"I wooed the blue-eyed maid,
Yielding, yet half afraid,
And in the forest's shade
Our vows were plighted.
Under its loosened vest
Fluttered her little breast,
Like birds within their nest
By the hawk frighted.

"Bright in her father's hall

Shields gleamed upon the wall,
Loud sang the minstrels all,
Chanting his glory;

When of old Hildebrand
I asked his daughter's hand,
Mute did the minstrels stand

To hear my story.

"While the brown ale he quaffed,
Loud then the champion laughed,
And as the wind-gusts waft
The sea-foam brightly,
So the loud laugh of scorn,
Out of those lips unshorn,
From the deep drinking-horn
Blew the foam lightly.

"She was a Prince's child.

I but a Viking wild,

And though she blushed and smiled,
I was discarded!

72

80

88

"Then launched they to the blast,
Bent like a reed each mast,
Yet we were gaining fast,
When the wind failed us;

And with a sudden flaw
Came round the gusty Skaw,
So that our foe we saw

Laugh as he hailed us.

"And as to catch the gale

Round veered the flapping sail,
Death! was the helmsman's hail,

Death without quarter!

Mid-ships with iron keel

Struck we her ribs of steel;
Down her black hulk did reel

Through the black water!

96

104

112

120

"Three weeks we westward bore,
And when the storm was o'er,
Cloud-like we saw the shore
Stretching to leeward;
There for my lady's bower
Built I the lofty tower,
Which, to this very hour,

Stands looking seaward.

"There lived we many years; Time dried the maiden's tears; She had forgot her fears,

She was a mother;

Death closed her mild blue eyes,
Under that tower she lies;

Ne'er shall the sun arise

On such another!

"Still grew my bosom then,

Still as a stagnant fen!
Hateful to me were men,
The sunlight hateful!

128

136

144

In the vast forest here,
Clad in my warlike gear,
Fell I upon my spear,

O, death was grateful!

"Thus, seamed with many scars,

Bursting these prison bars,
Up to its native stars

My soul ascended!

There from the flowing bowl

152

1841.

Deep drinks the warrior's soul,

Skoal! to the Northland! skoal!"
Thus the tale ended.

160

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

"HOW THEY BROUGHT THE GOOD NEWS FROM GHENT TO AIX"

I SPRANG to the stirrup, and Joris, and he;
I galloped, Dirck galloped, we galloped all

three;

"Good speed!" cried the watch, as the gatebolts

Behind shut the postern, the lights sank to rest, And into the midnight we galloped abreast.

Not a word to each other; we kept the great

pace

Neck by neck, stride by stride, never changing

our place;

I turned in my saddle and made its girths

tight,

Then shortened each stirrup, and set the pique right,

Rebuckled the cheek-strap, chained slacker the bit,

Nor galloped less steadily Roland a whit.

12

'T was moonset at starting; but while we drew

near

Lokeren, the cocks crew and twilight dawned

clear;

At Boom, a great yellow star came out to see; At Düffeld, 't was morning as plain as could be; And from Mecheln church-steeple we heard the half-chime,

So Joris broke silence with, “Yet there is

time!"

18

At Aershot, up leaped of a sudden the sun, And against him the cattle stood black every

one,

To stare through the mist at us galloping past, And I saw my stout galloper Roland at last, With resolute shoulders, each butting away The haze, as some bluff river headland its

spray:

24