THE COMPLETE POETICAL WORKS OF SIR WALTER SCOTT. Walter Scott

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СКАЧАТЬ Avoid defeat, and death, and shame.”

       XXXI

      Ill could the haughty Dacre brook

       His brother Warden’s sage rebuke;

       And yet his forward step he stay’d,

       And slow and sullenly obey’d.

       But ne’er again the Border side

       Did these two lords in friendship ride;

       And this slight discontent, men say,

       Cost blood upon another day.

       XXXII

      The pursuivant-at-arms again

       Before the castle took his stand;

       His trumpet call’d, with parleying strain

       The leaders of the Scottish band;

       And he defied in Musgrave’s right,

       Stout Deloraine to single fight;

       A gauntlet at their feet he laid,

       And thus the terms of fight he said:

       “If in the lists good Musgrave’s sword

       Vanquish the Knight of Deloraine,

       Your youthful chieftain, Branksome’s Lord

       Shall hostage for his clan remain:

       If Deloraine foil good Musgrave,

       The boy his liberty shall have.

       Howe’er it falls the English band,

       Unharming Scots, by Scots unharm’d,

       In peaceful march, like men unarm’d,

       Shall straight retreat to Cumberland.”

       XXXIII

      Unconscious of the near relief

       The proffer pleased each Scottish chief,

       Though much the Ladye sage gainsay’d;

       For though their hearts were brave and true,

       From Jedwood’s recent sack they knew

       How tardy was the Regent’s aid:

       And you may guess the noble Dame

       Durst not the secret prescience own,

       Sprung from the art she might not name,

       By which the coming help was known.

       Clos’d was the compact, and agreed

       That lists should be enclos’d with speed,

       Beneath the castle, on a lawn:

       They fix’d the morrow for the strife,

       On foot, with Scottish axe and knife,

       At the fourth hour from peep of dawn;

       When Deloraine, from sickness freed,

       Or else a champion in his stead,

       Should for himself and chieftain stand

       Against stout Musgrave, hand to hand.

       XIV

      I know right well, that, in their lay,

       Full many minstrels sing and say,

       Such combat should be made on horse,

       On foaming steed, in full career,

       With brand to aid, when as the spear

       Should shiver in the course:

       But he, the jovial Harper, taught

       Me, yet a youth, how it was fought,

       In guise which now I say;

       He knew each ordinance and clause

       Of Black Lord Archibald s battle-laws,

       In the old Douglas’ day.

       He brook’d not, he, that scoffing tongue

       Should tax his minstrelsy with wrong,

       Or call his song untrue:

       For this, when they the goblet plied,

       And such rude taunt had chaf’d his pride,

       The Bard of Reull he slew.

       On Teviot’s side, in fight they stood,

       And tuneful hands were stain’d with blood;

       Where still the thorn’s white branches wave,

       Memorial o’er his rival’s grave.

       XXXV

      Why should I tell the rigid doom

       That dragg’d my master to his tomb;

       How Ousenam’s maidens tore their hair

       Wept till their eyes were dead and dim

       And wrung their hands for love of him

       Who died at Jedwood Air?

       He died! his scholars, one by one,

       To the cold silent grave are gone;

       And I, alas! survive alone,

       To muse o’er rivalries of yore,

       And grieve that I shall hear no more

       The strains, with envy heard before;

       For, with my minstrel brethren fled,

       My jealousy of song is dead.

       He paused: the listening dames again

       Applaud the hoary Minstrel’s strain.

       With many a word of kindly cheer,

       In pity half, and half sincere,

       Marvell’d the Duchess how so well

       His legendary song could tell

       Of ancient deeds, so long forgot;

       Of feuds, whose memory was not;

       Of forests, СКАЧАТЬ