At will I crop the year's increase; F. Gay CVIII ST. ROMUALD One day, it matters not to know How many hundred years ago, A Frenchman stopt at an inn door: The Landlord came to welcome him and chat Of this and that, For he had seen the traveller there before. 'Doth holy Romuald dwell Still in his cell?' The Traveller ask'd, 'or is the old man dead?' 'No; he has left his loving flock, and we So great a Christian never more shall see,' The Landlord answer'd, and he shook his head. 'Ah, sir, we knew his worth! If ever there did live a saint on earth! Why, sir, he always used to wear a shirt For thirty days, all seasons, day and night. Good man, he knew it was not right For Dust and Ashes to fall out with Dirt! And then he only hung it out in the rain, And put it on again. There has been perilous work From sunset until morn. He with a cross, the Devil with his horn; And the hot vapour fill'd the smoking cell. 'Then, sir, to see how he would mortify And look at all the delicate things, and cry, 'O belly, belly, You would be gormandizing now, I know; Home to your bread and water, home, I tell ye !' But,' quoth the Traveller, 'wherefore did he leave To do him a great honour; and you know And so by stealth one night away he went.' 'What might this honour be?' the Traveller cried. 'Why, sir,' the host replied, 'We thought perhaps that he might one day leave us ; A loss like that would naturally grieve us, And so we meant to strangle him one night.' CIX R. Southey LADY ALICE Lady Alice was sitting in her bower window At midnight mending her quoif; And there she saw as fine a corpse As ever she saw in her life. 'What bear ye, what bear ye, ye six men tall? What bear ye on your shoulders?' 'We bear the corpse of Giles Collins, An old and true lover of yours. 'Oh, lay him down gently, ye six men tall, All on the grass so green, And to-morrow when the sun goes down, 'And bury me in Saint Mary's church, And make me a garland of marjoram, Giles Collins was buried all in the east, Lady Alice all in the west; And the roses that grew on Giles Collins's grave, They reached Lady Alice's breast. The priest of the parish he chanced to pass, Sure never were seen such true lovers before, Old Ballad CX THE OUTLANDISH KNIGHT An outlandish knight came from the North lands, And he came a wooing to me; And he told me he'd take me unto the North lands, And there he would marry me. 'Come, fetch me some of your father's gold, And some of your mother's fee; And two of the best nags out of the stable, Where they stand thirty and three.' She fetched him some of her father's gold And some of her mother's fee; And two of the best nags out of the stable, Where they stood thirty and three. She mounted her on her milk-white steed, He on the dapple grey; They rode till they came unto the sea-side, Three hours before it was day. 'Light off, light off thy milk-white steed, Six pretty maids have I drowned here, 'Pull off, pull off thy silken gown, And deliver it unto me, 'Pull off, pull off thy silken stays, • Pull off, pull off thy Holland smock, Methinks it looks too rich and gay |