And Hobie has mounted his grey sae fine,


s: Jock his lively bay, Wat's on his white horse behind,


s: And there, wi the help o the light o the moon,


s: A tree they cut, wi fifteen naggs upon each side,


s: They fand their tree three ells oer laigh,


s: They fand their stick baith short aid sma.


s: "There's naething for't; the gates we maun force."


s: A proud porter withstood baith men and horse.


s: His life and his keys at anes they hae taen,


s: "Sleips thou, wakes thou, Jock o the Side,


s: Then up and spake the good Laird's Jock:


s: "For here's the Laird's Jock, the Laird's Wat,


s: And Hobie Noble, come to set thee free."


s: "Oh, had thy tongue, and speak nae mair,


s: For if a' Liddesdale were here the night,


s: "Fear ye no that," quo the Laird's Jock;


s: The first strong dore that they came at,


s: Sae weel's ye're harnessd, and sae trig!


s: "Here I hae livd this threty yeirs and three,


s: "Poor faint-hearted thief!" quo the Laird's Jock,


s: "There'll nae man die but he that's fie;


s: "Here are we a' safe," says the Laird's Jock,


s: "And, poor faint Wat, what think ye now?"


s: But when the land-sergeant the water saw,


s: Then out he cries, "Ye the prisner may take,


s: "I'll keep them a'; shoon to my mare they'll be;


s: She's bought them a' fu dear frae thee."


s: The prisner's brought to his ain fireside,


s: "Now, Jock, my billie," quo a' the three,


s: Now sitting, I think, 'tween thee and me."


s: Just as they had been brither and brither.


s: "The nut-browne bride haes gowd and gear,


s: "The nut-browne bride has oxen, brother,


s: I wad hae ye marrie the nut-browne bride,


s: Then strake the dagger untill his heart,


s: "You're welcome to your house, Lord Thomas,


s: "I thank thee, Annie; I thank thee, Annie,


s: When bells were rung, and mass was sung,


s: "Gin my seven sons were seven young rats,


s: "Gin my young sons were seven young hares,


s: "My gown is on," said the new-come bride,


s: "What ails ye, what ails ye, Fair Annie,


s: She kiss'd his cheek, she kaim'd his hair,


s: Till, down in a den, he spied nine arm'd men,


s: Till that stubborn knight came him behind,


s: They've slain--the comeliest knight they've slain--


s: She kiss'd them, till her lips grew red,


s: "Now, haud your tongue, my daughter dear!


s: "O welcome, welcome, Sir Roland," she says,


s: For this night thou wilt feast in my secret bouir,


s: I dreamed that ye slew my best grew hound,


s: "Unbuckle your belt, Sir Roland," she said,


s: For there is none waking in a' this tower


s: She has mounted on her true love's steed,


s: But aye, 'tween her and the wan moonlight,


s: But tho' she followed him fast and fell,


s: She whipped her steed, she spurred her steed,


s: The knight spurred on his tall black steed;


s: And hold up my bridle reins, sir knight,


s: For I've sworn neir to trust a fair may's word,


s: "Oh, the water weets my waist," she said,


s: "O help me now, thou false, false knight,


s: The knight turned right and round about,


s: And he stretched out his head to that lady,


s: For the bride maun ride deep, and deeper yet,


s: "Turn round, turn round, proud Margaret!


s: Thou hast killed a true knight under trust,


s: And the tane of them loed her White Lilly,


s: And there was mair mirth i the ladies' bowr


s: You'll nae get a kiss o her comely mouth


s: You'll neer get a kiss o her comely mouth


s: Then stopped ha they their loud, loud sang,


s: Then cutted ha they their green cloathing,


s: There ha they changed their ain twa names,


s: Now Sweet Willy's gane to the kingis court,


s: But, come to your bowr whaever sae likes,


s: When days were gane and months were run,


s: "Twas never my mither's fashion," she says,


s: And she's blawn three blasts sae shrill;


s: That Brown Robin's man, in good green wood,


s: "Bring me my steed," then cry'd the king,


s: "An't please your grace," said Bold Arthur,


s: They've lighted off their milk-white steeds,


s: An the tane of them lood my sister dear,


s: Says, "Ye maun leave the good greenwood,


s: (Child, vol. vii.  Early Edition, Appendix.)


s: Throw mount and muir, frae town to town,


s: Throw all these feilds be sped him fast,


s: Left to the warld thair last gude nicht.


s: Whilk in this realme has bene full ryfe:


s: Lord help these lands, our wrangs redress.


s: (Chorus) Wi a dree dree dradie drumtie dree.


s: "Gin that be true," says James the Rose,


s: An the neist ae straik that Forbes strack,


s: I went to the mill, but the miller was gone,


s: To think on the days that are past and gone,


s: If hosen and shoon thou ne'er gavest nane,


s: The whinnes sall pricke thee to the bare bane;


s: From Brigg o' Dread when thou mayst passe,


s: If meate or drinke thou never gavest nane,


s: The fire will burn thee to the bare bane;


s: "Loup off the steed," says false Sir John,


s: I'll take you home to your father's bower,


s: Tho' seven kings' daughters you have drownd,


s: They sang sae sweet and sae very complete


s: As soon as they saw her weel-far'd face,


s: For I vow and I swear by the hilt of my sword,


s: That your lord shall nae mair come near ye."


s: Then she gied them the beer and the wine,


s: But this night I'll lye in a tenant's barn,


s: For I vow and swear by the hilt of my sword,


s: For I vow and I swear by the fan in my hand,


s: And my lord shall nae mair come near me."


s: The tane she cry'd, and the other reply'd,


s: "Gae saddle to me the black black steed,


s: Foul fa' the breast first treason bred in!


s: For in it there was baith meat and drink,


s: And there was traitour Sim o' the Mains,


s: I wat it was wi' baith good iron and steel;


s: And there, brave Noble, he rade him weel.


s: Tho' they shoud a' brusten and broken their hearts,


s: "Thou'rt welcome here, brave Noble, to me.


s: If we get a horse worth a hundred punds,


s: For Peter of Whitfield, his brother, is dead.


s: The great Earl of Whitfield loves me not,


s: For nae gear frae me he e'er could keep.


s: "But will ye stay till the day gae down,


s: And there, brave Noble, he lighted down.


s: Aft has he beat your slough-hounds back,


s: For there, I think, we'll get our prey."


s: He thought his horse was neath him shot,


s: The cocks could crow, the day could dawn,


s: In the Foulbogshiel he had been tane or slain.


s: I hope, shall cross the Waste this day."


s: There was heaps of men now Hobbie before,


s: Wi' his ain bowstring they band him sae;


s: As when his ain five band him on the brae.


s: They have tane him on for West Carlisle;


s: Whate'er he thought, yet little he said;


s: "That's the man loos'd Jock o' the Side!"


s: Then they hae tane him up thro' Carlisle town,


s: They gave brave Noble a wheat loaf to eat,


s: "Confess my lord's horse, Hobie," they said,


s: "And the morn in Carlisle thou's no die;"


s: In Carlisle where he suffers for his faut,


s: That eats and drinks of the meal and maut."


s: The youngest o' them, O, she was a flower!


s: Bonny Sanct Johnstonne that stands upon Tay.


s: He lo'ed them baith, but the youngest best,


s: But he lo'ed the youngest aboon a' thing,


s: "Oh sister, sister, will ye go to the sea?


s: Oh sister, sister, will ye go to the sea?


s: Bonny Sanct Johnstonne that stands upon Tay."


s: Bonny Sweet Johnstonne that stands upon Tay."


s: There's either a lady, or a milk-white swan,


s: Wi' diamond rings they were cover'd all,


s: And he's ta'en three tails o' her yellow hair,


s: (Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, vol. ii. p. 230.)


s: When captaines couragious, whom death cold not daunte,


s: Did march to the siege of the citty of Gaunt,


s: They mustred their souldiers by two and by three,


s: And the formost in battle was Mary Ambree.


s: When [the] brave sergeant-major was slaine in her sight,


s: Who was her true lover, her joy, and delight,


s: Because he was slaine most treacherouslie


s: She clothed herselfe from the top to the toe


s: In buffe of the bravest, most seemelye to showe;


s: A faire shirt of male then slipped on shee:


s: Was not this a brave bonny lasse, Mary Ambree?


s: A helmett of proofe shee strait did provide,


s: A stronge arminge-sword shee girt by her side,


s: On her hand a goodly faire gauntlett put shee:


s: Then tooke shee her sworde and her targett in hand,


s: Bidding all such, as wold, [to] bee of her band;


s: To wayte on her person came thousand and three:


s: "My soldiers," she saith, "soe valliant and bold,


s: Nowe followe your captaine, whom you doe beholde;


s: Still formost in battell myselfe will I bee:"


s: Then cryed out her souldiers, and loude they did say,


s: "Soe well thou becomest this gallant array,


s: Thy harte and thy weapons so well do agree,


s: She cheared her souldiers, that foughten for life,


s: With ancyent and standard, with drum and with fife,


s: With brave clanging trumpetts, that sounded so free;


s: To come into danger of death or of thrall,


s: This hand and this life I will venture so free:"


s: Was not this a brave bonny lasse, Mary Ambree?


s: Shee ledd upp her souldiers in battaile array,


s: Gainst three times theyr number by breake of the daye;


s: Seven howers in skirmish continued shee:


s: She filled the skyes with the smoke of her shott,


s: And her enemyes bodyes with bulletts so hott;


s: For one of her own men a score killed shee:


s: And when her false gunner, to spoyle her intent,


s: Away all her pellets and powder had sent,


s: Straight with her keen weapon she slasht him in three:


s: Being falselye betrayed for lucre of hyre,


s: At length she was forced to make a retyre;


s: Then her souldiers into a strong castle drew shee:


s: Her foes they besett her on everye side,


s: As thinking close siege shee cold never abide;


s: To beate down the walles they all did decree:


s: But stoutlye deffyd them brave Mary Ambree.


s: Then tooke shee her sword and her targett in hand,


s: And mounting the walls all undaunted did stand,


s: There daring their captaines to match any three:


s: O what a brave captaine was Mary Ambree!


s: "Now saye, English captaine, what woldest thou give


s: To ransome thy selfe, which else must not live?


s: Come yield thy selfe quicklye, or slaine thou must bee:"


s: "Ye captaines couragious, of valour so bold,


s: Whom thinke you before you now you doe behold?


s: "A knight, sir, of England, and captaine soe free,


s: Who shortlye with us a prisoner must bee."


s: "No captaine of England; behold in your sight


s: Two brests in my bosome, and therefore no knight:


s: Noe knight, sirs, of England, nor captaine you see,


s: But a poor simple mayden called Mary Ambree."


s: "But art thou a woman, as thou dost declare,


s: Whose valor hath proved so undaunted in warre?


s: If England doth yield such brave maydens as thee,


s: Full well mey they conquer, faire Mary Ambree."


s: The Prince of Great Parma heard of her renowne,


s: Who long had advanced for England's fair crowne;


s: Hee wooed her and sued her his mistress to bee,


s: And offered rich presents to Mary Ambree.


s: But this virtuous mayden despised them all:


s: "'Ile nere sell my honour for purple nor pall;


s: A maiden of England, sir, never will bee


s: The wench of a monarcke," quoth Mary Ambree.


s: Then to her owne country shee back did returne,


s: Still holding the foes of rare England in scorne!


s: Therfore English captaines of every degree


s: Sing forth the brave valours of Mary Ambree.


