large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_08_chesterton_64kb_41
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_08_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
"Those madmen of the throne scramble   Oppressors and oppressed   Had lined the banks by Athelney, And waved and wailed unceasingly, Where the river turned to the broad sea, By an island of the blest. THOSE MADMEN OF THE THRONE SCRAMBLE OPPRESSORS AND OPPRESSED HAD LINED THE BANKS OF ATILNEY AND WAVED AND WAILED UNCEASINGLY WHERE THE RIVER TURNED TO THE BROAD SEA BY AN ISLAND OF THE BLEST
lemagne. And men, seeing such embassies, Spake with the King and said: "The steel that sang so sweet a tune On Ashdown and on Ethandune, Why hangs it scabbarded so soon, All heavily like lead? "Why dwell the Danes in North England, And up to the river ride? Three more such marches like thine own Would end them; and the Pict should own Our sway; and our feet climb the throne In the mountains of Strathclyde." And Alfred in the orchard, Among apples green and red, With the little book in his bosom, Looked at green leaves and said: "When all philosophies shall fail, This word alone shall fit; That a sage feels too small for life, And a fool too large for it. "Asia and all imperial plains Are too little for a fool; But for one man whose eyes can see The little island of Athelney Is too large a land to rule. "Haply it had been better When I built my fortress there, Out in the reedy waters wide, I had stood on my mud wall and cried: 'Take England all, from tide to tide-- Be Athelney my share. S ALL AFLAME LIKE A VISION CHARLEMAGNE AND MEN SEEKING SUCH EMBASSIES SPAKE WITH THE KING AND SAID THE STEEL THAT SANG SO SWEET A TUNE ON ASHDOWN AND ON ATHENDON WHY HANGS IT SCABBARDED SO SOON ALL HEAVILY LIKE LEAD WHY DWELL THE DANES IN NORTH ENGLAND AND UP TO THE RIVER RIDE THREE MORE SUCH MARCHES LIKE THINE OWN WOULD END THEM AND THE PICK SHOULD OWN OUR SWAY AND OUR FEET CLIMB THE THRONE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF STRATHCLIDE AND ALFRED IN THE ORCHARD AMONG APPLES GREEN AND RED WITH A LITTLE BOOK IN HIS BOSOM LOOKED AT GREEN LEAVES AND SAID WHEN ALL'S PHILOSOPHIES SHALL FAIL THIS WORLD ALONE SHALL FIT THAT A SAGE FEELS TOO SMALL FOR LIFE AND A FOOL TOO LARGE FOR IT ASIA AND ALL IMPERIAL PLAINS ARE TOO LITTLE FOR A FOOL BUT FOR ONE MAN WHOSE EYES CAN SEE IN THE LITTLE ISLAND OF ATILNEE IT IS TOO LARGE A LAND TO RULE HAPLY IT HAD BEEN BETTER WHEN I BUILT MY FORTRESS THERE OUT IN THE REEDY WATERS WIDE I HAD STOOD ON MY MUD WALL AND CRIED TAKE ENGLAND ALL FROM TIDE TO TIDE BE ATTILNE MY SHARE
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