100
MARMION.
340And little reverence made;
Nor head, nor body, bow'd nor bent,
But on the desk his arm he leant,
And words like these he said,
In a low voice,—but never tone
So thrill'd through vein, and nerve, and bone:—
346"My mother sent me from afar,
Sir King, to warn thee not to war,—
Woe waits on thine array;
If war thou wilt, of woman fair,
350Her witching wiles and wanton snare,
James Stuart, doubly warn'd, beware:
God keep thee as He may!"—
The wondering monarch seem'd to seek
For answer, and found none;
355 And when he raised his head to speak,
The monitor was gone.
The Marshal and myself had cast
To stop him as he outward pass'd;
But, lighter than the whirlwind's blast,
360 He vanish'd from our eyes,
Like sunbeam on the billow cast,
That glances but, and dies.'
Nor head, nor body, bow'd nor bent,
But on the desk his arm he leant,
And words like these he said,
In a low voice,—but never tone
So thrill'd through vein, and nerve, and bone:—
346"My mother sent me from afar,
Sir King, to warn thee not to war,—
Woe waits on thine array;
If war thou wilt, of woman fair,
350Her witching wiles and wanton snare,
James Stuart, doubly warn'd, beware:
God keep thee as He may!"—
The wondering monarch seem'd to seek
For answer, and found none;
355 And when he raised his head to speak,
The monitor was gone.
The Marshal and myself had cast
To stop him as he outward pass'd;
But, lighter than the whirlwind's blast,
360 He vanish'd from our eyes,
Like sunbeam on the billow cast,
That glances but, and dies.'
XVIII.
While Lindesay told his marvel strange,
The twilight was so pale,
365 He mark'd not Marmion's colour change,
While listening to the tale:
But, after a suspended pause,
The Baron spoke:—'Of Nature's laws
So strong I held the force,
370 That never superhuman cause
Could e'er control their course;
And, three days since, had judged your aim
Was but to make your guest your game.
But I have seen, since past the Tweed,
375What much has changed my sceptic creed,
While Lindesay told his marvel strange,
The twilight was so pale,
365 He mark'd not Marmion's colour change,
While listening to the tale:
But, after a suspended pause,
The Baron spoke:—'Of Nature's laws
So strong I held the force,
370 That never superhuman cause
Could e'er control their course;
And, three days since, had judged your aim
Was but to make your guest your game.
But I have seen, since past the Tweed,
375What much has changed my sceptic creed,