s: O Alison Gross, that lives in yon tow'r,


s: The ugliest witch in the north countrie,


s: She trysted me ae day up till her bow'r,


s: She straik'd my head, and she kaim'd my hair,


s: Sae mony braw things as I will you gi'e."


s: She neist brocht a sark of the saftest silk,


s: Weel wrought with pearls about the band;


s: She show'd me a cup of the good red gowd,


s: And thrice she blew on a grass-green horn;


s: And she sware by the moon and the stars aboon,


s: That she'd gar me rue the day I was born.


s: And she turn'd her three times round and round;


s: She mutter'd sic words, that my strength it fail'd,


s: And I fell down senseless on the ground.


s: I'd ha'e toddled for ever about the tree.


s: And she straik'd me three times o'er her knee;


s: She chang'd me again to my ain proper shape,


s: And nae mair do I toddle about the tree.


s: His father and mother were dead him froe,


s: And then bespake him John of the Scales,


s: "Heeres gold enough," saithe the heire of Lynne,


s: "Now well-a-day!" said the heire of Lynne,


s: But some did give him and some said nay,


s: "For if we should hang some land selfeer,


s: "And by my faith," said the heire of Lynne,


s: Where there stood three chests in feare:


s: Till John of the Scales house he did winne.


s: And John o' the Scales sate at the bord's head,


s: And John o' the Scales sate at the bord's head


s: To John o' the Scales wife thus sayd hee,


s: Sayd "Dame, wilt thou not trust me one shott


s: "Now Christ's curse on my head," she said,


s: Which sate by John o' the Scales his knee,


s: Said "have thou here, thou heire of Lynne,


s: I will sell it to thee twenty better cheepe,


s: He told him the gold then over the borde


s: And the heire of Lynne againe I will bee."


s: "Now well-a-day!" said John o' the Scales' wife,


s: And now I am but John o' the Scales wife!"


s: These were the words and thus spake hee,


s: "Why does your brand sae drop wi' blude,


s: "Your steed was auld, and ye've plenty mair,


s: Your steed was auld, and ye've plenty mair;


s: "And whatten penance will ye dree for that,


s: "And what will ye do wi' your tow'rs and your ha',


s: And what will ye do wi' your tow'rs and your ha',


s: "I'll let them stand till they doun fa',


s: "And what will ye leave to your bairns and your wife,


s: And what will ye leave to your bairns and your wife,


s: "The warld's room:  let them beg through life,


s: The warld's room:  let them beg through life;


s: "And what will ye leave to your ain mither dear,


s: And what will ye leave to your ain mither dear,


s: "The curse of hell frae me sall ye bear,


s: The stream was strong, the maid was stout,


s: And out then spake her youngest brother--


s: The streekit corpse, till still midnight,


s: And the best ae servant about your house


s: "Thou shall ha'e thae, thou shall ha'e mae;


s: "Wha hauds this house?" young Edward cried,


s: With springalds, stanes, and gads of airn,


s: There were Auld Maitland's sons, all three,


s: "Where wast thou bred? where wast thou born?


s: He stabb'd the knight the standard bore,


s: "Now, is't na time, brothers," he cried,


s: And took three lang spears in their hands,


s: Then they ha'e yoked the carts and wains,


s: "Last night, three of the lads of France


s: "With a fause tale, disguised they came,


s: Quo' he, "Man, thou's ha'e leave to speak,


s: "Ye said that three young lads of France


s: And though the ane shou'd slay ye baith.


s: They rade their horse, they ran their horse,


s: "If thou shou'dst hang on yon draw-brig,


s: The first stroke that young Edward ga'e,


s: He pierced him through and through the heart,


s: That ye shall not go to Broomfield Hills,


s: When she went out, right bitter she wept,


s: He's wooed a wife, and brought her hame;


s: The like of him's no in the land of Leed.


s: There's a golden chess, and a bell to ring.


s: "Of her young bairn she's ne'er be lighter,


s: Nor in your bow'r to shine the brighter;


s: "Oh, wha has loosed the nine witch-knots


s: "And wha has ta'en down that bush of woodbine


s: Syne, Willie's loosed the nine witch-knots


s: And Willie's ta'en out the kames of care


s: And he's ta'en down the bush of woodbine,


s: Hung atween her bow'r and the witch carline.


s: "This is a mery mornyng," seid Litulle Johne,


s: To day will I to Notyngham," seid Robyn,


s: "Thou shalle beyre thin own," seid Litulle Jon,


s: And we wille shete a peny," seid Litulle Jon,


s: "I wil not shete a peny," seyde Robyn Hode,


s: But euer for on as thou shetes," seid Robyn,


s: Litull Johne seid he had won v shyllyngs,


s: "Were thou not my maister," seid Litulle Johne,


s: "Rise vp," he seid, "thou prowde schereff,


s: Ther as the schereff and his men stode thyckust,


s: "For now am I weppynlesse," seid Robyne,


s: Litul John stode at a window in the mornynge,


s: "Be my feith," said Litul Johne to Moche,


s: Thei went into the way these zemen bothe


s: "I pray God thanke yow," seid Litulle Johne,


s: "For Robyn Hode hase many a wilde felow,


s: "He was my maister," said Litulle Johne,


s: "Wher is the munke that these shuld haue browzt?"


s: "Because of Robyn Hode," seid [the] porter,


s: Litulle Johne spyrred aftur the schereff,


s: When the schereft saw the kyngus seelle,


s: "Wher is the munke that bare the letturs?"


s: "He is so fayn of hym," seid Litulle Johne,


s: "Now will I be porter," seid Litul Johne,


s: "I haue done the a gode turne for an euylle,


s: "I haue done the a gode turne," said Litulle Johne,


s: I haue brouzt the vnder grene wode lyne;


s: "Nay, be my trouthe," seid Litulle Johne,


s: But lat me be a felow," seid Litulle Johne,


s: Thus Johne gate Robyn Hode out of prisone,


s: "Litulle Johne hase begyled the schereff,


s: "I gaf hem grithe," then seide oure kyng,


s: "He is trew to his maister," seide oure kynge,


s: Speke no more of this matter," seid oure kynge,


s: "Yonder comet a prod potter," seyde Roben,


s: "Y met hem bot at Wentbreg," seyde Lytyll John,


s: "Y ley forty shillings," seyde Lytyll John,


s: "All thes thre yer, and mor, potter," he seyde,


s: "Well well y non leffe," seyde the potter,


s: "Let us helpe owr master," seyed Lytell John,


s: "Schall y haff yowr forty shillings," seyde Lytel John,


s: "Het ys fol leytell cortesey," seyde the potter,


s: Yeff a por yeman com drywyng ower the wey,


s: "Be mey trowet, thow seys soyt," seyde Roben,


s: Geffe me they clothyng, and thow schalt hafe myne;


s: "Master, be well war of the screffe of Notynggam,


s: "Pottys! pottys!" he gan crey foll sone,


s: Yet, "Pottys, gret chepe!" creyed Robyn,


s: Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the."


s: "Ye schall haffe of the best," seyde Roben,


s: Roben and the screffe weyffe folowed anon.


s: "Loketh what thes potter hayt geffe yow and me;


s: "Thow schall haffe a bow," seyde the screffe,


s: The screffe commandyd a yeman that stod hem bey


s: "So god me helpe," seyde the prowde potter,


s: "Knowest thow Robyn Hode?" seyde the screffe,


s: "A hundred torne y haffe schot with hem,


s: "Y had lever nar a hundred ponde," seyde the screffe,


s: "And ye well do afftyr mey red," seyde the potter,


s: "Dam, for mey loffe, and ye well thys wer,


s: "Master, how haffe yow far yn Notynggam?


s: "He ys foll wellcom," seyde Lytyll John,


s: The screffe had lever nar a hundred ponde


s: Therfor schall ye leffe yowr horse with hos,


s: "That fend I godys forbode," kod the screffe,


s: "Seyr, how haffe yow fared yn grene foreyst?


s: "Dam, the deyell spede him, bothe bodey and bon,


s: "Of all the god that y haffe lade to grene wod,


s: And of the pottyr onder the grene bowhe.


s: "Thow schalt hafe ten ponde," seyde Roben,


s: And yever whan thou comest to grene wod,


s: Thes partyd Robyn, the screffe, and the potter,


s: Come, all you brave gallants, and listen awhile,


s: A jolly butcher, with a bonny fine mare,


s: "Good morrow, good fellow," said jolly Robin,


s: Thy trade to me tell, and where thou dost dwell,


s: "What's [the] price of thy flesh?" said jolly Robin,


s: And the price of thy mare, be she never so dear,


s: "The price of my flesh," the butcher repli'd,


s: With my bonny mare, and they are not too dear,


s: "Four mark I will give thee," saith jolly Robin,


s: With good intent to the sheriff he went,


s: When other butchers did open their meat,


s: "Come, brother," one said, "we be all of one trade,


s: "Accurst of his heart," said jolly Robin,


s: But when to the sheriffs house they came,


s: "Pray God bless us all," said jolly Robin,


s: A cup of sack so good will nourish our blood,


s: "Come fill us more wine," said jolly Robin,


s: For wine and good cheer, be it never so dear,


s: "Come, 'brothers,' be merry," said jolly Robin,


s: For the shot I will pay, ere I go my way,


s: "This is a mad blade," the butchers then said;


s: Saies the sheriff, "He is some prodigal,


s: That some land has sold for silver and gold,


s: "Hast thou any horn beasts," the sheriff repli'd,


s: And Ile make you as good assurance of it,


s: The sheriff he saddled his good palfrey,


s: Away then the sheriff and Robin did ride,


s: Then the sheriff did say, "God bless us this day


s: "How like you my horn'd beasts, good master sheriff?


s: "I tell thee, good fellow, I would I were gone,


s: Then quickly anon there came Little John,


s: "What is your will, master?" then said Little John,


s: "I have brought hither the sheriff of Nottingham


s: "He is welcome to me," then said Little John,


s: I know he has gold, if it be but well told,


s: Then Robin took his mantle from his back,


s: Then Robin he brought him thorow the wood,


s: "O have me commanded to your wife at home;"


s: Mr. Child finds the first published version of "the grand old


s: ballad of Sir Patrick Spens," as Coleridge calls it, in Bishop


s: is not of early date.  The "Cork-heeled Shoon," too, cannot be


s: early, but ballads are subject, in oral tradition, to such modern


s: anticipated in a popular song of the fourteenth century, on a


s: "Their ladies them may abide in bower and hall well long!"


s: alleged that she was the Maid of Norway, was later burned at the


s: stake.  The great number and variety of versions sufficiently


s: From The Border Minstrelsy, Sir Walter Scott's latest edition of


s: gentle and joyous passage of arms here recorded, took place in


s: Choosing an advantage in the discordant days of Richard II., the


s: Scots mustered a very large force near Jedburgh, merely to break


s: lances on English ground, and take loot.  Learning that, as they


s: advanced by the Carlisle route, the English intended to invade


s: Scotland by Berwick and the east coast, the Scots sent three or


s: four hundred men-at-arms, with a few thousand mounted archers and


s: Hotspur's challenge.  He made his attack at moonlight, with


s: longest, with axe and sword.  Douglas cut his way through the


s: were punished at Ancram Moor.  There is an English poem on the


s: fight of "about 1550"; it has many analogies with our Scottish


s: version, and, doubtless, ours descends from a ballad almost


s: contemporary.  The ballad was a great favourite of Scott's.  In a


s: unmartial.  This does not seem a strong objection, in Froissart's


s: Mr. Child also thinks that the "dreamy dream" may be copied from


s: Hume of Godscroft.  It is at least as probable that Godscroft


s: Burns's version, in Johnson's Museum (1792).  Scott's version is


s: Commonwealth.  The Nereids, in Modern Greece, practise fairy


s: cantrips, and the same beliefs exist in Samoa and New Caledonia.


