III

To whom used my boy George quaff else,
By the old fool’s side that begot him? 
For whom did he cheer and laugh else,
While Noll’s deg. damned troopers shot him? deg.16

CHO.—­King Charles, and who’ll do him right now? 
      King Charles, and who’s ripe for fight now? 
      Give a rouse:  here’s, in hell’s despite now,
      King Charles! 20

III.  BOOT AND SADDLE

I

Boot, saddle, to horse, and away! 
Rescue my castle before the hot day
Brightens to blue from its silvery gray,

CHO.—­Boot, saddle, to horse, and away!

II

Ride past the suburbs, asleep as you’d say;
Many’s the friend there, will listen and pray
“God’s luck to gallants that strike up the lay—­

CHO.—­Boot, saddle, to horse, and away!”

III

Forty miles off, like a roebuck at bay,
Flouts castle Brancepeth the Roundheads’ array:  10
Who laughs, “Good fellows ere this, by my fay,

CHO.—­Boot, saddle, to horse, and away!”

IV

Who?  My wife Gertrude; that, honest and gay,
Laughs when you talk of surrendering, “Nay! 
I’ve better counsellors; what counsel they?

CHO.—­ Boot, saddle, to horse, and away!”

* * * * *

HOME-THOUGHTS, FROM THE SEA

Nobly, nobly, Cape Saint Vincent to the Northwest died away;
Sunset ran, one glorious blood-red, reeking into Cadiz Bay;
Bluish ’mid the burning water, full in face Trafalgar deg. lay; deg.3

In the dimmest Northeast distance dawned Gibraltar deg. grand and gray; deg.4
“Here and here did England help me:  how can I help England?”—­say,
Whoso turns as I, this evening, turn to God and pray,
While Jove’s planet rises yonder, silent over Africa.

* * * * *

SUMMUM BONUM

All the breath and the bloom of the year in the bag of one bee: 
All the wonder and wealth of the mine in the heart of one gem: 
In the core of one pearl all the shade and the shine of the sea: 
Breath and bloom, shade and shine,—­wonder, wealth, and—­how far above them—­
   Truth, that’s brighter than gem,
   Trust, that’s purer than pearl,—­
Brightest truth, purest trust in the universe,—­all were for me
   In the kiss of one girl.

* * * * *