Page:The Queens Court Manuscript with Other Ancient Bohemian Poems, 1852, Cambridge edition.djvu/51

And ope their parchèd mouths in pain,
And on God’s Mother call.
To her their weaken’d eyes they turn,
And wring in agony
Their hands, from earth to heaven’s height
Looking imploringly.
“We cannot longer faint with thirst,
“For thirst we cannot fight;
“Who loves his health, who loves his life,
“Must mercy seek in flight
“Among the Tatars.” Thus around
’Twas spoken left and right.
“The sword is not so sharp a death
“As thirst; in slavery
“Of water we shall have enough;
“Who thinks thus, after me!”
(Says Weston) “after me, the man
“Who thirsteth painfully!”
But leaping up doth Wratislaw
Like a young bull arise,
And by the arm he seizes him,
And thus to Weston cries:
“Thou traitor! everlasting shame
“Of men that Christians be!
“And wilt thou to destruction bring
“A people good and free?