s: The metamorphoses are found in the Odyssey, Book iv., in the


s: winning of Thetis, the Nereid, or Fairy Bride, by Peleus, in a


s: modern Cretan fairy tale, and so on.  There is a similar incident


s: "Wald und Feldkulte," ii. 64-70.  Carterhaugh, the scene of the


s: ballad, is at the junction of Ettrick and Yarrow, between Bowhill


s: From The Border Minstrelsy; the original was derived from a lady


s: invasion, sayings attributed to Thomas were repeated with some


s: The de Hagas, or Haigs of Bemersyde, were the subjects of the


s: Erceldoune family name; a branch of the family owned Dairsie in


s: Fifeshire, and were a kind of hereditary provosts of St. Andrews.


s: trials) is borrowed from the Pre-Christian Hades, and the Fairy


s: Queen is a late refraction from Persephone.  Not to eat, in the


s: realm of the dead, is a regular precept of savage belief, all the


s: (Oxford, 1888).  Of the later legends about Thomas, Scott gives


s: plenty, in The Border Minstrelsy.  The long ancient romantic poem


s: through which the Bogle Burn flows to Chiefswood, "The Rhymer's


s: Newells, from the recitation of a street boy in New York.  The


s: Motherwell's version.  One of many ballads on fratricide,


s: having a middle rhyme, can scarcely be of extreme antiquity.


s: Probably, in the original poem, the dead return to rebuke the


s: extreme grief of the Mother, but the poem is perhaps really more


s: affecting in the absence of a didactic motive.  Scott obtained it


s: From the third volume of Border Minstrelsy, derived by Charles


s: Kirkpatrick Sharpe from a traditional version.  The English


s: version, "Three Ravens," was published in Melismata, by T.


s: Ravensworth (1611).  In Scots, the lady "has ta'en another mate"


s: his hawk and hound have deserted the dead knight.  In the English


s: She was dead herselfe ere evensong time."


s: Probably the English is the earlier version.


s: Huntly had a commission to apprehend the Earl, who was in the


s: private enemy, the house was burned, and Murray was slain, Huntly


s: Table Miscellany, and it is often sung to this day.


s: First known as published in Border Minstrelsy (1802).  The


s: apparition of the lover is borrowed from "Sweet Willie's Ghost."


s: The evasions practised by the lady, and the austerities vowed by


s: slope of Arthur's Seat, near Holyrood.  Here Jeanie Deans trysted


s: localization varies.  The "tokens" are as old as the Return of


s: Odysseus, in the Odyssey:  his token is the singular construction


s: similar legend occurs in Chinese.  See Gerland's Alt-Giechische


s: A made-up copy from Scott's edition of 1833.  This ballad has


s: caused a great deal of controversy.  Queen Mary had no Mary


s: Hamilton among her Four Maries.  No Marie was executed for child-


s: adapted to the popular taste.  Thus the ballad might have passed


s: unchallenged, as a survival, more or less modified in time, of


s: Queen Mary's period.  But in 1719 a Mary Hamilton, a Maid of


s: Honour, of Scottish descent, was executed in Russia, for


s: We reply (1) The ballad has almost the largest number of variants


s: differing in all sorts of points, could not have arisen between


s: (3)  There is no example of a popular ballad in which a


s: (5)  As Mr. Child himself remarked, the "pottinger" of the real


s: story of Queen Mary's time occurs in one variant.  There was no


s: From The Border Minstrelsy.  The account in Satchells has either


s: been based on the ballad, or the ballad is based on Satchells.


s: After a meeting, on the Border of Salkeld of Corby, and Scott of


s: Haining, Kinmont Willie was seized by the English as he rode home


s: true to the call of duty.  A few verses in the ballad are clearly


s: Salkeld, of course, was not really slain; and, if the men were


s: "left for dead," probably they were not long in that debatable


s: Scott, for once, was wrong in his localities.  The Dodhead of the


s: other Dodhead is at a great distance from Stobs, up Borthwick


s: Water, over the tableland, past Clearburn Loch and Buccleugh, and


s: Branxholme), Commonside (a little farther up Teviot), Allanhaugh,


s: There are traces of a modern hand in this excellent ballad.  The


s: topography is here corrected from MS. notes in a first edition of


s: The ballad has Norse analogues, but is here localized on the


s: Douglas Burn, a tributary of Yarrow on the left bank.  The St.


s: Mary's Kirk would be that now ruinous, on St. Mary's Loch, the


s: chapel burned by the Lady of Branxholme when she


s: Of the best that would ride at her command,"


s: Herd got this tragic ballad from a milkmaid, in 1771.  Mr. Child


s: French "Milk White Dove":  a brother kills his sister,


s: metamorphosed into a white deer.  "The Bridge of Death" (French)


s: seems to hint at something of the same kind; or rather the Editor


s: number of variants, evidence to the antiquity of the story.  The


s: Bull o' Norraway."  No story is more widely diffused (see A Far


s: Travelled Tale, in the Editor's Custom and Myth).  The appearance


s: Saracen--is derived from Crusading times, perhaps.  Motherwell


s: found the ballad recited with intervals of prose narrative, as in


s: Lord Airly's houses were destroyed by Argyll, representing the


s: Covenanters, and also in pursuance of a private feud, in 1639, or


s: revenged on the possessions of "gleyed Argyll."  The reference to


s: family attributed to her:  her son, Lord Ogilvie, escaped from


s: prison in the Castle of St. Andrews, after Philiphaugh.  A Lord


s: Ogilvie was out in 1745; and, later, had a regiment in the French


s: scoundrel.  Robin Oig was hanged in 1753.  James Mohr, a detected


s: heroine of that name takes a thoroughly Highland view of the


s: abduction.  Robin Oig, in any case, was "nane the waur o' a


s: hanging," for he shot a Maclaren at the plough-tail, before the


s: House.  Two shelter trenches, whence Dundee's men charged, are


s: still visible, high on the hillside above Urrand.  There is said,


s: old traditional model.  There is another song, by, or attributed


s: to, Burns, and of remarkable spirit and vigour.


s: From The Border Minstrelsy Scott says that these are the original


s: verses from a variant with a fortunate conclusion.  "Allan Water"


s: Branxholme.  Annan is the large stream that flows into the Solway


s: authentic.  The view of the Faery Queen is more pleasing and


s: sympathetic than usual.  Why mortal women were desired as nurses


s: Armstrang of Gilnockie was a brother of the laird of Mangertoun.


s: He had a kind of Robin Hood reputation on the Scottish Border, as


s: slaying by James V. (1529) reads as if the ballad were his


s: Galloway is an excellent account of the historical facts of the


s: transferred to Ayrshire, and Loudoun Castle.  All the ballads of


s: fire-raising, a very usual practice, have points in common, and


s: Tradition has confused the heroine of this piece with the wife of


s: Alexander Erskine, son of the Earl of Mar.  Part of the poem (Mr.


s: (1632).  Though a popular favourite, the piece is clearly of


s: A Liddesdale chant.  Jock flourished about 1550-1570, and is


s: Scott is based on the prose narrative of Scott of Satchells.  The


s: philological analysis of the proper names in the tale.  These may


s: early, rather Post-Roman date, and refers to no feud of


s: very early interment of a corpse, in the curved position, was


s: discovered not far from the standing stone with the inscription.


s: Ballad, stone, and interment may all be distinct and separate.


s: From Motherwell's Minstrelsy.  The authenticity of the ballad is


s: Mrs. Marriot Watson have imitated the genuine popular ballad, but


s: From the Jamieson-Brown MS., originally written out by Mrs. Brown


s: ballad is clearly a composite affair.  Robert Chambers regarded


s: Mrs. Brown as the Mrs. Harris of ballad lore, but Mr. Norval


s: Clyne's reply was absolutely crushing and satisfactory.


s: Fought on July 24, 1411.  This fight broke the Highland force in


s: Scotland.  The first version is, of course, literary, perhaps a


s: composition of 1550, or even earlier.  The second version is


s: traditional, and was procured by Aytoun from Lady John Scott,


s: splendid modern imitation of the ancient popular Muse.


s: A great favourite of Scott's, who heard it sung at Miss


s: Edgeworth's, during his tour in Ireland (1825).  One verse recurs


s: From the Border Minstrelsy.  The ideas are mainly pre-Christian;


s: the Brig o' Dread occurs in Islamite and Iroquois belief, and in


s: This version was taken down by Sir Walter Scott from his mother's


s: quarrelled bitterly with Sir Walter, as letters at Abbotsford


s: House of Waristoun is, or lately was, a melancholy place hanging


s: Chambers, the more famous lairds of Covenanting times were


s: Johnstons.  Kincaid is said to have treated his wife cruelly,


s: wherefore she, or her nurse, engaged one Robert Weir, an old


s: servant of her father (Livingstone of Dunipace), to strangle the


s: unhappy man in his own bedroom (July 2, 1600).  The lady was


s: occurs in an earlier ballad on Edinburgh Castle--


s: From Herd's MS.  Versions occur in Polish, German, Magyar,


s: Portuguese, Scandinavian, and in French.  The ballad is here


s: The hero recurs in Jock o' the Side, and Jock o' the Mains is an


s: numbers, as "an ill colony," to Ulster, by James I.  Sir Herbert


s: Maxwell's History of Dumfries and Galloway may be consulted for


s: interpolated, so this fragment (Sharpe's) has been preferred in


s: Taken by Percy from a piece in the Pepys Collection.  The girl


s: In that case the local name is demonstrably earlier than the


s: mythical Lilias, who fought with such tenacity.


s: manuscript; here Jamieson's more familiar spelling is retained.


s: The idea of the romance occurs in a Romaic Marchen, but, in place


s: (Nereid in Romaic), restores the youth to his true shape.  Mr.


s: amplification of the original popular "wild growth" which first


s: appears (in literary form) as Cupid and Psyche, in Apuleius.


s: Except for the metamorphosis, however, there is little analogy in


s: Queen, in Greece, is still as kind as Thetis of old, not a


s: Percy got this piece from Lord Hailes, with pseudo-antiquated


s: Brothers, and Cruel Sisters, such as Son Davie, which may be


s: From the Border Minstrelsy.  That corpses MIGHT begin to "thraw,"


s: adjoining room, when a terrible noise was heard in the chamber of


s: into the room.  He emerged, asked for a pair of tongs, and


s: returned, bearing in the tongs A BLOODY GLOVE, and the noise


s: ceased.  He always declined to say what he had witnessed.


s: Ministers were exorcists in the last century, and the father of


s: James Thomson, the poet, died suddenly in an interview with a


s: guest, in a haunted house.  The house was pulled down, as being


s: From The Border Minstrelsy.  This ballad is inserted, not for its


s: unlikely to be able to learn a new-forged ballad by heart.  The


s: Shepherd himself (then a most unsophisticated person) said, in a


s: letter of June 30, 1801, that he was "surprized to hear this song


s: supercheries, especially of the "Fray of Suport Mill."  Could the


s: ballad "never was printed i' the world, for my brothers and me


s: learned it and many mae frae auld Andrew Moore, and he learned it


s: first laird o' Tushilaw."  (On Ettrick, near Thirlestane.  She


s: doubtless meant the first of the Andersons of Tushielaw, who


s: succeeded the old lairds, the Scotts.)  "She was said to hae been


s: hersel', but O, she had been a grand singer o' auld songs an'


s: ballads."  (Hogg's Domestic Manners of Sir Walter Scott, p. 61,


s: insidious, and the question of the authenticity and origin of the


s: Hardyknute, and at least on a level with Sir Roland.  The


s: possibility of such forgeries is now very slight indeed, but


s: If we suspect Leyden, who alone had the necessary knowledge of


s: wished to punish so severely.  Mr. Child expresses his strong and


s: could not have kept his secret, after the death of Scott.  These


s: considerations must not be neglected, however suspicious "Auld,


s: From Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland.  There are


s: Elizabethan references to the poem, and a twelfth century romance


s: therein is more fortunate than the hero of the ballad, and,


s: Scott took this ballad from Mrs. Brown's celebrated Manuscript.


