. The princess, a medley. ekThey made him wild : not less one glance he caughtThro open doors of Ida stationd thereUnshaken, clinging to her purpose, firmTho compassd by two armies and the noiseOf arms ; and standing like a stately pineSet in a cataract on an island-crag,When storm is on the heights, and right and leftSuckd from the dark heart of the long hills rollThe torrents, dashd to the vale : and yet her will 340 Bred will in me to overcome it or fall. But when I told the king that I was pledgedTo fight in tourney for my bride, he clashdHis iron palms together with a cry;Himself would ti
. The princess, a medley. ekThey made him wild : not less one glance he caughtThro open doors of Ida stationd thereUnshaken, clinging to her purpose, firmTho compassd by two armies and the noiseOf arms ; and standing like a stately pineSet in a cataract on an island-crag,When storm is on the heights, and right and leftSuckd from the dark heart of the long hills rollThe torrents, dashd to the vale : and yet her will 340 Bred will in me to overcome it or fall. But when I told the king that I was pledgedTo fight in tourney for my bride, he clashdHis iron palms together with a cry;Himself would tilt it out among the lads :But overborne by all his bearded lordsWith reasons drawn from age and state, perforceHe yielded, wroth and red, with fierce demur;And many a bold knight started up in heat,And sware to combat for my claim till death. 350 A MEDLEY. 101 All on this side the palace ran the fieldFlat to the garden-wall; and likewise here,Above the gardens glowing blossom-belts,A columnd entry shone and marble stairs,. And great bronze valves, embossd with TomyrisAnd what she did to Cyrus after fight,But now fast barrd : so here upon the flatAll that long morn the lists were hammerd up,And all that morn the heralds to and fro,With message and defiance, went and came;Last, Idas answer, in a royal hand,But shaken here and there, and rolling wordsOration-like. I kissd it and I read : 1 O brother, you have known the pangs we felt,What heats of indignation when we heardOf those that iron-crampd their womens feet;Of lands in which at the altar the poor brideGives her harsh groom for bridal-gift a scourge ;Of living hearts that crack within the fire 360 THE PRINCESS: Where smoulder their dead despots ; and of those, — 37o Mothers, — that, all prophetic pity, fling Their pretty maids in the running flood, and swoops The vulture, beak and talon, at the heart Made for all noble motion : and I saw That equal baseness lived in sleeker times With smoother men ; the old leaven leaven
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