large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_04_chesterton_64kb_18
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_04_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
As he went down to the river hut He knew a night shade scent, Owls did as evil cherubs rise, With little wings and lantern eyes, As though he sank through the under skies; But down and down he went. AS HE WENT DOWN TO THE RIVER HUT HE KNEW A NIGHT SHADE SCENT OWLS DID AS EVIL CHERUBS RISE WITH LITTLE WINGS AND LANTERN EYES AS THOUGH HE SANK THROUGH THE UNDER SKIES BUT DOWN AND DOWN HE WENT
, The paling of pine, the sentries' tramp, And the one great stolen altar-lamp Over Guthrum in his tent. By scrub and thorn in Ethandune That night the foe had lain; Whence ran across the heather grey The old stones of a Roman way; And in a wood not far away The pale road split in twain. He marked the wood and the cloven ways With an old captain's eyes, And he thought how many a time had he Sought to see Doom he could not see; How ruin had come and victory, And both were a surprise. Even so he had watched and wondered Under Ashdown from the plains; With Ethelred praying in his tent, Till the white hawthorn swung and bent, As Alfred rushed his spears and rent The shield-wall of the Danes. Even so he had watched and wondered, Knowing neither less nor more, Till all his lords lay dying, And axes on axes plying, Flung him, and drove him flying Like a pirate to the shore. Wise he had been before defeat, And wise before success; Wise in both hours and ignorant, Knowing neither more nor less. D THE TILT OF THE PAGAN CAMP THE PALING OF PINE THE SENTRY'S TRAMP AND THE ONE GREAT STOLEN ALTAR LAMP OVER GOTHRUM IN HIS TENT BY SCRUB AND THORN IN ETHELDON THAT NIGHT THE FOE HAD LAIN WENT RAN ACROSS THE HEATHER GREY THE OLD STONES OF A ROMAN WAY AND IN A WOOD NOT FAR AWAY THE PALE ROAD SPLIT IN TWAIN HE MARKED THE WOOD AND THE CLOVEN WAYS WITH AN OLD CAPTAIN'S EYES AND HE THOUGHT HOW MANY A TIME HAD HE SOUGHT TO SEE DOOM HE COULD NOT SEE HOW RUIN HAD COME AND VICTORY AND BOTH WERE A SURPRISE EVEN SO HE HAD WATCHED AND WANDERED UNDER ASH DOWN FROM THE PLAINS WITH ETHELRED PRAYING IN HIS TENT TILL THE WHITE HAWTHORN SWUNG AND BENT AS ALFRED RUSHED HIS SPEARS AND RENT THE SHIELD WALL OF THE DANES EVEN SO HE HAD WATCHED AND WONDERED KNOWING NEITHER LESS NOR MORE TILL ALL HIS LORDS LAY DYING AND AXES ON AXES PLYING FLUNG HIM AND DROVE HIM FLYING LIKE A PIRATE TO THE SHORE WISE HE HAD BEEN BEFORE DEFEAT AND WISE BEFORE SUCCESS WISE IN BOTH HOURS AND IGNORANT KNOWING NEITHER MORE NOR LESS
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_04_chesterton_64kb
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download/librilight/large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_04_chesterton_64kb.flac