Complete Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Page 46
Give back — and let a little love
O’erwatch his weary daughter!”
The river floweth on.
XXIII.
“Give back!” she hath departed —
The word is wandering with her;
And the stricken maidens hear afar
The step and cry together.
Frail symbols? None are frail enow
For mortal joys to borrow! —
While bright doth float Nuleeni’s boat,
She weepeth dark with sorrow.
The river floweth on.
RHYME OF THE DUCHESS MAY.
I.
To the belfry, one by one, went the ringers from the sun,
Toll slowly.
And the oldest ringer said, “Ours is music for the dead
When the rebecks are all done.”
II.
Six abeles i’ the churchyard grow on the north side in a row,
Toll slowly.
And the shadows of their tops rock across the little slopes
Of the grassy graves below.
III.
On the south side and the west a small river runs in haste,
Toll slowly.
And, between the river flowing and the fair green trees a-growing,
Do the dead lie at their rest.
IV.
On the east I sate that day, up against a willow grey:
Toll slowly.
Through the rain of willow-branches I could see the low hill-ranges
And the river on its way.
V.
There I sate beneath the tree, and the bell tolled solemnly,
Toll slowly.
While the trees’ and river’s voices flowed between the solemn noises, —
Yet death seemed more loud to me.
VI.
There I read this ancient rhyme while the bell did all the time
Toll slowly.
And the solemn knell fell in with the tale of life and sin,
Like a rhythmic fate sublime.
THE RHYME.
I.
Broad the forests stood (I read) on the hills of Linteged,
Toll slowly.
And three hundred years had stood mute adown each hoary wood,
Like a full heart having prayed.
II.
And the little birds sang east, and the little birds sang west,
Toll slowly.
And but little thought was theirs of the silent antique years,
In the building of their nest.
III.
Down the sun dropt large and red on the towers of Linteged, —
Toll slowly.
Lance and spear upon the height, bristling strange in fiery light,
While the castle stood in shade.
IV.
There the castle stood up black with the red sun at its back —
Toll slowly —
Like a sullen smouldering pyre with a top that flickers fire
When the wind is on its track.
V.
And five hundred archers tall did besiege the castle wall —
Toll slowly.
And the castle, seethed in blood, fourteen days and nights had stood
And to-night was near its fall.
VI.
Yet thereunto, blind to doom, three months since, a bride did come —
Toll slowly.
One who proudly trod the floors and softly whispered in the doors,
“May good angels bless our home.”
VII.
Oh, a bride of queenly eyes, with a front of constancies:
Toll slowly.
Oh, a bride of cordial mouth where the untired smile of youth
Did light outward its own sighs!
VIII.
‘T was a Duke’s fair orphan-girl, and her uncle’s ward — the Earl —
Toll slowly.
Who betrothed her twelve years old, for the sake of dowry gold,
To his son Lord Leigh the churl.
IX.
But what time she had made good all her years of womanhood —
Toll slowly.
Unto both these lords of Leigh spake she out right sovranly,
“My will runneth as my blood.
X.
“And while this same blood makes red this same right hand’s veins,”
she said —
Toll slowly —
“‘T is my will, as lady free, not to wed a lord of Leigh,
But Sir Guy of Linteged.”
XI.
The old Earl he smiled smooth, then he sighed for wilful youth —
Toll slowly.
“Good my niece, that hand withal looketh somewhat soft and small
For so large a will, in sooth.”
XII.
She too smiled by that same sign, but her smile was cold and fine —
Toll slowly.
“Little hand clasps muckle gold, or it were not worth the hold
Of thy son, good uncle mine!”
XIII.
Then the young lord jerked his breath, and sware thickly in his teeth —
Toll slowly —
“He would wed his own betrothed, an she loved him an she loathed,
Let the life come or the death.”
XIV.
Up she rose with scornful eyes, as her father’s child might rise —
Toll slowly.
“Thy hound’s blood, my lord of Leigh, stains thy knightly heel,”
quoth she,
“And he moans not where he lies:
XV.
“But a woman’s will dies hard, in the hall or on the sward” —
Toll slowly.
“By that grave, my lords, which made me orphaned girl and dowered lady,
I deny you wife and ward!”
XVI.
