Lilliput Levee [by W. B. Rands]: With illustrations by J. E. Millais and G. J. Pinwell |
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 | Lilliput Levee |  |
I.
“His neck droops on the rude cross-bough,
The blood falls fast and red;
A crown of flowers to soothe his brow!”
The little maiden said.
The blood falls fast and red;
A crown of flowers to soothe his brow!”
The little maiden said.
“O flowers, He must not bleed and faint,
Unhelped, who made you all;
It is the Christ whose fingers paint
The rose and the lily tall.
Unhelped, who made you all;
It is the Christ whose fingers paint
The rose and the lily tall.
“O lily, and rose, and tulip gay,
That shine in the garden-bed,
Weave me a crown this Sabbath-day
For the Christ with the drooping head!”
That shine in the garden-bed,
Weave me a crown this Sabbath-day
For the Christ with the drooping head!”
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Then tulip, rose, and lily white
Made answer with one accord,
“Here stand we all in the morning-light,
And bloom to praise the Lord;
Made answer with one accord,
“Here stand we all in the morning-light,
And bloom to praise the Lord;
But we are heavy, and large, and bold;
The field-flowers keep the dew;
The field-flowers light, and small, and cold,
Shall weave a crown for you.”
The field-flowers keep the dew;
The field-flowers light, and small, and cold,
Shall weave a crown for you.”
So into the greenwood the maiden went
While the morning mist was grey;
But soon the low, cool hours were spent,
And it was high, hot day;
And, roaming wide in wonderment,
She missed her weary way:
While the morning mist was grey;
But soon the low, cool hours were spent,
And it was high, hot day;
And, roaming wide in wonderment,
She missed her weary way:
And through the rifts between the bowers
The great sun scorched her head,
As she went filling her lap with flowers,
Purple, and white, and red.
The great sun scorched her head,
As she went filling her lap with flowers,
Purple, and white, and red.
Then, hungry and tired, by a beech-tree broad,
On the grass she sank and slept,
While ugly woodland creatures, awed,
A humble distance kept.
On the grass she sank and slept,
While ugly woodland creatures, awed,
A humble distance kept.
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For the turtle-dove guessed why she came,
And told it from her bough—
“Snakes, lizards, and snails, avoid, for shame!
This maid, wide-wandering without blame,
Seeks flowers for her Saviour's brow.”
And told it from her bough—
“Snakes, lizards, and snails, avoid, for shame!
This maid, wide-wandering without blame,
Seeks flowers for her Saviour's brow.”
So sped the blazing afternoon,
The maid still sleeping there,
Till her face was white in the light of the moon,
And the dew lay on her hair.
The maid still sleeping there,
Till her face was white in the light of the moon,
And the dew lay on her hair.
For the goblins grey of the dusk wood-bowers
Heard what the nightingale sang—
“Let her sleep, undreaming, a few more hours;
This is the maid who came for flowers
On her Saviour's brow to hang.”
Heard what the nightingale sang—
“Let her sleep, undreaming, a few more hours;
This is the maid who came for flowers
On her Saviour's brow to hang.”
Then the goblins grey of the dusk wood-bowers
Came trooping tenderly,
And plaited into a crown the flowers
That lay on the maiden's knee;
Came trooping tenderly,
And plaited into a crown the flowers
That lay on the maiden's knee;
And beckoned a band of fairies fair,
Who, with many an artful stroke,
Looped up and smoothed her golden hair
All round, against she woke,
Who, with many an artful stroke,
Looped up and smoothed her golden hair
All round, against she woke,
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And filled their palms with brier-rose dew,
And softly bathed her face.
Sweet child! all creatures wait on you,
Through our dear Lord his grace.
And softly bathed her face.
Sweet child! all creatures wait on you,
Through our dear Lord his grace.
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