s: The kind of spell indicated was practised by Hera upon Alcmena,


s: before the birth of Heracles.  Analogous is the spell by binding


s: witch-knots, practised by Simaetha on her lover, in the second


s: Idyll of Theocritus.  Montaigne has some curious remarks on these


s: "suggestion."  There is a Danish parallel to "Willie's Ladye,"


s: There is plentiful "learning" about Robin Hood, but no real


s: shows in his Golden Bough, were really survivals of a world-wide


s: religious practice.  But Robin Hood need not be confused with the


s: mythological conjectures, based, as they are, on far-fetched


s: etymologies and analogies.  Robin is an idealized bandit, reiver,


s: This copy follows in Mr. Child's early edition, "from the second


s: edition of Ritson's Robin Hood, as collated by Sir Frederic


s: "throwing William Schankis, monk, from his horse."  (History of


s: {9}  "Blink sae brawly," glance so bravely.


s: To drift with every passion till my soul


s: Is a stringed lute on which all winds can play,


s: Mine ancient wisdom, and austere control?


s: Methinks my life is a twice-written scroll


s: Which do but mar the secret of the whole.


s: Surely there was a time I might have trod


s: The sunlit heights, and from life's dissonance


s: Struck one clear chord to reach the ears of God:


s: Is that time dead? lo! with a little rod


s: Not that I love thy children, whose dull eyes


s: See nothing save their own unlovely woe,


s: Whose minds know nothing, nothing care to know,--


s: Thy reigns of Terror, thy great Anarchies,


s: For this sake only do thy dissonant cries


s: Delight my discreet soul, else might all kings


s: By bloody knout or treacherous cannonades


s: These Christs that die upon the barricades,


s: God knows it I am with them, in some things.


s: Leap through the hail of screaming shell.


s: Where, girt and crowned by sword and fire,


s: Where saw'st thou last in clanging flight


s: Where through the narrow straight Bazaar


s: Poor toys to soothe such anguished pain.


s: Where we might deck their broken shields


s: With all the flowers the dead love best.


s: Go! crown with thorns thy gold-crowned head,


s: The whole round world with nets of gold,


s: Where are the brave, the strong, the fleet?


s: Though childless, and with thorn-crowned head,


s: Milton!  I think thy spirit hath passed away


s: From these white cliffs and high-embattled towers;


s: This gorgeous fiery-coloured world of ours


s: Wherein we waste our else too-crowded hours:


s: For all our pomp and pageantry and powers


s: We are but fit to delve the common clay,


s: Seeing this little isle on which we stand,


s: Who love her not:  Dear God! is this the land


s: Eagle of Austerlitz! where were thy wings


s: Fell the last scion of thy brood of Kings!


s: Poor boy! thou shalt not flaunt thy cloak of red,


s: Or ride in state through Paris in the van


s: Shall on thy dead and crownless forehead place


s: The better laurels of a soldier's crown,


s: That not dishonoured should thy soul go down


s: That France hath kissed the mouth of Liberty,


s: And found it sweeter than his honied bees,


s: Breaks on the shores where Kings lay couched at ease.


s: Christ, dost Thou live indeed? or are Thy bones


s: Still straitened in their rock-hewn sepulchre?


s: Whose love of Thee for all her sin atones?


s: For here the air is horrid with men's groans,


s: The priests who call upon Thy name are slain,


s: Dost Thou not hear the bitter wail of pain


s: From those whose children lie upon the stones?


s: Come down, O Son of God! incestuous gloom


s: Curtains the land, and through the starless night


s: If Thou in very truth didst burst the tomb


s: Come down, O Son of Man! and show Thy might


s: Lest Mahomet be crowned instead of Thee!


s: But England's lion leaping from its lair


s: While England could a great Republic show.


s: Witness the men of Piedmont, chiefest care


s: How comes it then that from such high estate


s: With barren merchandise piles up the gate


s: Where noble thoughts and deeds should enter by:


s: Else might we still be Milton's heritors.


s: Is crowned above his fellows, yet I see,


s: Wherefore I love them not whose hands profane


s: Plant the red flag upon the piled-up street


s: For no right cause, beneath whose ignorant reign


s: Arts, Culture, Reverence, Honour, all things fade,


s: Save Treason and the dagger of her trade,


s: This mighty empire hath but feet of clay:


s: Some enemy hath stolen its crown of bay,


s: And from its hills that voice hath passed away


s: Which spake of Freedom:  O come out of it,


s: Come out of it, my Soul, thou art not fit


s: For this vile traffic-house, where day by day


s: And the rude people rage with ignorant cries


s: It mars my calm:  wherefore in dreams of Art


s: And loftiest culture I would stand apart,


s: It is full summer now, the heart of June;


s: Will lend his hoarded gold to all the trees,


s: That love-child of the Spring, has lingered on


s: To vex the rose with jealousy, and still


s: The harebell spreads her azure pavilion,


s: And like a strayed and wandering reveller


s: Abandoned of its brothers, whom long since June's messenger


s: The missel-thrush has frighted from the glade,


s: Close to a shadowy nook, where half afraid


s: Of their own loveliness some violets lie


s: That will not look the gold sun in the face


s: For fear of too much splendour,--ah! methinks it is a place


s: When wearied of the flowerless fields of Dis!


s: Known to the Grecian here a man might find,


s: Ah! you and I may find it now if Love and Sleep be kind.


s: There are the flowers which mourning Herakles


s: Strewed on the tomb of Hylas, columbine,


s: Its white doves all a-flutter where the breeze


s: Kissed them too harshly, the small celandine,


s: And lilac lady's-smock,--but let them bloom alone, and leave


s: To sway its silent chimes, else must the bee,


s: That weeps at daybreak, like a silly girl


s: Before her love, and hardly lets the butterflies unfurl


s: Their painted wings beside it,--bid it pine


s: Will suit it better than those lips of thine


s: Whose fires would but scorch it, rather go


s: And pluck that amorous flower which blooms alone,


s: Fed by the pander wind with dust of kisses not its own.


s: For any dappled fawn,--pluck these, and those fond flowers which


s: That morning star which does not dread the sun,


s: Adonis jealous,--these for thy head,--and for thy girdle take


s: Whose gorgeous dye outflames the Tyrian King,


s: And foxgloves with their nodding chalices,


s: But that one narciss which the startled Spring


s: Let from her kirtle fall when first she heard


s: In her own woods the wild tempestuous song of summer's bird,


s: Of those sweet tremulous days of rain and sun,


s: When April laughed between her tears to see


s: The early primrose with shy footsteps run


s: From the gnarled oak-tree roots till all the wold,


s: Nay, pluck it too, it is not half so sweet


s: Shall oxlips weave their brightest tapestry,


s: For thee the woodbine shall forget its pride


s: And veil its tangled whorls, and thou shalt walk on daisies pied.


s: And make the wood-gods jealous, and old Pan


s: Wonder what young intruder dares to sing


s: In these still haunts, where never foot of man


s: Should tread at evening, lest he chance to spy


s: The marble limbs of Artemis and all her company.


s: And I will tell thee why the jacinth wears


s: And why the hapless nightingale forbears


s: To sing her song at noon, but weeps alone


s: When the fleet swallow sleeps, and rich men feast,


s: And why the laurel trembles when she sees the lightening east.


s: Back from the lotus meadows of the dead,


s: For which two mighty Hosts met fearfully in war's abyss!


s: And then I'll pipe to thee that Grecian tale


s: Hies to the cliffs of Latmos once the Sun


s: Leaps from his ocean bed in fruitless chase


s: Of those pale flying feet which fade away in his embrace.


s: And if my flute can breathe sweet melody,


s: And whose sad house with pillaged portico


s: And friezeless wall and columns toppled down


s: Looms o'er the ruins of that fair and violet cinctured town.


s: They are not dead, thine ancient votaries;


s: Some few there are to whom thy radiant smile


s: Rise up in wrath against them! tarry still, there are a few


s: Who for thy sake would give their manlihood


s: Have done so, made thy lips my daily food,


s: And in thy temples found a goodlier feast


s: Than this starved age can give me, spite of all


s: Its new-found creeds so sceptical and so dogmatical.


s: The woods of white Colonos are not here,


s: On our bleak hills the olive never blows,


s: No simple priest conducts his lowing steer


s: Up the steep marble way, nor through the town


s: Do laughing maidens bear to thee the crocus-flowered gown.


s: Yet tarry! for the boy who loved thee best,


s: To make thee linger, sleeps in silent rest


s: Still mourns her sweetest lyre; none can play


s: The lute of Adonais:  with his lips Song passed away.


s: Nay, when Keats died the Muses still had left


s: And slew the mouth that praised her; since which time we walk


s: Save for that fiery heart, that morning star


s: Saw from our tottering throne and waste of war


s: The grand Greek limbs of young Democracy


s: The great Republic! him at least thy love hath taught to sing,


s: Hunting the tusked boar, his honied lute


s: Hath pierced the cavern of the hollow hill,


s: And Venus laughs to know one knee will bow before her still.


s: And he hath kissed the lips of Proserpine,


s: That wounded forehead dashed with blood and wine


s: He hath discrowned, the Ancient Gods in him


s: Have found their last, most ardent worshipper,


s: And the new Sign grows grey and dim before its conqueror.


s: The star that shook above the Eastern hill


s: From all the gathering gloom and fretful fight--


s: O tarry with us still! for through the long and common night,


s: Morris, our sweet and simple Chaucer's child,


s: With soft and sylvan pipe has oft beguiled


s: The weary soul of man in troublous need,


s: And from the far and flowerless fields of ice


s: Has brought fair flowers to make an earthly paradise.


s: We know them all, Gudrun the strong men's bride,


s: How giant Grettir fought and Sigurd died,


s: And what enchantment held the king in thrall


s: When lonely Brynhild wrestled with the powers


s: That war against all passion, ah! how oft through summer hours,


s: Long listless summer hours when the noon


s: Forgets to journey westward, till the moon


s: And chides its loitering car--how oft, in some cool grassy field


s: Far from the cricket-ground and noisy eight,


s: At Bagley, where the rustling bluebells come


s: Almost before the blackbird finds a mate


s: Of many murmuring bees flits through the leaves,


s: Have I lain poring on the dreamy tales his fancy weaves,


s: And through their unreal woes and mimic pain


s: And in their simple mirth grew glad again;


s: The strength and splendour of the storm was mine


s: Without the storm's red ruin, for the singer is divine;


s: Has less of sweetness in it, and the old


s: Half-withered reeds that waved in Arcady


s: Touched by his lips break forth again to fresher harmony.


s: Although the cheating merchants of the mart


s: With iron roads profane our lovely isle,


s: And break on whirling wheels the limbs of Art,


s: The blindworm Ignorance that slays the soul, O tarry yet!


