Sculptured, and deckt in slowly-waning | Of Old King Lot and good Queen Bellicent, (hues. And victor of the bridges and the ford, And knight of Arthur, here lie thrown by (whom 'Sir Knave, my knight, a hermit once was (here, Whose holy hand hath fashion'd on the rock The war of Time against the soul of man. And yon four fools have suck'd their alle(gory From these damp walls, and taken but the (form. Know ye not these?' and Gareth lookt and (read In letters like to those the vexillary Hath left crag-carven o'er the streaming (Gelt 'PHOSPHORUS,' then 'MEREDIES'-'HESPE(RUS' 'Nox'-'MORS,' beneath five figures, armed (men. Slab after slab, their faces forward all, And running down the Soul, a Shape that (fled With broken wings, torn raiment and loose (hair, For help and shelter to the hermit's cave, Follow the faces, and we find it. Look, Who comes behind? For one-delay'd at'first Thro' helping back the dislocated Kay ToCamelot,then by what thereafter chanced, The damsel's headlong error thro' the (wood Sir Lancelot, having swum the river-loops His blue shield-lions cover'd-softly drew Behind the twain, and when he saw the star Gleam, on Sir Gareth's turning to him cried, 'Stay, felon knight, I avenge me for my (friend.' And Gareth crying prick'd against the cry: But when they closed-in a moment-at (one touch Of that skill'd spear, the wonder of the (world Went sliding down so easily, and fell, That when he found the grass within his (hands He laugh'd; the laughter jarr'd upon Ly(nette: Harshly she ask'd him, 'Shamed and over(thrown, And tumbled back into the kitchen-knave, Why laugh ye? that ye blew your boast in (vain ? 'Nay, noble damsel, but that I, the son I know not, all thro' mere unhappiness- O Gareth-thro' the mere unhappiness Then Gareth, 'Thou-Lancelot!-thine (the hand That threw me? And some chance to mar (the boast Thy brethren of thee make-which could (not chance Had sent thee down before a lesser spear, Shamed had I been and sad-O Lancelot(thou!' Whereat the maiden, petulant, 'Lancelot, Why came ye not, when call'd? and where(fore now Come ye, not call'd? I gloried in my knave, if The marvel dies, and leaves me fool'd and (trick'd, And only wondering wherefore play'd upon: Where should be truth if not inArthur's hall, And doubtful whether I and mine be scorn'd. InArthur's presence? Knight, knave prince (and fool, I hate thee and for ever.' And Lancelot said, 'Blessed be thou,Sir Gareth! knight art thou To the King's best wish. O damsel, beye wise To call him shamed, who is but overthrown? Thrown have I been, nor once, but many a (time. Victor from vanquish'd issues at the last, And overthrower from being overthrown. With sword we have not striven; and thy (good horse And thou are weary; yet not less I felt Thy manhood thro' that wearied lance of (thine. Well hast thou done; for all the stream is (freed, And thou hast wreak'd his justice on his (foes, And when reviled, hast answer'd graciously, And makest merry, when overthrown. Prin(ce, Knight, Hail, Knight and Prince, and of our Table (Round!' And then when turning to Lynette he told The tale of Gareth, petulantly she said, 'Ay well-ay well-for worse than being (fool'd Of others, is to fool one's self. A cave, And forage for the horse, and flint for fire. Sir Gareth drank and ate, and all his life Past into sleep; on whom the maiden gazed. 'Sound sleep be thine! sound cause to sleep (hast thou. Wake lusty! Seem I not as tender to him In the hush'd night, as if the world were (one Of utter peace, and love, and gentleness! O Lancelot, Lancelot'-and she clapt her (hands 'Full merry am I to find my goodly knave Is knight and noble. See now, sworn have I, Else yon black felon had not let me pass, To bring thee back to do the battle with him. Thus an thou goest, he will fight thee first; Who doubts thee victor? so will my knight(knave Miss the full flower of this accomplish(ment.' Said Lancelet, 'Peradventure he, ye name, May know my shield. Let Gareth, an he (will, Change his for mine, and take my charger, (fresh, Not to be spurr'd, loving the battle as well As he that rides him." Lancelot-like,' she (said, 'Courteous in this, Lord Lancelot, as in all.' And Gareth, wakening fiercely clutch'd (the shield; 'Ramp ye lance-splintering lions, on whom (all spears Are rotten sticks! ye seem agape to roar! Silent the silent field They traversed. Arthur's harp tho' summer(wan, In counter motion to the clouds, allured The glance of Gareth dreaming on his liege. A star shot: 'Lo,' said Gareth, the foe falls!' An owl whoopt: 'Hark the victor pealing (there!' Suddenly she that rode upon his left Clung to the shield that Lancelot lent him, (crying, 'Yield, yield him this again: 'tis he must (fight: I curse the tongue that all thro' yesterday Reviled thee, and hath wrought on Lancelot (now To lend thee horse and shield: wonders ye (have done; Miracles ye cannot here is glory enow In having flung the three: I see the maim'd, Mangled: I swear thou canst not fling the (fourth.' 