Unto each she bowed her head and swept past with lofty tread.
Toll slowly.
Ere the midnight-bell had ceased, in the chapel had the priest
Blessed her, bride of Linteged.
XVII.
Fast and fain the bridal train along the night-storm rode amain —
Toll slowly.
Hard the steeds of lord and serf struck their hoofs out on the turf,
In the pauses of the rain.
XVIII.
Fast and fain the kinsmen’s train along the storm pursued amain —
Toll slowly.
Steed on steed-track, dashing off, — thickening, doubling, hoof on hoof,
In the pauses of the rain.
XIX.
And the bridegroom led the flight on his red-roan steed of might —
Toll slowly.
And the bride lay on his arm, still, as if she feared no harm,
Smiling out into the night.
XX.
“Dost thou fear?” he said at last. “Nay,” she answered him in haste, —
Toll slowly.
“Not such death as we could find — only life with one behind.
Ride on fast as fear, ride fast!”
XXI.
Up the mountain wheeled the steed — girth to ground, and fetlocks
spread —
Toll slowly.
Headlong bounds, and rocking flanks, — down he staggered, down the
banks,
To the towers of Linteged.
XXII.
High and low the serfs looked out, red the flambeaus tossed about —
Toll slowly.
In the courtyard rose the cry, “Live the Duchess and Sir Guy!”
But she never heard them shout.
XXIII.
On the steed she dropped her cheek, kissed his mane and kissed his
neck —
Toll slowly.
“I had happier died by thee than lived on, a Lady Leigh,”
Were the first words she did speak.
XXIV.
But a three months’ joyaunce lay ‘twixt that moment and to-day �
��
Toll slowly.
When five hundred archers tall stand beside the castle wall
To recapture Duchess May.
XXV.
And the castle standeth black with the red sun at its back —
Toll slowly.
And a fortnight’s siege is done, and, except the duchess, none
Can misdoubt the coming wrack.
XXVI.
Then the captain, young Lord Leigh, with his eyes so grey of blee —
Toll slowly.
And thin lips that scarcely sheath the cold white gnashing of his
teeth,
Gnashed in smiling, absently, —
XXVII.
Cried aloud, “So goes the day, bridegroom fair of Duchess May!”
Toll slowly.
“Look thy last upon that sun! if thou seest to-morrow’s one
‘T will be through a foot of clay.
XXVIII.
“Ha, fair bride! dost hear no sound save that moaning of the hound?”
Toll slowly.
“Thou and I have parted troth, yet I keep my vengeance-oath,
And the other may come round.
XXIX.
“Ha! thy will is brave to dare, and thy new love past compare” —
Toll slowly.
“Yet thine old love’s falchion brave is as strong a thing to have,
As the will of lady fair.
XXX.
“Peck on blindly, netted dove! If a wife’s name thee behove” —
Toll slowly —
“Thou shalt wear the same to-morrow, ere the grave has hid the sorrow
Of thy last ill-mated love.
XXXI.
“O’er his fixed and silent mouth, thou and I will call back troth”:
Toll slowly.
“He shall altar be and priest, — and he will not cry at least
‘I forbid you, I am loth!’
XXXII.
“I will wring thy fingers pale in the gauntlet of my mail”:
Toll slowly.
“‘Little hand and muckle gold’ close shall lie within my hold,
As the sword did, to prevail.”
XXXIII.
Oh, the little birds sang east, and the little birds sang west —
Toll slowly.
Oh, and laughed the Duchess May, and her soul did put away
All his boasting, for a jest.
XXXIV.
In her chamber did she sit, laughing low to think of it, —
Toll slowly.
“Tower is strong and will is free: thou canst boast, my lord of Leigh,
But thou boastest little wit.”
XXXV.
In her tire-glass gazed she, and she blushed right womanly —
Toll slowly.
She blushed half from her disdain, half her beauty was so plain,
— “Oath for oath, my lord of Leigh!”
XXXVI.
Straight she called her maidens in— “Since ye gave me blame herein” —
Toll slowly —
“That a bridal such as mine should lack gauds to make it fine,
Come and shrive me from that sin.
XXXVII.
“It is three months gone to-day since I gave mine hand away”:
Toll slowly.
