 | Ballads and Other Poems |  |
I. PART I.
One summer day, in time of peace,
With a hundred men at his side,
Earl Walter rode to a holy house,
Where the gate stood open wide.
With a hundred men at his side,
Earl Walter rode to a holy house,
Where the gate stood open wide.
They raised a shout as they entered in,
They laughed and loudly sung,
Till the silent courts of the holy house
With the lawless revel rung.
They laughed and loudly sung,
Till the silent courts of the holy house
With the lawless revel rung.
They turned out the mules from the stables warm,
They laughed at many a jest,
As they fed their steeds with the provender
Which the holy priest had blessed.
They laughed at many a jest,
As they fed their steeds with the provender
Which the holy priest had blessed.
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They entered the hall with mailëd feet;
And a wild, discordant din
Came to the ear of the abbess old,
As those ruffians entered in.
And a wild, discordant din
Came to the ear of the abbess old,
As those ruffians entered in.
By an evil chance, it happed, that morn,
That the aged priest had gone,
To meet the prior, at break of day,
In the town of Abingdon;
And the holy house had no defence,
And the nuns were all alone.
That the aged priest had gone,
To meet the prior, at break of day,
In the town of Abingdon;
And the holy house had no defence,
And the nuns were all alone.
In pallid fear they hid themselves,
When they saw the earl was there;
For they knew he was a robber rude
Who any deed would dare,
Because the king, a thriftless man,
Had of the pillage share.
When they saw the earl was there;
For they knew he was a robber rude
Who any deed would dare,
Because the king, a thriftless man,
Had of the pillage share.
They hid themselves where'er they might,
In chests and chimneys too,
All but the abbess brave, who staid
To note what would ensue.
In chests and chimneys too,
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To note what would ensue.
She heard them pile on the mighty logs,
And blow up a plenteous fire;
And she wished that she might see each one
In brimstone flame expire.
And blow up a plenteous fire;
And she wished that she might see each one
In brimstone flame expire.
From the larder she heard them fetch each dish
Whereon she loved to dine,
And set on the table fowl and fish,
The venison and the chine;
And she wished the venom of toads and asps
Had savoured those meats so fine.
Whereon she loved to dine,
And set on the table fowl and fish,
The venison and the chine;
And she wished the venom of toads and asps
Had savoured those meats so fine.
She heard them fetch up the good old wine,
She heard them pour it out,
And she heard how the cups of good old wine
Went circling round about.
She heard them pour it out,
And she heard how the cups of good old wine
Went circling round about.
She heard them pledge Earl Walter's name,
As londer mirth begun;
And she wished there were poison in the cup,
To poison them every one.
As londer mirth begun;
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To poison them every one.
She heard Earl Walter bid his men
Go search where the wealth was stored,
And bring in the chalice and candlesticks
To grace that banquet board.
Go search where the wealth was stored,
And bring in the chalice and candlesticks
To grace that banquet board.
She heard them bring in the candlesticks,
And set them all in a row,
And set down the chalice of good red gold,
And the golden plates also;
And she prayed to the saints, that this sacrilege
Might hasten his overthrow.
And set them all in a row,
And set down the chalice of good red gold,
And the golden plates also;
And she prayed to the saints, that this sacrilege
Might hasten his overthrow.
She heard them pour unholy wine
Into the holy cup,
Then pledge the nuns of our Lady's shrine,
Before they drank it up;
Into the holy cup,
Then pledge the nuns of our Lady's shrine,
Before they drank it up;
And next she heard them name her name,
While drunken oaths they sware:
The angry woman had heard enough
Of their ill-doings there.
While drunken oaths they sware:
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Of their ill-doings there.
The abbess was withered, old, and lean,
Her hand was bony and thin,
And she waved it o'er her palsied head,
As the hall she entered in.
Her hand was bony and thin,
And she waved it o'er her palsied head,
As the hall she entered in.
Earl Walter he was a bold young man,
As brave as man could be,
But he looked aghast a moment's space,
And so did his company.
As brave as man could be,
But he looked aghast a moment's space,
And so did his company.
“Thou hast done a deed, base earl,” she said,
“And the king, thy master, too,
An evil deed which the judgment-day
Will sorely make ye rue.”
“And the king, thy master, too,
An evil deed which the judgment-day
Will sorely make ye rue.”
Earl Walter anon regained his mood,
And took up a cup of wine,
Saying, “I' troth there were goodly things
In this old house of thine.”
And took up a cup of wine,
Saying, “I' troth there were goodly things
In this old house of thine.”
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Saying, “'Twere a sin, thou lady fair,
If the nuns be fair like thee,
That ye never before this day were seen
Of me and my company.”
If the nuns be fair like thee,
That ye never before this day were seen
Of me and my company.”
“Thou heathen dog!” said the abbess then,
“Thou shalt rue that ever we met;
For the lip that never spake curse in vain,
On thee a curse shall set.”
“Thou shalt rue that ever we met;
For the lip that never spake curse in vain,
On thee a curse shall set.”
Then she banned him here and banned him there,
Wherever his foot should stray;
And on him and all who sprung from him
An awful curse did lay.
Wherever his foot should stray;
And on him and all who sprung from him
An awful curse did lay.
And, lastly, said she: “I curse this man
In the field; at the bridal feast;
And death and dishonour shall be with him,
When he wots of them the least.
In the field; at the bridal feast;
And death and dishonour shall be with him,
When he wots of them the least.
“All that he loves shall pass from him,
The young, the kind, the brave;
And old—the last of all his race—
Shall he go down to the grave.”
The young, the kind, the brave;
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Shall he go down to the grave.”
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