Mediaeval Tales Part 9

"The one shall be thy waiting-maid, thy weary feet to lave, To scatter perfumes on thy head, and fetch thee garments brave; The other--she the pretty--shall deck her bridal bower, And my field and my city they both shall be her dower.

VI.

"If more thou wishest, more I'll give--speak boldly what thy thought is."-- Thus earnestly and kindly to Guarinos said Marlotes;-- But not a moment did he take to ponder or to pause, Thus clear and quick the answer of the Christian Captain was:

VII.

"Now, G.o.d forbid! Marlotes, and Mary, his dear mother, That I should leave the faith of Christ, and bind me to another.

For women--I've one wife in France, and I'll wed no more in Spain; I change not faith, I break not vow, for courtesy or gain."--

VIII.

Wroth waxed King Marlotes, when thus he heard him say, And all for ire commanded, he should be led away; Away unto the dungeon keep, beneath its vault to lie, With fetters bound in darkness deep, far off from sun and sky.

IX.

With iron bands they bound his hands. That sore unworthy plight Might well express his helplessness, doomed never more to fight.

Again, from cincture down to knee, long bolts of iron he bore, Which signified the knight should ride on charger never more.

X.

Three times alone, in all the year, it is the captive's doom, To see G.o.d's daylight bright and clear, instead of dungeon-gloom; Three times alone they bring him out, like Samson long ago, Before the Moorish rabble-rout to be a sport and show.

XI.

On three high feasts they bring him forth, a spectacle to be, The feast of Pasque, and the great day of the Nativity, And on that morn, more solemn yet, when the maidens strip the bowers, And gladden mosque and minaret with the first fruits of the flowers.

XII.

Days come and go of gloom and show. Seven years are come and gone, And now doth fall the festival of the holy Baptist John; Christian and Moslem tilts and jousts, to give it homage due; And rushes on the paths to spread they force the sulky Jew.

XIII.

Marlotes, in his joy and pride, a target high doth rear, Below the Moorish knights must ride and pierce it with the spear; But 'tis so high up in the sky, albeit much they strain, No Moorish lance so far may fly, Marlotes' prize to gain.

XIV.

Wroth waxed King Marlotes, when he beheld them fail, The whisker trembled on his lip, and his cheek for ire was pale; And heralds proclamation made, with trumpets, through the town,-- "Nor child shall suck, nor man shall eat, till the mark be tumbled down."

XV.

The cry of proclamation, and the trumpet's haughty sound, Did send an echo to the vault where the admiral was bound.

"Now, help me G.o.d!" the captive cries, "what means this din so loud?

Oh, Queen of Heaven! be vengeance given on these thy haters proud!

XVI.

"O! is it that some Pagan gay doth Marlotes' daughter wed, And that they bear my scorned fair in triumph to his bed?

Or is it that the day is come--one of the hateful three, When they, with trumpet, fife, and drum, make heathen game of me?"--

XVII.

These words the jailer chanced to hear, and thus to him he said, "These tabors, Lord, and trumpets clear, conduct no bride to bed; Nor has the feast come round again, when he that has the right, Commands thee forth, thou foe of Spain, to glad the people's sight.

XVIII.

"This is the joyful morning of John the Baptist's day, When Moor and Christian feasts at home, each in his nation's way; But now our King commands that none his banquet shall begin, Until some knight, by strength or sleight, the spearman's prize do win."--

XIX.

Then out and spake Guarinos, "O! soon each man should feed, Were I but mounted once again on my own gallant steed.

O! were I mounted as of old, and harnessed cap-a-pee, Full soon Marlotes' prize I'd hold, whate'er its price may be.

XX.

"Give me my horse, mine old grey horse, so be he is not dead, All gallantly caparisoned, with plate on breast and head, And give the lance I brought from France, and if I win it not, My life shall be the forfeiture--I'll yield it on the spot."--

XXI.

The jailer wondered at his words. Thus to the knight said he, "Seven weary years of chains and gloom have little humbled thee; There's never a man in Spain, I trow, the like so well might bear; An' if thou wilt, I with thy vow will to the King repair."--

XXII.

The jailer put his mantle on, and came unto the King, He found him sitting on the throne, within his listed ring; Close to his ear he planted him, and the story did begin, How bold Guarinos vaunted him the spearman's prize to win.

XXIII.

That, were he mounted but once more on his own gallant grey, And armed with the lance he bore on the Roncesvalles' day, What never Moorish knight could pierce, he would pierce it at a blow, Or give with joy his life-blood fierce, at Marlotes' feet to flow.

XXIV.

Much marvelling, then said the King, "Bring Sir Guarinos forth, And in the Grange go seek ye for his grey steed of worth; His arms are rusty on the wall--seven years have gone, I judge, Since that strong horse has bent his force to be a carrion drudge.

XXV.

"Now this will be a sight indeed, to see the enfeebled lord Essay to mount that ragged steed, and draw that rusty sword; And for the vaunting of his phrase he well deserves to die, So, jailer, gird his harness on, and bring your champion nigh."--

XXVI.

They have girded on his shirt of mail, his cuisses well they've clasped, And they've barred the helm on his visage pale, and his hand the lance hath clasped, And they have caught the old grey horse, the horse he loved of yore, And he stands pawing at the gate--caparisoned once more.

XXVII.

When the knight came out the Moors did shout, and loudly laughed the King, For the horse he pranced and capered, and furiously did fling; But Guarinos whispered in his ear, and looked into his face, Then stood the old charger like a lamb, with a calm and gentle grace.

XXVIII.

O! Lightly did Guarinos vault into the saddle-tree, And slowly riding down made halt before Marlotes' knee; Again the heathen laughed aloud--"All hail, Sir Knight," quoth he, "Now do thy best, thou champion proud. Thy blood I look to see."--