large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_07_chesterton_64kb_44
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_07_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
"To sweat a slave to a race of slaves, To drink up infamy? No, brothers, by your leave, I think Death is a better ale to drink, And by all the stars of Christ that sink, The Danes shall drink with me. TO SWEAT A SLAVE TO A RACE OF SLAVES TO DRINK UP INFAMY NO BROTHERS BY YOUR LEAVE I THINK DEATH IS A BETTER ALE TO DRINK AND BY ALL THE STARS OF CHRIST THAT SINK THE DANES SHALL DRINK WITH ME
 ways for night. And joyous of the sudden stay Of Alfred's routed few, Sat one upon a stone to sigh, And some slipped up the road to fly, Till Alfred in the fern hard by Set horn to mouth and blew. And they all abode like statues-- One sitting on the stone, One half-way through the thorn hedge tall, One with a leg across a wall, And one looked backwards, very small, Far up the road, alone. Grey twilight and a yellow star Hung over thorn and hill; Two spears and a cloven war-shield lay Loose on the road as cast away, The horn died faint in the forest grey, And the fleeing men stood still. "Brothers at arms," said Alfred, "On this side lies the foe; Are slavery and starvation flowers, That you should pluck them so? "For whether is it better To be prodded with Danish poles, Having hewn a chamber in a ditch, And hounded like a howling witch, Or smoked to death in holes? "Or that before the red cock crow All we, a thousand strong, Go down the dark road to God's house, Singing a Wessex song? F AN OUTPOST WERE ENCAMPED AT THE CLOVEN WAYS FOR NIGHT AND JOYOUS OF THE SUDDEN STAY OF ALFRED'S ROUTED FEW SAT ONE UPON A STONE TO SIGH AND SOME SLIPPED UP THE ROAD TO FLY TILL ALFRED IN THE FERN HARD BY SET HORN TO MOUTH AND BLEW AND THEY ALL ABODE LIKE STATUES ONE SITTING ON THE STONE ONE HALF WAY THROUGH THE HORNHEAD HALL ONE WITH A LEG ACROSS A WALL AND ONE LOOKED BACKWARDS VERY SMALL FAR UP THE ROAD ALONE GRAY TWILIGHT AND A YELLOW STAR HUNG OVER THORN AND HILL TWO SPEARS AND A CLOVEN WAR SHIELD LAY LOOSE ON THE ROAD AS CAST AWAY THE HORN DIED FAINT IN THE FOREST GREY AND THE FLEEING MEN STOOD STILL BROTHERS AT ARMS SAID ALFRED ON THIS SIDE LIES THE FOE OUR SLAVERY AND STARVATION FLOWERS THAT YOU SHOULD PLUCK THEM SO FOR WHETHER IT IS BETTER TO BE PRODDED WITH DANISH POLES HAVING HEWN A CHAMBER IN A DITCH AND SOUNDED LIKE A HOWLING WITCH OR SMOKE TO DEATH IN HOLES OR THAT BEFORE THE RED COCK CROW ALL WE A THOUSAND STRONG GO DOWN THE DARK ROAD TO GOD'S HOUSE SINGING A WESSEX SONG
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_07_chesterton_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_07_chesterton_64kb.flac