登陆注册
5419700000141

第141章

Besides, unless my memory fail, Your some one with an iron flail Is not an ancient myth at all, But comes much later on the scene As Talus in the Faerie Queene, The iron groom of Artegall, Who threshed out falsehood and deceit, And truth upheld, and righted wrong, As was, as is the swallow, fleet, And as the lion is, was strong."The Theologian said: "Perchance Your chronicler in writing this Had in his mind the Anabasis, Where Xenophon describes the advance Of Artaxerxes to the fight;At first the low gray cloud of dust, And then a blackness o'er the fields As of a passing thunder-gust, Then flash of brazen armor bright, And ranks of men, and spears up-thrust, Bowmen and troops with wicker shields, And cavalry equipped in white, And chariots ranged in front of these With scythes upon their axle-trees."To this the Student answered: "Well, I also have a tale to tell Of Charlemagne; a tale that throws A softer light, more tinged with rose, Than your grim apparition cast Upon the darkness of the past.

Listen, and hear in English rhyme What the good Monk of Lauresheim Gives as the gossip of his time, In mediaeval Latin prose."THE STUDENT'S TALE

EMMA AND EGINHARD

When Alcuin taught the sons of Charlemagne, In the free schools of Aix, how kings should reign, And with them taught the children of the poor How subjects should be patient and endure, He touched the lips of some, as best befit, With honey from the hives of Holy Writ;Others intoxicated with the wine Of ancient history, sweet but less divine;Some with the wholesome fruits of grammar fed;Others with mysteries of the stars o'er-head, That hang suspended in the vaulted sky Like lamps in some fair palace vast and high.

In sooth, it was a pleasant sight to see That Saxon monk, with hood and rosary, With inkhorn at his belt, and pen and book, And mingled lore and reverence in his look, Or hear the cloister and the court repeat The measured footfalls of his sandaled feet, Or watch him with the pupils of his school, Gentle of speech, but absolute of rule.

Among them, always earliest in his place.

Was Eginhard, a youth of Frankish race, Whose face was bright with flashes that forerun The splendors of a yet unrisen sun.

To him all things were possible, and seemed Not what he had accomplished, but had dreamed, And what were tasks to others were his play, The pastime of an idle holiday.

Smaragdo, Abbot of St.Michael's, said, With many a shrug and shaking of the head, Surely some demon must possess the lad, Who showed more wit than ever schoolboy had, And learned his Trivium thus without the rod;But Alcuin said it was the grace of God.

Thus he grew up, in Logic point-device, Perfect in Grammar, and in Rhetoric nice;Science of Numbers, Geometric art, And lore of Stars, and Music knew by heart;A Minnesinger, long before the times Of those who sang their love in Suabian rhymes.

The Emperor, when he heard this good report Of Eginhard much buzzed about the court, Said to bimself, "This stripling seems to be Purposely sent into the world for me;He shall become my scribe, and shall be schooled In all the arts whereby the world is ruled."Thus did the gentle Eginhard attain To honor in the court of Charlemagne;Became the sovereign's favorite, his right hand, So that his fame was great in all the land, And all men loved him for his modest grace And comeliness of figure and of face.

An inmate of the palace, yet recluse, A man of books, yet sacred from abuse Among the armed knights with spur on heel, The tramp of horses and the clang of steel;And as the Emperor promised he was schooled In all the arts by which the world is ruled.

But the one art supreme, whose law is fate, The Emperor never dreamed of till too late.

Home from her convent to the palace came The lovely Princess Emma, whose sweet name, Whispered by seneschal or sung by bard, Had often touched the soul of Eginhard.

He saw her from his window, as in state She came, by knights attended through the gate;He saw her at the banquet of that day, Fresh as the morn, and beautiful as May;He saw her in the garden, as she strayed Among the flowers of summer with her maid, And said to him, "O Eginhard, disclose The meaning and the mystery of the rose";And trembling he made answer: "In good sooth, Its mystery is love, its meaning youth!"How can I tell the signals and the signs By which one heart another heart divines?

How can I tell the many thousand ways By which it keeps the secret it betrays?

O mystery of love! O strange romance!

Among the Peers and Paladins of France, Shining in steel, and prancing on gay steeds, Noble by birth, yet nobler by great deeds, The Princess Emma had no words nor looks But for this clerk, this man of thought and books.

The summer passed, the autumn came; the stalks Of lilies blackened in the garden walks;The leaves fell, russet-golden and blood-red, Love-letters thought the poet fancy-led, Or Jove descending in a shower of gold Into the lap of Danae of old;For poets cherish many a strange conceit, And love transmutes all nature by its heat.

No more the garden lessons, nor the dark And hurried meetings in the twilight park;But now the studious lamp, and the delights Of firesides in the silent winter nights, And watching from his window hour by hour The light that burned in Princess Emma's tower.

