THE NEW LEGEND OF WARKWORTH.
Ho, man!" the bold Earl Percy cried
Unto the first he saw,
"What evil doth this town betide
Where my good will is law?
And wherefore ring ye backward thus
The bells in Warkworth steeple ?
A man would deem ye, by this fuss,
All daft or drunken people."
"O good my lord," the vassal said,
"Dire things do here befall;
The Tiger-turkey, I'm afraid,
Will come and eat us all.
We saw him fly to Warkworth wood,
Our hermit there to meet;
The hermit, he had heard, was good,
So thought him good to eat."
Away rode Percy down the hill,
Spurring o'er stocks and stones;
A rider of less knightly skill
Had broken all his bones.
The Coquet (it was then high tide)
Was foaming to the brim;
But Percy would not be denied,
And made his war-horse swim..
At the first plunge o'er head they sank,
The flood did swell and rage,
But up they came, and gain'd the bank
Beneath the hermitage.
THE NEW LEGEND OF WARKWORTH,
*
And when Earl Percy won the land,
He leap'd from his good steed,
And with his lance and sword in hand,
Ran up the bank with speed.
He smelt a fiery brimstone smeli,
Which made him sneeze amain;
He heard a shrill and savage yell,
Mix'd with loud groans of pain.
He saw a beast, as big, or more
Than any Durham ox,
Clawing and clattering at the door
With scratches, thumps, and knocks.
He had a body all o'erspread
With green and yellow scale,
Keen griffin-claws, a tiger's head,
And a huge cock-turkey's tail.
And thro' the window barr'd so stout
He breath'd his sulphurous breath,
To smoke the holy hermit out,
For fear of poisonous death.
The hermit in his inner cell
Was praying to each saint,
And groaning loudly, for the smell
Had made him like to faint.
You well may deem Earl Percy's blood
Was up, and in a flame,
And so he rapp'd out, bad or good,
Just the first words that came.
THE NEW LEGEND OF WARKWORTH.
"A murrain seize thee, noisome beast!
So thou art at thy tricks,
And think'st thou hast my friend and priest
In a most precious fix.
Turn! mule-bred of a monster! turn,
Thou misbegotten lout,
Neither fish, flesh, nor fowl; and burn
My wig! I'll serve thee out."
The monster turn'd, and rear'd his height
Above Lord Percy's head,
His red and green eyes glar'd with spite,
His jaws were widely spread. -
And inside of those jaws was seen
A fiery forked tongue,
And teeth like carving knives, as keen,
Much thicker, and as long.
And first his nostrils breath'd a cloud
Of sulphurous smoke; and then
He roar'd a mighty roar, as loud
As could three hundred men.
And then he gobbled, and out-spread
His fantail stiff and wide,
And made a snap at Percy's head—
But Percy slipp'd aside.
Then with his sword of proof he lent
The furious beast a pelter,
And to it, knight and beast, they went,
Pell-mell and helter-skelter.
THE NEW LEGEND OF WARKWORTH.
But Percy found his work no joke,
His sword, of small avail,
Was blunted at each thrust and stroke
Against that coat of scale.
Yet still he dodg'd and shifted ground As active as a cat,
Baffling the beast's attempt to wound Him sore, or squash him flat.
And on the hermit did he call,
"Good Bertram, pray away,
No matter to what saint; they're all
Good natur'd-only pray."
The hermit pray'd; quoth Percy, "Now
I feel no longer faint;
My old friend hath found out, I vow,
Some comfortable saint."
He sprung, as in a morrice dance,
Some twenty-four feet back
To where still lay his trusty lance,
And clutch'd it in a crack.
Now, said he to himself, be cool,
And there is nought to fear;
I've hit a hair's breadth with this tool,
In tourney's full career.
Now, Percy, is the time to try
Thy wonted skill and art;
Aim steadily at throat or eye,
There lies the weakest part.
THE NEW LEGEND OF WARKWORTH.
The Tiger-turkey paus'd a space
To gather strength and breath,
Gaz'd at the knight's determin'd face,
And frown'd as grim as death.
But as the hermit pray'd and pray'd
As fast as he could pray,
The brute grew more than half afraid,
And felt his wits astray.
Yet still, thought he, I must not cut
And run, or every dragon
And wyvern will make me their butt,
When their own deeds they brag on.
So with spread tail and fell intent
He rush'd with open jaw,
Half running and half flying, bent
On swallowing Percy raw.
Lord Percy mark'd from ear to ear
The wide mouth yawn amain ;
He darted in his well-aim'd spear,
And pierc'd thro' throat and brain.
It pierc'd, I say, thro' throat and brain,
And through the skull it came;
The monster bit the shaft in twain,
And vomited blue flame.
Then down he fell, and rolling o'er
And o'er in blood and mire,
Wriggled and kick'd, and with a roar
Like thunder, did expire.
|