Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

Most bitter fancies biting me like birds That tear each other. Suppose you need not die?

Chast. You know I cannot live for two hours more.

Our fate was made thus ere our days were made:

Will you fight fortune for so small a grief?

But for one thing I were full fain of death. Queen. What thing is that?

Chast. None need to name the thing. Why, what can death do with me fit to fear?

For if I sleep I shall not weep awake;
Or if their saying be true of things to

[blocks in formation]

And I shall feel your sorrow touching you,
A happy sorrow, though I may not touch :
I that would fain be turn'd to flesh again,
Fain get back life to give up life for you,
To shed my blood for help, that long ago
You shed and were not holpen and your
heart

Will ache for help and comfort, yea, for love,

And find less love than mine for I do think

You never will be lov'd thus in your life. Queen. It may be man will never love

me more;

[blocks in formation]

Queen. Ah, my sweet fool, Think you when God will ruin me for sin My face of color shall prevail so much With him, so soften the tooth'd iron's edge To save my throat a scar? Nay, I am shall die somehow sadly. This is pure grief; Chast. The shadow of your pity for my death, Mere foolishness of pity: all sweet moods Throw out such little shadows of them

selves,

Leave such light fears behind. You, die like me?

Stretch your throat out that I may kiss all round

Where mine shall be cut through: suppose my mouth

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

There were that bade refuse her not her will,

Deny not her, fair woman and great queen, Her natural freedom born, to give God praise

What way she would, and pray what prayers; though these

Be as they were, to God abominable And venomous to men's souls. So came there back

The cursed thing cast forth of us, and so Out of her fair face and imperious eyes Lighten'd the light whereby men walk in hell.

And I that sole stood out and bade not let The lightning of this curse come down on

[blocks in formation]

No hateful thing nor fearful if she stand

Such a queen proven as should prove honorable

The rule of women, and in her that thing Be shown forth good that was call'd evil of me,

Blest and not curst- - then have I sinn'd, and they

That would have cross'd me would have cross'd not God:

Whereof now judge ye. Hath she brought with her

Peace, or a sword? and since her incoming Hath the land sat in quiet, and the men Seen rest but for one year? or came not in Behind her feet, right at her back, and shone

Above her crown'd head as a fierier crown,
Death, and about her as a raiment wrapt
Ruin? and where her foot was ever turn'd
Or her right hand was pointed, hath there
fallen

No fire, no cry burst forth of war, no sound
As of a blast blown of an host of men
For summons of destruction? Hath God
shown

For sign she had found grace in his sight, and we

For her sake favor, while she hath reign'd

[blocks in formation]

To bring it in your mind if God ere now Have borne me witness; in that dreary day

When men's hearts fail'd them for pure grief and fear

To see the tyranny that was, and rule Of this queen's mother, where was no light left

But of the fires wherein his servants died, I bade those lords that clave in heart to God

And were perplex'd with trembling and with tears

Lift up their hearts, and fear not; and they heard

What some now hear no more, the word I spake

Who have been with them, as their own souls know,

In their most extreme danger; Cowper Moor,

Saint Johnston, and the Crags of Edinburgh,

Are recent in my heart; yea, let these know,

That dark and dolorous night wherein all they

With shame and fear were driven forth of

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

That for this woman's sake shall God cut off

The hand that spares her as the hand that shields,

And make their memory who take part with her

As theirs who stood for Baal against the Lord

With Ahab's daughter; for her reign and end

Shall be like Athaliah's, as her birth
Was from the womb of Jezebel, that slew
The prophets, and made foul with blood
and fire

The same land's face that now her seed makes foul

With whoredoms and with witchcrafts; yet they say

Peace, where is no peace, while the adul

terous blood

Feeds yet with life and sin the murderous heart

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

Love's priestess, mad with pain and joy of song,

Song's priestess, mad with joy and pain of love,

Name above all names that are lights above,

We have lov'd, prais'd, pitied, crown'd, and done thee wrong,

O thou past praise and pity; thou the sole
Utterly deathless, perfect only and whole
Immortal, body and soul.

For over all whom time hath overpast
The shadow of sleep inexorable is cast,
The implacable sweet shadow of perfect
sleep

That gives not back what life gives death to keep;

Yea, all that liv'd and lov'd and sang and sinn'd

Are all borne down death's cold, sweet, soundless wind

That blows all night and knows not whom its breath,

Darkling, may touch to death:

But one that wind hath touch'd and changed

[blocks in formation]

That hath brought forth a wonder to the world

All

[blocks in formation]

praise, all pity, all dreams have done

thee wrong,

love, with eyes love-blinded from

above;

Song's priestess, mad with joy and pain of love,

Love's priestess, mad with pain and joy of song.

Hast thou none other answer then for me
Than the air may have of thee,
Or the earth's warm woodlands girdling
with green girth

Thy secret, sleepless, burning life on earth, Or even the sea that once, being woman crown'd

And girt with fire and glory of anguish round,

Thou wert so fain to seek to, fain to crave

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

When thou wast but the tawny sweet wing'd Shone sole and stern before her and

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »