large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_02_chesterton_64kb_2
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_02_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
And Alfred answered, drinking, And gravely, without blame, "Nor bear I boast of scald or king, The thing I bear is a lesser thing, But comes in a better name. AND ALFRED ANSWERED DRINKING AND GRAVELY WITHOUT BLAME NOR BEAR I BOAST OF SCALD OR KING THE THING I BEAR IS A LESSER THING BUT COMES IN A BETTER NAME
es, And Eldred's tools were red with rust, And on his well was a green crust, And purple thistles upward thrust, Between the kitchen stones. But smoke of some good feasting Went upwards evermore, And Eldred's doors stood wide apart For loitering foot or labouring cart, And Eldred's great and foolish heart Stood open like his door. A mighty man was Eldred, A bulk for casks to fill, His face a dreaming furnace, His body a walking hill. In the old wars of Wessex His sword had sunken deep, But all his friends, he signed and said, Were broken about Ethelred; And between the deep drink and the dead He had fallen upon sleep. "Come not to me, King Alfred, Save always for the ale: Why should my harmless hinds be slain Because the chiefs cry once again, As in all fights, that we shall gain, And in all fights we fail? "Your scalds still thunder and prophesy That crown that never comes; Friend, I will watch the certain things, Swine, and slow moons like silver rings, And the ripening of the plums. WRY LIKE AN OLD CRIPPLED'S BONES AND ELDRED'S TOOLS WERE RED WITH RUST AND ON HIS WELL WAS A GREEN CRUST AND PURPLE THISTLES UPWARD THRUST BETWEEN THE KITCHEN STONES BUT SMOKE OF SOME GOOD FEASTING WENT UPWARDS EVERMORE AND ELDRED'S DOOR STOOD WIDE APART FOR LOITERING FOOT OR LABOURING CART AND ELDRED'S GREAT AND FOOLISH HEART STOOD OPEN LIKE HIS DOOR A MIGHTY MAN WAS ELDRED A BULK FOR CASKS TO FILL HIS FACE WAS A DREAMING FURNACE HIS BODY A WALKING HILL IN THE OLD WARS OF WESSEX HIS SWORD HAD SUNKEN DEEP BUT ALL HIS FRIENDS HE SIGNED AND SAID WERE BROKEN ABOUT ETHELRED AND BETWEEN THE DEEP DRINK AND THE DEAD HE HAD FALLEN UPON SLEEP COME NOT TO ME KING ALFRED SAVE ALWAYS FOR THE EL WHY SHOULD MY HARMLESS HINDS BE SLAIN BECAUSE THE CHIEFS CRY ONCE AGAIN AS IN ALL FIGHT THAT WE SHALL GAIN AND IN ALL FIGHTS WE FAIL YOUR SCOUTS STILL THUNDER AND PROPHESY THAT CROWN THAT NEVER COMES FRIEND I WILL WATCH THE CERTAIN THINGS SWINE AND SLOW MOUNDS LIKE SILVER RINGS AND THE RIPENING OF THE PLUMS
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_02_chesterton_64kb
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