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DE WARRENNE BEFORE KING EDWARD. |
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 | Poems by Frances Sargent Osgood |  |
DE WARRENNE BEFORE KING EDWARD.
“Now what our laggard Earl befalls,
In woodland, wold, or pleasaunce,
When royal Edward's edict calls
His nobles to the presence?”
In woodland, wold, or pleasaunce,
When royal Edward's edict calls
His nobles to the presence?”
From casque to spur his armour shone,
With princely tread he enter'd;
Straight to the throne he stalk'd alone,
All eyes upon him centred.
With princely tread he enter'd;
Straight to the throne he stalk'd alone,
All eyes upon him centred.
With clank of spur and clang of sword,
Right martial was his bearing,
And in the face of his liege lord
He look'd with dauntless daring.
Right martial was his bearing,
And in the face of his liege lord
He look'd with dauntless daring.
310
So calm his glance, so grand his mien,
No whisper dared deride him;
But dark the monarch lower'd, I ween,
On him who thus defied him.
No whisper dared deride him;
But dark the monarch lower'd, I ween,
On him who thus defied him.
Then knelt the Earl, but on his knee
Outking'd the king before him;
And less a subject seem'd than he,
So royally he bore him.
Outking'd the king before him;
And less a subject seem'd than he,
So royally he bore him.
The gathering storm in Edward's soul
Flash'd out his bent brows under,
And sudden burst from all control
His voice's startling thunder.
Flash'd out his bent brows under,
And sudden burst from all control
His voice's startling thunder.
“What traitor braves us thus?” he cried;
“What means this martial clangour?”
The courtier circle drew more wide,
To shun his savage anger:—
“What means this martial clangour?”
The courtier circle drew more wide,
To shun his savage anger:—
“What ho, Sir Earl! thy vaunted right
To every rood thou claimest
Make clear as light, or in our sight
Thy name and fame thou shamest!”
To every rood thou claimest
Make clear as light, or in our sight
Thy name and fame thou shamest!”
311
Updrew the Earl his stalwart frame,
And calm his sword unsheathing,
Match'd gleam of steel with word of flame
His haughty spirit breathing.
And calm his sword unsheathing,
Match'd gleam of steel with word of flame
His haughty spirit breathing.
“When courage was the king, my liege,
Of lands, my sires, to gain them,
With this sword wrote their title-deeds;
This sword shall still maintain them!”
Of lands, my sires, to gain them,
With this sword wrote their title-deeds;
This sword shall still maintain them!”
He won the day! From heart to heart
The electric fire was flying!
A hundred weapons round him start,
The tyrant's power defying!
The electric fire was flying!
A hundred weapons round him start,
The tyrant's power defying!
So one great will all else commands;
By right and might well shielded,
De Warrenne nobly kept his lands,
Nor theirs the barons yielded.
By right and might well shielded,
De Warrenne nobly kept his lands,
Nor theirs the barons yielded.
| Poems by Frances Sargent Osgood | |