Tunstall lies dead upon the field, Let Stanley charge with spur of fire, Or victory and England's lost. Must I bid twice ?-hence, varlets, fly! Of all my halls have nurst, Page, squire, or groom, one cup to bring XXX. O, Woman! in our hours of ease, By the light quivering aspen made,- Scarce were the piteous accents said, When, with the baron's To the nigh streamlet ran: Forgot were hatred, wrongs, and fears, Sees but the dying man. She stoop'd her by the runnel's side, But in abhorrence backward drew; For, oozing from the mountain's side, Where raged the war, a dark-red tide Was curdling in the streamlet blue. Where shall she turn?-behold her mark A little fountain cell, Where water, clear as diamond-spark, Above some half-worn letters say, WHO. BUILT. THIS. CROSS. AND. WELL. A monk supporting Marmion's head; To shrieve the dying, bless the dead. Lord Marmion started from the ground, « Then it was truth!»-he said-«-I knew Might bribe him for delay. It may not be!-this dizzy trance- XXXII. With fruitless labour, Clara bound, And strove to staunch, the gushing wound: Ever, he said, that, close and near, A lady's voice was on his ear, And that the priest he could not hear, For that she ever sung, « In the lost battle, borne down by the flying, Where mingles war's rattle with groans of the dying!» So the notes rung;- «Avoid thee, fiend!--with cruel hand, O look, my son, upon yon sign XXXIII. By this, though deep the evening fell, That to King Charles did come, On Roncesvalles died! Such blast might warn them, not in vain, To quit the plunder of the slain, And turn the doubtful day again, And round it toils, and bleeds, and dies, Of Tilmouth upon Tweed. There all the night they spent in prayer, But as they left the darkening heath, That fought around their king. But yet, though thick the shafts as snow, Though charging knights like whirlwinds go, Though bill-men ply the ghastly blow, Unbroken was the ring: The stubborn spearmen still made good Each stepping where his comrade stood, The instaut that he fell. No thought was there of dastard flight; Groom fought like noble, squire like knight, Till utter darkness elosed her wing As mountain-waves, from wasted lands, Then did their loss his foeman know; When streams are swoln and south winds blow, Tweed's echoes heard the ceaseless plash, While many a broken band, Disorder'd, through her currents dash, To gain the Scottish land; To town and tower, to down and dale, Where shiver'd was fair Scotland's spear, XXXV. Day dawns upon the mountain's side:There, Scotland! lay thy bravest pride, Chiefs, knights, and nobles, many a one, That, journeying far on foreign strand, May yet return again. He saw the wreck his rashness wrought; Reckless of life, he desperate fought, And fell on Flodden plain : And well in death his trusty brand, Beseem'd the monarch slain. But, O! how changed since yon blithe night!- XXXVI. Short is my tale :-Fitz-Eustace' care A guerdon meet the spoiler had!) His hands to heaven upraised; Less easy task it were, to show And shepherd boys repair To seek the water-flag and rush, That holds the bones of Marmion brave.- Thou left'st the right path for the wrong: XXXVIII. I do not rhyme to that dull elf, That, after fight, his faith made plain, To whom it must in terms be said, "Love they like Wilton and like Clare!»> L'ENVOY. TO THE READER. Why, then, a final note prolong, And twined by her he loves the best; Used generally for tale, or discourse. And knowledge to the studious sage, NOTES. CANTO I. Note 1. Introduction. As when the Champion of the Lake Or in the Chapel Perilous, Despising spells and demons' force, Holds converse with the unburied corse. The Romance of the Morte Arthur contains a sort of abridgement of the most celebrated adventures of the Round Table; and, being written in comparatively modern language, gives the general reader an excellent idea of what romances of chivalry actually were. It has also the merit of being written in pure old English; and many of the wild adventures which it contains are told with a simplicity bordering upon the sublime. Several of these are referred to in the text; and I would have illustrated them by more full extracts, but as this curious work is about to be published, I confine myself to the tale of the Chapel Perilous, and of the quest of Sir Launcelot after the Sangreal. Right so Sir Launcelot departed; and when he came to the Chapell Perilous, he alighted downe, and tied his horse to a little gate. And as soon as he was within the church-yard, he saw, on the front of the chapell, many faire rich shields turned upside downe, and many of the shields