 | Ballads and Other Poems |  |
VI. PART VI.
How Willie o' Wyburn becomes a Man, and is sent for to London.
As Willie o' Wyburn grew a man
More learnëd still was he;
He had more books in his forest-lodge
Than the monks at Elverslie.
More learnëd still was he;
He had more books in his forest-lodge
Than the monks at Elverslie.
149
Latin he had, and he had Greek,
And wondrous scrolls indeed,
All written over with letters strange
That none but he could read.
And wondrous scrolls indeed,
All written over with letters strange
That none but he could read.
And Willie he knew all metals,
And the virtues to them given;
He knew the names of rocks and stones,
And of the stars in heaven.
And the virtues to them given;
He knew the names of rocks and stones,
And of the stars in heaven.
There were no trees upon the hill,
No flowers within the dell,
But Willie had read and written of them,
And all their names could tell.
No flowers within the dell,
But Willie had read and written of them,
And all their names could tell.
He knew what the lightnings were; he knew
How the wingëd winds career;
The nature of sun and moon he knew,
And the changes of the year.
How the wingëd winds career;
The nature of sun and moon he knew,
And the changes of the year.
There was no book, however wise,
But he had read it through;
And the darkest things in philosophy
To him were easy too.
But he had read it through;
150
To him were easy too.
But Willie was more than wise, for he
Was meek, and kind, and good;
And the Christian's blessed law of love
He chiefest understood.
Was meek, and kind, and good;
And the Christian's blessed law of love
He chiefest understood.
He was a brother to the poor,
Their friend beloved, their guide;
And the merry children left their sports,
To wander at his side.
Their friend beloved, their guide;
And the merry children left their sports,
To wander at his side.
And Willie o' Wyburn's mother,
Oh, who was glad as she!
And who had joy in his learning
Like the monk of Elverslie!
Oh, who was glad as she!
And who had joy in his learning
Like the monk of Elverslie!
“For thy Latin is pure,” the monk he said,
“Thy Greek withouten fault;
Thou art a scholar as good as I,
By whom this lore was taught!”
“Thy Greek withouten fault;
Thou art a scholar as good as I,
By whom this lore was taught!”
151
Now, Willie read, and Willie wrote,
And afar his name was known,
Till the fame of his learning came, at last,
To the king upon his throne.
And afar his name was known,
Till the fame of his learning came, at last,
To the king upon his throne.
And he sent for Willie o' Wyburn
All up to London town,
To see if, indeed, his learning
Could equal his renown.
All up to London town,
To see if, indeed, his learning
Could equal his renown.
King Henry sate upon his throne,
With his wise men around;
Seven bishops and ten priests there were,
Of learning most profound.
With his wise men around;
Seven bishops and ten priests there were,
Of learning most profound.
And there the queen sate smiling,
Her fan within her hand;
With twenty fair young ladies,
The noblest in the land.
Her fan within her hand;
With twenty fair young ladies,
The noblest in the land.
And all were wondrous merry,
As they stood round about;
For they thought their witty beauty
Would put his learning out,
As they stood round about;
152
Would put his learning out,
But when they looked upon him,
With his pale and noble face;
And saw his quick discerning eye,
His youthful, reverend grace;
With his pale and noble face;
And saw his quick discerning eye,
His youthful, reverend grace;
Straightway their mirth was ended,
Their jesting all was o'er;
And, when he spoke, his lofty speech
Amazëd them the more.
Their jesting all was o'er;
And, when he spoke, his lofty speech
Amazëd them the more.
His voice was low and sweetly toned,
Like a bird's song on the bough;
And every bishop at the court
His learning did allow.
Like a bird's song on the bough;
And every bishop at the court
His learning did allow.
“Now, by my faith,” King Henry said,
“I ne'er heard learning rare,
I ne'er heard learning in my days,
That might with thine compare.
“I ne'er heard learning rare,
I ne'er heard learning in my days,
That might with thine compare.
153
“I wish, by my soul, this very day,
So wish I, by my fee,
That I was a little child again,
To get my lore from thee!”
So wish I, by my fee,
That I was a little child again,
To get my lore from thee!”
He took a chain from off his neck,
And a book that lay by his side,
Saying, “Take thou these, a gift from me,
And the good saints be thy guide!”
And a book that lay by his side,
Saying, “Take thou these, a gift from me,
And the good saints be thy guide!”
The queen took a ring from off her hand,
The fairest ring she wore,
Saying, “Wear thou this, for lore I love
As I ne'er loved it before!”
The fairest ring she wore,
Saying, “Wear thou this, for lore I love
As I ne'er loved it before!”
Upon his knee bent Willie, and took
The ring, the book, the chain,
And said, “By your leave, my lieges,
I'll to my home again.”
The ring, the book, the chain,
And said, “By your leave, my lieges,
I'll to my home again.”
“Nay,” said the king, “thou shalt not go
Without a gift from me,
A gift for thine alma mater,
The house of Elverslie!”
Without a gift from me,
154
The house of Elverslie!”
He bade them make a chalice of gold,
The best his smith could make,
And round it was graved, in Latin,
“For William of Wyburn's sake.”
The best his smith could make,
And round it was graved, in Latin,
“For William of Wyburn's sake.”
And so lived Willie o' Wyburn,
Beloved wherever he came:
His minstrel friend did write this lay
In honour of his name.
Beloved wherever he came:
His minstrel friend did write this lay
In honour of his name.
The king is great upon his throne,
The canon in his stall;
But a right good man, like Wyburn Willie,
Is greater than they all.
The canon in his stall;
But a right good man, like Wyburn Willie,
Is greater than they all.
| Ballads and Other Poems | |