Page:A Legend of Camelot, Pictures and Poems, etc. George du Maurier, 1898.djvu/21



N one-eyed Eastern past, who sold,

And bought, and bartered garments old;

His yellow garb did show the thread,

A triple head-dress crowned his head;

And, ever and anon, his throat,

Thick-bearded, gave a solemn note;

The knights were gathered in a knot;

Rapt in a trance, they heard him not;

Before them Braunighrindas stood

In native growth of gown and hood;

Fresh from a cunning weaver's hand,

She lookt, not gaudy, but so grand!

Not gaudy, gentles, but so neat!

For chaste and knightly eyes a treat!

The Pilgrim eyed her shapely dress

With curious eye to business:

Then whispered he to Launcelot,

"I'll give five shekels for the lot!"

Gauwaine his battle-axe he drew. ..

Once and again he clove him through!

"No man of many words am I!"

Quoth he, and wope his weapon dry.

A butcher caught the sounds and said,

"There go two cracks upon one head!"

A baker whispered in his fun:

"Butcher, more heads are crackt than one!"

"The moon is up to many tricks!"

Quoth he who made the candlesticks! . ..

Dead-limp, the unbeliever lay

Athwart the flags and stopt the way. . ..

The bold Sir Launcelot mused a bit,

And smole a bitter smile at it.

Gauwaine, he gave his orders brief:—

"Manants: emportez-moi ce Juif!"

Some heard the knight not: they that heard

Made answer to him none, nor stirred.

But Braunighrindas was not dumb;

Her opportunity had come.

Her accents tinkled ivory-sweet—

"Je vays l'emporter tout de suite!". ..

She bowed her body, slenderly,

And lifted him full tenderly:

Full silverly her stretchèd throat

Intoned the wonted Hebrew note:

Right broke-in-halfenly she bent;

Jew-laden on her way she went!

The knights all left her one by one,

And, leaving, cried in unison—

"Voyez ce vilain Juif qui pend

Par derrière et par devant!" . . .

Yet bearing it she journeyed forth,

Selecting north-north-east by north.

The knights (most wisely) with one mouth,

Selected south-south-west by south.

The butcher, baker, and the rest,

Said, "Let them go where they like best!"

And many a wink they wunk, and shook

Their heads; but furthermore they took

No note: it was a way they had,

In Camelot, when folks went mad. . ..

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