s: For One at least there is,--He bears his name


s: Whose double laurels burn with deathless flame


s: To light thine altar; He too loves thee well,


s: Who saw old Merlin lured in Vivien's snare,


s: And the white feet of angels coming down the golden stair,


s: Loves thee so well, that all the World for him


s: A gorgeous-coloured vestiture must wear,


s: Gild its own thorns, and Pain, like Adon, be


s: Even in anguish beautiful;--such is the empery


s: Which Painters hold, and such the heritage


s: Than those who can but copy common things,


s: And leave the Soul unpainted with its mighty questionings.


s: But they are few, and all romance has flown,


s: Through a waste void the soulless atoms run,


s: How from each tree its weeping nymph has fled,


s: And that no more 'mid English reeds a Naiad shows her head.


s: Methinks these new Actaeons boast too soon


s: That they have spied on beauty; what if we


s: Have analysed the rainbow, robbed the moon


s: Shall I, the last Endymion, lose all hope


s: Because rude eyes peer at my mistress through a telescope!


s: Burst through our gates with all its retinue


s: One lover's breaking heart? what can it do


s: To make one life more beautiful, one day


s: More godlike in its period? but now the Age of Clay


s: They have appealed, and to that barren arbiter they must


s: Repair for judgment; let them, if they can,


s: From Natural Warfare and insensate Chance,


s: Passes from higher heights of life to a more supreme goal.


s: Lo! while we spake the earth did turn away


s: Her visage from the God, and Hecate's boat


s: Blew all its torches out:  I did not note


s: Time's palsied fingers count in vain his rosary of suns!


s: Leans back its throat, as though it would be kissed


s: Who, like a blue vein on a girl's white wrist,


s: Sleeps on that snowy primrose of the night,


s: Come let us go, against the pallid shield


s: Of the wan sky the almond blossoms gleam,


s: The corncrake nested in the unmown field


s: Answers its mate, across the misty stream


s: On fitful wing the startled curlews fly,


s: And in his sedgy bed the lark, for joy that Day is nigh,


s: Scatters the pearled dew from off the grass,


s: Forth from yon orange-curtained pavilion


s: Hung in the burning east:  see, the red rim


s: O'ertops the expectant hills! it is the God! for love of him


s: Already the shrill lark is out of sight,


s: Flooding with waves of song this silent dell,--


s: Ah! there is something more in that bird's flight


s: But the air freshens, let us go, why soon


s: The woodmen will be here; how we have lived this night of June!


s: I reached the Alps:  the soul within me burned,


s: And when from out the mountain's heart I came


s: And saw the land for which my life had yearned,


s: I laughed as one who some great prize had earned:


s: I watched the day, till marked with wounds of flame


s: The turquoise sky to burnished gold was turned.


s: The pine-trees waved as waves a woman's hair,


s: Was breaking into flakes of blossoming foam:


s: Was this His coming!  I had hoped to see


s: Sickening for love and unappeased desire


s: Prayed to see God's clear body, and the fire


s: Caught her brown limbs and slew her utterly:


s: With such glad dreams I sought this holy place,


s: And now with wondering eyes and heart I stand


s: Some kneeling girl with passionless pale face,


s: And over both the white wings of a Dove.


s: Italia! thou art fallen, though with sheen


s: Of battle-spears thy clamorous armies stride


s: From the north Alps to the Sicilian tide!


s: Ay! fallen, though the nations hail thee Queen


s: Because rich gold in every town is seen,


s: And on thy sapphire-lake in tossing pride


s: Of wind-filled vans thy myriad galleys ride


s: Beneath one flag of red and white and green.


s: O Fair and Strong!  O Strong and Fair in vain!


s: Look southward where Rome's desecrated town


s: Lies mourning for her God-anointed King!


s: Look heaven-ward! shall God allow this thing?


s: Nay! but some flame-girt Raphael shall come down,


s: And smite the Spoiler with the sword of pain.


s: I wandered through Scoglietto's far retreat,


s: Burned as bright lamps of gold to shame the day;


s: Some startled bird with fluttering wings and fleet


s: Made snow of all the blossoms; at my feet


s: Like silver moons the pale narcissi lay:


s: And the curved waves that streaked the great green bay


s: Laughed i' the sun, and life seemed very sweet.


s: Outside the young boy-priest passed singing clear,


s: O come and fill His sepulchre with flowers.'


s: Ah, God!  Ah, God! those dear Hellenic hours


s: Had drowned all memory of Thy bitter pain,


s: Crowned with bright crowns of triple gold!


s: Rome! what a scroll of History thine has been;


s: Ruled the whole world for many an age's span:


s: Then of the peoples wert thou royal Queen,


s: Till in thy streets the bearded Goth was seen;


s: (Ah, city crowned by God, discrowned by man!)


s: The hated flag of red and white and green.


s: When was thy glory! when in search for power


s: Thine eagles flew to greet the double sun,


s: And the wild nations shuddered at thy rod?


s: Nay, but thy glory tarried for this hour,


s: When pilgrims kneel before the Holy One,


s: The prisoned shepherd of the Church of God.


s: Nay, Lord, not thus! white lilies in the spring,


s: Sad olive-groves, or silver-breasted dove,


s: Teach me more clearly of Thy life and love


s: Than terrors of red flame and thundering.


s: The hillside vines dear memories of Thee bring:


s: Tells me of One who had no place of rest:


s: I think it is of Thee the sparrows sing.


s: When red and brown are burnished on the leaves,


s: And the fields echo to the gleaner's song,


s: Come when the splendid fulness of the moon


s: Looks down upon the rows of golden sheaves,


s: And reap Thy harvest:  we have waited long.


s: The silver trumpets rang across the Dome:


s: The people knelt upon the ground with awe:


s: Like some great God, the Holy Lord of Rome.


s: Priest-like, he wore a robe more white than foam,


s: And, king-like, swathed himself in royal red,


s: Three crowns of gold rose high upon his head:


s: In splendour and in light the Pope passed home.


s: My heart stole back across wide wastes of years


s: And sought in vain for any place of rest:


s: 'Foxes have holes, and every bird its nest.


s: And bruise my feet, and drink wine salt with tears.'


s: Come down, O Christ, and help me! reach Thy hand,


s: The wine of life is spilt upon the sand,


s: My heart is as some famine-murdered land


s: Whence all good things have perished utterly,


s: And well I know my soul in Hell must lie


s: If I this night before God's throne should stand.


s: 'He sleeps perchance, or rideth to the chase,


s: Like Baal, when his prophets howled that name


s: From morn to noon on Carmel's smitten height.'


s: Nay, peace, I shall behold, before the night,


s: The feet of brass, the robe more white than flame,


s: The wounded hands, the weary human face.


s: Till the wet waves drenched face and hair with spray;


s: Burned in the west; the wind piped drearily;


s: And to the land the clamorous gulls did flee:


s: 'Alas!' I cried, 'my life is full of pain,


s: And who can garner fruit or golden grain


s: From these waste fields which travail ceaselessly!'


s: My nets gaped wide with many a break and flaw,


s: From the black waters of my tortured past


s: The argent splendour of white limbs ascend!


s: A lily-girl, not made for this world's pain,


s: With brown, soft hair close braided by her ears,


s: And longing eyes half veiled by slumberous tears


s: Like bluest water seen through mists of rain:


s: Pale cheeks whereon no love hath left its stain,


s: And white throat, whiter than the silvered dove,


s: Through whose wan marble creeps one purple vein.


s: Yet, though my lips shall praise her without cease,


s: Beneath the flaming Lion's breast, and saw


s: The seventh Crystal, and the Stair of Gold.


s: Where hast thou been since round the walls of Troy


s: The sons of God fought in that great emprise?


s: Why dost thou walk our common earth again?


s: Hast thou forgotten that impassioned boy,


s: And treacherous Aphrodite's mocking eyes?


s: For surely it was thou, who, like a star


s: Hung in the silver silence of the night,


s: Didst lure the Old World's chivalry and might


s: Into the clamorous crimson waves of war!


s: Where, behind lattice scarlet-wrought and gilt,


s: Some brown-limbed girl did weave thee tapestry,


s: All through the waste and wearied hours of noon;


s: Till her wan cheek with flame of passion burned,


s: And she rose up the sea-washed lips to kiss


s: Of some glad Cyprian sailor, safe returned


s: It was for thee that young Sarpedon died,


s: And Memnon's manhood was untimely spent;


s: It was for thee gold-crested Hector tried


s: With Thetis' child that evil race to run,


s: Burns in those fields of trampled asphodel,


s: Where the high lords whom Ilion knew so well


s: Clash ghostly shields, and call upon thy name.


s: Where hast thou been? in that enchanted land


s: Whose slumbering vales forlorn Calypso knew,


s: But all unswathed the trammelling grasses grew,


s: And the sad shepherd saw the tall corn stand


s: Till summer's red had changed to withered grey?


s: Didst thou lie there by some Lethaean stream


s: The crash of broken spears, the fiery gleam


s: From shivered helm, the Grecian battle-cry?


s: Nay, thou wert hidden in that hollow hill


s: That discrowned Queen men call the Erycine;


s: The face of Her, before whose mouldering shrine


s: To-day at Rome the silent nations kneel;


s: Only a sword to pierce her heart in twain,


s: The lotus-leaves which heal the wounds of Death


s: For hardly can my tremulous lips draw breath


s: To fill the silver trumpet with thy praise,


s: So bowed and broken on Love's terrible wheel,


s: That I have lost all hope and heart to sing,


s: If in thy temple thou wilt let me kneel.


s: But, like that bird, the servant of the sun,


s: Who flies before the north wind and the night,


s: So wilt thou fly our evil land and drear,


s: But in this poisonous garden-close must stay,


s: Crowning my brows with the thorn-crown of pain,


s: Till all my loveless life shall pass away.


s: Till the dawn cometh and the shadows flee!


s: For in the gladsome sunlight of thy smile


s: Of heaven or hell I have no thought or fear,


s: No other god save him, before whose feet


s: But, girt with silver splendour of the foam,


s: Didst from the depths of sapphire seas arise!


s: Bearded with flame, blazed in the Eastern skies,


s: And waked the shepherds on thine island-home.


s: Close at thy heels to taint the delicate air;


s: No sullen-blooming poppies stain thy hair,


s: Thou hast come down our darkness to illume:


s: For we, close-caught in the wide nets of Fate,


s: Wearied with waiting for the World's Desire,


s: Aimlessly wandered in the House of gloom,


s: Aimlessly sought some slumberous anodyne


s: For wasted lives, for lingering wretchedness,


s: This English Thames is holier far than Rome,


s: Those harebells like a sudden flush of sea


s: Breaking across the woodland, with the foam


s: To fleck their blue waves,--God is likelier there


s: Than hidden in that crystal-hearted star the pale monks bear!


s: Those violet-gleaming butterflies that take


s: Are monsignores, and where the rushes shake


s: His eyes half shut,--he is some mitred old


s: The wind the restless prisoner of the trees


s: Does well for Palaestrina, one would say


s: The mighty master's hands were on the keys


s: In a high litter red as blood or sin the Pope is borne


s: Above the bronze gates and the crowded square,


s: And stretching out weak hands to East and West


s: In vain sends peace to peaceless lands, to restless nations rest.


s: That stays to vex the moon more fair than all


s: Rome's lordliest pageants! strange, a year ago


s: And now--those common poppies in the wheat seem twice as fine.


s: The blue-green beanfields yonder, tremulous


s: With the last shower, sweeter perfume bring


s: Through this cool evening than the odorous


s: When the grey priest unlocks the curtained shrine,


s: And makes God's body from the common fruit of corn and vine.


