A ringing in their startled brains, until She said that Gauwaine lied, then her voice sunk,

"Christmas and whitened winter passed

away,

And over me the April sunshine came, Made very awful with black hail-clouds, yea

"And in the Summer I grew white with flame,

And bowed my head down: Autumn, and the sick

Sure knowledge things would never be the same,

"However often Spring might be most thick

Of blossoms and buds, smote on me, and I grew

Careless of most things, let the clock tick, tick,

"To my unhappy pulse, that beat right through

"I was half mad with beauty on that day, And went without my ladies all alone, In a quiet garden walled round every way;

"I was right joyful of that wall of stone, That shut the flowers and trees up with the sky,

And trebled all the beauty: to the bone,

"Yea right through to my heart, grown very shy

With wary thoughts, it pierced, and made me glad;

Exceedingly glad, and I knew verily,

"A little thing just then had made me mad; I dared not think, as I was wont to do, Sometimes, upon my beauty; If I had

"Held out my long hand up against the blue,

And, looking on the tenderly darken'd fingers,

Thought that by rights one ought to see quite through,

"Do I not see how God's dear pity

creeps

All through your frame, and trembles in your mouth?

"Curdled his blood, and how his teeth did dance,

His side sink in? as my knight cried and said:

"Buried in some place far down in the

south

Men are forgetting as I speak to you; By her head sever'd in that awful drouth

"Of pity that drew Agravaine's fell blow, I pray your pity! let me not scream out For ever after, when the shrill winds blow

"Through half your castle-locks! let me not shout

For ever after in the winter night
When you ride out alone! in battle-rout

"Let not my rusting tears make your sword light!

Ah! God of mercy, how he turns away! So, ever must I dress me to the fight,

"So: let God's justice work! Gauwaine, I say,

See me hew down your proofs: yea all men know

Even as you said how Mellyagraunce one day,

"One bitter day in la Fausse Garde, for so All good knights held it after, saw: Yea, sirs, by cursed unknightly outrage; though

"You, Gauwaine, held his word without a flaw.

Not so, fair lords, even if the world should end

"This very day, and you were judges here

Instead of God. Did you see Mellya

graunce

When Launcelot stood by him? what white fear

"Setter of traps, I pray you guard your

head,

By God I am so glad to fight with you, Stripper of ladies, that my hand feels lead

""For driving weight; hurrah now! draw and do,

For all my wounds are moving in my breast,

And I am getting mad with waiting so.'

"He struck his hands together o'er the beast,

Who fell down flat, and grovell'd at his feet,

And groan'd at being slain so young: 'At least,'

"My knight said, 'Rise you, sir, who are so fleet

At catching ladies, half-arm'd will I fight,

My left side all uncovered!' then I weet,

"Up sprang Sir Mellyagraunce with great delight

Upon his knave's face; not until just then

Did I quite hate him, as I saw my knight

"Along the lists look to my stake and pen With such a joyous smile, it made me sigh From agony beneath my waist-chain, when

"The fight began, and to me they drew nigh;

Ever Sir Launcelot kept him on the right, And traversed warily, and ever high

"And fast leapt caitiff's sword, until my knight

Sudden threw up his sword to his left hand,

Caught it and swung it; that was all the fight;