Marmion

Much was there need; though seam’d with scars, 
Two veterans of the Douglas’ wars,                    
  Though two grey priests were there, 
And each a blazing torch held high, 
You could not by their blaze descry 
  The chapel’s carving fair.

Amid that dim and smoky light,       
Chequering the silvery moon-shine bright, 
  A bishop by the altar stood, 
  A noble lord of Douglas blood, 
With mitre sheen, and rocquet white.

Yet show’d his meek and thoughtful eye 
But little pride of prelacy;
More pleased that, in a barbarous age,
He gave rude Scotland Virgil’s page,
Than that beneath his rule he held
The bishopric of fair Dunkeld.     

Beside him ancient Angus stood,
Doff’d his furr’d gown, and sable hood:
O’er his huge form and visage pale,
He wore a cap and shirt of mail;

And lean’d his large and wrinkled hand
Upon the huge and sweeping brand
Which wont of yore, in battle fray,
His foeman’s limbs to shred away,
As wood-knife lops the sapling spray.

  He seem’d as, from the tombs around 
    Rising at judgment-day,
  Some giant Douglas may be found
    In all his old array;

So pale his face, so huge his limb,
So old his arms, his look so grim. 

XII.

Then at the altar Wilton kneels,
And Clare the spurs bound on his heels;
And think what next he must have felt,
At buckling of the falchion belt!

  And judge how Clara changed her hue,
While fastening to her lover’s side
A friend, which, though in danger tried,
  He once had found untrue!

Then Douglas struck him with his blade:
‘Saint Michael and Saint Andrew aid,     
  I dub thee knight.
Arise, Sir Ralph, De Wilton’s heir!
For King, for Church, for Lady fair,
  See that thou fight.’-

And Bishop Gawain, as he rose,
Said-‘Wilton! grieve not for thy woes,
  Disgrace, and trouble;
For He, who honour best bestows,
  May give thee double.’-

De Wilton sobb’d, for sob he must-
‘Where’er I meet a Douglas, trust
  That Douglas is my brother!’
‘Nay, nay,’ old Angus said, ‘not so;
To Surrey’s camp thou now must go,
  Thy wrongs no longer smother.     

I have two sons in yonder field;
And, if thou meet’st them under shield,
Upon them bravely-do thy worst;
And foul fall him that blenches first!’

XIII.