June 14, 1862.] THE DROWNING OF KAER-IS. 687
Who drinks of the wine and the barley brew,
Of watfr shall drink as the fishes do
"Who knows not this shall learn 'tis true."
Unto his guests King Gradlon said,
My merry feres, the day is sped
I will betake me to my bed.
"Drink on, drink on, till morning light,
In feast and dalliance waste the night ;
For all that will the board is dight."
To Gradlon's daughter, bright of blee,
Her lover he whisper'd, tenderly
Bethink thee, sweet Dahut, the key
Oh I'll win the key from my father's
That bolts the sluice and bars the tide
To work thy will is thy lady's pride."
"Whoso that ancient king had seen,
Asleep in his bed of the 'golden sheen,
Dumb-stricken all for awe had been
To see him laid in his robe of grain.
His hair like snow, on his white hause-bane,t
And round his neck his golden chain.
"Whoso had watch'd that night, I weet,
Had seen a maiden stilly fleet
In at the door, on naked feet,
To the
And And
old King's side, she hath stolen free, hath kneeled her
woodman, that wonn'st in the forest green, The wild horse of Gradlon hast thou seen,
down upon her knee,
lightly hath ta'en both chain
Say,
and key.
As he
pass'd the valley-walls between
"
?
On
Gradlon's horse I set not sight. I heard him go by in the dark of night, like a fire-flaught white!" Trip, trep,— trip, trep,
He
sleepeth still, he sleepeth sound, "When, hark, a cry from the lower groundThe sluice is oped, Kaer-ls is drown'd
But
!
Awake, Sir King, the gates unspar Rise up, aud ride both fast and far The sea o'ei flowcth bolt and bar "
side,
Say, fisher, the mermaid hast thou seen.
Combing her hair by the sea-waves green
Her hair like gold in the sunlight sheen ?"
Now
cursed for ever mote she be, That all for wine and harlotry. The sluice unbarr'd that held the sea
t "Hauso," "hnls-bano,'
old bcottish ballads.
ueck-bone.
often used iu
the