"This very day, and you were judges here

Instead of God. Did you see Mellyagraunce

When Launcelot stood by him? what white fear

Curdled his blood, and how his teeth did dance,

His side sink in? as my knight cried and said:

'Slayer of unarm'd men, here is a chance!

Setter of traps, I pray you guard your head,

By God I am so glad to fight with you, Stripper of ladies, that my hand feels lead

"For driving weight; hurrah now! draw and do,

For all my wounds are moving in my breast,

And I am getting mad with waiting so.'

"He struck his hands together o'er the beast,

Who fell down flat, and grovell'd at his feet,

And groan'd at being slain so young: At least,'

"My knight said, 'Rise you, sir, who are so fleet

At catching ladies, half-arm'd will I fight,

My left side all uncovered!' then I weet,

"Up sprang Sir Mellyagraunce with great delight

Upon his knave's face; not until just then

Did I quite hate him, as I saw my knight

66

My maids were all about me, and my head

On Launcelot's breast was being soothed away

From its white chattering, until Launcelot said: ...

"By God! I will not tell you more today,

Judge any way you will: what matters it?

You know quite well the story of that fray,

"How Launcelot still'd their bawling, the mad fit

That caught up Gauwaine, all, all, verily,

But just that which would save me; these things flit.

"Nevertheless you, O Sir Gauwaine, lie. Whatever may have happen'd these long

Although my spear in splinters flew. From John's steel-coat, my eye was true;

I wheel'd about, and cried for you.

Hah! hah! la belle jaune giroflée.

Yea, do not doubt my heart was good, Though my sword flew like rotten wood, To shout, although I scarcely stood,

Hah! hah! la belle jaune giroflée.

My hand was steady too, to take
My axe from round my neck, and break
John's steel-coat up for my love's sake.
Hah! hah! la belle jaune giroflée.

When I stood in my tent again,
Arming afresh, I felt a pain
Take hold of me, I was so fain-

Hah! hah! la belle juune giroflée

To hear: Honneur aux fils des preux!
Right in my ears again, and shew
The gilliflower blossom'd new.

Hah! hah' la belle jaune giroflée.

The Sieur Guillaume against me came, His tabard bore three points of flame From a red heart; with little blame,

Hah! hah! la belle jaune giroflée,—

Our tough spears crackled up like straw;
He was the first to turn and draw
His sword, that had nor speck nor flaw;
Hah! hah! la belle jaune giroflée.

But I felt weaker than a maid,
And my brain, dizzied and afraid,
Within my helm a fierce tune play'd,

Hah! hah! la belle jaune giroflée,
Until I thought of your dear head,
Bow'd to the gilliflower bed,
The yellow flowers stain'd with red;

Hah! hah! la belle jaune giroflée. Crash! how the swords met: giroflée! The fierce tune in my helm would play, La belle! la belle! jaune giroflée!

Hah! hah! la belle jaune giroflée. Once more the great swords met again: "La belle! la belle!" but who fell then? Le Sieur Guillaume, who struck down

ten;

Hah! hah! la belle jaune giroflée. And as with mazed and unarm'd face, Toward my own crown and the Queen's place,

SHAMEFUL DEATH

THERE were four of us about that bed;
The mass-priest knelt at the side,
I and his mother stood at the head,
Over his feet lay the bride;
We were quite sure that he was dead,
Though his eyes were open wide.

He did not die in the night,

He did not die in the day, But in the morning twilight His spirit pass'd away,

When neither sun nor moon was bright,
And the trees were merely gray.

He was not slain with the sword,
Knight's axe, or the knightly spear,
Yet spoke he never a word
After he came in here;

I cut away the cord

From the neck of my brother dear.

He did not strike one blow,

For the recreants came behind,
In a place where the hornbeams grow,
A path right hard to find,
For the hornbeam boughs swing so,
That the twilight makes it blind.

