96. HOW THEY BROUGHT THE GOOD NEWS FROM GHENT TO AIX' [16-] I SPRANG to the stirrup, and Joris, and he; I galloped, Dirck galloped, we galloped all three ; Good speed!' cried the watch, as the gate-bolts undrew; Speed! echoed the wall to us galloping through; 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 'Twas moonset at starting; but while we drew near At Aerschot, up leaped of a sudden the sun, The haze, as some bluff river headland its spray. And his low head and crest, just one sharp ear bent back By Hasselt, Dirck groaned; and cried Joris, 'Stay spur! As down on her haunches she shuddered and sank. So we were left galloping, Joris and I, Past Looz and past Tongres, no cloud in the sky; The broad sun above laughed a pitiless laugh, 'Neath our feet broke the brittle bright stubble like chaff; Till over by Dalhem a dome-spire sprang white, 6 And Gallop', gasped Joris, for Aix is in sight!' 'How they'll greet us!'—and all in a moment his roan Then I cast loose my buffcoat, each holster let fall, Called my Roland his pet-name, my horse without peer; Clapped my hands, laughed and sang, any noise, bad or good, Till at length into Aix Roland galloped and stood. And all I remember is, friends flocking round As I sat with his head 'twixt my knees on the ground; As I poured down his throat our last measure of wine, Was no more than his due who brought good news from Ghent. 97. IT'S WISER BEING GOOD THAN BAD It's wiser being good than bad; It's fitter being sane than mad. My own hope is, a sun will pierce R. BROWNING (Apparent Failure). 98. THE PATRIOT AN OLD STORY Ir was roses, roses, all the way, With myrtle mixed in my path like mad: The air broke into a mist with bells, The old walls rocked with the crowd and cries. Had I said, 'Good folk, mere noise repels But give me your sun from yonder skies!' They had answered, 'And afterward, what else ? ' Alack, it was I who leaped at the sun At the Shambles' Gate-or, better yet, I go in the rain, and, more than needs, Thus I entered, and thus I go ! In triumphs, people have dropped down dead. 'Paid by the World,-what dost thou owe Me?' God might question: now instead, 'Tis God shall repay! I am safer so. 99. ITALY ITALY, my Italy! R. BROWNING. Queen Mary's saying serves for me— Lost her, Calais) Open my heart and you will see Graved inside of it, Italy.' Such lovers old are I and she; So it always was, so shall ever be ! R. BROWNING (De Gustibus—). 100. THE LOST LEADER JUST for a handful of silver he left us, Just for a riband to stick in his coat- They, with the gold to give, doled him out silver, How all our copper had gone for his service ! Rags-were they purple, his heart had been proud! We that had loved him so, followed him, honoured him, Lived in his mild and magnificent eye, Learned his great language, caught his clear accents, Shakespeare was of us, Milton was for us, Burns, Shelley, were with us,—they watch from their graves! He alone breaks from the van and the freemen, He alone sinks to the rear and the slaves! We shall march prospering, not through his presence; Best fight on well, for we taught him,-strike gallantly, Then let him receive the new knowledge and wait us, 101. A WOMAN'S LAST WORD R. BROWNING. Be a god and hold me Be a man and fold me Teach me, only teach, Love! I will speak thy speech, Love, Meet, if thou require it, Both demands, In thy hands. That shall be to-morrow I must bury sorrow Out of sight: -Must a little weep, Love. (Foolish me!) And so fall asleep, Love, Loved by thee. R. BROWNING. 102. NAY BUT YOU, WHO DO NOT LOVE HER NAY but you, who do not love her, Is she not pure gold, my mistress ? Holds earth aught-speak truth-above her ? So fair, see, ere I let it fall? Because, you spend your lives in praising; If earth holds aught-speak truth-above her ? But cannot praise, I love so much! 103. R. BROWNING. HOME-THOUGHTS FROM THE SEA NOBLY, nobly Cape Saint Vincent to the North-West died away; In the dimmest North-East distance, dawned Gibraltar grand and grey; 6 Here and here did England help me how can I help England? ’ say, Whoso turns as I, this evening, turn to God to praise and pray, While Jove's planet rises yonder, silent over Africa. R. BROWNING. 104. OH, GOOD GIGANTIC SMILE O' THE BROWN OLD EARTH OH, good gigantic smile o' the brown old earth, Listening the while, where on the heap of stones 105. R. BROWNING (James Lee's Wife). HOME-THOUGHTS, FROM ABROAD Он, to be in England Now that April's there, And whoever wakes in England Sees, some morning, unaware, That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf, While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough In England-now! |