Page:Marmion - Walter Scott (ed. Bayne, 1889).pdf/105

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
CANTO III.
75
300And twice he thought, 'Gave I not chargeShe should be safe, though not at large?They durst not, for their island, shredOne golden ringlet from her head.'
XVIII.While thus in Marmion's bosom strove305Repentance and reviving love,Like whirlwinds, whose contending swayI've seen Loch Vennachar obey,Their Host the Palmer's speech had heard,And, talkative, took up the word:310 'Ay, reverend Pilgrim, you, who strayFrom Scotland's simple land away, To visit realms afar,Full often learn the art to knowOf future weal, or future woe,315 By word, or sign, or star;Yet might a knight his fortune hear,If, knight-like, he despises fear,Not far from hence;—if fathers oldAright our hamlet legend told.'—320These broken words the menials move,(For marvels still the vulgar love,)And, Marmion giving license cold,His tale the host thus gladly told:—
XIX.The Host's Tale'A Clerk could tell what years have flown325Since Alexander fill'd our throne,(Third monarch of that warlike name,)And eke the time when here he cameTo seek Sir Hugo, then our lord:A braver never drew a sword;330A wiser never, at the hourOf midnight, spoke the word of power:The same, whom ancient records callThe founder of the Goblin-Hall.
This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.