Page:Early poems of William Morris.djvu/91



And if I choose to take the losing side Still, does it hurt you?

O! no hurt to me; I see you sneering, "Why take trouble then, Seeing you love me not?" look you, our house (Which, taken altogether, I love much) Had better be upon the right side now, If, once for all, it wishes to bear rule As such a house should: cousin, you're too wise To feed your hope up fat, that this fair France Will ever draw two ways again; this side The French, wrong-headed, all a-jar With envious longings; and the other side The order'd English, orderly led on By those two Edwards through all wrong and right. And muddling right and wrong to a thick broth With that long stick, their strength. This is all changed, The true French win, on either side you have Cool-headed men, good at a tilting match, And good at setting battles in array, And good at squeezing taxes at due time; Therefore by nature we French being here Upon our own big land—[Sir Peter laughs aloud. Well, Peter! well! What makes you laugh?