“Bring the gold and bring the gem, we will keep bride-state in them,
While we keep the foe at bay.
XXXVIII.
“On your arms I loose mine hair; comb it smooth and crown it fair”:
Toll slowly.
“I would look in purple pall from this lattice down the wall,
And throw scorn to one that’s there!”
XXXIX.
Oh, the little birds sang east, and the little birds sang west —
Toll slowly.
On the tower the castle’s lord leant in silence on his sword,
With an anguish in his breast.
XL.
With a spirit-laden weight did he lean down passionate:
Toll slowly.
They have almost sapped the wall, — they will enter therewithal
With no knocking at the gate.
XLI.
Then the sword he leant upon, shivered, snapped upon the stone —
Toll slowly.
“Sword,” he thought, with inward laugh, “ill thou servest for a staff
When thy nobler use is done!
XLII.
“Sword, thy nobler use is done! tower is lost, and shame begun!” —
Toll slowly.
“If we met them in the breach, hilt to hilt or speech to speech,
We should die there, each for one.
XLIII.
“If we met them at the wall, we should singly, vainly fall” —
Toll slowly.
“But if I die here alone, — then I die who am but one,
And die nobly for them all.
XLIV.
“Five true friends lie for my sake in the moat and in the brake” —
Toll slowly.
“Thirteen warriors lie at rest with a black wound in the breast,
And not one of these will wake.
XLV.
“So, no more of this shall be! heart-blood weighs too heavily” —
Toll slowly.
“And I could not sleep in grave, with the faithful and the brave
Heaped around and over me.
XLVI.
“Since young Clare a mother hath, and young Ralph a plighted faith” —
Toll slowly.
“Since my pale young sister’s cheeks blush like rose when Ronald
speaks,
Albeit never a word she saith —
XLVII.
“These shall never die for me: life-blood falls too heavily”:
Toll slowly.
“And if I die here apart, o’er my dead and silent heart
They shall pass out safe and free.
XLVIII.
“When the foe hath heard it said— ‘Death holds Guy of Linteged’” —
Toll slowly.
“That new corse new peace shall bring, and a blessed, blessed thing
Shall the stone be at its head.
XLIX.
“Then my friends shall pass out free, and shall bear my memory” —
Toll slowly.
“Then my foes shall sleek their pride, soothing fair my widowed bride
Whose sole sin was love of me:
L.
“With their words all smooth and sweet, they will front her and
entreat” —
Toll slowly.
“And their purple pall will spread underneath her fainting head
While her tears drop over it.
LI.
“She will weep her woman’s tears, she will pray her woman’s prayers” —
Toll slowly.
“But her heart is young in pain, and her hopes will spring again
By the suntime of her years.
LII.
“Ah, sweet May! ah, sweetest grief! — once I vowed thee my belief” —
Toll slowly —
“That thy name expressed thy sweetness, — May of poets, in completeness!
Now my May-day seemeth brief.”
LIII.
All these silent thoughts did swim o’er his eyes grown strange and
dim —
Toll slowly.
Till his true men, in the place, wished they stood there face to face
With the foe instead of him.
LIV.
“One last oath, my friends that wear faithful hearts to do and dare!”
Toll slowly.
“Tower must fall and bride be lost — swear me service worth the cost!”
Bold they stood around to swear.
LV.
“Each man clasp my hand and swear by the deed we failed in there” —
Toll slowly.
“Not for vengeance, not for right, will y
e strike one blow to-night!”
Pale they stood around to swear.
LVI.
“One last boon, young Ralph and Clare! faithful hearts to do and dare!”
Toll slowly.
“Bring that steed up from his stall, which she kissed before you all.
Guide him up the turret-stair.
LVII.
“Ye shall harness him aright, and lead upward to this height:”
Toll slowly.
“Once in love and twice in war hath he borne me strong and far:
He shall bear me far to-night.”
LVIII.
Then his men looked to and fro, when they heard him speaking so —
Toll slowly.
“‘Las! the noble heart,” they thought, “he in sooth is grief-
distraught:
Would we stood here with the foe!”
LIX.
But a fire flashed from his eye, ‘twixt their thought and their reply —
Toll slowly.
“Have ye so much time to waste? We who ride here, must ride fast