The Works of The Ettrick Shepherd Centenary Edition. With a Memoir of the Author, by the Rev. Thomas Thomson ... Poems and Life. With Many Illustrative Engravings [by James Hogg] |
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 | The Works of The Ettrick Shepherd |  |
The king grinn'd in derision proud,
And shook his beard, and said aloud—
“Thou say'st? Then, shall my champions be
Men not endow'd to cope with me
In maiden's love? Of monstrous form,
I've plenty, thanks to clime and storm,
That are, for all their spurious brood,
A match for aught of Albyn's blood.
But, carping wizard as thou art!
Com'st thou again to act a part
Of wheedling fraud, to chant and chime,
And gain a blink of loathsome time?
To practise some unholy scheme,
Some low and servile stratagem?
I say it boldly to thy face—
There is no chief of Albyn's race
Dares for his soul presume to stand
And brave again this deadly brand
Thou know'st it, churl, as well as I.
Vile Christian! I thy power defy!
Thee and thy gods I hold as dust,
And in this arm and Odin's trust.”
And shook his beard, and said aloud—
“Thou say'st? Then, shall my champions be
Men not endow'd to cope with me
In maiden's love? Of monstrous form,
I've plenty, thanks to clime and storm,
That are, for all their spurious brood,
A match for aught of Albyn's blood.
But, carping wizard as thou art!
Com'st thou again to act a part
Of wheedling fraud, to chant and chime,
And gain a blink of loathsome time?
To practise some unholy scheme,
Some low and servile stratagem?
I say it boldly to thy face—
There is no chief of Albyn's race
Dares for his soul presume to stand
And brave again this deadly brand
Thou know'st it, churl, as well as I.
Vile Christian! I thy power defy!
Thee and thy gods I hold as dust,
And in this arm and Odin's trust.”
| The Works of The Ettrick Shepherd | |