Walter Scott - Marmion

When sated with the martial show
That peopled all the plain below,
The wandering eye could o’er it go,
And mark the distant city glow
With gloomy splendour red;
For on the smoke-wreaths, huge and slow,
That round her sable turrets flow,
The morning beams were shed,

And tinged them with a lustre proud,
Like that which streaks a thunder-cloud.
Such dusky grandeur clothed the height,
Where the huge Castle holds its state,
And all the steep slope down,
Whose ridgy back heaves to the sky,
Piled deep and massy, close and high,
Mine own romantic town!

But northward far, with purer blaze,
On Ochil mountains fell the rays,
And as each heathy top they kiss’d,
It gleam’d a purple amethyst.

Yonder the shores of Fife you saw;
Here Preston-Bay, and Berwick-Law;
And, broad between them roll’d,
The gallant Frith the eye might note,
Whose islands on its bosom float,
Like emeralds chased in gold.

Fitz-Eustace’ heart felt closely pent;
As if to give his rapture vent,
The spur he to his charger lent,
And raised his bridle hand,
And, making demi-volte in air,
Cried, ‘Where’s the coward that would not dare
To fight for such a land!’

The Lindesay smiled his joy to see;
Nor Marmion’s frown repress’d his glee.

Thus while they look’d, a flourish proud,
Where mingled trump, and clarion loud,
And fife, and kettle-drum,
And sackbut deep, and psaltery,
And war-pipe with discordant cry,
And cymbal clattering to the sky,
Making wild music bold and high,
Did up the mountain come;

The whilst the bells, with distant chime,
Merrily toll’d the hour of prime,
And thus the Lindesay spoke:
‘Thus clamour still the war-notes when
The King to mass his way has ta’en,
Or to Saint Katharine’s of Sienne,
Or Chapel of Saint Rocque.

To you they speak of martial fame;
But me remind of peaceful game,
When blither was their cheer,
Thrilling in Falkland-woods the air,
In signal none his steed should spare,
But strive which foremost might repair
To the downfall of the deer.

‘Nor less,’ he said,-‘when looking forth,
I view yon Empress of the North
Sit on her hilly throne;
Her palace’s imperial bowers,
Her castle, proof to hostile powers,
Her stately halls and holy towers-
Nor less,’ he said, ‘I moan,

To think what woe mischance may bring,
And how these merry bells may ring
The death-dirge of our gallant King;
Or with the larum call
The burghers forth to watch and ward,
‘Gainst southern sack and fires to guard
Dun-Edin’s leaguer’d wall.-

But not for my presaging thought,
Dream conquest sure, or cheaply bought!
Lord Marmion, I say nay:
God is the guider of the field,
He breaks the champion’s spear and shield,―
But thou thyself shalt say,

When joins yon host in deadly stowre,
That England’s dames must weep in bower,
Her monks the death-mass sing;
For never saw’st thou such a power
Led on by such a King.’-

And now, down winding to the plain,
The barriers of the camp they gain,
And there they made a stay.-
There stays the Minstrel, till he fling
His hand o’er every Border string,
And fit his harp the pomp to sing,
Of Scotland’s ancient Court and King,
In the succeeding lay.

When dark December glooms the day,
And takes our autumn joys away;

When short and scant the sunbeam throws,
Upon the weary waste of snows,
A cold and profitless regard,
Like patron on a needy bard;

When silvan occupation’s done,
And o’er the chimney rests the gun,
And hang, in idle trophy, near,
The game-pouch, fishing-rod, and spear;

When wiry terrier, rough and grim,
And greyhound, with his length of limb,
And pointer, now employ’d no more,
Cumber our parlour’s narrow floor;

When in his stall the impatient steed
Is long condemn’d to rest and feed;

When from our snow-encircled home,
Scarce cares the hardiest step to roam
Since path is none, save that to bring
The needful water from the spring;

When wrinkled news-page, thrice conn’d o’er,
Beguiles the dreary hour no more,
And darkling politician, cross’d,
Inveighs against the lingering post,
And answering housewife sore complains
Of carriers’ snow-impeded wains;

When such the country cheer, I come,
Well pleased, to seek our city home;

For converse, and for books, to change
The Forest’s melancholy range,
And welcome, with renew’d delight,
The busy day and social night.

Not here need my desponding rhyme
Lament the ravages of time,
As erst by Newark’s riven towers,
And Ettrick stripp’d of forest bowers.

True,-Caledonia’s Queen is changed,
Since on her dusky summit ranged,
Within its steepy limits pent,
By bulwark, line, and battlement,
And flanking towers, and laky flood,
Guarded and garrison’d she stood,
Denying entrance or resort,
Save at each tall embattled port;

Above whose arch, suspended, hung
Portcullis spiked with iron prong.
That long is gone,-but not so long,
Since, early closed, and opening late,
Jealous revolved the studded gate,
Whose task, from eve to morning tide,
A wicket churlishly supplied.

Stern then, and steel-girt was thy brow,
Dun-Edin! O, how altered now,
When safe amid thy mountain court
Thou sitt’st, like Empress at her sport,
And liberal, unconfined, and free,
Flinging thy white arms to the sea,
For thy dark cloud, with umber’d lower,
That hung o’er cliff, and lake, and tower,
Thou gleam’st against the western ray
Ten thousand lines of brighter day.

Not she, the Championess of old,
In Spenser’s magic tale enroll’d,
She for the charmed spear renown’d,
Which forced each knight to kiss the ground,-

Not she more changed, when, placed at rest,
What time she was Malbecco’s guest,
She gave to flow her maiden vest;

When from the corselet’s grasp relieved,
Free to the sight her bosom heaved;

Sweet was her blue eye’s modest smile,
Erst hidden by the aventayle;
And down her shoulders graceful roll’d
Her locks profuse, of paly gold.

They who whilom, in midnight fight,
Had marvell’d at her matchless might,
No less her maiden charms approved,
But looking liked, and liking loved.

The sight could jealous pangs beguile,
And charm Malbecco’s cares a while;

And he, the wandering Squire of Dames,
Forgot his Columbella’s claims,
And passion, erst unknown, could gain
The breast of blunt Sir Satyrane;
Nor durst light Paridel advance,
Bold as he was, a looser glance.
She charm’d, at once, and tamed the heart,
Incomparable Britomane!