Poems & Ballads Volume I Part 29

Yea, G.o.d wot I can well see yet Both her breast and her sides all wet And her long hair withouten let Spread sideways like a drawing net; Full dear bought and full far fet Was that sweet thing there y-set; It were a hard thing to forget How both lips and eyen met, Breast and breath sank.

So goodly a sight as there she was, Lying looking on her gla.s.s By wan water in green gra.s.s, Yet saw never man.

So soft and great she was and bright With all her body waxen white, I woxe nigh blind to see the light Shed out of it to left and right; This bitter sin from that sweet sight Between us twain began.

NATHAN

Now, sir, be merry anon, For ye shall have a full wise son, Goodly and great of flesh and bone; There shall no king be such an one, I swear by G.o.dis rood.

Therefore, lord, be merry here, And go to meat withouten fear, And hear a ma.s.s with goodly cheer; For to all folk ye shall be dear, And all folk of your blood.

_Et tunc dicant Laudamus._

ST. DOROTHY

It hath been seen and yet it shall be seen That out of tender mouths G.o.d's praise hath been Made perfect, and with wood and simple string He hath played music sweet as shawm-playing To please himself with softness of all sound; And no small thing but hath been sometime found Full sweet of use, and no such humbleness But G.o.d hath bruised withal the sentences And evidence of wise men witnessing; No leaf that is so soft a hidden thing It never shall get sight of the great sun; The strength of ten has been the strength of one, And lowliness has waxed imperious.

There was in Rome a man Theophilus Of right great blood and gracious ways, that had All n.o.ble fashions to make people glad And a soft life of pleasurable days; He was a goodly man for one to praise, Flawless and whole upward from foot to head; His arms were a red hawk that alway fed On a small bird with feathers gnawed upon, Beaten and plucked about the bosom-bone Whereby a small round fleck like fire there was: They called it in their tongue lampadias; This was the banner of the lordly man.

In many straits of sea and reaches wan Full of quick wind, and many a shaken firth, It had seen fighting days of either earth, Westward or east of waters Gaditane (This was the place of sea-rocks under Spain Called after the great praise of Hercules) And north beyond the washing Pontic seas, Far windy Russian places fabulous, And salt fierce tides of storm-swoln Bosphorus.

Now as this lord came straying in Rome town He saw a little lattice open down And after it a press of maidens' heads That sat upon their cold small quiet beds Talking, and played upon short-stringd lutes; And other some ground perfume out of roots Gathered by marvellous moons in Asia; Saffron and aloes and wild ca.s.sia, Coloured all through and smelling of the sun; And over all these was a certain one Clothed softly, with sweet herbs about her hair And bosom flowerful; her face more fair Than sudden-singing April in soft lands: Eyed like a gracious bird, and in both hands She held a psalter painted green and red.

This Theophile laughed at the heart, and said, Now G.o.d so help me hither and St. Paul, As by the new time of their festival I have good will to take this maid to wife.

And herewith fell to fancies of her life And soft half-thoughts that ended suddenly.

This is man's guise to please himself, when he Shall not see one thing of his pleasant things, Nor with out.w.a.tch of many travailings Come to be eased of the least pain he hath For all his love and all his foolish wrath And all the heavy manner of his mind.

Thus is he like a fisher fallen blind That casts his nets across the boat awry To strike the sea, but lo, he striketh dry And plucks them back all broken for his pain And bites his beard and casts across again And reaching wrong slips over in the sea.

So hath this man a strangled neck for fee, For all his cost he chuckles in his throat.

This Theophile that little hereof wote Laid wait to hear of her what she might be: Men told him she had name of Dorothy, And was a lady of a worthy house.

Thereat this knight grew inly glorious That he should have a love so fair of place.

She was a maiden of most quiet face, Tender of speech, and had no hardihood But was nigh feeble of her fearful blood; Her mercy in her was so marvellous From her least years, that seeing her school-fellows That read beside her stricken with a rod, She would cry sore and say some word to G.o.d That he would ease her fellow of his pain.

There is no touch of sun or fallen rain That ever fell on a more gracious thing.

In middle Rome there was in stone-working The church of Venus painted royally.

The chapels of it were some two or three, In each of them her tabernacle was And a wide window of six feet in gla.s.s Coloured with all her works in red and gold.

The altars had bright cloths and cups to hold The wine of Venus for the services, Made out of honey and crushed wood-berries That shed sweet yellow through the thick wet red, That on high days was borne upon the head Of Venus' priest for any man to drink; So that in drinking he should fall to think On some fair face, and in the thought thereof Worship, and such should triumph in his love.

For this soft wine that did such grace and good Was new trans-shaped and mixed with Love's own blood, That in the fighting Trojan time was bled; For which came such a woe to Diomed That he was stifled after in hard sea.

And some said that this wine-shedding should be Made of the falling of Adonis' blood, That curled upon the thorns and broken wood And round the gold silk shoes on Venus' feet; The taste thereof was as hot honey sweet And in the mouth ran soft and riotous.

This was the holiness of Venus' house.

It was their worship, that in August days Twelve maidens should go through those Roman ways Naked, and having gold across their brows And their hair twisted in short golden rows, To minister to Venus in this wise: And twelve men chosen in their companies To match these maidens by the altar-stair, All in one habit, crowned upon the hair.

Among these men was chosen Theophile.

This knight went out and prayed a little while, Holding queen Venus by her hands and knees; I will give thee twelve royal images Cut in glad gold, with marvels of wrought stone For thy sweet priests to lean and pray upon, Jasper and hyacinth and chrysopras, And the strange Asian thalamite that was Hidden twelve ages under heavy sea Among the little sleepy pearls, to be A shrine lit over with soft candle-flame Burning all night red as hot brows of shame, So thou wilt be my lady without sin.

G.o.ddess that art all gold outside and in, Help me to serve thee in thy holy way.

Thou knowest, Love, that in my bearing day There shone a laughter in the singing stars Round the gold-ceild bride-bed wherein Mars Touched thee and had thee in your kissing wise.

Now therefore, sweet, kiss thou my maiden's eyes That they may open graciously towards me; And this new fashion of thy shrine shall be As soft with gold as thine own happy head.

The G.o.ddess, that was painted with face red Between two long green tumbled sides of sea, Stooped her neck sideways, and spake pleasantly: Thou shalt have grace as thou art thrall of mine.

And with this came a savour of shed wine And plucked-out petals from a rose's head: And softly with slow laughs of lip she said, Thou shalt have favour all thy days of me.

Then came Theophilus to Dorothy, Saying: O sweet, if one should strive or speak Against G.o.d's ways, he gets a beaten cheek For all his wage and shame above all men.

Therefore I have no will to turn again When G.o.d saith "go," lest a worse thing fall out.

Then she, mis...o...b..ing lest he went about To catch her wits, made answer somewhat thus: I have no will, my lord Theophilus, To speak against this worthy word of yours; Knowing how G.o.d's will in all speech endures, That save by grace there may no thing be said, Then Theophile waxed light from foot to head, And softly fell upon this answering.

It is well seen you are a chosen thing To do G.o.d service in his gracious way.

I will that you make haste and holiday To go next year upon the Venus stair, Covered none else, but crowned upon your hair, And do the service that a maiden doth.

She said: but I that am Christ's maid were loth To do this thing that hath such bitter name.

Thereat his brows were beaten with sore shame And he came off and said no other word.

Then his eyes chanced upon his banner-bird, And he fell fingering at the staff of it And laughed for wrath and stared between his feet, And out of a chafed heart he spake as thus: Lo how she j.a.pes at me Theophilus, Feigning herself a fool and hard to love; Yet in good time for all she boasteth of She shall be like a little beaten bird.

And while his mouth was open in that word He came upon the house Janiculum, Where some went busily, and other some Talked in the gate called the gate glorious.

The emperor, which was one Gabalus, Sat over all and drank chill wine alone.

To whom is come Theophilus anon, And said as thus: _Beau sire, Dieu vous aide_.

And afterward sat under him, and said All this thing through as ye have wholly heard.

This Gabalus laughed thickly in his beard.

Yea, this is righteousness and maiden rule.

Truly, he said, a maid is but a fool.

And j.a.ped at them as one full villainous, In a lewd wise, this heathen Gabalus, And sent his men to bind her as he bade.

Thus have they taken Dorothy the maid, And haled her forth as men hale pick-purses: A little need G.o.d knows they had of this, To hale her by her maiden gentle hair.

Thus went she lowly, making a soft prayer, As one who stays the sweet wine in his mouth, Murmuring with eased lips, and is most loth To have done wholly with the sweet of it.

Christ king, fair Christ, that knowest all men's wit And all the feeble fashion of my ways, O perfect G.o.d, that from all yesterdays Abidest whole with morrows perfected, I pray thee by thy mother's holy head Thou help me to do right, that I not slip: I have no speech nor strength upon my lip, Except thou help me who art wise and sweet.

Do this too for those nails that clove thy feet, Let me die maiden after many pains.

Though I be least among thy handmaidens, Doubtless I shall take death more sweetly thus.

