Historical & Legendary Ballads & Songs By Walter Thornbury. Illustrated by J. Whistler, F. Walker, John Tenniel, J. D. Watson, W. Small, F. Sandys, G. J. Pinwell, T. Morten, M. J. Lawless, and many others |
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| I. | I. THE NIGHT REVIEW BEFORE AUSTERLITZ. |
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 | Historical & Legendary Ballads & Songs |  |
I. THE NIGHT REVIEW BEFORE AUSTERLITZ.
December dawn—through frosty fogs
The sun strove hard to shine,
A rolling of the muster drums
Was heard along the line;
In simple grey the Corporal
Rode with his head bent down,
More like a savan than the man
Who won an Emperor's crown.
The sun strove hard to shine,
A rolling of the muster drums
Was heard along the line;
In simple grey the Corporal
Rode with his head bent down,
More like a savan than the man
Who won an Emperor's crown.
He looked at Soult, and raised his hand,
And stood godlike upright,
Then all at once a silence fell
As deep and hushed as night.
Ten thousand faces turned at once—
Like flowers unto the sun—
Each gunner, with his lighted match,
Stood silent by his gun.
And stood godlike upright,
Then all at once a silence fell
As deep and hushed as night.
Ten thousand faces turned at once—
Like flowers unto the sun—
Each gunner, with his lighted match,
Stood silent by his gun.
“One year to-day, my sons, you placed
The crown upon my head.”
(We saw his coal-black eye was fired,
His yellow cheek grew red.)
“The Tartars yonder want to steal
That iron crown you gave,
And will you let them?” Tête de Dieu!
The shout the soldiers gave!
The crown upon my head.”
(We saw his coal-black eye was fired,
His yellow cheek grew red.)
“The Tartars yonder want to steal
That iron crown you gave,
And will you let them?” Tête de Dieu!
The shout the soldiers gave!
Six hundred cannon bellowed “No!”
The eagles waved—and then
There came the earthquake clamouring
Of a hundred thousand men.
In waves of sound the grenadiers
Cried “Vive l'Empereur!” at once,
And fires broke out along the line,
Like Lapland's midnight suns.
The eagles waved—and then
There came the earthquake clamouring
Of a hundred thousand men.
In waves of sound the grenadiers
Cried “Vive l'Empereur!” at once,
And fires broke out along the line,
Like Lapland's midnight suns.
“Soldiers, a thunderbolt must fall
Upon the Tartar's head,
Your Emperor will be this day
Victorious or dead.
My children, where the eagle flies
Is (who dare doubt it?) France;
To-day we'll light the bivouac fire
With Russia's broken lance.”
Upon the Tartar's head,
Your Emperor will be this day
Victorious or dead.
My children, where the eagle flies
Is (who dare doubt it?) France;
To-day we'll light the bivouac fire
With Russia's broken lance.”
A grizzled giant, old Daru,
Looked round him with a frown—
He wore upon his broad bull chest
The order of the “Crown.”
“To-morrow, sire, those Russian flags
In sheaves we hope to bring,
And lay them at our Emperor's feet,
A bouquet for a king.”
Looked round him with a frown—
He wore upon his broad bull chest
The order of the “Crown.”
“To-morrow, sire, those Russian flags
In sheaves we hope to bring,
And lay them at our Emperor's feet,
A bouquet for a king.”
| Historical & Legendary Ballads & Songs | |