 | Poems and Romances |  |
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METTELILL.
In a great hall of Burgundy, on a November day,
A lady with her daughters sat clothed in rich array;
Without the woods were yellow, above the sky was grey.
A lady with her daughters sat clothed in rich array;
Without the woods were yellow, above the sky was grey.
The mother sat a-spinning in purple on the right,
Upon the left Thorfrida in scarlet trimmed the light,
And in the midmost Mettelill sat singing, clothed in white.
Upon the left Thorfrida in scarlet trimmed the light,
And in the midmost Mettelill sat singing, clothed in white.
The housecarles brought a stranger in, whom they found wandering
Upon her lands without her leave, who said he was a king,
And when they asked what he could do, he said that he could sing.
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And when they asked what he could do, he said that he could sing.
With hanging head and dragging feet he passed into the hall;
He leant upon the housecarles' hands as one at point to fall;
His hands were soft, his head was crowned, he seemed unlike a thrall.
He leant upon the housecarles' hands as one at point to fall;
His hands were soft, his head was crowned, he seemed unlike a thrall.
But when they asked him of his sire, he had no word to say,
And when they asked him of his state, and where his kingdom lay,
He said he could not tell the road, for it was far away.
And when they asked him of his state, and where his kingdom lay,
He said he could not tell the road, for it was far away.
They questioned him why he was there, he did not answer why;
The lady took him by the hand, he would not meet her eye;
The lady's brethren glared on him, and cursed him for a spy.
The lady took him by the hand, he would not meet her eye;
The lady's brethren glared on him, and cursed him for a spy.
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He answered that it was not so, but still he hung his head;
The lady dropped his hand in haste, again her spindle sped;
Thorfrida looked on Mettelill, and not a word they said.
The lady dropped his hand in haste, again her spindle sped;
Thorfrida looked on Mettelill, and not a word they said.
Then all the lady's brethren laid hand to hilt amain;
They said, “For his own liberty a king should be full fain
To battle with his enemies till they or he were slain.”
They said, “For his own liberty a king should be full fain
To battle with his enemies till they or he were slain.”
He said, “I have not done you wrong, why should ye choose to fight?”
They answered, “Fight or be a slave, nor shame the arms of knight.”
“I am weak,” he said, “and weary, and I will yield my right.”
They answered, “Fight or be a slave, nor shame the arms of knight.”
“I am weak,” he said, “and weary, and I will yield my right.”
He knelt before the lady, she took away his crown;
Thorfrida brought the scissors to shear his locks of brown;
On the soft cheeks of Mettelill the silent tears ran down.
Thorfrida brought the scissors to shear his locks of brown;
On the soft cheeks of Mettelill the silent tears ran down.
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The lady bade them bring a harp, that her new thrall might sing;
He sang the song of Calvary, from this world's fashioning
Until the Hebrews crucified their own anointed King.
He sang the song of Calvary, from this world's fashioning
Until the Hebrews crucified their own anointed King.
His lady in his singing sat still and held her breath;
Thorfrida looked as one lovesick, whom no love answereth;
Between their feet may Mettelill sank down as pale as death.
Thorfrida looked as one lovesick, whom no love answereth;
Between their feet may Mettelill sank down as pale as death.
Next morning little Mettelill came to him timidly,
“I pray you as you are a king, out of your courtesy,
Because its half-words haunt me so, to teach your song to me.”
“I pray you as you are a king, out of your courtesy,
Because its half-words haunt me so, to teach your song to me.”
He bade her come at twilight, when the chill sky is clear,
Just before the shroud of darkness falls on the dying year,
Beneath the shuddering pine-forest his holy song to hear.
Just before the shroud of darkness falls on the dying year,
Beneath the shuddering pine-forest his holy song to hear.
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Upon her heels Thorfrida came, with jewels in her hand,
And bade him flee away with her to his own realm and land,
She said she could not bear a king should be at churls' command.
And bade him flee away with her to his own realm and land,
She said she could not bear a king should be at churls' command.
