That flow strewed wrecks about the grass, To manye more than myne and mee; I shall never hear her more Where the sunny Lindis floweth, From the meads where melick groweth, I shall never see her more Where the reeds and rushes quiver, Stand beside the sobbing river, I shall never hear her calling, Quit your cowslips, cowslips yellow; Come uppe, Whitefoot, come uppe, Lightfoot; Hollow, hollow; Come uppe, Lightfoot, rise and follow; Lightfoot, Whitefoot, From your clovers lift the head; Jean Ingelow [1820-1897] THE SKELETON IN ARMOR Why dost thou haunt me?" Then, from those cavernous eyes Came a dull voice of woe From the heart's chamber. "I was a Viking old! My deeds, though manifold, No Saga taught thee! "Far in the Northern Land, By the wild Baltic's strand, I, with my childish hand, Tamed the gerfalcon; And, with my skates fast-bound, Skimmed the half-frozen Sound, That the poor whimpering hound Trembled to walk on. "Oft to his frozen lair Tracked I the grisly bear, While from my path the hare Fled like a shadow; Oft through the forest dark Followed the were-wolf's bark, Until the soaring lark Sang from the meadow. "But when I older grew, Wild was the life we led; "Many a wassail-bout As we the Berserk's tale "Once as I told in glee And as the white stars shine "I wooed the blue-eyed maid, Yielding, yet half afraid, And in the forest's shade Our vows were plighted. Under its loosened vest By the hawk frighted. "Bright in her father's hall When of old Hildebrand I asked his daughter's hand, "While the brown ale he quaffed, So the loud laugh of scorn, "She was a Prince's child, I but a Viking wild, And though she blushed and smiled, I was discarded! Should not the dove so white Follow the sea-mew's flight, Why did they leave that night "Scarce had I put to sea, Bearing the maid with me, Fairest of all was she Among the Norsemen! When on the white sea-strand, Waving his armèd hand, Saw we old Hildebrand, With twenty horsemen. "Then launched they to the blast, Bent like a reed each mast, Yet we were gaining fast, When the wind failed us; And with a sudden flaw So that our foe we saw Laugh as he hailed us. "And as to catch the gale Round veered the flapping sail, 'Death!' was the helmsman's hail, 'Death without quarter!' Mid-ships with iron keel Struck we her ribs of steel; Down her black hulk did reel "As with his wings aslant, Through the wild hurricane, Bore I the maiden. "Three weeks we westward bore, And when the storm was o'er, Cloud-like we saw the shore Stretching to leeward; There for my lady's bower Which, to this very hour, Stands looking seaward. "There lived we many years; Time dried the maiden's tears; She had forgot her fears, She was a mother; Death closed her mild blue eyes, Under that tower she lies; Ne'er shall the sun arise On such another! |