FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77  
78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   >>   >|  
hing loth, But he with his paws seizes hold of them both. And the lion, with roaring, gets up,--then all's still; The fierce beasts stalk around, madly thirsting to kill. From the balcony raised high above A fair hand lets fall down a glove Into the lists, where 'tis seen The lion and tiger between. To the knight, Sir Delorges, in tone of jest, Then speaks young Cunigund fair; "Sir Knight, if the love that thou feel'st in thy breast Is as warm as thou'rt wont at each moment to swear, Pick up, I pray thee, the glove that lies there!" And the knight, in a moment, with dauntless tread, Jumps into the lists, nor seeks to linger, And, from out the midst of those monsters dread, Picks up the glove with a daring finger. And the knights and ladies of high degree With wonder and horror the action see, While he quietly brings in his hand the glove, The praise of his courage each mouth employs; Meanwhile, with a tender look of love, The promise to him of coming joys, Fair Cunigund welcomes him back to his place. But he threw the glove point-blank in her face: "Lady, no thanks from thee I'll receive!" And that selfsame hour he took his leave. THE CIRCLE OF NATURE. All, thou gentle one, lies embraced in thy kingdom; the graybeard Back to the days of his youth, childish and child-like, returns. THE VEILED STATUE AT SAIS. A youth, impelled by a burning thirst for knowledge To roam to Sais, in fair Egypt's land, The priesthood's secret learning to explore, Had passed through many a grade with eager haste, And still was hurrying on with fond impatience. Scarce could the Hierophant impose a rein Upon his headlong efforts. "What avails A part without the whole?" the youth exclaimed; "Can there be here a lesser or a greater? The truth thou speak'st of, like mere earthly dross, Is't but a sum that can be held by man In larger or in smaller quantity? Surely 'tis changeless, indivisible; Deprive a harmony of but one note, Deprive the rainbow of one single color, And all that will remain is naught, so long As that one color, that one note, is wanting." While thus they converse held, they chanced to stand Within the precincts of a lonely temple, Where a veiled statue of gigantic size The youth's attention caught. In wonderment He
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77  
78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

knight

 
Cunigund
 

Deprive

 

moment

 

efforts

 

headlong

 
impose
 
impatience
 

Scarce

 
Hierophant

hurrying

 

thirst

 

knowledge

 

burning

 

impelled

 

STATUE

 

VEILED

 

returns

 
passed
 

explore


learning

 

childish

 

priesthood

 

secret

 
avails
 

wanting

 
converse
 

chanced

 

remain

 
naught

Within

 

precincts

 

attention

 

caught

 

wonderment

 

gigantic

 
statue
 

lonely

 

temple

 

veiled


single

 

rainbow

 

greater

 

earthly

 
lesser
 
exclaimed
 

Surely

 

changeless

 
indivisible
 

harmony