(His father's fault) but given to starts and bursts Of revel; and the last, my other heart, My shadow, my half-self, for still we moved Now while they spake I saw my father's face And bring her in a whirlwind: then he chew'd At last I spoke. My father, let me go. It cannot be but some gross error lies In this report, this answer of a king, Whom all men rate as kind and hospitable : Or, maybe, I myself, my bride once seen, Whate'er my grief to find her less than fame, May rue the bargain made.' And Florian said: I have a sister at the foreign court, Who moves about the Princess; she, you know, Who wedded with a nobleman from thence : He, dying lately, left her, as I hear, The lady of three castles in that land. Thro' her this matter might be sifted clean.' Then whisper'd Cyril: Take me with you too. Trust me, I'll serve you better in a strait; But when the council broke, I rose and past Thro' the wild woods that hung about the town; Found a still place, and pluck'd her likeness out; Laid it on flowers, and watch'd it lying bathed In the green gleam of dewy-tassell'd trees: What were those fancies ? wherefore break her troth ? Proud look'd the lips: but while I meditated A wind arose and rush'd upon the South, And shook the songs, the whispers, and the shrieks Of the wild woods together; and a Voice Went with it Follow, follow, thou shalt win.' Then, ere the silver sickle of that month Became her golden shield, I stole from court We gain'd the mother-city thick with towers, His name was Gama; crack'd and small in voice; A little dry old man, without a star, Not like a king three days he feasted us, с And on the fourth I spake of why we came, And my betroth❜d. 'You do us, Prince' he said, 6 Airing a snowy hand and signet gem, All honour. We remember love ourselves In our sweet youth: there did a compact pass Long summers back, a kind of ceremony— I think the year in which our olives fail'd. I would you had her, Prince, with all my heart, full heart but there were widows here, With my Two widows, Lady Psyche, Lady Blanche ; Maintaining that with equal husbandry The woman were an equal to the man. They harp'd on this; with this our banquets rang; Our dances broke and buzz'd in knots of talk ; Nothing but this: my very ears were hot To hear them. Last, my daughter begg'd a boon A certain summer-palace which I have Hard by your father's frontier: I said no, Yet being an easy man, gave it; and there, All wild to found an University For maidens, on the spur she fled; and more We know not,-have not been; they see no men, Not ev'n her brother Arac, nor the twins Her brethren, tho' they love her, look upon her As on a kind of paragon; and I (Pardon me saying it) were much loth to breed Dispute betwixt myself and mine but since (And I confess with right) you think me bound In some sort, I can give you letters to her ; And yet, to speak the truth, I rate your chance. Almost at naked nothing.' Thus the king; And I, tho' nettled that he seem'd to slur With garrulous ease and oily courtesies Our formal compact, yet not less all frets But chafing me on fire to find my bride, Set out once more with those two gallant boys; Then pushing onward under sun and stars |