large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_00_chesterton_64kb_14
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_00_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
Stiff, strange, and quaintly coloured As the broidery of Bayeux The England of that dawn remains, And this of Alfred and the Danes Seems like the tales a whole tribe feigns Too English to be true. STIFF STRANGE AND QUAINTLY COLOURED AS THE BROIDERY OF BEYU THE ENGLAND OF THAT DAWN REMAINS AND THIS OF ALFRED AND THE DANES SEEMS LIKE THE TALES OF A WHOLE TRIBE OF VEINS TOO ENGLISH TO BE TRUE
 the glory of Ethandune. I fancy that in fact Alfred's Wessex was of very mixed bloods; but in any case, it is the chief value of legend to mix up the centuries while preserving the sentiment; to see all ages in a sort of splendid foreshortening. That is the use of tradition: it telescopes history. G.K.C. DEDICATION Of great limbs gone to chaos, A great face turned to night-- Why bend above a shapeless shroud Seeking in such archaic cloud Sight of strong lords and light? Where seven sunken Englands Lie buried one by one, Why should one idle spade, I wonder, Shake up the dust of thanes like thunder To smoke and choke the sun? In cloud of clay so cast to heaven What shape shall man discern? These lords may light the mystery Of mastery or victory, And these ride high in history, But these shall not return. Gored on the Norman gonfalon The Golden Dragon died: We shall not wake with ballad strings The good time of the smaller things, We shall not see the holy kings Ride down by Severn side. ROMAN CELT AND SAXON APART IN THE GLORY OF ETHELDON I FANCY THAT IN FACT ALFRED'S WESSEX WAS OF VERY MIXED BLOODS BUT IN ANY CASE IT IS THE CHIEF VALUE OF LEGEND TO MIX UP THE CENTURIES WHILE PRESERVING THE SENTIMENT TO SEE ALL AGES IN A SORT OF SPLENDID FORESHORTENING THAT IS THE USE OF TRADITION A TELESCOPE'S HISTORY DEDICATION OF GREAT LIMBS GONE TO CHAOS A GREAT FACE TURNED TO NIGHT WHY BEND ABOVE A SHAPELESS SHROUD SEEKING IN SUCH ARCHAIC CLOUD SIGHT OF STRONG LORDS AND LIGHT WHERE SEVEN SUNKEN ENGLANDS LIE BURIED ONE BY ONE WHY SHOULD ONE IDLE SPADE I WONDER SHAKE UP THE DUST OF FANES LIKE THUNDER TO SMOKE AND CHOKE THE SUN IN CLOUD OF CLAY SO CAST TO HEAVEN WHAT SHAPE SHALL MEN DISCERN THESE LORDS MAY LIGHT THE MYSTERY OF MASTERY OR VICTORY AND THESE RIDE HIGH IN HISTORY BUT THESE SHALL NOT RETURN GORED ON THE NORMAN GONFALLINE THE GOLDEN DRAGON DIED WE SHALL NOT WAKE WITH BALLAD STRINGS THE GOOD TIME OF THE SMALLER THINGS WE SHALL NOT SEE THE HOLY KINGS RIDE DOWN BY SEVERN SIDE
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_00_chesterton_64kb
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