Page:Early poems of William Morris.djvu/103

 Than many castles; will you bring this death,

For a mere act of justice, on my head?

Think how it ends all, death! all other things

Can somehow be retrieved, yea, send me forth

Naked and maimed, rather than slay me here;

Then somehow will I get me other clothes,

And somehow will I get me some poor horse,

And, somehow clad in poor old rusty arms,

Will ride and smite among the serried glaives,

Fear not death so; for I can tilt right well,

Let me not say "I could"; I know all tricks,

That sway the sharp sword cunningly; ah you,

You, my Lord Clisson, in the other days

Have seen me learning these, yea, call to mind.

How in the trodden corn by Chartres town,

When you were nearly swooning from the back

Of your black horse, those three blades slid at once

From off my sword's edge; pray for me, my lord!

Nay, this is pitiful, to see him die.

My Lord the Constable, I pray you note

That you are losing some few thousand crowns

By slaying this man; also think; his lands

Along the Garonne river lie for leagues,

And are right rich, a many mills he has,

Three abbeys of grey monks do hold of him,

Though wishing well for Clement, as we do;

I know the next heir, his old uncle, well,

Who does not care two deniers for the knight

As things go now, but slay him, and then see,

How he will bristle up like any perch,