IS '24,.] 



"Old Hect-ii-, (ijiiig, handed big gow) swonl 

 To the young man. ' There,' said he, ' take 



this sif> ; 

 I know none other vvlio is after mc 

 Worthier to wield it.' Mighty was the virtue 

 Of this liied weapon, rich i!s studded liilt, 

 And richer still th' enimell'd sheath of steel. 

 U|)on the h!ade in gokien letters stood : 

 ' This trusty blade let none essay 



For any p.irpose of fon! play ; 



Fairly let him tight his way. 



Hononr be liis prondest stay; 



Shame to him who can betray, 



Clad in lion-like array.' 

 The noble yo«ih receiv'd (hin holy sword 

 Out of his dyin;; tostcr-falher's hand 

 With tearful eyes, and thonght himself as rich 

 As had a kingdom been the last bequest. 

 And how he handled it, I now will give you 

 A proud example, if you are not already 

 AVeary of listening to an old man's tale." 



Then Lancelot of Ihc Lake, and bis dear lady, 

 The lovelj queen, assured the hoary Brannr, 

 In their own name, and that of all the guests, 

 "lliey should be nothing loth to sit and listen, 

 Were he to talk to them the whole night lon!». 

 The old man, from beneatli his gray eye- 

 lashes, 

 Shot a keen glance on Lancelot, and the 



queen; 

 And both their eyes sank down befoi e tlic look 



Of earnest worth, and a short silence 



follow'd. 



Branor continued thus : '< At that time liv'd 

 In Britany a noble knii;ht, surnanicd 

 Dauayu the Red, who dwelt at Maloane ; 

 Geron the Courteous was hi^ constant com- 

 rade. 

 And dearest friend ; together they had sworn 

 The bond to die for one another, and 

 Their fast affection was become a proverb. 

 The dame of Maloane, Ihe wife of Danayn, 

 Was in all Britany the fairest woman. 

 Though 'tis a shire renown'd for handsome 



ladies. 

 To look at her without quick thoughts of 



love 

 Was held impossible. The first time Geron 

 Laid eyes upon her, in his heart he said, 

 Troth it would not be a dear purchase, if. 

 To pass a night in this sweet lady's arms, 

 A man forwent his life. And frouj that 



moment 

 He steadily forbore to meet her eyes ; 

 Spoke seldom to her,— never by himself. 

 Nor else but iu the presence of his fiiend, 

 Into whose honest heait and open eye 

 Suspicion came not. Months togelhor sonic- 

 times. 

 And longer even, into foreifjn lands 

 They travelled for adventures to the courts 

 Of princes,— where at tournaments and 



skurries, 

 Fame could be earn'd ; and, when ihey were 



come back 

 To Maloane, Sir Geron kept his way, 

 Kcncwed the sih nt rovrnant with his eyes, 

 Monthly Mio. No. 3<^. 



The German Student, No. XXX 407 



So that who saw Lini always wouW have 



fancied 

 The lovely dame of Maloane to htm 

 Was nothing more than any other woman. 



" Unluckily, the lovely lady's heart 



Was not so guarded as his own. .She thonght. 



At (he first glance, that Geron was Ihe man, 



Above all other men, to whom a lady 



Could not refuse the rccompetice of love. 



And heedlessly she let her eye-balls rove 



Along his stately form, and gais'd at him. 



And ever and anon unconsciously 



Her looks, her heart, observ'd hov» fair he 



was. 

 She calls it in her inmost soid but friendship, 

 But courtesy ; and cheats herself with names, 

 Till she no longer from herself can hide 

 How deep the wound has oaten, nor from him 

 AVho only can administer the cure. 

 " A woman's passion has a falcon-eye, 

 However Geron may conceal himself. 

 Soon as his eye meets her's, she ran discern, 

 Or thinks she can discern, a secret glow 

 Beneath the smoihei'd lire, — a flush of love ; 

 And, in this hope, she watches the occasion 

 To be with him alone ; and, when she finds it, 

 Bevvrays to him her hidden painfiilnet?. 



" Sin never tempted in a fairer form 

 A thing of flesh and blood. From her sofl lips 

 All the persuasion of the ancient serpent 

 Flovv'd; — on her heaving bosom breath'd 



seduction, 

 And beckon'd from her arms. Geron ne'er 



fought 

 So hard a fight before ; but friendship,— 



truth,— 

 Hector and Danayn,— stand in stern array ' 

 Between him and the consort of his friend, 

 Like angels of the Lord with swords of flame. 

 ' God wills it not, that I should dare abuse 

 A momentary weakness of the wife 

 Of my best friend,' — he said, and broke 



away. 

 '*Enibarrass'd,— speechless, — to behold her 



hopes 

 Thus disappointed, as he quitted her. 

 The culprit stood awhile.and would have sunk 

 With shame and grief, had it been doubtfid 



to her. 

 Even for a moment, whether the coy kiught 

 Had separated from her with contempt. 

 Her eyes, alas! liad'soiv'd her but too well. 

 'He loves me,' so she thought; 'I could 



discern 

 The struggle in his soul ; 'tis not his heart 

 That is in fault;' — and now the kuight 



appears 

 To her the nublcr fur his sense of honour,— 

 Her love Ihe nobler for his lofty worth. 

 She even for her weakness prais'd lier*ielf. 

 And hn him read morefrecdy in her eyes, 

 She gloried in it. 



This became to Geron 

 y\ hint no longer to expose himsell* 

 Beside the fair seducer; he set olF 

 From Maloane, and went to Biuneval, 



3G To 



