"High erected thought, seated in a heart of courtesy."
SIR PHILIP SIDNEY.
"A sweet attractive kinde of grace,
A full assurance given by lookes,
Continuall comfort in a face,
The lineaments of Gospel bookes."
MATTHEW ROYDON, on Sir Philip Sidney.
I had not gone far, for I had but just lost sight of the hated tower,
when a voice of another sort, sounding near or far, as the trees
permitted or intercepted its passage, reached me. It was a full, deep,
manly voice, but withal clear and melodious. Now it burst on the ear
with a sudden swell, and anon, dying away as suddenly, seemed to come to
me across a great space. Nevertheless, it drew nearer; till, at last, I
could distinguish the words of the song, and get transient glimpses of
the singer, between the columns of the trees. He came nearer, dawning
upon me like a growing thought. He was a knight, armed from head to
heel, mounted upon a strange-looking beast, whose form I could not
understand. The words which I heard him sing were like these:
Heart be stout,
And eye be true;
Good blade out!
And ill shall rue.
Courage, horse!
Thou lackst no skill;
Well thy force
Hath matched my will.
For the foe
With fiery breath,
At a blow,
It still in death.
Gently, horse!
Tread fearlessly;
'Tis his corse
That burdens thee.
The sun's eye
Is fierce at noon;
Thou and I
Will rest full soon.
And new strength
New work will meet;
Till, at length,
Long rest is sweet.
And now horse and rider had arrived near enough for me to see, fastened
by the long neck to the hinder part of the saddle, and trailing its
hideous length on the ground behind, the body of a great dragon. It was
no wonder that, with such a drag at his heels, the horse could make
but slow progress, notwithstanding his evident dismay. The horrid,
serpent-like head, with its black tongue, forked with red, hanging out
of its jaws, dangled against the horse's side. Its neck was covered with
long blue hair, its sides with scales of green and gold. Its back was of
corrugated skin, of a purple hue. Its belly was similar in nature, but
its colour was leaden, dashed with blotches of livid blue. Its skinny,
bat-like wings and its tail were of a dull gray. It was strange to see
how so many gorgeous colours, so many curving lines, and such beautiful
things as wings and hair and scales, combined to form the horrible
creature, intense in ugliness.
The knight was passing me with a salutation; but, as I walked towards
him, he reined up, and I stood by his stirrup. When I came near him, I
saw to my surprise and pleasure likewise, although a sudden pain, like
a birth of fire, sprang up in my heart, that it was the knight of the
soiled armour, whom I knew before, and whom I had seen in the vision,
with the lady of the marble. But I could have thrown my arms around him,
because she loved him. This discovery only strengthened the resolution
I had formed, before I recognised him, of offering myself to the knight,
to wait upon him as a squire, for he seemed to be unattended. I made
my request in as few words as possible. He hesitated for a moment, and
looked at me thoughtfully. I saw that he suspected who I was, but that
he continued uncertain of his suspicion. No doubt he was soon convinced
of its truth; but all the time I was with him, not a word crossed his
lips with reference to what he evidently concluded I wished to leave
unnoticed, if not to keep concealed.