Page:Traditional Tales of the English and Scottish Peasantry - 1887.djvu/44

40 The Eden is deep in flood—lo! look

How it dashes from bank to bank!

To them it seems but the bonnie green lea,

Or the vale with brackens rank.

They brave the water and breast the banks,

And shake the flood and foam from their flanks.

The winding and haunted Esk is nigh,

With its woodlands wild and green;

"Our steeds are white with foam; shall we wash

Their flanks in the river sheen?"

But their steeds may be doomed to a sterner task

Before they pass the woodland Esk.

All at once they stoop on their horses' necks,

And utter a long shrill shout;

And bury their spurs in their coursers' flanks,

And pluck their bright blades out:

The spurned-up turf is scattered behind,

For they go as the hawk when he sails with the wind.

Before them not far on the lilied lea

There is a fair youth flying,

And at his side rides a lovely maid,

Oft looking back and sighing:

On his basnet dances the heron's plume,

And fans the maid's cheek, all of ripe rose bloom.

Now do thy best, my bonnie grey steed,

And carry my true love over,

And thy corn shall be served in a silver dish,

And heaped and running over:

Oh! bear her safe through dark Esk's fords,

And leave me to cope with her kinsmen's swords!"

Proud looked the steed, and had braved the flood

Had it foamed a full mile wider;

Turned his head in joy, and his eye seemed to say,

"I'm proud of my lovely rider;

And though Selbys stood thick as the leaves on the tree,

All scatheless I'd bear thee o'er mountain and lea."

A rushing was heard on the river banks,

Wide rang wood, rock, and linn;

And that instant an hundred horsemen at speed

Came foaming and fearless in:

"Turn back, turn back, thou Scottish loon;

Let us measure our swords 'neath the light of the moon!"

An hundred horsemen leaped lightly down,

With their silver spurs all ringing;

And drew back, as Sir Richard his good blade bared,

While the signal trump kept singing:

Sir Roland Graeme down his mantle threw

With a martial smile, and his bright sword drew.