Constance De Castile :: :: University of Virginia Library

Through the wide world, wherever fame
Dwelt on the dark-mail'd Victor's name,
Wherever minstrel at high feast
With monarchs sat, an honour'd guest,
Where'er before a nation's eyes
Beauty to valour gave the prize,
His Heralds far and wide around,
Had spread, from realm to realm, the sound:

The voice went forth to tow'r and hall
That Bourdeaux' solemn festival,
Throughout the moon's whole course should view,
Day and night their sports renew;
Each day be tilt and banqueting,
Each night be mirth and caroling,
Mask and dance, and choral song,
And mysteries that delight prolong,
Till Aurora, blushing red,
Or bright suns, light the guests to bed.

II.

Tow'r rings to tow'r: the slow-pac'd sun
Sunk, ere the revel pomp begun.
Taper and cresset flaming bright
Flung on the rafter'd roof their light,
And show'd, throughout St. Andrew's hall,
Marshal'd at solemn festival,
Knight after knight, in due degree,
Flow'r of Christian chivalry:
Each, a lady at his side,
Radiant in pomp and beauty's pride.

III.

Hail! barons bold, who liege-men wait
On Aquitaine's superior state,
Lords of Guyenne and Gascony,
Of Poictou and fair Angoumois,
Saintonge, along whose pastures wide
Swift Charente's silver waters glide,
And fiefs, where Adour, winding down,
Joins distant Tarbe to far Bayonne.

And ye! the pride of Albion's coast,
High chieftains of th' heroic host:
Warwick, whose far-fam'd puissance led
The van when routed Poictiers bled:
Fitzwalter, foremost in the field,
Spenser, unknowing how to yield,
Manny, who wading deep in gore,
Onward the flag of conquest bore,
And, terror of the northern bounds,
Earl Percy, grac'd with glorious wounds.

IV.

Brave Gallia's high-born chieftains came,
Free homagers to Edward's fame.
Proud Bourbon, Anjou there behold,
Young Burgundy, belov'd, and bold.

Tonnere, whose mail, of verdant stain,
Was died with blood on Auray's plain:
Lo! Chatillon, whose eagle shield
Marshals the bowmen to the field,
Heroic Vienne, whose deathless name,
Thy sons, proud Calais, yet proclaim,
And Ribaumont, the bold, the brave,
Crown'd with the wreath that Edward gave,
When, thrice, the King, beneath his blow
Bow'd, ere his prowess fell'd the foe.

From Brittany brave Montfort led
Fam'd peers, who in his quarrel bled,
(His falchion flaming in the van)
Knight, Seneschal, and Castellan.

V.

I pass the gracious boons untold
That splendour shed on feasts of old;
Captives ransom'd, Virgins dow'r'd,
Gifts on the crowd profusely show'r'd,
Presents to each princely guest,
Armour, and steed, and ermine vest,
Girdles of silk and jewels rare,
And pearls, to braid their ladies' hair.

VI.

I pass unsung the pomp of state,
Huge ewers of embossed plate,
Flaggons with spiced wine o'erflowing,
Trumpets braying, clarions blowing,
Banners, that streaming round the hall
Deeds and adventures high recall,
And, trophies of the well-fought plain,
Shields of brave chiefs in battle slain,
That gleam before the Victor's eye,
And add fresh zest to revelry.

VII.

Leaders of note I pass unsung,
Audeley and Howard, heirs of fame,
And either Bohun, deathless name.
But who, the gallant guests among,
Who first in fame, in pomp, in pow'r,
Tow'r'd o'er each chief that grac'd the board?
'Tis Britain's boast, tis knighthood's flow'r,
'Tis Lancaster, high-honour'd lord,
In youth, in beauty's blooming prime,
Proud hope and glory of his time.

VIII.

Edward's brave race, a warrior band,
Were arrows in a giant's hand:
'Mid these, fam'd Lancaster uprose,
The terror of his father's foes,
And England rested on his sword,
As on thy prowess, dark-mail'd Lord.

IX.

Lord of the feast, in royal state
Edward, amid his barons bold,
Brothers of arms, by fame enroll'd,
With his fair bride, Joanna, sate.
From guest to guest flow'd gaily round
The cup, by youth and beauty crown'd:
And gay their converse; ladies' charms,
Love, and the chase, and tilt, and fight,
Adventures rare, and feats of arms,
And fame of each far-summon'd knight,
Who, on the Baptist's hallow'd morn,
To grace Joanna's elder born,
Should Arthur's warlike sports recall,
And crown and close the festival.

X.

“Long on that day shall minstrels dwell;
“The harp”—heroic Edward cried,
“The harp to other times shall tell
“That mask'd in honour of my bride,
“Like peers and paladins renown'd
“Who Arthur's feasts at Camelot crown'd,
“England and France in Edward's sight
“Rivals of glory, grac'd the fight.
“England shall Arthur's fame maintain,
“France the renown of Charlemagne.
“Strike, harpers—minstrels! tune the rhymes
“To Arthur's consecrated times.”

XI.

Madoc, master of the choir
With lofty prelude swept the wire,
Silenc'd the sound of mirth and glee,
And shook the roof with minstrelsy.

XII. Minstrel Song.

For the subject of this song, see the ballad of King Arthur's death in the third volume of the collection of Ancient Poems published and admirably illustrated by the Bishop of Dromore.

“Heard ye afar the storm of war?
Saw ye Camlan's crimson plain?

Fiercely the kindred squadrons met,
Britain's sun in blood is set
Beneath the western main.

Chill'd is valour's glowing breath,
Hush'd the traitor's yell:
Slow sail'd on silent pinion Death,
And over all the blasted heath
His giant shadow fell.

Ah! who the bleeding King shall bear
From Camlan's fatal ground?
No friend, no living man is there,
Save one, his bosom's grief to share,
Or staunch each welling wound.

Lone Gloster gaz'd in speechless woe—
Can friendship aid impart?
The death-drops stand on Arthur's brow,
And scarce the lingering currents flow
That feed his lion heart.

Bear thou my sword to yonder strand,
And o'er the wild waves cast.”

From ocean sprung a shadowy hand,
Thrice wav'd in air the charmed brand.
The wond'rous vision past.

The dying King was seen no more:
But airy harpings rung,
The winds, the waves, forgot to roar,
And Echo, from the ocean bore,
The note a fairy sung.”

XIII. Fairy Song.

“Softly blow the wreathed shell,
Wind the ocean melody!
Sea-gods! answering to my spell,
Cleave the liquid canopy!
Rise! with tuneful conch and song
Lead the charmed bark along.

Answer from your coral cave,
Sea-maids! who in season fair
Warbling on the glassy wave,
Braid with pearl your yellow hair!
Nymphs! responsive to my lay
Rise! and smooth with song the way.—

Welcome, to the fairy shore!
Bear the King to charmed bowers
Crown'd with wreath of elfin flowers!
Ocean-choir! your charge is o'er:
Long as Echo holds the strain,
Dance, like sun-beams, on the main,
Or moon, in morris of the night
Silvering the sea with gleams of light!”

XIV.

While thus in lulling cadence low
Soft fairy notes were heard to flow,
And the charm'd spirit, rapt on high,
Hung on the breath of melody:
The loud tramp of an iron hoof
Battering the flinty court below,
Burst the deep cloister's vaults along,
Flung its harsh discord on the roof,
And rudely drown'd the harp and song.