Sir Launcelot had seene knights have before; with that he saw stand by him thirtie great knights, more, by a yard, than any man that ever he had seene, and all those grinned and gnashed at Sir Launcelot ; and when he saw their countenance, hee dread them sore, and so put his shield afore him, and tooke his sword in his hand, ready to doe battaile; and they were all armed in black harneis, ready, with their shields and swords drawn. And when Sir Launcelot would have gone through them, they scattered on every side of him, and gave him the way; and therewith he waxed all bold, and entered into the chapell, and then hee saw no light but a dimme lampe burning, and then was hee ware of a corps covered with a cloath of silke; then Sir Launcelot stooped downe, and cut a piece of that cloath away, and then it fared under him as if the earth had quaked a little, whereof he was afeared, and then he saw a faire sword lye by the dead knight, and that he gat in his hand, and hied him out of the chapell. As soon as he was in the chappell-yerd, all the knights spoke to him with a grimly voice, and said, Knight Sir Launcelot, lay that sword from thee, or else thou shalt die.' Whether I live or die,' said Sir Launcelot, with no great words get yee it againe, therefore fight for it, and yee list. Therewith he passed through them; and, beyond the chappell-yerd, there met him a fair damosel, and said, Sir Launcelot, leave that sword behind thee, or thou wilt die for it.' 'I will not leave it,' said Sir see,' Launcelot, for no threats.' "No! said she; and ye did leave that sword, Queene Guenever should ye never 'Then were I foole and I would leave this sword,' said Sir Launcelot. Now, gentle knight,' said the damosel, I require thee to kisse me once.' Nay,' said Sir Launcelot, that God forbid! Well, sir,' said she, and thou haddest kissed me, thy life dayes had been done; but now, alas! said she, I have lost all my labour; for I ordained this chappell for thy sake, and for Sir Gawaine: and once I had Sir Gawaine within it; and at that time he fought with that knight which thare lieth dead in yonder chappell, Sir Gilbert the bastard, and at that time hee smote off Sir Gilbert the bastard's left hand. And so, Sir Launcelot, now I tell thee, that I have loved thee this seaven yeare; but there may no woman have thy love but Queen Guenever; but sithen I may not rejoice to have thy body alive, I had kept no more joy in this world but to have had thy dead body; and I would have balmed it and served, and so have kept it my life daies, and daily I should have clipped thee, and kissed thee, in the despite of Queene Guenever. Yee say well,' said Sir Launcelot; Jesus preserve me from your subtill craft! And therewith he took his horse, and departed from her.» Note 2. Introduction. A sinful man, and unconfess'd, laced his helme, and ungirded his sword, and laid him downe to sleepe upon his shield before the crosse. << And so he fell on sleepe, and halfe waking and halfe sleeping, hee saw come by him two palfreys, both faire and white, the which beare a litter, therein lying a sicke knight. And when he was nigh the crosse, he there abode still. All this Sir Launcelot saw and beheld, for hee slept not verily, and hee heard him say, Oh sweete Lord, when shall this sorrow leave me, and when shall the holy vessell come by me, where through I shall be blessed, for I have endured thus long for little trespasse.' And thus a great while complained the knight, and allwaies Sir Launcelot heard it. With that, Sir Launcelot saw the candlesticke, with the fire tapers, come before the crosse; but he could see no body that brought it. Also, there came a table of silver, and the holy vessell of the Sancgreall, the which Sir Launcelot had seen before that time in King Petchour's house. And therewithall the sicke knight set him upright, and held up both his hands, and said, 'Faire sweete Lord, which is here within the holy vessell, take heede to mee, that I may bee hole of this great malady.' And therewith upon his hands, and upon his knees, he went so nigh, that he touched the holy vessell, and kissed it: And anon he was hole, and then he said, 'Lord God, I thank thee, for I am healed of this malady.' So when the holy vessell had been there a great while, it went into the chappell againe with the candlesticke and the light, so that Sir Launcelot wist not where it became, for he was overtaken with sinne, that hee had no power to arise against the holy vessell, wherefore afterward many men said of him shame, But he tooke repentance afterward. Then the sicke knight dressed him upright, and kissed the crosse. Then