"Ha! thy will is brave to dare, and thy new love past compare"-- _Toll slowly._ "Yet thine old love's falchion brave is as strong a thing to have, As the will of lady fair.
"Peck on blindly, netted dove! If a wife's name thee behove"-- _Toll slowly_-- "Thou shalt wear the same to-morrow, ere the grave has hid the sorrow Of thy last ill-mated love.
"O'er his fixed and silent mouth, thou and I will call back troth": _Toll slowly._ "He shall altar be and priest,--and he will not cry at least 'I forbid you, I am loth!'
"I will wring thy fingers pale in the gauntlet of my mail": _Toll slowly._ "'Little hand and muckle gold' close shall lie within my hold, As the sword did, to prevail."
Oh, the little birds sang east, and the little birds sang west-- _Toll slowly._ Oh, and laughed the Duchess May, and her soul did put away All his boasting, for a jest.
In her chamber did she sit, laughing low to think of it,-- _Toll slowly._ "Tower is strong and will is free: thou canst boast, my lord of Leigh, But thou boastest little wit."
In her tire-glass gazèd she, and she blushed right womanly-- _Toll slowly._ She blushed half from her disdain, half her beauty was so plain, --"Oath for oath, my lord of Leigh!"
Straight she called her maidens in--"Since ye gave me blame herein"-- _Toll slowly_-- "That a bridal such as mine should lack gauds to make it fine, Come and shrive me from that sin.
"It is three months gone to-day since I gave mine hand away": _Toll slowly._ "Bring the gold and bring the gem, we will keep bride-state in them, While we keep the foe at bay.
"On your arms I loose mine hair; comb it smooth and crown it fair": _Toll slowly._ "I would look in purple pall from this lattice down the wall, And throw scorn to one that's there!"
Oh, the little birds sang east, and the little birds sang west-- _Toll slowly._ On the tower the castle's lord leant in silence on his sword, With an anguish in his breast.
With a spirit-laden weight did he lean down passionate: _Toll slowly._ They have almost sapped the wall,--they will enter therewithal With no knocking at the gate.
Then the sword he leant upon, shivered, snapped upon the stone-- _Toll slowly._ "Sword," he thought, with inward laugh, "ill thou servest for a staff When thy nobler use is done!