Nor yet the restless crown had been In Percy's and in Neville's right, Who gave The rites of ancient piety To be triumphantly restored, By the stern justice of the sword! And that same Banner on whose breast And sunshine to a dangerous strife; It came; and Francis Norton said, "O Father! rise not in this fray, The hairs are white upon your head; Dear Father, hear me when I say It is for you too late a day! Bethink you of your own good name : A just and gracious queen have we, A pure religion, and the claim Of peace on our humanity. 'Tis meet that I endure your scorn; I am your son, your eldest born; But not for lordship or for land, My Father, do I clasp your knees; And live at home in blameless ease; Tumultuous noises filled the hall; And scarcely could the Father hear That name, Will cleave to this good cause and me." Thus, with his sons, when forth he came, The sight was hailed with loud acclaim, And din of arms and minstrelsy, From all his warlike tenantry, All horsed and harnessed with him to ride, A voice to which the hills replied! But Francis, in the vacant hall, Stood silent under dreary weight, – A phantasm, in which roof and wall Shook, tottered, swam before his sight; A phantasm like a dream of night! Thus overwhelmed, and desolate, He found his way to a postern-gate; And when he waked, his languid eye Was on the calm and silent sky, With air about him breathing sweet, And earth's green grass beneath his feet; Nor did he fail erelong to hear A sound of military cheer, Faint but it reached that sheltered spot; He heard, and it disturbed him not. There stood he, leaning on a lance Which he had grasped unknowingly, There stood he, cleansed from the despair The past he calmly hath reviewed: But where will be the fortitude Of this brave man, when he shall see Her head upon her lap, concealing This to himself, — and to the Maid, Whom now he had approached, he said: "Gone are they, they have their desire; And I with thee one hour will stay, To give thee comfort if I may." She heard, but looked not up, nor spake; And sorrow moved him to partake Her silence; then his thoughts turned round, And fervent words a passage found. "Gone are they, bravely, though misled; With a dear Father at their head! The Sons obey a natural lord; As at an innocent funeral. In deep and awful channel runs There were they all in circle, - there Stood Richard, Ambrose, Christopher, John with a sword that will not fail, And Marmaduke in fearless mail, And those bright Twins were side by side; And there, by fresh hopes beautified, Stood He, whose arm yet lacks the power Of man, our youngest, fairest flower! I, by the right of eldest born, And in a second father's place, Presumed to grapple with their scorn, And meet their pity face to face; Yea, trusting in God's holy aid, I to my Father knelt and prayed; And one, the pensive Marmaduke, Methought, was yielding inwardly, And would have laid his purpose by, But for a glance of his Father's eye, Which I myself could scarcely brook. "Then be we, each and all, forgiven! Thou, chiefly thou, my Sister dear, Whose pangs are registered in heaven, The stifled sigh, the hidden tear, And smiles, that dared to take their place, |