large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_02_chesterton_64kb_16
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_02_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
"These vines be ropes that drag me hard," He said. "I go not far; Where would you meet? For you must hold Half Wiltshire and the White Horse wold, And the Thames bank to Owsenfold, If Wessex goes to war. "Guthrum sits strong on either bank And you must press his lines Inwards, and eastward drive him down; I doubt if you shall take the crown Till you have taken London town. For me, I have the vines." THESE VINES BE ROPES THAT DRAG ME HARD HE SAID I GO NOT FAR WHERE WOULD YOU MEET FOR YOU MUST HOLD HALF WILTSHIRE AND THE WHITE HORSE WALD AND THE THAMES BANK TO OWEN'S FOLD IF WESSEX GOES TO WAR GERTHRUM SITS STRONG ON EITHER BANK AND YOU MUST PRESS HIS LINES INWARDS AND EASTWARD DRIVE HIM DOWN I DOUBT IF YOU SHALL TAKE THE CROWN TILL YOU HAVE TAKEN LONDON TOWN FOR ME I HAVE THE VINES
ge, stiff olives did not fail, And all the kings of the earth drank ale, But he drank wine. Wide over wasted British plains Stood never an arch or dome, Only the trees to toss and reel, The tribes to bicker, the beasts to squeal; But the eyes in his head were strong like steel, And his soul remembered Rome. Then Alfred of the lonely spear Lifted his lion head; And fronted with the Italian's eye, Asking him of his whence and why, King Alfred stood and said: "I am that oft-defeated King Whose failure fills the land, Who fled before the Danes of old, Who chaffered with the Danes with gold, Who now upon the Wessex wold Hardly has feet to stand. "But out of the mouth of the Mother of God I have seen the truth like fire, This--that the sky grows darker yet And the sea rises higher." Long looked the Roman on the land; The trees as golden crowns Blazed, drenched with dawn and dew-empearled While faintlier coloured, freshlier curled, The clouds from underneath the world Stood up over the downs. TRAIGHT LINE HIS STRANGE STIFF OLIVES DID NOT FAIL AND ALL THE KINGS OF THE EARTH DRANK ALE BUT HE DRANK WINE WIDE OVER WASTED BRITISH PLAINS STOOD NEVER IN ARCH OR DOME ONLY THE TREES TO TOSS AND REEL AND THE TRIBES TO BICKET AND THE BEASTS TO SQUEAL BUT THE EYES IN HIS HEAD WERE STRONG LIKE STEEL AND HIS SOUL REMEMBERED ROME THEN ALFRED OF THE LONELY SPEAR LIFTED HIS LION'S HEAD AND FRONTED WITH THE ITALIAN'S EYE ASKING HIM OF HIS WHENCE AND WHY KING ALFRED STOOD AND SAID I AM THAT OFT DEFEATED KING WHOSE FAILURE FILLS THE LAND WHO FLED BEFORE THE DANES OF OLD WHO SHAFTED WITH THE DANES WITH GOLD WHO NOW UPON THE WESSEX WOLD HARDLY HAS FEET TO STAND BUT OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE MOTHER OF GOD I HAVE SEEN THE TRUTH LIKE FIRE THIS TO THE SKY GROWS DARKER YET AND THE SEA RISES HIGHER LONG LOOKED THE ROMAN ON THE LAND THE TREES AS GOLDEN CROWNS BLAZED DRENCHED WITH DAWN AND DEW EMPEARLED WHILE FAINTLIER COLOURED FRESHLY OR CURLED THE CLOUDS FROM UNDERNEATH THE WORLD STOOD UP OVER THE DOWNS
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_02_chesterton_64kb
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