large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_04_chesterton_64kb_28
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_04_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
As he went down to the river hut He went as one that fell; Seeing the high forest domes and spars. Dim green or torn with golden scars, As the proud look up at the evil stars, In the red heavens of hell. AS HE WENT DOWN TO THE RIVER HUT HE WENT AS ONE THAT FELL SEEING THE HIGH FOREST DOMES AND SPARS DIM GREEN OR TORN WITH GOLDEN SCARS AS THE PROUD LOOK UP AT THE EVIL STARS IN THE RED HEAVENS OF HELL
y 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. 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. N 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 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
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