Of loyal vassals toiling for their liege. "And near him stood the Lady of the Lake,

Who knows a subtler magic than his own, Clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful.

She gave the King his huge crosshilted sword,

Whereby to drive the heathen out: a mist

Of incense curled about her, and her face Well-nigh was hidden in the minster gloom;

But there was heard among the holy hymns

A voice as of the waters, for she dwells

Down in a deep, calm, whatsoever storms

"And there I saw mage Merlin, whose vast wit

And hundred winters are but as the

hands

May shake the world, and when the surface rolls,

Hath power to walk the waters like our Lord.

"There likewise I beheld Excalibur

Before him at his crowning borne,

the sword

That rose from out the bosom of the lake,

And Arthur rowed across and took it, - rich With jewels, elfin Urim, on the hilt, Bewildering heart and eye, the blade so bright That men are blinded by it;one side, Graven in the oldest tongue of all this world,

'Take me;' but turn the blade and ye shall see,

And written in the speech ye speak yourself,

'Cast me away!' And sad was Arthur's face

--

on

Taking it, but old Merlin counselled him,

"Take thou and strike! the time to cast away

Is yet far-off.' So this great brand the king Took, and by this will beat his foemen down."

TENNYSON.

Not half so fearful;-not a flight drawn home,

A round stone from a sling, a lover's wish,

E'er made that haste they have. By heavens!

I have seen these Britons that you magnify,

Run as they would have out-run time, and roaring, — Basely for mercy, roaring; the light shadows,

That in a thought scour o'er the fields of corn,

Halted on crutches to them. Yes,
Bonduca,

I have seen thee run too, and thee,
Nennius;
Yea, run apace, both; then when
Penyus,

The Roman girl, cut through your
armed carts,
And drove them headlong on ye
down the hill; -
Then when he hunted ye like
Britain foxes,

-

More by the scent than sight: then did I see

These valiant and approvèd men of Britain,

Like boding owls, creep into tods of ivy, And hoot their fears to one another nightly. I fled too,

But not so fast; your jewel had been lost then,

Young Hengo there; he trasht me, Nennius:

Not half so fearful;-not a flight drawn home, A round stone from a sling, a lover's wish,

E'er made that haste they have. By heavens!

I have seen these Britons that you magnify,

Run as they would have out-run time, and roaring, Basely for mercy, roaring; the light shadows,

That in a thought scour o'er the fields of corn,

Halted on crutches to them. Yes,
Bonduca,

I have seen thee run too, and thee,
Nennius;
Yea, run apace, both; then when
Penyus,

The Roman girl, cut through your armed carts,

And drove them headlong on ye down the hill; —

Then when he hunted ye like Britain foxes,

More by the scent than sight: then did I see

These valiant and approvèd men of Britain,

Like boding owls, creep into tods of ivy, And hoot their fears to one another nightly. I fled too,

But not so fast; your jewel had been lost then,

Young Hengo there; he trasht me, Nennius: