Marmion

  They hail’d Lord Marmion:

They hail’d him Lord of Fontenaye, 
Of Lutterward, and Scrivelbaye, 
  Of Tamworth tower and town;

And he, their courtesy to requite, 
Gave them a chain of twelve marks’ weight, 
  All as he lighted down.

‘Now, largesse, largesse, Lord Marmion, 
  Knight of the crest of gold! 
A blazon’d shield, in battle won, 
Ne’er guarded heart so bold.’

XII.

They marshall’d him to the Castle-hall, 
  Where the guests stood all aside, 
And loudly nourish’d the trumpet-call, 
  And the heralds loudly cried,

?‘Room, lordings, room for Lord Marmion, 
  With the crest and helm of gold! 
Full well we know the trophies won 
  In the lists at Cottiswold:

There, vainly Ralph de Wilton strove 
  ‘Gainst Marmion’s force to stand; 
To him he lost his lady-love, 
  And to the King his land.

Ourselves beheld the listed field, 
  A sight both sad and fair; 
We saw Lord Marmion pierce his shield, 
  And saw his saddle bare;

We saw the victor win the crest, 
  He wears with worthy pride; 
And on the gibbet-tree, reversed,

  His foeman’s scutcheon tied. 
Place, nobles, for the Falcon-Knight! 
  Room, room, ye gentles gay, 
For him who conquer’d in the right, 
  Marmion of Fontenaye!’ 

XIII.

Then stepp’d, to meet that noble Lord, 
  Sir Hugh the Heron bold, 
Baron of Twisell, and of Ford, 
  And Captain of the Hold.

He led Lord Marmion to the deas, 
  Raised o’er the pavement high, 
And placed him in the upper place 
  They feasted full and high;

The whiles a Northern harper rude 
Chanted a rhyme of deadly feud,

  ‘How the fierce Thirwalls, and Ridleys all, 
    Stout Willimondswick, 
      And Hardriding Dick, 
     And Hughie of Hawdon, and Will o’ the Wall, 
    Have set on Sir Albany Featherstonhaugh, 
And taken his life at the Deadman’s-shaw.’

  Scantly Lord Marmion’s ear could brook 
    The harper’s barbarous lay; 
  Yet much he praised the pains he took, 
    And well those pains did pay