At length one night, while musing by the fire, O'ercome at last by his insane desire,--For what will reckless love not do and dare?--He crossed the court, and climbed the winding stair, With some feigned message in the Emperor's name;But when he to the lady's presence came He knelt down at her feet, until she laid Her hand upon him, like a naked blade, And whispered in his ear: "Arise, Sir Knight, To my heart's level, O my heart's delight."And there he lingered till the crowing cock, The Alectryon of the farmyard and the flock, Sang his aubade with lusty voice and clear, To tell the sleeping world that dawn was near.

And then they parted; but at parting, lo!

同类推荐
  • Allan'  s Wife

    Allan' s Wife

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 上清大洞九宫朝修秘诀上道

    上清大洞九宫朝修秘诀上道

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 玄精碧匣灵宝聚玄经

    玄精碧匣灵宝聚玄经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 素问入式运气论奥

    素问入式运气论奥

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 重编诸天传

    重编诸天传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 刘宾客嘉话录

    刘宾客嘉话录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 农门春色:丑颜魅惑俏狼君

    农门春色:丑颜魅惑俏狼君

    穿成全村最丑胖的女人,穆瑶瑶觉得没关系,丑可以改胖可以减。爹娘早挂,未婚夫厌弃,后妈一脚踹出门,哼,等她白手起家,亮瞎了他们的眼睛。意外撞见某帅哥的秘密,不是要打就是要杀,为活命琼瑶大剧也得来,扮作花痴女。古医穿乱世,神眼看三生,且看小女子如何在乱世带着弟妹,携带夫郎寻逍遥之法。如有不妥之处,请手下留情,文笔之类,宝宝努力在努力……
  • Apology

    Apology

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 阮郎归

    阮郎归

    陈东走出六建招待所空空荡荡的楼道,独自一人向楼下走去。他踩着水泥汀的台阶,皮鞋特意把楼板踩得咚咚响。四周是新粉刷过的墙壁,水泥上到处落了石灰的斑点,陈东不让自己踩在那些斑点上面,但难免踩到几颗。楼道里是新鲜石灰的气味,这气味似曾相识,一下子把他带到过去的某个时间。他走到了楼下,走到一个水浸似的湿润天气里了。树木皆是浓绿,空气是湿滑的,他的脸上就像蒙了一层雾气,用手摸摸,皮肤格外润泽。
  • 女神驾到了

    女神驾到了

    她拥有庞大的势力,还有一个宠她的哥哥,可突然有一天,某女说:我要踢馆!她一听与她斗智斗勇,成为朋友,而此时有某腹黑少年缠着她,有一天,她一脚踩在他身上问:你怎么像块狗皮膏药一样缠着我。他一脸认真的回答:只对你这样
  • 你好不好呢

    你好不好呢

    卷一:如果说,暗恋一个人是酸涩的,是无法言喻的;那么暗恋的小心思被发现,是开心的?还是不知如何是好?高中之间纯朴的感情,小心翼翼又倍加呵护,每天偷偷看一眼已然满足。无堕胎,无小三,有的只是高中间纯朴起来又小心翼翼的“情” 卷二:别人的看法和自己的感情,该怎么选择?
  • 技校情缘

    技校情缘

    爱的最初开始也是爱最终的结束,在那一年不经意的一次感动我爱着上你。就这样义无反顾的爱了十多年,直到我生命出现了不一样的女孩。我还是一样爱着你,在爱情的成长过程中,我经历了很多,懂得了很多。这就是属于我也是属于你们的爱情故事,因为我还爱着我,不愿意对你放手。只为了一个对你爱的承诺,没有想到的是我付出了自己最宝贵的时光。在命运的巨轮之下我不得不放弃对你爱,最后我做到了我守护到你结婚,静静的把你放在心底之间爱的记忆里面。我想的努力的忘记你,可是我真的忘记不了你,因为我真的很爱很爱你。我曾经尝试着去爱上别人,最后也是伤痕累累。我用尽自己所有去爱着你们,是你们教会了我爱,也是你们让我不会在去爱。
  • 大巍禅师竹室集

    大巍禅师竹室集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 漫次元之萌萌图书馆

    漫次元之萌萌图书馆

    我家有个图书馆,我是馆主。我家是谁?当然是.....“馆主,馆主!不好了,咱家来新人啦”坂井悠二焦急地跑过来大喊道。“哦,新人?好事啊!干嘛不高兴。对了,夏娜怎么不和你在一起?”“夏娜去接待新人”悠二喘着气急忙回答道。“哟,夏娜终于成长了,能帮我,吾心甚慰”“不,不是,打起来了,都打起来了。刚见面,俩人几句话就出手。我跑来时,咱家都被单挑,不,不,是咱家在群殴新人啦!”悠二双手比划着在舌头打结中勉强说完。“......呃,新人叫什么名字?”悠二摸了摸头,回忆道“好像是叫,什么狂三的女孩子”
  • 花花的笔记本

    花花的笔记本

    以前,我把随笔写在纸上,然后找不到了。现在,我把随笔写在这里,可能会有人看。随笔诗词转帖杂文……文笔拙略,还请多多包含。感谢我的责编,给了我这本短篇签约的资格。如果有相同爱好之士,不妨做个交流。青花致意,感承诸君。……