anon his squire brought him his armes, and asked his lord how he did. One day, when Arthur was holding a high feast with his Knights of the Round Table, the Sangreal, or vessel out of which the last passover was eaten, a precious relic, which had long remained concealed from human eyes, because of the sins of the land, suddenly appeared to him and all his chivalry. The consequence of this vision was, that all the knights took on them a solemn vow to seek the Sangreal. But, alas! it could only be revealed to a knight at once accomplished in earthly chivalry, and pure and guiltless of evil conversation. All Sir Launcelot's noble accomplishments were therefore rendered vain by his guilty intrigue with Queen Guenever, or Ganore; and in this holy quest he encountered only such disgraceful disasters, as that which fol-whatsoever he be, he is unhappie; for, as I deeme, he lows: « But Sir Launcelot rode overthwart and endlong in a wild forest, and held no path, but as wild adventure led him; and at the last, he came unto a stone crosse, which departed two wayes, in wast land; and by the crosse, was a stone that was of marble; but it was so darke, that Sir Launcelot might not well know what it was. Then Sir Launcelot looked by him, and saw an old chappell, and there he wend to have found people. And so Sir Launcelot tied his horse to a tree, and there hee put off his shield, and hung it upon a tree, and then hee went unto the chappell door, and found it wasted and broken. And within he found a faire altar, full richly arrayed with cloth of silk, and there stood a faire candlesticke, which beare six great candles, and the candlesticke was of silver. And when Sir Launcelot saw this light, hee had a great will for to enter into the chappell, but he could find no place where he might enter. Then was he passing heavie and dismaied. Then he returned, and came againe to his horse, and tooke off his saddle and his bridle, and let him pasture, and un Certainly,' said hee, 'I thanke God, right heartily, for through the holy vessell I am healed: But I have right great mervaile of this sleeping knight which hath had neither grace nor power to awake during the time that this holy vessell hath beene here present.' 'I dare it right well say,' said the squire, that this same knight is defouled with some manner of deadly sinne, whereof he has never confessed. By my faith,' said the knight, is of the fellowship of the Round Table, the which is entered into the quest of the Sancgreall.' 'Sir,' said the squire, here I have brought you all your armes, save your helme and your sword; and therefore, by mine assent, now may ye take this knight's helme and his sword,' and so he did. And when he was cleane armed, he took Sir Launcelot's horse, for he was better than his owne, and so they departed from the crosse. << Then anon Sir Launcelot awaked, and set himselfe upright, and he thought him what hee had there scene, and whether it were dreames or not; right so he heard a voice that said, Sir Launcelot, more harde than is the stone, and more bitter than is the wood, and more naked and bare than is the liefe of the fig-tree, therefore go thou from hence, and withdraw thee from this holy place; and when Sir Launcelot heard this, hee was passing heavy, and wit not what to doe. And so he departed sore weeping, and cursed the time that he was borne; for then he deemed never to have had more worship; for the words went unto his heart, till that he knew wherefore that hee was so called.>> Note 3. Introduction. And Dryden, In immortal strain, But that a ribald king and court Fit for their souls, a looser lay, ing machinery from the guardian angels of kingdoms, mentioned in the book of Daniel, he adds: Lothly he was to look on than, Hard and heavy was his stroke. Specimens of Metrical Romances, vol. H, p. 136. I am happy to say, that the memory of Sir Bevis is still fragrant in his town of Southampton; the gate of which is centinelled by the effigies of that doughty knight-errant, and his gigantic associate. Note 5, Stanza i. Day set on Norham's castled steep, And Tweed's fair river, broad and deep, etc. Edward I. resided there bandford), is situated on the southern bank of the The ruinous castle of Norham (anciently called Ub« Thus, my lord, I have, as briefly as I could, given Tweed, about six miles above Berwick, and where that your lordship, and by you the world, a rude draft of river is still the boundary between England and Scotwhat I have been long labouring in my imagination, and land. The extent of its ruins, as well as its historical what I had intended to have put in practice (though