Poems Author:Lewis Gidley Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ROBIN HOOD. In modern, unromantic, days Of formal, artificial, ways How pleasant sound the ancient lays That tell of Robin Hood, The outlaw king, who... more »se stately throne Was a fallen trunk, or mossy stone ; Whose palace grand, a cabin lone, Within the deep green wood. Whose arms were quarter-staff and bow; A sword and buckler, not for show, But used to give and take a blow In rivalry or strife; Whose subjects, stalwart men and tall, Were foresters, who, one and all, Obedient to his bugle-call, Would venture limb and life. The dappled deer were taught to rue The aim with which their arrows flew, Forth bounding from the hemp-strung yew, With message swift of death : Vainly in flight, (forlorn resource!) Onward they urged their rapid course ; O'ercome by fate they fell perforce, And yielded up their breath. At eve, beside a forest fire, Maid Marian, and the brawny friar, And Little John, that trusty squire, Sat feasting with the rest: And whilst from well-replenished horn They quaffed the juice of barley-corn, Oft trolled a song the giant shorn, Or broached his ready jest. ST. CECILIA. A CROWN of amaranthine flowers Blest angels brought from heavenly bowers; Down a radiant stair they stept, At whose foot Cecilia slept; And, stooping o'er the sleeper fair, Girt with those flowers her yellow hair; And, moreover, gave to her To be to earth interpreter Of a world of tuneful sound, In that secret vision found. Where the Norman pillar old Rears its form of stately mould; And the lofty figured roof Rises far from earth aloof; And on windows richly gemmed Saints and Kings endiademed With many-coloured lustre gleam In the sun-ray's ardent beam, Which upon the pavement throws The reflection of their glows; There...« less