But he had promised Mettelill to teach her minstrel lore,
And also to her mother he would keep the oath he swore;
Thorfrida answered angrily, “So she was here before!”
And also to her mother he would keep the oath he swore;
Thorfrida answered angrily, “So she was here before!”
Beneath the shuddering pine-forest the thrall and Mettelill
Met, and he taught her all his song; they had no thought of ill,
Nor started when her uncle's hunt came sweeping round the hill.
Met, and he taught her all his song; they had no thought of ill,
Nor started when her uncle's hunt came sweeping round the hill.
Her uncles said, “Woe worth the hour when this false stranger came
To beguile our sister's daughter into the paths of shame;
For her a fitter bridal, for him a death of flame.”
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For her a fitter bridal, for him a death of flame.”
Mettelill answered lowly, in the clear eventide,
“He wooed me not, and no man shall have me for his bride,
For I will give my maidenhood unto the Crucified.”
“He wooed me not, and no man shall have me for his bride,
For I will give my maidenhood unto the Crucified.”
Her uncles said, “Your mother will judge her thrall and you;”
Then Mettelill made answer of what she little knew,
“And she will judge him innocent, for I have spoken true.”
Then Mettelill made answer of what she little knew,
“And she will judge him innocent, for I have spoken true.”
They brought them to her mother, hustled in a shouting throng;
Her mother listened patiently, and then she pondered long,
And then she lifted up her head, “I never liked that song.
Her mother listened patiently, and then she pondered long,
And then she lifted up her head, “I never liked that song.
“But yet because your blood might be a curse upon my head,
You shall be sold, and Mettelill to-morrow shall be wed,
And I will make her bridal feast and deck her bridal bed.”
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And I will make her bridal feast and deck her bridal bed.”
Mettelill answered boldly, “I will not be a bride,
My maidenhood is dedicate unto the Crucified;”
The thrall said, “She shall wed with me, or wed with none beside.”
My maidenhood is dedicate unto the Crucified;”
The thrall said, “She shall wed with me, or wed with none beside.”
Mettelill trembled greatly to hear the minstrel's word,
Her mother's brow was darkened for anger as she heard,
Thorfrida whispered something behind her uncle's beard.
Her mother's brow was darkened for anger as she heard,
Thorfrida whispered something behind her uncle's beard.
The uncle whom she whispered said, “Let the thrall go free,
He is bewitched by Mettelill with shameful sorcery,
But we will take and hang her upon a barren tree.”
He is bewitched by Mettelill with shameful sorcery,
But we will take and hang her upon a barren tree.”
The thrall has taken sword and shield to fight for Mettelill,
The uncles fled before his face, for they had little will
To stand to one who never struck, except he struck to kill.
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To stand to one who never struck, except he struck to kill.
They marvelled at his prowess; he said, “I only fight
To free my well-belovèd, and not for my own right.”
Then with a hair of Mettelill they bound him in her sight.
To free my well-belovèd, and not for my own right.”
Then with a hair of Mettelill they bound him in her sight.
Thorfrida answered craftily, “The old law is the best:
Bring hither sword and distaff to put her to the test;
If she will slay the carrion-kite that stole into her nest.”
Bring hither sword and distaff to put her to the test;
If she will slay the carrion-kite that stole into her nest.”
Thinking, “If she shall pity him, then she will be a slave;
To slay her love will make her mad, while he in his green grave
Will rest from shame and slavery among the free and brave.”
To slay her love will make her mad, while he in his green grave
Will rest from shame and slavery among the free and brave.”
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The minstrel spake to Mettelill, “It will be an easy death
To stoop upon thy lily hand and kiss away my breath,
While through my heart that aches and burns, the cool sword shivereth.
To stoop upon thy lily hand and kiss away my breath,
While through my heart that aches and burns, the cool sword shivereth.
“For now I pine with longing to have thee for my bride,
And shame it were to woo thee to bondage at my side,
Even if I could win thee from Him the Crucified.”