importance, shows it to have been a place of magnififar unable for the attempt of such a poem), and to have cence, as well as strength. left the stage, to which my genius never much inclined when he was created umpire of the dispute concerning the Scottish succession. It was repeatedly taken and me, for a work which would have taken up my life in the performance of it. This, too, I had intended chiefly retaken during the wars between England and Scotland, for the honour of my native country, to which a poet and, indeed, scarce any happened, in which it had not is particularly obliged. Of two subjects, both relating a principal share. Norham Castle is situated on a to it, I was doubtful whether I should chuse that of steep bank, which overhangs the river. The repeated King Arthur conquering the Saxons, which, being far-sieges which the castle had sustained rendered frequent ther distant in time, gives the greater scope to my in-repairs necessary. In 1164 it was almost rebuilt by vention; or that of Edward the Black Prince, in subduing Spain, and restoring it to the lawful prince, though a great tyrant, Don Pedro the Gruel; which, for the compass of time, including only the expedition of one year, for the greatness of the action, and its answerable event, for the magnanimity of the English hero, opposed to the ingratitude of the person whom he restored, and for the many beautifu! episodes which I had interwoven with the principal design, together with the characters of the chiefest English persons (wherein, after Virgil and Spenser, I would have taken occasion to represent my living friends and patrons of the noblest families, and also shadowed the events of future ages in the succession of our imperial line),-with these helps, and those of the machines which I have mentioned, I might perhaps have done as well as some of my predecessors, or at least chalked out a way for others to amend my errors in a like design; but being encouraged only with According to Mr Pinkerton, there is, in the British fair words by King Charles II., my little salary ill paid, Museum, Cal. B. VI. 216, a curious memoir of the Daand no prospect of a future subsistence, I was then dis-cres on the state of Norham Castle in 1522, not long couraged in the beginning of my attempt; and now age has overtaken me, and want, a more insufferable evil, through the change of the times, has wholly dis abled me.» Note 4. Introduction. The History of Bevis of Hampton» is abridged by my friend Mr George Ellis, with that liveliness which extracts amusement even out of the most rude and unpromising of our old tales of chivalry. Ascapart, a most important personage in the romance, is thus de scribed in an extract: This geaunt was mighty and strong, He was bristled like a sow; A foot he had between each brow; His lips were great, and hung aside; His eyen were hollow; his mouth was wide. ugh Pudsey, Bishop of Durham, who added a huge keep, or donjon; notwithstanding which, King Henry II. in 1174, took the castle from the Bishop, and committed the keeping of it to William de Neville. After this period it seems to have been chiefly garrisoned by the king, and considered as a royal fortress. The Greys of Chillinghame Castle were frequently the castellans, or captains of the garrison: yet, as the castle was situated in the patrimony of St Cuthbert, the property was in the see of Durham till the Reformation. After that period it passed through various hands. At the union of the crowns, it was in the possession of Sir Robert Carey (afterwards Earl of Monmouth), for his own life, and that of two of his sons. After King James's accession, Carey sold Norham Castle to George Home, Earl of Dunbar, for 6000l. See his curious Memoirs, published by Mr Constable of Edinburgh. after the battle of Flodden. The inner ward, or keep, is represented as impregnable: « The provisions are three great vats of salt eels, forty-four kine, three hogsheads of salted salmon, forty quarters of grain, besides many cows, and four hundred sheep lying under the castle-wall nightly; but a number of the arrows wanted feathers, and a good fletcher (i. e. maker of arrows) was required.»-History of Scotland, vol. II, p. 201. Note. The ruins of the castle are at present considerable, as well as picturesque. They consist of a large shattered tower, with many vaults and fragments of other edifices, inclosed within an outward wall of great circuit. Note 6. Stanza i. -the doujon keep. It is perhaps unnecessary to remind my readers, that the donjon, in its proper signification, means the strongest part of a feudal castle; a high square tower, |