s: Were out of tune now, for a small brown bird


s: Sings overhead, and through the long cool grass


s: I see that throbbing throat which once I heard


s: On starlit hills of flower-starred Arcady,


s: Once where the white and crescent sand of Salamis meets sea.


s: Sweet is the swallow twittering on the eaves


s: At daybreak, when the mower whets his scythe,


s: And stock-doves murmur, and the milkmaid leaves


s: Her little lonely bed, and carols blithe


s: And sweet the hops upon the Kentish leas,


s: And sweet the wind that lifts the new-mown hay,


s: And sweet the fretful swarms of grumbling bees


s: That round and round the linden blossoms play;


s: And sweet the heifer breathing in the stall,


s: And the green bursting figs that hang upon the red-brick wall,


s: And sweet to hear the cuckoo mock the spring


s: While the last violet loiters by the well,


s: And sweet to hear the shepherd Daphnis sing


s: And the slight lithe-limbed reapers dance about the wattled fold.


s: We too might waste the summer-tranced day


s: While far beneath us frets the troubled purple of the sea.


s: But sweeter far if silver-sandalled foot


s: Of some long-hidden God should ever tread


s: The Nuneham meadows, if with reeded flute


s: Pressed to his lips some Faun might raise his head


s: By the green water-flags, ah! sweet indeed


s: Though what thou sing'st be thine own requiem!


s: Tell me thy tale thou hapless chronicler


s: These unfamiliar haunts, this English field,


s: For many a lovely coronal our northern isle can yield


s: Which Grecian meadows know not, many a rose


s: Ilissos never mirrored star our streams, and cockles blue


s: Dot the green wheat which, though they are the signs


s: For swallows going south, would never spread


s: Their azure tents between the Attic vines;


s: Would be a trespasser, and many an unsung elegy


s: Sleeps in the reeds that fringe our winding Thames


s: Of brown bee-studded orchids which were meant


s: Unknown to Cytheraea, and by yonder pasturing steer


s: Although one summer evening's dew could fill


s: Had called the lazy shepherd to his fold


s: And be no prodigal; each leaf is flecked with spotted gold


s: Hot from his gilded arms had stooped to kiss


s: Just brushed them! the slight stem which bears the burden of its


s: Of faun-loved Heliconian glades and blue nymph-haunted seas,


s: On the clear river's marge Narcissus lies,


s: The silence of the woodland in his eyes,


s: No sooner kissed than broken; memories of Salmacis


s: Who is not boy nor girl and yet is both,


s: Through their excess, each passion being loth


s: For love's own sake to leave the other's side


s: Of Oreads peeping through the leaves of silent moonlit trees,


s: At Naxos, when she saw the treacherous crew


s: Far out at sea, and waved her crimson scarf


s: And called false Theseus back again nor knew


s: Was close behind her; memories of what Maeonia's bard


s: With sightless eyes beheld, the wall of Troy,


s: And at her side an amorous red-lipped boy


s: Trimming with dainty hand his helmet's plume,


s: And far away the moil, the shout, the groan,


s: As Hector shielded off the spear and Ajax hurled the stone;


s: Of winged Perseus with his flawless sword


s: Cleaving the snaky tresses of the witch,


s: In little Grecian urns, freightage more rich


s: Bare from the Indies ever! these at least bring back again,


s: For well I know they are not dead at all,


s: They are asleep, and when they hear thee call


s: Will wake and think 't is very Thessaly,


s: This Thames the Daulian waters, this cool glade


s: The yellow-irised mead where once young Itys laughed and played.


s: If it was thou dear jasmine-cradled bird


s: Who from the leafy stillness of thy throne


s: Sang to the wondrous boy, until he heard


s: Through Bagley wood at evening found the Attic poets' spring,--


s: That pleadest for the moon against the day!


s: If thou didst make the shepherd seek his mate


s: Across the mossy Sandford stile in ravished wonderment,--


s: Light-winged and bright-eyed miracle of the wood!


s: One of that little clan, that brotherhood


s: And is immortal, sing to me! for I too love thee well.


s: Sing on! sing on! let the dull world grow young,


s: The simple garths and open crofts, as when


s: And the soft sheep and shaggy goats followed the boyish God.


s: Sing on! sing on! and Bacchus will be here


s: Astride upon his gorgeous Indian throne,


s: And over whimpering tigers shake the spear


s: Will throw the lion by the mane and catch the mountain kid!


s: Sing on! and I will wear the leopard skin,


s: And steal the mooned wings of Ashtaroth,


s: Has over-brimmed the wine-vat or the Faun


s: Ceased from the treading! ay, before the flickering lamp of dawn


s: Has scared the hooting owlet to its nest,


s: And warned the bat to close its filmy vans,


s: Some Maenad girl with vine-leaves on her breast


s: Will filch their beech-nuts from the sleeping Pans


s: Will never wake, and then with shrilly laugh and leap will rush


s: Down the green valley where the fallen dew


s: Lies thick beneath the elm and count her store,


s: Trample the loosestrife down along the shore,


s: And where their horned master sits in state


s: Bring strawberries and bloomy plums upon a wicker crate!


s: Sing on! and soon with passion-wearied face


s: Through the cool leaves Apollo's lad will come,


s: The Tyrian prince his bristled boar will chase


s: And ivory-limbed, grey-eyed, with look of pride,


s: After yon velvet-coated deer the virgin maid will ride.


s: Stain with his purple blood the waxen bell


s: And I will kiss her mouth and streaming eyes,


s: And lead her to the myrtle-hidden grove where Adon lies!


s: Drops poison in mine ear,--O to be free,


s: To burn one's old ships! and to launch again


s: Into the white-plumed battle of the waves


s: And fight old Proteus for the spoil of coral-flowered caves!


s: O for the secret of the Colchian shrine!


s: Which binds the tired brows of Proserpine,


s: And sheds such wondrous dews at eve that she


s: Dreams of the fields of Enna, by the far Sicilian sea,


s: Where oft the golden-girdled bee she chased


s: Ere yet her sombre Lord had bid her taste


s: The deadly fruit of that pomegranate seed,


s: Ere the black steeds had harried her away


s: Down to the faint and flowerless land, the sick and sunless day.


s: Might wake to passion, and that I could charm


s: Mix with those mighty limbs and make that giant breast my lair!


s: Sing on! sing on!  I would be drunk with life,


s: Drunk with the trampled vintage of my youth,


s: I would forget the wearying wasted strife,


s: The riven veil, the Gorgon eyes of Truth,


s: The prayerless vigil and the cry for prayer,


s: The barren gifts, the lifted arms, the dull insensate air!


s: Thou canst make sorrow beautiful, and steal


s: Who by dead voiceless silence strive to heal


s: Our too untented wounds, and do but keep


s: Pain barricadoed in our hearts, and murder pillowed sleep.


s: Sing louder yet, why must I still behold


s: The wan white face of that deserted Christ,


s: Whose bleeding hands my hands did once enfold,


s: Whose smitten lips my lips so oft have kissed,


s: Sits in his lone dishonoured House and weeps, perchance for me?


s: O Sorrow, Sorrow keep thy cloistered cell


s: Cease, Philomel, thou dost the forest wrong


s: To vex its sylvan quiet with such wild impassioned song!


s: Take from the pastoral thrush her simpler air,


s: Whose jocund carelessness doth more become


s: This English woodland than thy keen despair,


s: Ah! cease and let the north wind bear thy lay


s: Back to the rocky hills of Thrace, the stormy Daulian bay.


s: A moment more, the startled leaves had stirred,


s: Endymion would have passed across the mead


s: Moonstruck with love, and this still Thames had heard


s: Pan plash and paddle groping for some reed


s: To lure from her blue cave that Naiad maid


s: Who for such piping listens half in joy and half afraid.


s: A moment more, the waking dove had cooed,


s: With the fond gyves of clinging hands had wooed


s: Had thrust aside the branches of her oak


s: To see the lusty gold-haired lad rein in his snorting yoke.


s: A moment more, the trees had stooped to kiss


s: Pale Daphne just awakening from the swoon


s: Had bared his barren beauty to the moon,


s: And through the vale with sad voluptuous smile


s: Antinous had wandered, the red lotus of the Nile


s: Down leaning from his black and clustering hair,


s: To shade those slumberous eyelids' caverned bliss,


s: Or else on yonder grassy slope with bare


s: Had bade her hounds give tongue, and roused the deer


s: From his green ambuscade with shrill halloo and pricking spear.


s: Lie still, lie still, O passionate heart, lie still!


s: Come not with such despondent answering!


s: Apollo loveth not to hear such troubled songs of pain!


s: It was a dream, the glade is tenantless,


s: The Thames creeps on in sluggish leadenness,


s: And from the copse left desolate and bare


s: Yet still from Nuneham wood there comes that thrilling melody


s: So sad, that one might think a human heart


s: Which music sometimes has, being the Art


s: Poor mourning Philomel, what dost thou fear?


s: Thy sister doth not haunt these fields, Pandion is not here,


s: Here is no cruel Lord with murderous blade,


s: But mossy dells for roving comrades made,


s: Warm valleys where the tired student lies


s: With half-shut book, and many a winding walk


s: Where rustic lovers stray at eve in happy simple talk.


s: The harmless rabbit gambols with its young


s: Across the trampled towing-path, where late


s: A troop of laughing boys in jostling throng


s: Cheered with their noisy cries the racing eight;


s: The gossamer, with ravelled silver threads,


s: Works at its little loom, and from the dusky red-eaved sheds


s: Of the lone Farm a flickering light shines out


s: Where the swinked shepherd drives his bleating flock


s: Back to their wattled sheep-cotes, a faint shout


s: Comes from some Oxford boat at Sandford lock,


s: And starts the moor-hen from the sedgy rill,


s: And the dim lengthening shadows flit like swallows up the hill.


s: The blue mist creeps among the shivering trees,


s: Gold world by world the silent stars appear,


s: And like a blossom blown before the breeze


s: A white moon drifts across the shimmering sky,


s: Mute arbitress of all thy sad, thy rapturous threnody.


s: She does not heed thee, wherefore should she heed,


s: 'Tis I, 'tis I, whose soul is as the reed


s: Which has no message of its own to play,


s: Drifting with every wind on the wide sea of misery.


s: Ah! the brown bird has ceased:  one exquisite trill


s: About the sombre woodland seems to cling


s: So still that one might hear the bat's small wing


s: Wander and wheel above the pines, or tell


s: Each tiny dew-drop dripping from the bluebell's brimming cell.


s: And far away across the lengthening wold,


s: Across the willowy flats and thickets brown,


s: Magdalen's tall tower tipped with tremulous gold


s: Marks the long High Street of the little town,


s: And warns me to return; I must not wait,


s: Hark ! 't is the curfew booming from the bell at Christ Church


s: Dropt from the wharf:  and chill and cold


s: Seemed changed to shadows and St. Paul's


s: Of waking life; the streets were stirred


s: The little white clouds are racing over the sky,


s: And the fields are strewn with the gold of the flower of March,


s: The daffodil breaks under foot, and the tasselled larch


s: Sways and swings as the thrush goes hurrying by.


s: A delicate odour is borne on the wings of the morning breeze,


s: The odour of deep wet grass, and of brown new-furrowed earth,


s: The birds are singing for joy of the Spring's glad birth,


s: Hopping from branch to branch on the rocking trees.


s: And all the woods are alive with the murmur and sound of Spring,


s: And the rose-bud breaks into pink on the climbing briar,


s: And the crocus-bed is a quivering moon of fire


s: Girdled round with the belt of an amethyst ring.


