Ballads and Poems Author:William Martin 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: Till suddenly, as when a light Is quenched in utter gloom, The piercing pipe, that ruled the fight Above the cannon's boom, Was mute ; and, like a frost o... more »f fear, Its silence fell on heart and ear. Down dropped the arm that rose to strike, As smitten by a spell; Down dropped the arquebuse and pike, The flaming linstock fell. Who recked now how the battle went, Since Andrew Barton's breath was spent 1 Who recked although the English foe Fast o'er the bulwarks poured ; Though sank St. Andrew's banner low, And Howard's Lion soared 1 While Andrew Barton lay in death, No more to give his whistle breath. LADY MAY. Oh ! will ye hear of Lady May, The Earl's one daughter dear ? Oh ! will ye hear of Lady May The fairest far or near ? " Now hear me, May," the old Earl said, " I have no child but thee, And I would see, before I die, A grandson on my knee." " And if thou wed Sir Ralph," he said, " My blessing shall be thine ; But if thou wed Sir Guy, beware The curse of Heaven and mine ! " Said May within her heart, " Sir Ealph My lord should never be, If but one man on earth were left, And that one man were he. Sir Guy is but a landless squire, Sir Kalph has acres wide, But if Sir Guy a beggar were, I'd be that beggar's bride." Sir Ralph has met the Lady May Within the lonesome dell; None saw, when she fled forth alone, None knew, what there befell. But underneath the alder tree In the pool, so still and dark, With a silver bodkin in his breast, Sir Ralph lies stiff and stark. The Lady May has hied her home And called her little page, " Now speed thee forth, my trusty lad, As a bird flees from the cage ! " She filled his hand with yellow gold, She filled his ears with praise, " Now bear this letter to ...« less