Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. V. Browning to Rupert Brooke

William Morris (1834–1896)

Extracts from The Defence of Guenevere: Ladies’ Gard (from Golden Wings)

MIDWAYS of a walled garden,

In the happy poplar land,

Did an ancient castle stand,

With an old knight for a warden.

Many scarlet bricks there were

In its walls, and old grey stone;

Over which red apples shone

At the right time of the year.

On the bricks the green moss grew,

Yellow lichen on the stone,

Over which red apples shone;

Little war that castle knew.

Deep green water fill’d the moat,

Each side had a red-brick lip,

Green and mossy with the drip

Of dew and rain; there was a boat

Of carven wood, with hangings green

About the stern; it was great bliss

For lovers to sit there and kiss

In the hot summer noons, not seen.

Across the moat the fresh west wind

In very little ripples went;

The way the heavy aspens bent

Towards it was a thing to mind.

The painted drawbridge over it

Went up and down with gilded chains,

’Twas pleasant in the summer rains

Within the bridge-house there to sit.

There were five swans that ne’er did eat

The water-weeds, for ladies came

Each day, and young knights did the same,

And gave them cakes and bread for meat.

They had a house of painted wood,

A red roof gold-spiked over it,

Wherein upon their eggs to sit

Week after week; no drop of blood,

Drawn from men’s bodies by sword-blows,

Came ever there, or any tear;

Most certainly from year to year

’Twas pleasant as a Provence rose.