Now have they brought her to King Gabalus, Who laughed in all his throat some breathing-whiles: By G.o.d, he said, if one should leap two miles, He were not pained about the sides so much.

This were a soft thing for a man to touch.

Shall one so chafe that hath such little bones?

And shook his throat with thick and chuckled moans For laughter that she had such holiness.

What aileth thee, wilt thou do services?

It were good fare to fare as Venus doth.

Then said this lady with her maiden mouth, Shamefaced, and something paler in the cheek: Now, sir, albeit my wit and will to speak Give me no grace in sight of worthy men, For all my shame yet know I this again, I may not speak, nor after downlying Rise up to take delight in lute-playing, Nor sing nor sleep, nor sit and fold my hands, But my soul in some measure understands G.o.d's grace laid like a garment over me.

For this fair G.o.d that out of strong sharp sea Lifted the shapely and green-coloured land, And hath the weight of heaven in his hand As one might hold a bird, and under him The heavy golden planets beam by beam Building the feasting-chambers of his house, And the large world he holdeth with his brows, And with the light of them astonisheth All place and time and face of life and death And motion of the north wind and the south, And is the sound within his angel's mouth Of singing words and words of thanksgiving, And is the colour of the latter spring And heat upon the summer and the sun, And is beginning of all things begun And gathers in him all things to their end, And with the fingers of his hand doth bend The stretched-out sides of heaven like a sail, And with his breath he maketh the red pale And fills with blood faint faces of men dead, And with the sound between his lips are fed Iron and fire and the white body of snow, And blossom of all trees in places low, And small bright herbs about the little hills, And fruit p.r.i.c.ked softly with birds' tender bills, And flight of foam about green fields of sea, And fourfold strength of the great winds that be Moved always outward from beneath his feet, And growth of gra.s.s and growth of sheavd wheat And all green flower of goodly-growing lands; And all these things he gathers with his hands And covers all their beauty with his wings; The same, even G.o.d that governs all these things, Hath set my feet to be upon his ways.

Now therefore for no painfulness of days I shall put off this service bound on me.

Also, fair sir, ye know this certainly, How G.o.d was in his flesh full chaste and meek And gave his face to shame, and either cheek Gave up to smiting of men tyrannous.

And here with a great voice this Gabalus Cried out and said: By G.o.d's blood and his bones, This were good game betwixen night and nones For one to sit and hearken to such saws: I were as lief fall in some big beast's jaws As hear these women's jaw-teeth clattering; By G.o.d a woman is the harder thing, One may not put a hook into her mouth.

Now by St. Luke I am so sore adrouth For all these saws I must needs drink again.

But I pray G.o.d deliver all us men From all such noise of women and their heat.

That is a n.o.ble scripture, well I weet, That likens women to an empty can; When G.o.d said that he was a full wise man, I trow no man may blame him as for that.

And herewithal he drank a draught, and spat, And said: Now shall I make an end hereof.

Come near all men and hearken for G.o.d's love, And ye shall hear a jest or twain, G.o.d wot.

And spake as thus with mouth full thick and hot; But thou do this thou shalt be shortly slain.

Lo, sir, she said, this death and all this pain I take in penance of my bitter sins.

Yea now, quoth Gabalus, this game begins.

Lo, without sin one shall not live a span.

Lo, this is she that would not look on man Between her fingers folded in thwart wise.

See how her shame hath smitten in her eyes That was so clean she had not heard of shame.

Certes, he said, by Gabalus my name, This two years back I was not so well pleased.

This were good mirth for sick men to be eased And rise up whole and laugh at hearing of.

I pray thee show us something of thy love, Since thou wast maid thy gown is waxen wide.

Yea, maid I am, she said, and somewhat sighed, As one who thought upon the low fair house Where she sat working, with soft bended brows Watching her threads, among the school-maidens.

And she thought well now G.o.d had brought her thence She should not come to sew her gold again.

Then cried King Gabalus upon his men To have her forth and draw her with steel gins.

And as a man hag-ridden beats and grins And bends his body sidelong in his bed, So wagged he with his body and knave's head, Gaping at her, and blowing with his breath.

And in good time he gat an evil death Out of his lewdness with his cursd wives: His bones were hewn asunder as with knives For his misliving, certes it is said.

But all the evil wrought upon this maid, It were full hard for one to handle it.

For her soft blood was shed upon her feet, And all her body's colour bruised and faint.

But she, as one abiding G.o.d's great saint, Spake not nor wept for all this travail hard.

Wherefore the king commanded afterward To slay her presently in all men's sight.