The works of Lord Byron A new, revised and enlarged edition, with illustrations. Edited by Ernest Hartley Coleridge and R. E. Prothero |
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 | The works of Lord Byron |  |
XXIII.
It were too much for Lara to pass by
Such questions, so repeated fierce and high;
With look collected, but with accent cold,
More mildly firm than petulantly bold,
He turned, and met the inquisitorial tone—
“My name is Lara—when thine own is known,
“Doubt not my fitting answer to requite
“The unlooked for courtesy of such a knight.
“'Tis Lara!—further wouldst thou mark or ask?
“I shun no question, and I wear no mask.”
Such questions, so repeated fierce and high;
340
More mildly firm than petulantly bold,
He turned, and met the inquisitorial tone—
“My name is Lara—when thine own is known,
“Doubt not my fitting answer to requite
“The unlooked for courtesy of such a knight.
“'Tis Lara!—further wouldst thou mark or ask?
“I shun no question, and I wear no mask.”
“Thou shunn'st no question! Ponder—is there none
“Thy heart must answer, though thine ear would shun?
“And deem'st thou me unknown too? Gaze again!
“At least thy memory was not given in vain.
“Oh! never canst thou cancel half her debt—
“Eternity forbids thee to forget.”
With slow and searching glance upon his face
Grew Lara's eyes, but nothing there could trace
They knew, or chose to know—with dubious look
He deigned no answer, but his head he shook,
And half contemptuous turned to pass away;
But the stern stranger motioned him to stay.
“Thy heart must answer, though thine ear would shun?
“And deem'st thou me unknown too? Gaze again!
“At least thy memory was not given in vain.
“Oh! never canst thou cancel half her debt—
“Eternity forbids thee to forget.”
With slow and searching glance upon his face
Grew Lara's eyes, but nothing there could trace
They knew, or chose to know—with dubious look
He deigned no answer, but his head he shook,
And half contemptuous turned to pass away;
But the stern stranger motioned him to stay.
“A word!—I charge thee stay, and answer here
“To one, who, wert thou noble, were thy peer,
“But as thou wast and art—nay, frown not, Lord,
“If false, 'tis easy to disprove the word—
“But as thou wast and art, on thee looks down,
“Distrusts thy smiles, but shakes not at thy frown.
“Art thou not he? whose deeds—”
“To one, who, wert thou noble, were thy peer,
“But as thou wast and art—nay, frown not, Lord,
“If false, 'tis easy to disprove the word—
“But as thou wast and art, on thee looks down,
“Distrusts thy smiles, but shakes not at thy frown.
“Art thou not he? whose deeds—”
“Whate'er I be,
“Words wild as these, accusers like to thee,
“I list no further; those with whom they weigh
“May hear the rest, nor venture to gainsay
“The wondrous tale no doubt thy tongue can tell,
“Which thus begins so courteously and well.
“Let Otho cherish here his polished guest,
“To him my thanks and thoughts shall be expressed.”
And here their wondering host hath interposed—
“Words wild as these, accusers like to thee,
341
“May hear the rest, nor venture to gainsay
“The wondrous tale no doubt thy tongue can tell,
“Which thus begins so courteously and well.
“Let Otho cherish here his polished guest,
“To him my thanks and thoughts shall be expressed.”
And here their wondering host hath interposed—
“Whate'er there be between you undisclosed,
“This is no time nor fitting place to mar
“The mirthful meeting with a wordy war.
“If thou, Sir Ezzelin, hast aught to show
“Which it befits Count Lara's ear to know,
“To-morrow, here, or elsewhere, as may best
“Beseem your mutual judgment, speak the rest;
“I pledge myself for thee, as not unknown,
“Though, like Count Lara, now returned alone
“From other lands, almost a stranger grown;
“And if from Lara's blood and gentle birth
“I augur right of courage and of worth,
“He will not that untainted line belie,
“Nor aught that Knighthood may accord, deny.”
“This is no time nor fitting place to mar
“The mirthful meeting with a wordy war.
“If thou, Sir Ezzelin, hast aught to show
“Which it befits Count Lara's ear to know,
“To-morrow, here, or elsewhere, as may best
“Beseem your mutual judgment, speak the rest;
“I pledge myself for thee, as not unknown,
“Though, like Count Lara, now returned alone
“From other lands, almost a stranger grown;
“And if from Lara's blood and gentle birth
“I augur right of courage and of worth,
“He will not that untainted line belie,
“Nor aught that Knighthood may accord, deny.”
“To-morrow be it,” Ezzelin replied,
“And here our several worth and truth be tried;
“I gage my life, my falchion to attest
“My words, so may I mingle with the blest!”
What answers Lara? to its centre shrunk
His soul, in deep abstraction sudden sunk;
The words of many, and the eyes of all
That there were gathered, seemed on him to fall;
But his were silent, his appeared to stray
In far forgetfulness away—away—
Alas! that heedlessness of all around
Bespoke remembrance only too profound.
“And here our several worth and truth be tried;
“I gage my life, my falchion to attest
“My words, so may I mingle with the blest!”
What answers Lara? to its centre shrunk
His soul, in deep abstraction sudden sunk;
The words of many, and the eyes of all
That there were gathered, seemed on him to fall;
But his were silent, his appeared to stray
In far forgetfulness away—away—
Alas! that heedlessness of all around
Bespoke remembrance only too profound.
| The works of Lord Byron | |