Whose blazoned armour gleams With lustre, that redeems Scores of the bale-fires false of passion Satan-sold. 4. Brave child! it is our prayer That thou may'st be the heir Of our Confessor's grave, our Black Knight's sword, His skill, who shaped our laws, Their zeal, who judged our cause At Cressy's fight, and Windsor's council-board. 5. Saints greet thee from the grave, Proud banners o'er thee wave, And thine each graven name, each sheathed blade, And waiting on thy wants, Heaven's viewless pursuivants Shall guide thee onward, strong and undismayed. 6. Edward of England! rise Up to thy destinies; Gird thee the soldier's duty to fulfil, Rise high in deed and thought, And when the fight is fought, Join them that have achieved their Captain's will. SONNET I. Contempt. Bold Pilgrim, hurry on-straight be thy ways; Walk on-the shifting clouds are nought to thee; SONNET II. Caution. Surely they erred, who rudely did assay Well had it been to view the tracery In its free outline-but, when meddlers snapt. We are apt Officiously to pull at hearts of men, Stripping quaint growths of venial prejudice Off the entangled thoughts; and what is this, Of breaking that away whereby the fabric stood. M. C. C. S. THE BATTLE OF THE KINGS. Amadis of Gaul, Book I. Chap. 9. King Perion lay in Baladin, besieged within the wall By Abies king of Ireland, who had slain the knights of Gaul; Right joyful was King Perion, when bold Agrayes came, And that brave young knight, the Child of the Sea, for none yet knew his name; And Perion took the Child straightway, and led him to the Queen ; "This is the knight I told ye of, the best I've ever seen." The Queen thanked him right lovingly, for saving Perion's life, * Little more has been attempted here, than to compress and versify the old romance, so far as may be, using its very words. Hence, many of the harshnesses and colloquialisms, which would otherwise have been eschewed. This is mentioned, not of course to disarm criticism, (which would be idle,) but because it seems but fair that in reading any thing, the principle of its construction, whether right or wrong, should at least be known. And Abies made an ambushment-and with the morning light, The townsmen stood upon the walls, and called "to arms, to arms," The Child encountered Galayn, and o'erthrew both man and horse, The Duke's leg brake-the Child's lance snapped-so bitter was the force; He seized his sword, and none could stand his blows so fierce and strong, Till sore beset, he could not move amid the crushing throng. Then through the throng Agrayes pressed, and his hard need relieved, And Perion succoured with his knights, whom Daganel received; And the armies mingled on the plain, like the blendings of the tide, And the Child shewed forth such chivalry, that none durst him abide. Then Daganel, who saw his host all scattered and astound, So the Norman and the Irish knights began to yield and fly, hour. The Galllic knights gave backward then when King Abies appeared, For he was the best knight of all, whom most of all they feared, And the battle had been quickly lost and the town gates had been passed, But forth Agrayes, and the Child, and King Perion pressed in haste. "Sirs," said the Child, "bestir yourselves, your honour to maintain, For Galayn and proud Daganel are numbered with the slain”— Outspoke a knight to Abies then, "Sire, in the front he fights, "That maiden knight on the milk-white steed-'tis he who slew thy knights." King Abies spurred him up in wrath, and to the Child he said, "The men I loved of all the world through thee are lying dead; "Bring on thy men-for this day's work thou dearly shalt abide." "Nay-ye are many-we are few and spent," the Child replied. "Our lives perchance ye may destroy-no honour can ye take, "But if thou'lt shew thy hardiness for thy dead companions' sake, "Choose out a band of whom thou wilt, and I will do the same, "And let us meet in equal fight for safety and for fame." "Let it be so," said Abies then; "how many wilt thou have?" "Since 'tis for me to choose," said he, "no other will I crave: "I am thine enemy-thou mine-let us two try the fray"No other blood, but of us twain, shall now be shed to-day." "Nay, not to-day," the King replied, "thou'rt weary, and must rest "The sun hath set-the light wanes fast-thy wounds must needs be dressed: "Let me not slay a worn-out foe-to-morrow we will fight "Till then I wish thee health and strength, the more to prove my might." |