Notwithstanding the prescription of the genial hermit,
with which his guest willingly complied, he found
it no easy matter to bring the harp to harmony.
“Methinks, holy father,” said he, “the
instrument wants one string, and the rest have been
somewhat misused.”
“Ay, mark’st thou that?” replied
the hermit; “that shows thee a master of the
craft. Wine and wassail,” he added, gravely
casting up his eyes—–“all the
fault of wine and wassail!—–I told
Allan-a-Dale, the northern minstrel, that he would
damage the harp if he touched it after the seventh
cup, but he would not be controlled—–Friend,
I drink to thy successful performance.”
So saying, he took off his cup with much gravity,
at the same time shaking his head at the intemperance
of the Scottish harper.
The knight in the meantime, had brought the strings
into some order, and after a short prelude, asked
his host whether he would choose a “sirvente”
in the language of “oc”, or a “lai”
in the language of “oui”, or a “virelai”,
or a ballad in the vulgar English.*
* Note C. Minstrelsy.
“A ballad, a ballad,” said the hermit,
“against all the ‘ocs’ and ‘ouis’
of France. Downright English am I, Sir Knight,
and downright English was my patron St Dunstan, and
scorned ‘oc’ and ‘oui’, as
he would have scorned the parings of the devil’s
hoof —–downright English alone shall
be sung in this cell.”
“I will assay, then,” said the knight,
“a ballad composed by a Saxon glee-man, whom
I knew in Holy Land.”
It speedily appeared, that if the knight was not a
complete master of the minstrel art, his taste for
it had at least been cultivated under the best instructors.
Art had taught him to soften the faults of a voice
which had little compass, and was naturally rough
rather than mellow, and, in short, had done all that
culture can do in supplying natural deficiencies.
His performance, therefore, might have been termed
very respectable by abler judges than the hermit,
especially as the knight threw into the notes now
a degree of spirit, and now of plaintive enthusiasm,
which gave force and energy to the verses which he
sung.
1.
High deeds achieved of knightly fame,
From Palestine the champion came;
The cross upon his shoulders borne,
Battle and blast had dimm’d and torn.
Each dint upon his batter’d shield
Was token of a foughten field;
And thus, beneath his lady’s bower,
He sung as fell the twilight hour:—–
2.
“Joy to the fair!—–thy knight
behold,
Return’d from yonder land of gold;
No wealth he brings, nor wealth can need,
Save his good arms and battle-steed
His spurs, to dash against a foe,
His lance and sword to lay him low;
Such all the trophies of his toil,
Such—–and the hope of Tekla’s
smile!
3.
“Joy to the fair! whose constant knight
Her favour fired to feats of might;
Unnoted shall she not remain,
Where meet the bright and noble train;
Minstrel shall sing and herald tell—–
’Mark yonder maid of beauty well,
’Tis she for whose bright eyes were won
The listed field at Askalon!
