715 'There will I ask of Christ the Lord As then we were,—being as then 'Yea, verily; when he is come Till this my vigil seem quite strange We two will live at once, one life; She gazed, and listen'd, and then said, Less sad of speech than mild,— 'All this is when he comes.' She ceased: The light thrill'd past her, fill'd (I saw her smile.) But soon their flight The golden barriers, And laid her face between her hands, THE KING'S TRAGEDY James I of Scots.—20th February, 1437 I Catherine am a Douglas born, A name to all Scots dear; And Kate Barlass they've called me now This old arm's withered now. 'Twas once Most deft 'mong maidens all To rein the steed, to wing the shaft, In hall adown the close-linked dance It has shone most white and fair; It has been the rest for a true lord's head, Aye, lasses, draw round Kate Barlass, How good King James, King Robert's son, Through all the days of his gallant youth By his friends at first and then by his foes, For the elder Prince, the kingdom's heir, Was slain; and the father quaked for the child I' the Bass Rock fort, by his father's care, Yet in all things meet for a kingly man And the nightingale through his prison-wall For once, when the bird's song drew him close In her bowers beneath a lady stood, A light of life to his sorrowful mood, And for her sake, to the sweet bird's note, He framed a sweeter Song, More sweet than ever a poet's heart Gave yet to the English tongue. She was a lady of royal blood; And when, past sorrow and teen, He stood where still through his crownless years At Scone were the happy lovers crowned, But the bird may fall from the bough of youth, And song be turned to moan, And Love's storm-cloud be the shadow of Hate, Yet well they loved; and the god of Love, Might find on the earth no truer hearts From the days when first she rode abroad I Catherine Douglas won the trust And oft she sighed, "To be born a King!" When she saw the homely lovers pass Years waned, the loving and toiling years: Drove James, by outrage cast on his crown, 'Twas when the King and his host were met And she showed him a secret letter writ "And it may be here or it may be there, In the camp or the court," she said: "But for my sake come to your people's arms And guard your royal head." Quoth he, ""Tis the fifteenth day of the siege, And the castle's nigh to yield." O face your foes on your throne," she cried, At the fair Queen's side I stood that day How the lords would meet their Liege. But when he summoned his Parliament, Like clouds that circle the mountain-head For he had tamed the nobles' lust And many a lordly wrong-doer By the headsman's axe had died. 'Twas then upspoke Sir Robert Græme, The bold o'ermastering man :— "O King, in the name of your Three Estates I set you under their ban! "For, as your lords made oath to you Even in likewise you pledged your oath "Yet all we here that are nobly sprung Have mourned dear kith and kin Since first for the Scottish Barons' curse With that he laid his hands on his King:— "Is this not so, my lords?" But of all who had sworn to league with him Quoth the King:—"Thou speak'st but for one Estate, Let my liege lords hale this traitor hence!" But soon from the dungeon where he lay And forth he fled with a price on his head And word there came from Sir Robert Græme "No Liege of mine thou art; but I see God's creature, my mortal foe. "Through thee are my wife and children lost. And when my God shall show me a way, With these my proper hands." Against the coming of Christmastide I' the Black Friars' Charterhouse of Perth A solemn festival. And we of his household rode with him But not till the sun had sunk from his throne |