"Tis noon; the ranks are broken; along the They fly, the braggarts of the Court, the And Rupert sheathes his rapier with a curse. And cold Newcastle" mutters, as he follows in the flight, "The German boar had better far have supped in York to-night." The knight is left alone, his steel cap cleft in twain, His good buff jerkin 12 crimsoned o'er with many a gory stain; But still he waves the standard, and cries amid the rout, "For Church and King, fair gentlemen, spur on, and fight it out!" And now he wards a Roundhead's 13 pike, and now he hums a stave, And now he quotes a stage-play, and now he fells a knave. God aid thee now, Sir Nicholas! thou hast no thought of fear; God aid thee now, Sir Nicholas! but fearful odds are here. The traitors ring thee round, and with every blow and thrust, 20 25 30 Down, down," they cry, "with Belial, down with him to the dust." "I would,"quoth grim old Oliver," that Belial's trusty sword This day was doing battle for the Saints 11 and for the Lord!" The Lady Alice sits with her maidens in her bower; The grey-haired warder watches from the castle's highest tower. "What news, what news, old Hubert?"— "The field is lost and won : The ranks of war are melting as the mists beneath the sun; And a wounded man speeds hither, I am old and cannot see, Or sure I am that sturdy step my master's step must be." I bring thee back the standard from as rude and rough a fray, As e'er was proof of soldier's thews, or theme for minstrel's lay. But, Hubert, fetch the silver bowl, and liquor quantum suff.: 15 I'll make a shift to drain it, ere I part with boots and buff ; Though Guy through many a gaping wound is breathing out his life, And I come to thee a landless man, my fond and faithful wife. 35 40 45 "Sweet! we will fill our money-bags and freight a ship for France, And mourn in merry Paris for this poor realm's mischance; Or, if the worst betide me, why better axe or rope, Than life with Lenthal Peters 17 for a pope! Alas, alas, my gallant Guy-curse on the crop-eared boor,18 That sent me with my standard, on foot from Marston Moor. 50 Wol. THE FALL OF WOLSEY. HENRY VIII.-ACT III. SCENE 2. I do profess That for your highness' good I ever labour'd More than mine own; that am, have, and will be. Though all the world should crack their duty to you, And throw it from their soul; though perils did Abound, as thick as thought could make them, and Appear in forms more horrid; yet my duty K. Hen. 'Tis nobly spoken: Take notice, lords, he has a loyal breast, For you have seen him open 't.-Read o'er this; [Giving him papers. And after, this: and then to breakfast, with What appetite you have. [Exit KING, frowning upon CARDINAL WOLSEY the Nobles throng after him, smiling and whispering. Wol. What should this mean? What sudden anger's this? how have I reap'd it? He parted frowning from me, as if ruin 5 10 15 |