s: And the plane to the pine-tree is whispering some tale of love


s: Till it rustles with laughter and tosses its mantle of green,


s: And the gloom of the wych-elm's hollow is lit with the iris sheen


s: See! the lark starts up from his bed in the meadow there,


s: Breaking the gossamer threads and the nets of dew,


s: And flashing adown the river, a flame of blue!


s: The kingfisher flies like an arrow, and wounds the air.


s: To that gaunt House of Art which lacks for naught


s: Of all the great things men have saved from Time,


s: Dead ere the world's glad youth had touched its prime,


s: But when they had unloosed the linen band


s: A little seed, which sown in English ground


s: Did wondrous snow of starry blossoms bear


s: And spread rich odours through our spring-tide air.


s: With such strange arts this flower did allure


s: Forsook the cup where he was wont to dwell,


s: For not a thing of earth it seemed to be,


s: In vain the sad narcissus, wan and white


s: At its own beauty, hung across the stream,


s: With its gold dust to make his wings a-gleam,


s: Ah! no delight the jasmine-bloom to kiss,


s: Or brush the rain-pearls from the eucharis.


s: For love of it the passionate nightingale


s: Forgot the hills of Thrace, the cruel king,


s: And the pale dove no longer cared to sail


s: Through the wet woods at time of blossoming,


s: With silvered wing and amethystine throat.


s: While the hot sun blazed in his tower of blue


s: A cooling wind crept from the land of snows,


s: And the warm south with tender tears of dew


s: Drenched its white leaves when Hesperos up-rose


s: On which the scarlet bars of sunset lie.


s: But when o'er wastes of lily-haunted field


s: The tired birds had stayed their amorous tune,


s: And broad and glittering like an argent shield


s: High in the sapphire heavens hung the moon,


s: Did no strange dream or evil memory make


s: Each tremulous petal of its blossoms shake?


s: Ah no! to this bright flower a thousand years


s: Seemed but the lingering of a summer's day,


s: It never knew the tide of cankering fears


s: Which turn a boy's gold hair to withered grey,


s: The dread desire of death it never knew,


s: Or how all folk that they were born must rue.


s: For we to death with pipe and dancing go,


s: Through the dull plains, the haunts of common men,


s: And counts it gain to die so gloriously.


s: We mar our lordly strength in barren strife


s: With the world's legions led by clamorous care,


s: From the pure sunlight and the supreme air,


s: We live beneath Time's wasting sovereignty,


s: False moon!  False moon!  O waning moon!


s: Thou hast the lips that should be kissed!


s: Green grasses through the yellow sheaves


s: (White, O white, is the hemlock flower)!


s: Stood at his galley's prow, and let the foam


s: Blow through his crisp brown curls unconsciously,


s: And holding wave and wind in boy's despite


s: Peered from his dripping seat across the wet and stormy night.


s: Till with the dawn he saw a burnished spear


s: Like a thin thread of gold against the sky,


s: And hoisted sail, and strained the creaking gear,


s: Against the nor'west gale, and all day long


s: Held on his way, and marked the rowers' time with measured song.


s: And when the faint Corinthian hills were red


s: And with fresh boughs of olive crowned his head,


s: And brushed from cheek and throat the hoary spray,


s: And washed his limbs with oil, and from the hold


s: Brought out his linen tunic and his sandals brazen-soled,


s: And a rich robe stained with the fishers' juice


s: Which of some swarthy trader he had bought


s: And was with Tyrian broideries inwrought,


s: And by the questioning merchants made his way


s: Up through the soft and silver woods, and when the labouring day


s: Had spun its tangled web of crimson cloud,


s: Clomb the high hill, and with swift silent feet


s: Crept to the fane unnoticed by the crowd


s: Of busy priests, and from some dark retreat


s: Watched the young swains his frolic playmates bring


s: The firstling of their little flock, and the shy shepherd fling


s: The crackling salt upon the flame, or hang


s: His studded crook against the temple wall


s: Of the base wolf from homestead and from stall;


s: And then the clear-voiced maidens 'gan to sing,


s: And to the altar each man brought some goodly offering,


s: A fair cloth wrought with cunning imagery


s: Dripping with oozy gold which scarce the bee


s: Had ceased from building, a black skin of oil


s: Meet for the wrestlers, a great boar the fierce and white-tusked


s: Of a tall stag who in some mountain glade


s: Had met the shaft; and then the herald cried,


s: And from the pillared precinct one by one


s: Went the glad Greeks well pleased that they their simple vows had


s: And the old priest put out the waning fires


s: Save that one lamp whose restless ruby glowed


s: For ever in the cell, and the shrill lyres


s: Came fainter on the wind, as down the road


s: In joyous dance these country folk did pass,


s: Long time he lay and hardly dared to breathe,


s: And heard the cadenced drip of spilt-out wine,


s: And the rose-petals falling from the wreath


s: As the night breezes wandered through the shrine,


s: And seemed to be in some entranced swoon


s: Till through the open roof above the full and brimming moon


s: Flooded with sheeny waves the marble floor,


s: When from his nook up leapt the venturous lad,


s: And armed for battle! the gaunt Griffin glared


s: From the huge helm, and the long lance of wreck and ruin flared


s: Like a red rod of flame, stony and steeled


s: The Gorgon's head its leaden eyeballs rolled,


s: And writhed its snaky horrors through the shield,


s: And gaped aghast with bloodless lips and cold


s: In passion impotent, while with blind gaze


s: The blinking owl between the feet hooted in shrill amaze.


s: The lonely fisher as he trimmed his lamp


s: The net for tunnies, heard a brazen tramp


s: Of horses smite the waves, and a wild blast


s: Divide the folded curtains of the night,


s: And knelt upon the little poop, and prayed in holy fright.


s: Forgat a little while their stolen sweets,


s: Deeming they heard dread Dian's bitter cry;


s: And the grim watchmen on their lofty seats


s: Ran to their shields in haste precipitate,


s: Or strained black-bearded throats across the dusky parapet.


s: For round the temple rolled the clang of arms,


s: And the twelve Gods leapt up in marble fear,


s: And the air quaked with dissonant alarums


s: Till huge Poseidon shook his mighty spear,


s: And on the frieze the prancing horses neighed,


s: And the low tread of hurrying feet rang from the cavalcade.


s: Ready for death with parted lips he stood,


s: That calm wide brow, that terrible maidenhood,


s: Ah! well content indeed, for never wight


s: Since Troy's young shepherd prince had seen so wonderful a sight.


s: Ready for death he stood, but lo! the air


s: Grew silent, and the horses ceased to neigh,


s: And off his brow he tossed the clustering hair,


s: And from his limbs he throw the cloak away;


s: For whom would not such love make desperate?


s: And nigher came, and touched her throat, and with hands violate


s: And bared the breasts of polished ivory,


s: Till from the waist the peplos falling down


s: The grand cool flanks, the crescent thighs, the bossy hills of


s: Those who have never known a lover's sin


s: To their dull ears so musicless and thin


s: That they will have no joy of it, but ye


s: To whose wan cheeks now creeps the lingering smile,


s: Ye who have learned who Eros is,--O listen yet awhile.


s: Rest on the burnished image, till mere sight


s: Half swooned for surfeit of such luxuries,


s: Fed on her lips, and round the towered neck


s: He flung his arms, nor cared at all his passion's will to check.


s: For all night long he murmured honeyed word,


s: And saw her sweet unravished limbs, and kissed


s: And paddled with the polished throat, and pressed


s: His hot and beating heart upon her chill and icy breast.


s: Pierced through and through his wild and whirling brain,


s: And his nerves thrilled like throbbing violins


s: Was such sweet anguish that he never drew


s: His lips from hers till overhead the lark of warning flew.


s: They who have never seen the daylight peer


s: Into a darkened room, and drawn the curtain,


s: And with dull eyes and wearied from some dear


s: And worshipped body risen, they for certain


s: How long the last kiss was, how fond and late his lingering.


s: The moon was girdled with a crystal rim,


s: Of wrath in heaven, the wan stars were dim,


s: And the low lightening east was tremulous


s: With the faint fluttering wings of flying dawn,


s: Ere from the silent sombre shrine his lover had withdrawn.


s: Down the steep rock with hurried feet and fast


s: Clomb the brave lad, and reached the cave of Pan,


s: And heard the goat-foot snoring as he passed,


s: Which in a shady valley by the well-built city stood;


s: And sought a little stream, which well he knew,


s: For oftentimes with boyish careless shout


s: The green and crested grebe he would pursue,


s: Panting in breathless sweet affright, and waited for the day.


s: On the green bank he lay, and let one hand


s: And soon the breath of morning came and fanned


s: His hot flushed cheeks, or lifted wantonly


s: The tangled curls from off his forehead, while


s: He on the running water gazed with strange and secret smile.


s: And soon the shepherd in rough woollen cloak


s: With his long crook undid the wattled cotes,


s: And from the stack a thin blue wreath of smoke


s: Curled through the air across the ripening oats,


s: And on the hill the yellow house-dog bayed


s: As through the crisp and rustling fern the heavy cattle strayed.


s: And when the light-foot mower went afield


s: Across the meadows laced with threaded dew,


s: And the sheep bleated on the misty weald,


s: And from its nest the waking corncrake flew,


s: Some woodmen saw him lying by the stream


s: And marvelled much that any lad so beautiful could seem,


s: Nor deemed him born of mortals, and one said,


s: Those are the fond and crimson lips no woman can allure.'


s: And when they nearer came a third one cried,


s: His spear and fawnskin by the river side


s: They live not long who on the gods immortal come to spy.'


s: So turned they back, and feared to look behind,


s: And told the timid swain how they had seen


s: Amid the reeds some woodland god reclined,


s: And no man dared to cross the open green,


s: And on that day no olive-tree was slain,


s: Nor rushes cut, but all deserted was the fair domain,


s: Save when the neat-herd's lad, his empty pail


s: Well slung upon his back, with leap and bound


s: Raced on the other side, and stopped to hail,


s: Hoping that he some comrade new had found,


s: Passed on his simple way, or down the still and silent glade


s: A little girl ran laughing from the farm,


s: Not thinking of love's secret mysteries,


s: And when she saw the white and gleaming arm


s: And all his manlihood, with longing eyes


s: Whose passion mocked her sweet virginity


s: Watched him awhile, and then stole back sadly and wearily.


s: Far off he heard the city's hum and noise,


s: And now and then the shriller laughter where


s: The passionate purity of brown-limbed boys


s: Wrestled or raced in the clear healthful air,


s: As the shorn wether led the sheep down to the mossy well.


s: Through the grey willows danced the fretful gnat,


s: The grasshopper chirped idly from the tree,


s: Made for the wild-duck's nest, from bough to bough


s: Hopped the shy finch, and the huge tortoise crept across the


s: On the faint wind floated the silky seeds


s: As the bright scythe swept through the waving grass,


s: The ouzel-cock splashed circles in the reeds


s: And flecked with silver whorls the forest's glass,


s: Which scarce had caught again its imagery


s: Ere from its bed the dusky tench leapt at the dragon-fly.


s: Though up and down the beech the squirrel played,


s: And from the copse the linnet 'gan to sing


s: To its brown mate its sweetest serenade;


s: The breasts of Pallas and the naked wonder of the Queen.


