University of Virginia Library

The Lord Warenne.

“What news, what news, thou little foot page,
What news, what news, come tell to me?”
“I bring you news from the Lord Warenne,
Fighting in a far countrie!”
“What news, what news, my trusty page,
What sends my noble Lord to me?”
“Oh, a chaplet fair of orient pearl,
He sendeth to his gay ladye.”
“He wills thee wear that chaplet fair,
Fall proudly on thy bonny bree;
And he hath won a sparkling chain
Of the good red gold right valiantlie.
“Then twine it round thy snowy neck,
For love of him ayont the sea;
For the Soldan's daughter he hath ta'en,
With all her silken braverie.

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“Now haste, now haste, thou trusty page,
Now haste and bear me hence with glee;
And for the tidings thou dost tell
This jewel shall thy guerdon be!”
Oh, soon across the briny main
Her bark is bounding merrily,
Till the Paynim Towers reflected shine
On the dark blue wave of Galilee.
The Lord Warenne, the Lord Warenne—
Where the red-cross banner floateth free,
Oh, there thou'lt find the bold Warenne,
With all his Christian chivalry.
The silken tent, within—without,
Is richly dight and rare to see;
And a lady fair reclineth there,
Beneath a gorgeous canopie.
Her raven locks are darkly bright;
All darkly bright is her sparkling e'e,
But her neck is white as the cygnet's down,
The false Warenne is at her knee!
Oh! then a single wail is heard—
A wail as sad as sad may be,
And a female form all prostrate lies
Before that goodly companie!

258

A chaplet fair entwines the hair,
The spoils of farthest Arabie;
But ne'er a pearl in the snowy round
Is half so pale as the bonny bree!
Rich, sparkling links of the good red gold,
Entwine that neck of ivorie;
But the death-cold chain, which none may loose,
Hath bound the lovely Rosalie.