Page:Angelo's Pic Nic.djvu/53

 THE BANQUET HALL Marching before it through the hall, Led by the stately Seneschal. This was the joyous Minstrel's call, In Leonine with English strung: " Caput Afri defero. The boar's head here in hand bring With garlands gay, and rosemary; I pray you all sing merrily, Qui estis in convivio." IV Then every voice in chorus joined Of those who sat in festal row, You might have heard it on the wind Heard it o'er hills of desert snow, That sudden chorus sweeping higlh Then sinking on the wild waste, die. As if the winter-ind would sigh Some sad, lamenting prophecy O'er all-Qui erant in convivio / And from these hills of desert snow Oft have been seen, in vale below Through windows of that Banquet-hall, The mighty Yule-CLoucH blazing clear, And the Yule-tapers, huge and tall, Lighting the roofs with timely cheer. But ere a few brief hours were sped, The blaze was gone-the guests were fled; And heavy was the winter's sigh, As those lone walls it passed bv. Now, ere the Abbot's feast began, r yet appeared the crane and swan, The solemn carver, with his keen Knife, and well arMED with napkins clean, Scarf-wise athwart his shoulder placed, And cn each arm and round his waist,