403 



The German Student, No. XXX. 



[June 1. 1 



To visit in lii« cattle tliire a knight. 



Days slid away in liuutinj:, jousting, feasting, 



But Geron soon grew tired. • Ali,' tiiought 



he, 

 'If Danayu were but Iierc ! witliout my friend 

 To live among these cold and stranger- 

 people, 

 I can endure no longer.' Whether share 

 Of his annoy ihe dame of Maioane 

 Perhai)5 occasion'd, Geron hardly car'd 

 To ask himself; but, calling for his arranre, 

 He got on horseback, and rode home again. 



" Great was the joy, to see him there once 



more, 

 Of Danayn the Red, his faithful friend, 

 Who lov'd him so, as two twin-brothers 



hardly 

 Can love each other; and although so long 

 They had been comrades, and so seldom 



parted, 

 Yet in the castle neither squire nor damsel 

 Were wont to call liim by his name, save 



Danayu 

 And his fair wife, — the rest, they always 



knew him 

 As the Good Knight ; no other phrase had they 

 In all the castle, when they spoke of him. 

 "Ithappen'd now, while Geron was abiding 

 At Maioane, there came a dapper squire 

 Who brou«lit to Danayn a message, that 

 In seven days there would be lield at Morlaijc 

 A stately tournament. ' So, help me G — ,' 

 Said Danayn, 'I'll be there if I can.' 



" Then Danayn the Rrd went lo his friend. 

 And they agreed to be both at the tourney. 

 But unbeknown, and clad in common 

 aruiure. 



** Thus was the dame of Maioane dispos'd 

 When slie dctermin'd to attend the tourney 

 And the same evening she convers'd about i' 

 Much with her husband. Then Sir Danayi; 

 Benignant-smilinc, gave her leave to go. 

 'Lady,' said he, ' as you are bent npon it, 

 I am quite content it be so ; and will give yoi 

 A stately escort, such as may become 

 A person of your rank, and ase, and figure 

 Damsels to wait on you, and knights t: 



guard yon 

 In safety to and fio, shall not be wanting. 

 Slill I cannot be one. Geron and I 

 Have laid a plan to go in vulgar armure, 

 And namelessly to step into Ihe lists.' 



" Now when the time was come, the failhfu 



friends. 

 With but one squire to carry .shields am 



swords. 

 Set ofiF, and through bye-ways arriv'd a- 



Morlaix 



As if they came elsewhere ; but Ihe fair lady 

 By six-and-twenty knights accompanied, 

 On the high road in loitering slate proceeded 



" When the tvro friends approach'd th 



moated castle 

 Upon the plain, .Sir Flounce accosted them, 

 A young conceited boaster, who in knight 



hood 

 Pretended to be mightily accomplish'd, 

 And who at all times, proper or improper. 

 Would crow and sneer most manfully at an; 

 Who came across the pathway of his speech 

 When he beheld 'he knights so calml; 



trotting. 

 And maik'd their rough black arranre, tbej 



coarse, cheap, 



;rew Sir Flounce 



And unassuming, plain caparisons, 

 " The news of this soon spread throughout He galiop'd towards them, and at once defy' 



the castle, them 



And reacli'd the dame of Maioane, who gladly To break a lance with him upon the spot. 

 Heard of the festival ; for, as Morlaix They civilly excus'd themselves ; they wish'. 



Was but a half-day's journey from their Against to-morrow to reserve their efforts. 



dwelling, But all was said in vain, — the more politely 



She hoped Sir Danayn would, as is the ^ " 



custom. 

 Take her, too, to this splendid tournament ; 

 For in those days there was in all tlie land 

 No form so fair to grace the public sittings. 



"And Geron too, she thought, would come 



with them. 

 And she should have the pleasure to bthold 

 How he, among the kings, and knights, and 



nobles. 



They spoke, the ruder 



tongue ; 

 And when, unheeding him, they went thei 



way 

 He jested, with a knight of Ihe Round TabI 

 Who stood beside him, at the two blac 



fellows 

 So loudly, that they overheard his speech. 



" Thereat Sir Danayn was moved to anger, 

 And said to Geron, ' Brother, do you hear 

 Would show himself the bravest and most Those knights, who fancy they may scor 



handsome 



For still her heart on Geron hung, tho' he 

 Had so repell'd her love. He was, and is, 

 Still in her eyes the only man ; — with him 

 By day and night her inmost soul is busy ; 

 His beauty, and his noble sense of honour, 

 Is all her ihonght,and she v^onld rather be 

 His lady than the wife of higher men ; 

 And secretly slie vow'd within herself 

 Never to turn her heart to any other : 

 And could she, at the cost of life, become 

 His love, she should esteem it her best glory 



impiinish'd 

 Men such as we.' But Geron answer'd hin 

 ' Do as I do, and let them say their say. 

 Their empty prate will neither make i 



better, 

 Nor make us worse; and if they scoff at us 

 To-day, perhaps to-morrow they'll repent il 

 And think themselves the simpletons, an 



wish 

 They'd held their tongues. Too many sue 



are seen 

 To stroll about the country, full of air?, 



At 



