Poems By William Bell Scott. Ballads, Studies from Nature, Sonnets, etc. Illustrated by Seventeen Etchings by the Author and L. Alma Tadema |
 |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
|
|
|
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
|
|
| I. |
| II. |
|
|
|
THIRD.
SAINT CUTHBERT'S HERMITAGE.
|
 | Poems |  |
246
THIRD. SAINT CUTHBERT'S HERMITAGE.
The Saint had grown in years, as I
Have now by our Father's grace—
When he left the cloister for the cell,
Alone for a lonelier place.
Have now by our Father's grace—
When he left the cloister for the cell,
Alone for a lonelier place.
He travelled without sack or scrip
As the sun doth day by day,
Till the patient staff he leant upon
Was chafèd half away.
As the sun doth day by day,
Till the patient staff he leant upon
Was chafèd half away.
Nor when he came into a town
Did he go near the lord,
But with the humblest did he house,
And sat at the scantest board.
Did he go near the lord,
But with the humblest did he house,
And sat at the scantest board.
At length upon Norhumber-land,
Beside the hungering sea,
He stood as the landward breezes brought
The fisherman home with glee.
Beside the hungering sea,
He stood as the landward breezes brought
The fisherman home with glee.
247
‘Why stand ye here,’ the fisher said,
‘Your eye on the waters gray?’
‘I see,’ quoth he, ‘an island small,
Afar, like peace, away.’
‘Your eye on the waters gray?’
‘I see,’ quoth he, ‘an island small,
Afar, like peace, away.’
‘An isle of rocks and sand it is,
And no fresh spring is there,
And in its blackened clefts and holes
Devils and changelings fare.’
And no fresh spring is there,
And in its blackened clefts and holes
Devils and changelings fare.’
‘A hermit's benison be thine,—
Its name I now would learn;’
‘Father, a poor man's thanks are mine,
The island's name is Ferne.’
Its name I now would learn;’
‘Father, a poor man's thanks are mine,
The island's name is Ferne.’
Next day upon Ferne's beach he stept
From the good fisher's bark;
His welcome such as Noah's was
When he issued from the ark.
From the good fisher's bark;
His welcome such as Noah's was
When he issued from the ark.
The boards of a tangled wreck and boughs
There stranded by the tide,
Took he for balks to bigg a bower
Wherein he might abide.
There stranded by the tide,
Took he for balks to bigg a bower
Wherein he might abide.
Next, that the waters might not swell
Upon him in the night,
He made a wall with stones, four men
Can't shift with all their might.
Upon him in the night,
He made a wall with stones, four men
Can't shift with all their might.
248
That done, amidst his earthen floor,
Beside his pan and wood,
He caused a crystal spring to rise
By signing of the rood.
Beside his pan and wood,
He caused a crystal spring to rise
By signing of the rood.
With that he worken in the earth
And sowed his onions there;
And when the crows and sea-mews came,
They understood his care;
And sowed his onions there;
And when the crows and sea-mews came,
They understood his care;
And lifting up their beaks unfed,
Flew silently away;
Also the mermaids, devils and wraiths,
They came no more that way.
Flew silently away;
Also the mermaids, devils and wraiths,
They came no more that way.
So Christ doth aid his faithful Saints
To do such wondrous things,
Their humbleness surpassing far
The power and force of kings.
To do such wondrous things,
Their humbleness surpassing far
The power and force of kings.
Also it is more beautiful
Than Arthur's painted arms,
Or belle Isonde's long locks of love,
Or Queen Guenever's charms.
Than Arthur's painted arms,
Or belle Isonde's long locks of love,
Or Queen Guenever's charms.
And happy it is beyond the song
Of minstrelle's gemmèd keys;
Whom knights with guerdons in their hands
Can purchase as they please.
Of minstrelle's gemmèd keys;
Whom knights with guerdons in their hands
Can purchase as they please.
249
Roundel and flourish and gleeman's chime!
Hark! in the ha' we hear them now,
The wine is flowing rife I trow,
This is an Easter gay!
Saint Cuthbert! pray ye for us all
Before we pass away.
Hark! in the ha' we hear them now,
The wine is flowing rife I trow,
This is an Easter gay!
Saint Cuthbert! pray ye for us all
Before we pass away.
King Egfrid from Norhumber-land,
And Saint Theodore also,
With a silver crosier o'er the waves
To Cuthbert's island go.
And Saint Theodore also,
With a silver crosier o'er the waves
To Cuthbert's island go.
True tears then from his old eyes came,
(Blest ground whereon they fell!)
For a gyve of love did hold his heart
To his God-fashioned cell.
(Blest ground whereon they fell!)
For a gyve of love did hold his heart
To his God-fashioned cell.
‘I go,’ said he, ‘at God's good heste
Unto high places now,
Would that I might be spared, but all
At God's good heste should bow.’
With that he humbly bended down,
And so received the mitre-crown.
Unto high places now,
Would that I might be spared, but all
At God's good heste should bow.’
With that he humbly bended down,
And so received the mitre-crown.
| Poems | |