Feeling the sweet clear wind upon my eyes
And rainy soft smells blown upon my face
In riding: then the great fight jarred and joined,
And the sound stung me right through heart and all;
For I was here, see, gazing off the hills,
In the wet air; our housings were all wet,
And not a plume stood stiffly past the ear
But flapped between the bridle and the neck;
And under us we saw the battle go
Like running water; I could see by fits
Some helm the rain fell shining off, some flag
Snap from the staff, shorn through or broken short
In the man's falling: yea, one seemed to catch
The very grasp of tumbled men at men,
Teeth clenched in throats, hands riveted in hair,
Tearing the life out with no help of swords.
And all the clamor seemed to shine, the light
Seemed to shout as a man doth; twice I laughed--
I tell you, twice my heart swelled out with thirst
To be into the battle; see, fair lord,
I swear it seemed I might have made a knight,
And yet the simple bracing of a belt
Makes me cry out; this is too pitiful,
This dusty half of us made up with fears.--
Have you been ever quite so glad to fight
As I have thought men must? pray you, speak truth.

CHASTELARD.
Yea, when the time came, there caught hold of me
Such pleasure in the head and hands and blood
As may be kindled under loving lips:
Crossing the ferry once to the Clerks' Field,
I mind how the plashing noise of Seine
Put fire into my face for joy, and how
My blood kept measure with the swinging boat
Till we touched land, all for the sake of that
Which should be soon.

QUEEN.
Her name, for God's love, sir;
You slew your friend for love's sake? nay, the name.

CHASTELARD.
Faith, I forget.

QUEEN.
Now by the faith I have
You have no faith to swear by.

CHASTELARD.
A good sword:
We left him quiet after a thrust or twain.

QUEEN.
I would I had been at hand and marked them off
As the maids did when we played singing games:
You outwent me at rhyming; but for faith,
We fight best there. I would I had seen you fight.

CHASTELARD.
I would you had; his play was worth an eye;
He made some gallant way before that pass
Which made me way through him.

QUEEN.
Would I saw that--
How did you slay him?

CHASTELARD.
A clean pass--this way;
Right in the side here, where the blood has root.
His wrist went round in pushing, see you, thus,
Or he had p