And so fill up the gap where force might | And crown'd with fleshless laughter fail some ten steps · With skill and fineness. Instant were In the half-light Then for a space, and under cloud that grew To thunder-gloom palling all stars, they rode In converse till she made her palfry halt, Lifted an arm, and softly whisper'd, "There.' And all the three were silent seeing, pitch'd Beside the Castle Perilous on flat field, Black, with black banner, and a long black horn Beside it hanging; which Sir Gareth graspt, And so, before the two could hinder him, Sent all his heart and breath thro' all the horn. Echo'd the walls; a light twinkled; anon Came lights and lights, and once again he blew ; Whereon were hollow tramplings up and down And muffled voices heard, and shadows past; Till high above him, circled with her maids, The Lady Lyonors at a window stood, Beautiful among lights, and waving to him White hands, and courtesy; but when the Prince Three times had blown after long The huge pavilion slowly yielded up, Thro' those black foldings, that which housed therein. High on a nightblack horse, in night black arms, With white breast-bone, and barren ribs of Death, advanced thro' the dim dawn The monster, and then paused, and spake no word. But Gareth spake and all indignantly, "Fool, for thou hast, men say, the strength of ten, Canst thou not trust the limbs thy God hath given, But must, to make the terror of thee more, Trick thyself out in ghastly imageries Of that which Life hath done with, and the clod, Less dull than thou, will hide with mantling flowers As if for pity?" But he spake no word; Which set the horror higher: a maiden swoon'd; The Lady Lyonors wrung her hands and wept, As doom'd to be the bride of Night and Death; Sir Gareth's head prickled beneath his helm ; And ev'n Sir Lancelot thro' his warm That made us rulers? this, indeed, her | Touch'd by the adulterous finger of a time That hover'd between war and wanton voice ness, And crownings and dethronements: take withal Thy poet's blessing, and his trust that Heaven Will blow the tempest in the distance back From thine and ours: for some are scared, who mark, Or wisely or unwisely, signs of storm, Waverings of every vane with every wind, And wordy trucklings to the transient hour, And fierce or careless looseners of the faith, And Softness breeding scorn of simple life, Or Cowardice, the child of lust for gold, Or Labor, with a groan and not a voice, Or Art, with poisonous honey stol'n from France, And that which knows, but careful for itself, And that which knows not, ruling that which knows To its own harm: the goal of this great world Lies beyond sight: yet. grown if our slowly Fair Empires branching, both, in lusty But hearts that change not, love that Since English Harold gave its throne a Between your peoples truth and manful wife, Alexandrovna ! peace, Alfred Alexandrovna ! Two dead men have I known In courtesy like to thee: Two dead men have I loved With a love that ever will be: "I am the voice of the Peak, "A thousand voices go To North, South, East, and West; "The fields are fair beside them, Fall, and follow their doom. "The deep has power on the height, Not raised for ever and ever, Three dead men have I loved, and thou But when their cycle is o'er, art last of the three. THE VOICE AND THE PEAK. THE Voice and the Peak Far over summit and lawn, The valley, the voice, the peak, the star, The Peak is high and flush'd The peak is high, and the stars are high, Green-rushing from the rosy thrones of A voice below the voice, dawn! All night have I heard the voice Hast thou no voice, O Peak, And a height beyond the height! The voice and the Peak |