s: But when the herdsman called his straggling goats


s: With whistling pipe across the rocky road,


s: And the shard-beetle with its trumpet-notes


s: Boomed through the darkening woods, and seemed to bode


s: Passed homeward like a shadow, and the dull big drops of rain


s: Fell on the pattering fig-leaves, up he rose,


s: Past sombre homestead and wet orchard-close,


s: And called his mates aboard, and took his seat


s: On the high poop, and pushed from land, and loosed the dripping


s: And steered across the bay, and when nine suns


s: Passed down the long and laddered way of gold,


s: And nine pale moons had breathed their orisons


s: To the chaste stars their confessors, or told


s: That will not fly at noonday, through the foam and surging froth


s: Came a great owl with yellow sulphurous eyes


s: And lit upon the ship, whose timbers creaked


s: Were in the hold, and flapped its wings and shrieked,


s: And darkness straightway stole across the deep,


s: Of drifting cloud, and from the ocean's marge


s: Rose the red plume, the huge and horned casque,


s: The seven-cubit spear, the brazen targe!


s: And clad in bright and burnished panoply


s: Athena strode across the stretch of sick and shivering sea!


s: To the dull sailors' sight her loosened looks


s: Seemed like the jagged storm-rack, and her feet


s: Only the spume that floats on hidden rocks,


s: Against the rolling ship, the pilot cried


s: To the young helmsman at the stern to luff to windward side


s: When he beheld those grand relentless eyes


s: Laughed loud for joy, and crying out 'I come'


s: Leapt from the lofty poop into the chill and churning foam.


s: Then fell from the high heaven one bright star,


s: And back to Athens on her clattering car


s: Pale Pallas swept with shrill and steely clank,


s: And a few gurgling bubbles rose where her boy lover sank.


s: And the mast shuddered as the gaunt owl flew


s: With mocking hoots after the wrathful Queen,


s: And the old pilot bade the trembling crew


s: Hoist the big sail, and told how he had seen


s: Close to the stern a dim and giant form,


s: Deeming that he some evil thing had wrought,


s: And when they reached the strait Symplegades


s: They beached their galley on the shore, and sought


s: And in the market showed their brown and pictured pottery.


s: But some good Triton-god had ruth, and bare


s: The boy's drowned body back to Grecian land,


s: And mermaids combed his dank and dripping hair


s: And smoothed his brow, and loosed his clenching hand;


s: Some brought sweet spices from far Araby,


s: And others bade the halcyon sing her softest lullaby.


s: And when he neared his old Athenian home,


s: Swept landward, like a white-maned steed upon a venturous quest!


s: There lies a long and level stretch of lawn;


s: The rabbit knows it, and the mountain bee


s: Is not afraid, for never through the day


s: Comes a cry ruder than the shout of shepherd lads at play.


s: And tangled branches of the circling wood


s: Hurling the polished disk, and draws his hood


s: Nor dares to wind his horn, or--else at the first break of day


s: The Dryads come and throw the leathern ball


s: Some goat-eared Pan to be their seneschal


s: And loose their girdles, with shy timorous eyes,


s: Lest from the surf his azure arms and purple beard should rise.


s: Hung with the yellow-belled laburnum, stands


s: Smooth is the beach, save where some ebbing wave


s: Leaves its faint outline etched upon the sands,


s: As though it feared to be too soon forgot


s: By the green rush, its playfellow,--and yet, it is a spot


s: Could steal the hoarded money from each flower


s: To land and pluck a garland for his galley's painted prow,


s: Would almost leave the little meadow bare,


s: For it knows nothing of great pageantry,


s: Dotting the unmown grass with silver stars,


s: And here and there a daffodil waves tiny scimitars.


s: Hither the billow brought him, and was glad


s: Of such dear servitude, and where the land


s: To kiss those pallid limbs which once with intense fire burned,


s: Ere the wet seas had quenched that holocaust,


s: That self-fed flame, that passionate lustihead,


s: Ere grisly death with chill and nipping frost


s: Had withered up those lilies white and red


s: Which, while the boy would through the forest range,


s: Answered each other in a sweet antiphonal counter-change.


s: And when at dawn the wood-nymphs, hand-in-hand,


s: Threaded the bosky dell, their satyr spied


s: The boy's pale body stretched upon the sand,


s: And feared Poseidon's treachery, and cried,


s: And like bright sunbeams flitting through a glade


s: Each startled Dryad sought some safe and leafy ambuscade.


s: Save one white girl, who deemed it would not be


s: So dread a thing to feel a sea-god's arms


s: Crushing her breasts in amorous tyranny,


s: And longed to listen to those subtle charms


s: Insidious lovers weave when they would win


s: Some fenced fortress, and stole back again, nor thought it sin


s: And lay beside him, thirsty with love's drouth,


s: Called him soft names, played with his tangled hair,


s: And with hot lips made havoc of his mouth


s: Afraid he might not wake, and then afraid


s: Lest he might wake too soon, fled back, and then, fond renegade,


s: Returned to fresh assault, and all day long


s: Sat at his side, and laughed at her new toy,


s: And held his hand, and sang her sweetest song,


s: Then frowned to see how froward was the boy


s: Who would not with her maidenhood entwine,


s: Nor knew that three days since his eyes had looked on Proserpine;


s: Nor knew what sacrilege his lips had done,


s: But said, 'He will awake, I know him well,


s: Hangs his red shield on Corinth's citadel;


s: To make me love him more, and in some cavern of the sea


s: Deeper than ever falls the fisher's line


s: And weaves a garland from the crystalline


s: For sphered in foaming silver, and with coral crowned head,


s: And at our feet the water-snakes will curl


s: The mullets swimming by the mast of some storm-foundered bark,


s: Vermilion-finned with eyes of bossy gold


s: Like flakes of crimson light, and the great deep


s: His glassy-portaled chamber will unfold,


s: And we will see the painted dolphins sleep


s: Cradled by murmuring halcyons on the rocks


s: Where Proteus in quaint suit of green pastures his monstrous


s: Will wave their purple fringes where we tread


s: Of fishes flecked with tawny scales will thread


s: The drifting cordage of the shattered wreck,


s: And honey-coloured amber beads our twining limbs will deck.'


s: But when that baffled Lord of War the Sun


s: Across the field of heaven, ah! then indeed


s: She feared his lips upon her lips would never care to feed,


s: And cried, 'Awake, already the pale moon


s: Washes the trees with silver, and the wave


s: Creeps grey and chilly up this sandy dune,


s: The croaking frogs are out, and from the cave


s: The nightjar shrieks, the fluttering bats repass,


s: And the brown stoat with hollow flanks creeps through the dusky


s: Nay, though thou art a god, be not so coy,


s: For in yon stream there is a little reed


s: Spread wings of rustling gold and soared aloft into the sun.


s: Be not so coy, the laurel trembles still


s: Whose clustering sisters fringe the seaward hill


s: The mocking eyes of Hermes through the poplar's silvery sheen.


s: Woos me with apples and with locks of hair,


s: By all the gifts the gentle wood-nymphs love;


s: But yesterday he brought to me an iris-plumaged dove


s: With little crimson feet, which with its store


s: At daybreak, when her amorous comrade had


s: Which most they love; the fretful wasp, that earliest vintager


s: Of the blue grapes, hath not persistency


s: And laughing sunny eyes might well decoy


s: For very beautiful is he, his mouth was made to kiss;


s: Is crescent shaped, the hot and Tyrian noon


s: Leads from the myrtle-grove no goodlier spouse


s: Fringes his blushing cheeks, and his young limbs are strong and


s: And he is rich, and fat and fleecy herds


s: And many an earthen bowl of yellow curds


s: Is in his homestead for the thievish fly


s: To swim and drown in, the pink clover mead


s: Keeps its sweet store for him, and he can pipe on oaten reed.


s: I kept my love; I knew that thou would'st come


s: Thou fairest flower of the flowerless foam


s: Of ocean's azure heavens where the mirrored planets are!


s: I knew that thou would'st come, for when at first


s: The dry wood burgeoned, and the sap of spring


s: Swelled in my green and tender bark or burst


s: Which mocked the midnight with its mimic moons


s: That did not dread the dawn, and first the thrushes' rapturous


s: And cuckoo flowers fringed the narrow lane,


s: Through my young leaves a sensuous ecstasy


s: Crept like new wine, and every mossy vein


s: Throbbed with the fitful pulse of amorous blood,


s: And the wild winds of passion shook my slim stem's maidenhood.


s: The trooping fawns at evening came and laid


s: Their cool black noses on my lowest boughs,


s: And on my topmost branch the blackbird made


s: A little nest of grasses for his spouse,


s: And now and then a twittering wren would light


s: On a thin twig which hardly bare the weight of such delight.


s: I was the Attic shepherd's trysting place,


s: And round my trunk would laughing Daphnis chase


s: The timorous girl, till tired out with play


s: She felt his hot breath stir her tangled hair,


s: And turned, and looked, and fled no more from such delightful


s: Where clustering woodbine weaves a canopy


s: For amorous pleasaunce, and the rustling shade


s: The dearest rites of love; there in the cool


s: And green recesses of its farthest depth there is pool,


s: The ouzel's haunt, the wild bee's pasturage,


s: For round its rim great creamy lilies float


s: Through their flat leaves in verdant anchorage,


s: Each cup a white-sailed golden-laden boat


s: For lovers such as we; the Cyprian Queen,


s: Strays often there at eve, and I have seen


s: For young Endymion's eyes; be not afraid,


s: The panther feet of Dian never tread that secret glade.


s: Nay if thou will'st, back to the beating brine,


s: Back to the boisterous billow let us go,


s: And watch the purple monsters of the deep


s: Sport in ungainly play, and from his lair keen Xiphias leap.


s: But lay her boar-spear down, and with austere


s: Relentless fingers string the cornel bow,


s: And draw the feathered notch against her breast,


s: And loose the arched cord; aye, even now upon the quest


s: I hear her hurrying feet,--awake, awake,


s: Thou laggard in love's battle! once at least


s: Let me drink deep of passion's wine, and slake


s: My parched being with the nectarous feast


s: Which even gods affect!  O come, Love, come,


s: Still we have time to reach the cavern of thine azure home.'


s: Scarce had she spoken when the shuddering trees


s: Shook, and the leaves divided, and the air


s: Grew conscious of a god, and the grey seas


s: Crawled backward, and a long and dismal blare


s: Blew from some tasselled horn, a sleuth-hound bayed,


s: And like a flame a barbed reed flew whizzing down the glade.


s: And where the little flowers of her breast


s: This murderous paramour, this unbidden guest,


s: Pierced and struck deep in horrid chambering,


s: And ploughed a bloody furrow with its dart,


s: And dug a long red road, and cleft with winged death her heart.


s: And raptures unenjoyed, and pleasures dead,


s: And the bright drops of crimson youth crept down her throbbing


s: Ere she had yielded up her sweets, or known


s: Which not to know is not to live at all,


s: And yet to know is to be held in death's most deadly thrall.


s: Was journeying Paphos-ward, high up afar


s: From mortal ken between the mountains and the morning star,


s: And when low down she spied the hapless pair,


s: And heard the Oread's faint despairing cry,


s: Whose cadence seemed to play upon the air


s: She bade her pigeons fold each straining plume,


s: To catch the last notes of the linnet, mows


s: With careless scythe too near some flower bed,


s: And with the flower's loosened loneliness


s: Strews the brown mould; or as some shepherd lad in wantonness


s: Treads down two daffodils, which side by aide


s: Have lured the lady-bird with yellow brede


s: And made the gaudy moth forget its pride,


s: Treads down their brimming golden chalices


s: Under light feet which were not made for such rude ravages;


s: Flings himself down upon the reedy grass


s: And plucks two water-lilies from the brook,


s: Then wearies of their sweets, and goes his way,