Alfred de Rosann — page 119: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

110 ALFRED DE ROSANN. The morning’s dawned, and the sun has lent His rays to enliven the tournament ; Then, with their eyes on each other bent, And harnessed in steel with gilding blent, Both the knights to their stations went, And stood each before his own fair tent, Till the signal bugle its warning sent, When they charged, ere its latest sounds were spent. Like falcon swift on an airy wing, They met with echoes thundering :-— Their steeds the dust around them fling, And the crowds, with voices murmuring, Said they never had seen such chivalrous thing ; For the lances broke at the sudden spring, And Sir Alberic Fayne lay in the ring— His victor was Richard himself—the King! / The vanquished was raised from his state supine, When Richard addressed the fair Celestine :— ‘¢ Never, too dear one, shalt thou be mine— On him let your glances only shine ; He’s worthy, I ween, of such bliss divine, Since I, the victor of Palestine, Forgetting the rank of thee and thine, Were fain to have robbed thy virgin shrine. ‘¢ Thy father will tell thee, I came in the night, Like a robber who shuns the glare of day-light ; I came like a south wind on blossoms bright, Fraught with intention to ravish and blight :— But now, though I’ve conqnered thine own true knight, Though I love thee, sweet maiden, as much as man might, Still justice directs my heart aright, And to-morrow thy bridal shall speed in our sight.”’ “ Delightful !”? cried Mr. Clayton, rising from his chair to imprint a kiss on the chaste brow of Eloise, whom he loved with all the tenderness usually mani- fested by a father towards a child. The amiable girl expressed the gratification she experienced in having pleased her uncle; and the day passed away more happily than any other since the fatal moment when Gomichbooks;com