| |
| HE passed unquestioned through the camp; | |
| Their heads the soldiers bent | |
| In silent reverence, or begged | |
| A blessing as he went; | |
| And so the hermit passed along, | 5 |
| And reached the royal tent. | |
| |
| King Henry sate in his tent alone; | |
| The map before him lay: | |
| Fresh conquests he was planning there | |
| To grace the future day. | 10 |
| |
| King Henry lifted up his eyes | |
| The intruder to behold; | |
| With reverence he the hermit saw, | |
| For the holy man was old; | |
| His look was gentle as a saint’s, | 15 |
| And yet his eye was bold. | |
| |
| “Repent thee, Henry! of the wrongs | |
| Which thou hast done this land; | |
| O King! repent in time, for know | |
| The judgment is at hand. | 20 |
| |
| “I have passed forty years of peace | |
| Beside the river Blaise; | |
| But what a weight of woe hast thou | |
| Laid on my latter days! | |
| |
| “I used to see along the stream | 25 |
| The white sail gliding down, | |
| That wafted food, in better times, | |
| To yonder peaceful town. | |
| |
| “Henry! I never now behold | |
| The white sail gliding down; | 30 |
| Famine, Disease, and Death, and Thou, | |
| Destroy that wretched town. | |
| |
| “I used to hear the traveller’s voice | |
| As here he passed along, | |
| Or maiden as she loitered home | 35 |
| Singing her even-song. | |
| |
| “No traveller’s voice may now be heard; | |
| In fear he hastens by: | |
| But I have heard the village maid | |
| In vain for succor cry. | 40 |
| |
| “I used to see the youths row down, | |
| And watch the dripping oar, | |
| As pleasantly their viol’s tones | |
| Came softened to the shore. | |
| |
| “King Henry, many a blackened corpse | 45 |
| I now see floating down! | |
| Thou man of blood! repent in time, | |
| And leave this leaguered town.” | |
| |
| “I shall go on,” King Henry cried, | |
| “And conquer this good land: | 50 |
| Seest thou not, hermit, that the Lord | |
| Hath given it to my hand?” | |
| |
| The hermit heard King Henry speak, | |
| And angrily looked down: | |
| His face was gentle, and for that | 55 |
| More solemn was his frown. | |
| |
| “What if no miracle from Heaven | |
| The murderer’s arm control; | |
| Think you, for that, the weight of blood | |
| Lies lighter on his soul? | 60 |
| |
| “Thou conqueror King, repent in time, | |
| Or dread the coming woe! | |
| For, Henry, thou hast heard the threat, | |
| And soon shalt feel the blow!” | |
| |
| King Henry forced a careless smile, | 65 |
| As the hermit went his way; | |
| But Henry soon remembered him | |
| Upon his dying day. | |
| |
