XIII. And here two days did Marmion rest, Such the command of royal James; And, in his turn, he knew to prize Lord Marmion's powerful mind, and wise,Trained in the lore of Rome, and Greece, And policies of war and peace. XIV. It chanced, as fell the second night, That on the battlements they walked, And, by the slowly fading light, Of varying topics talked ; Said, Marmion might his toil have spared, For that a messenger from heaven In vain to James had counsel given And, closer questioned, thus he told A tale, which chronicles of old In Scottish story have enrolled : XV. SIR DAVID LINDESAY'S TALE. Of all the palaces so fair, Built for the royal dwelling, In Scotland, far beyond compare And in its park, in jovial June, But June is to our Sovereign dear In offices as strict as Lent, King James's June is ever spent. XVI. "When last this ruthful month was come, And in Linlithgow's holy dome The King, as wont, was praying; *An ancient word for the cry of deer. See Note. While for his royal father's soul The chanters sung, the bells did toll, For now the year brought round again And eyes with sorrow streaming; Stepped from the crowd a ghostly wight, Seemed to me ne'er did limner paint Who propped the Virgin in her faint, XVII. "He stepped before the Monarch's chair, And stood with rustic plainness there, And little reverence made; Nor head, nor body, bowed nor bent, And words like these he said, In a low voice, but never tone So thrilled through vein, and nerve, and bone:'My mother sent me from afar, Sir King, to warn thee not to war,— Wo waits on thine array; If war thou wilt, of woman fair, Her witching wiles and wanton snare, The wondering Monarch seemed to seek And when he raised his head to speak, The monitor was gone. The Marshal and myself had cast To stop him, as he outward past; XVIII. While Lindesay told this marvel strange, The twilight was so pale, He marked not Marmion's colour change, While listening to the tale : But, after a suspended pause, The Baron spoke :-" Of Nature's laws So strong I held the force, That never super-human cause Could e'er control their course; And, three days since, had judged your aim To Lindesay did at length unfold At Gifford, to his train. Nought of the Palmer says he there, XIX. "In vain," said he, "to rest I spread My burning limbs, and couched my head, Fantastic thoughts returned ; |