'And wherefore, damsel? tell me all ye (know. Ye cannot scare me ; nor rough face, or voice, Brute bulk of limb, or boundless savagery Appal me from the quest.' Nay, Prince,' she cried, 'God wot, I never look'd upon the face, Seeing he never rides abroad by day; But watch'd him have I like a phantom pass Chilling the night: nor have I heard the (voice. Always he made his mouthpiece of a page Who came and went, and still reported him As closing in himself the strength of ten, And when his anger tare him, massacring Man, woman, lad and girl- yea, the soft babe! Some hold that he hath swallow'd infant (flesh, Monster! O prince, I went for Lancelot first, The quest is Lancelot's: give him back the (shield.' Said Gareth laughing, 'An he fight for this, Belike he wins it as the better man: Thus-and not else?' But Lancelot on him urged All the devisings of their chivalry Where one might meet a mightier than (himself; How best to manage horse, lance, sword (and shield, And so fill up the gap where force might fail With skill and fineness. Instant were his (words... Then Gareth, 'Here be rules. I know but (one To dash against mine enemy and to win. Yet have I watch'd thee victor in the joust, And seen thy way' 'Heaven help thee,' (sigh'd Lynette. Then for a space, and under cloud that (grew To thunder-gloom palling all stars, they (rode In converse till she made her palfrey halt, Beside it hanging; which Sir Gareth graspt, Echo'd the walls; a light twinkled; anon Came lights and lights, and once again he (blew; Whereon were hollow tramplings up and (down And muffled voice heard, and shadows past; Till high above him, circled with her maids, The Lady Lyonors at a window stood, Beautiful among lights, and waving to him White hands, and courtesy; but when the (Prince Three times had blown-after long hush(at last The huge pavilion slowly yielded up, Thro' those black foldings, that which (housed there in. High on a nightblack horse, in nightblack (arms, With white breast-bone, and barren ribs of (Death, And crown'd with fleshless laughter-some In the half light-thro' the dim dawn(ten steps(advanced The monster, and then paused, and spake (no word. But Gareth spake and all indignantly, 'Fool, for thou hast, men say, the strength (of ten, Canst thou not trust the limbs thy God (hath given, But must, to make the terror of thee more, Less dull than thou, will hide with man(tling flowers As if for pity? But he spake no word; Which set the horror higher: a maiden The Lady Lyonors wrung her hands and (swoon'd; (wept, As doom'd to be the bride of Night and (Death; Sir Gareth's head prickled beneath his helm; And ev'n Sir Lancelot thro' his warm blood (felt Ice strike, and all that mark'd him were (aghast... At once Sir Lancelot's charger fiercely (neigh❜d At once the black horse bounded forward (with him. Then those that did not blink the terror,saw That Death was cast to ground, and slowly (rose. But with one stroke Sir Gareth split the (skull. Half fell to right and half to left and lay. Then with a stronger buffet he clove the (helm As throughly as the skull; and out from this Slay me not: my three brethren bad me do it, Answer'd Sir Gareth graciously to one What madness made thee challenge the (chief knight Of Arthur's hall?' 'Fair Sir, they bad me (do it. They hate the King, and Lancelot, the King's (friend, They hoped to slay him somewhere on the (stream, They never dream'd the passes could be (past.' Then sprang the happier day from under(ground; And Lady Lyonors and her house, with (dance And revel and song, made merry over Death, And he that told the tale in older times Says that Sir Gareth wedded Lyonors, But he, that told it later, says Lynette. GERAINT AND ENID. THE brave Geraint, a knight of Arthur's (court, A tributary prince of Devon one Of that great order of the Table Round, And as the light of Heaven varies, now To make her beauty vary day by day, Grateful to Prince Geraint for service done, Loved her, and often with her own white (hands Array'd and deck'd her, as the loveliest, Next after her own self, in all the court. And Enid loved the Queen, and with true (heart Adored her, as the stateliest and the best And loveliest of all women upon earth. And seeing them so tender and so close, Long in their common love rejoiced Geraint. The world's loud whispher breaking into (storm, Not less Geraint believed it; and there fell Assassins, and all flyers from the hand To cleanse this common sewer of all his (realm, He craved a fair permission to depart, Of Severn, and they past to their own land; This too the women who attired her head, Suspicious that her nature had a taint. At last, it chanced that on a summer morn (They sleeping each by either) the new sun Beat thro' the blindless casement of the (room, And heated the strong warrior in his dreams; As slopes a wild brook o'er a little stone, "O noble breast and all-puissant arms, Am I the cause, I the poor cause that men Reproach you, saying all your force is gone? I am the cause because I dare not speak And tell him what I think and what they (say. And yet I hate that he should linger here; At caitiffs and at wrongers of the world. Than that my lord thro' me should suffer (shame Am I so bold, and could I so stand by, And see my dear lord wounded in the strife, Or maybe pierced to death before mine eyes, And yet not dare to tell him what I think, And how men slur him, saying all his foree Is melted into mere effeminacy? O me, I fear that I am no true wife." Half inwardly, half audibly she spoke, And the strong passion in her made her weep True tears upon his broad and naked breast, And these awoke him, and by great mis(chance He heard but fragments of her later words, And that she fear'd she was not a true wife. And then he thought, In spite of all my (care, For all my pains, poor man, for all my pains, She is not faithful to me, and I see her Weeping for some gay knight in Arthur's (hall," Then tho' he loved and reverenced her too (much To dream she could be guilty of foul act, Right thro' his manful breast darted the (pang That makes a man, in the sweet face of her Whom he loves most, lonely and miserable. At this he hurl'd his huge limbs out of bed, And shook his drowsy squire awake and (cried, "My charger and her palfrey," ten to her, And moving toward a cedarn cabinet, She took them, and array'd herself therein, And all her foolish fears about the dress, Held court at old Caerleon upon Usk. Then the good king gave order to let blow |