large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_08_chesterton_64kb_12
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_08_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
And he gat good laws of the ancient kings, Like treasure out of the tombs; And many a thief in thorny nook, Or noble in sea stained turret shook, For the opening of his iron book, And the gathering of the dooms. AND HE GAT GOOD LAWS OF THE ANCIENT KINGS LIKE TREASURE OUT OF THE TOMBS AND MANY A THIEF IN THORNY NOOK OR A NOBLE IN SEA STAINED TURRET SHOOK FOR THE OPENING OF HIS IRON BOOK AND THE GATHERING OF THE DOOMS
led there with javelins to cling And wonder smote the pirate king, And brought him to his christening And the end of all his raids. (For not till the night's blue slate is wiped Of its last star utterly, And fierce new signs writ there to read, Shall eyes with such amazement heed, As when a great man knows indeed A greater thing than he.) And there came to his chrism-loosing Lords of all lands afar, And a line was drawn north-westerly That set King Egbert's empire free, Giving all lands by the northern sea To the sons of the northern star. In the days of the rest of Alfred, When all these things were done, And Wessex lay in a patch of peace, Like a dog in a patch of sun-- The King sat in his orchard, Among apples green and red, With the little book in his bosom And the sunshine on his head. And he gathered the songs of simple men That swing with helm and hod, And the alms he gave as a Christian Like a river alive with fishes ran; And he made gifts to a beggar man As to a wandering god. D TO THEIR PALISADES NAILED THERE WITH JAVELINS TO CLING AND WONDER SMOTE THE PIRATE KING AND BROUGHT HIM TO HIS CHRISTENING AT THE END OF ALL HIS RAIDS FOR NOT TILL THE NIGHT'S BLUE SLATE IS WIPED OF ITS LAST STAR UTTERLY AND FIERCE NEW SIGNS WRIT THERE TO READ SHALL EYES WITH SUCH AMAZEMENT HEED AS WHEN A GREAT MAN KNOWS INDEED A GREATER THING THAN HE AND THERE CAME TO HIS CHRISTEN LOOSING LORD OF ALL LANDS AFAR AND A LINE WAS DRAWN NORTH WESTERLY THAT SET KING EBBERT'S EMPIRE FREE GIVING ALL LANDS BY THE NORTHERN SEA TO THE SONS OF THE NORTHERN STAR IN THE DAYS OF THE REST OF ALFRED WHEN ALL THESE THINGS WERE DONE AND WESSEX LAY IN A PATCH OF PEACE LIKE A DOG IN A PATCH OF SUN THE KING SAT IN HIS ORCHARD AMONG APPLES GREEN AND RED WITH A LITTLE BOOK IN HIS BOSOM AND THE SUNSHINE ON HIS HEAD AND HE GATHERED THE SONGS OF SIMPLE MEN THAT SWING WITH HELM AND HOD AND THE ELMS HE GAVE AS A CHRISTIAN LIKE A RIVER ALIVE WITH FISHES RAN AND HE MADE GIFTS TO A BEGGAR MAN AS TO A WANDERING GOD
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_08_chesterton_64kb
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