And shame it were to woo thee to bondage at my side,
Even if I could win thee from Him the Crucified.”
In fear and trembling Mettelill knelt down and spake in hall,
“Why put his blood upon me? how should I love a thrall?
Nay, let him go for my sake, I love him not at all.”
“Why put his blood upon me? how should I love a thrall?
Nay, let him go for my sake, I love him not at all.”
She looked upon her mother, who half melted at her prayer;
She looked upon her sister, and found no comfort there;
She looked upon the minstrel, and she thought him very fair.
She looked upon her sister, and found no comfort there;
She looked upon the minstrel, and she thought him very fair.
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Her mother's brethren answered, “There is no law but one.”
Thorfrida lisped, “Our Mettelill would make a sorry nun.”
With pale white lips, her mother said, “Let what is law be done.”
Thorfrida lisped, “Our Mettelill would make a sorry nun.”
With pale white lips, her mother said, “Let what is law be done.”
She came before her mother, and knelt meekly at her knee;
She said, “Now I am in great straits, and have no help but thee,
My mother, and thou barest me, I pray thee choose for me.”
She said, “Now I am in great straits, and have no help but thee,
My mother, and thou barest me, I pray thee choose for me.”
Her mother took her in her arms, and kissed her on the cheek,
And so, while one might tell a score, held her, and did not speak;
At last a fitful stream found way, of broken words and weak:
And so, while one might tell a score, held her, and did not speak;
At last a fitful stream found way, of broken words and weak:
“And if the thrall is innocent, his blood is on your head;
And if you live in bondage, far better you were dead;
And if you had never seen him, right nobly you had wed.”
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And if you had never seen him, right nobly you had wed.”
She rose and took the distaff (Thorfrida's heart was riven),
And then she said, “Dear mother, take back what you have given;
May you and they reign long on earth, and he and I in heaven.”
And then she said, “Dear mother, take back what you have given;
May you and they reign long on earth, and he and I in heaven.”
They took away her rich array, and shore her yellow hair,
They clothed her in coarse russet, such as serving-women wear;
The minstrel looked upon her, and thought her very fair.
They clothed her in coarse russet, such as serving-women wear;
The minstrel looked upon her, and thought her very fair.
She went up to him boldly, and she kissed him to their face,
For she said, “He is my brother, for we are in evil case,”
But they said, “She once was maidenly, but now she hath no grace.”
For she said, “He is my brother, for we are in evil case,”
But they said, “She once was maidenly, but now she hath no grace.”
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He put his hands about her, and he laid her to his breast,
And she sank down very sisterly, and very full of rest,
As a little bird with broken wing sinks down upon the nest.
And she sank down very sisterly, and very full of rest,
As a little bird with broken wing sinks down upon the nest.
Thorfrida said, “They think to live as their own hearts incline,
And hold sweet dalliance over sweet music and sweet wine;
But drive them forth unto the sty, and let them feed the swine.”
And hold sweet dalliance over sweet music and sweet wine;
But drive them forth unto the sty, and let them feed the swine.”
Mettelill sobbed a little for her sister's cruelty,
But he held her closer, whispering, “It is for jealousy,
For she is afraid of bondage, and is hungry after me.”
But he held her closer, whispering, “It is for jealousy,
For she is afraid of bondage, and is hungry after me.”
He bore her to the swineherd's hut, as in his arms she lay;
An old wife walked behind them, weeping, to show the way
From the hall of many banners across the sodden clay.
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From the hall of many banners across the sodden clay.
Mettelill fed the swine with him, but only for that night,
For the thralls about the swineherd's hut were waked by a great light,
Wherein the king and Mettelill passed out beyond their sight.
For the thralls about the swineherd's hut were waked by a great light,
Wherein the king and Mettelill passed out beyond their sight.
The light was seen at midnight, but at the dawn of day
They saw where little Mettelill lay cold on bed of clay,
But they did not see the footprints where the other went away.
They saw where little Mettelill lay cold on bed of clay,
But they did not see the footprints where the other went away.
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