With love-sick glance, and thinks her passing fair,
While she stands proudly with her flowing hair,
Which in rude sport the breezes wildly fling—
The sight, in short, has quite bewitch'd the king.
The royal face grows brighter with a smile
As still she rows, and moves her limbs the while;
Wave-like herself ; and as the crimson plays
Over her cheeks, at last the monarch says:
"Maiden, who art so lovely, brave, and stout,
Within whose veins flows Wlasta's[1] blood, no doubt,
I thank thee, and I will in velvet dress
And ermine robe that form of loveliness;
Henceforward at my court thou shalt be seen,
The glory of thy sex—nay, more—the queen.
With gold, and pearls, and diamonds, I'll deck,
As fitting ornaments that charming neck,
Among my raptur'd songsters thou shalt shine,
And live immortalis'd by verse divine."
Susanna's face with wrath is redden'd o'er,
And with a shock she brings the boat ashore;
Then leaning on her oar, with flashing eyes,
Thus to the monarch's offer she replies:
"The people's child I am, and will remain,
What by thy gems and ermines should I gain?
To thee I leave thy curse-encumber'd court,
Thy subjects' cries of misery for sport;
I could not live upon thy people's blood,
And sweat, and marrow, as a dainty food,
Seated at one of thy right-royal feasts
Among thy songsters and thy lordly guests.
Hearest thou not thy nation's miseries,
How for a scanty crust it groans and cries—
Nay, for the crumbs thou scatter'st from thy table?
Thinkst thou to join such feasts I should be able?
I curse thee—ay, as deeply as the rest,
And something like repentance fills my breast,
That I so weak, so womanish could feel,
As from their hands their lawful spoil to steal.
Now quickly fly, or I perchance may rue,
That to my brethren I have prov'd untrue;
And once more wielding this, my trusty oar,
Across the billows, which now wildly roar,
That I have let the people rage in vain,
May bear thee to their vengeance back again."
Into the open country flies the king,
The scanty cloth his limbs scarce covering;
While floating down the river, like a queen,
To join the rebel band, is Susan seen.
- ↑ Wlasta is an important personage in the old mythic history of Bohemia.