They lighted a great torch then,
When his arms were pinion'd fast,
Sir John the knight of the Fen,
Sir Guy of the Dolorous Blast,
With knights threescore and ten,
Hung brave Lord Hugh at last.

I am threescore and ten,

And my hair is all turn'd gray, But I met Sir John of the Fen Long ago on a summer day, And am glad to think of the moment when

I took his life away.

GOLD on her head, and gold on her feet, And gold where the hems of her kirtle meet,

And a golden girdle round my sweet;

Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite.

Margaret's maids are fair to see, Freshly dress'd and pleasantly; Margaret's hair falls down to her knee;

Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite.

If I were rich I would kiss her feet; I would kiss the place where the gold hems meet,

And the golden kirtle round my'sweet: Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite.

Ah me! I have never touch'd her hand; When the arrière-ban goes through the

For, look you, my horse is good to prance A right fair measure in this war-dance Before the eyes of Philip of France;

Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite, And sometime it may hap, perdie, While my new towers stand up three and three,

And my hall gets painted fair to see

Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite

That folks may say: Times change, by the rood,

For Lambert, banneret of the wood,
Has heaps of food and firewood;

Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite.
And wonderful eyes, too, under the hood
Of a damsel of right noble blood.
St. Ives, for Lambert of the Wood!

Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite. 1858.

Sir Miles said, while the sails hung down, When the Sword went out to sea, "O, Ursula! while I see the town, What shall I bring for thee?" "Dear knight, bring back a falcon brown: "

The Sword went out to Sea.

But my Roland, no word he said

When the Sword went out to sea, But only turn'd away his head;

A quick shriek came from me: "Come back, dear lord, to your white maid!"

The Sword went out to sea.

The hot sun bit the garden-beds

When the Sword came back from sea; Beneath an apple-tree our heads

Stretched out toward the sea; Gray gleamed the thirsty castle-leads, When the Sword came back from sea.

Lord Robert brought a ruby red,

When the Sword came back from sea; He kissed Alicia on the head:

"I am come back to thee;

'Tis time, sweet love, that we were wed,

Now the Sword is back from sea!”

Sir Miles he bore a falcon brown,

When the Sword came back from sea; His arms went round tall Ursula's gown: "What joy, O love, but thee?

Let us be wed in the good town,

Now the Sword is back from sea!”

My heart grew sick, no more afraid, When the Sword came back from sea; Upon the deck a tall white maid

Sat on Lord Roland's knee; His chin was press'd upon her head, When the Sword came back from sea! 1858.

LADY LOUISE

Sister, let the measure swell
Not too loud; for you sing not well
If you drown the faint boom of the bell;
He is weary, so am I.

And ever the chevron overhead
Flapp'd on the banner of the dead;
(Was he asleep, or was he dead ?)

LADY ALICE

Alice the Queen, and Louise the Queen,
Two damzels wearing purple and green,
Four lone ladies dwelling here
From day to day and year to year;
And there is none to let us go;
To break the locks of the doors below,
Or shovel away the heaped-up snow;
And when we die no man will know
That we are dead; but they give us
leave,

Once every year on Christmas-eve,
To sing in the Closet Blue one song;
And we should be so long, so long,
If we dared, in singing; for dream on
dream,

They float on in a happy stream;
Float from the gold strings, float from
the keys

Float from the open'd lips of Louise : But, alas! the sea-salt oozes through The chinks of the tiles of the Closet

Blue;

And ever the great bell overhead
Booms in the wind a knell for the dead,
The wind plays on it a knell for the
dead.

THEY SING ALL TOGETHER

How long ago was it, how long ago, He came to this tower with hands full of snow?

"Kneel down, O love Louise, kneel down!" he said,

And sprinkled the dusty snow over my head.

He watch'd the snow melting, it ran through my hair,

Ran over my shoulders, white shoulders and bare.

"I cannot weep for thee, poor love Louise,

For my tears are all hidden deep under the seas;