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Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems

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<hr style="width: 65%;" />[Pg 166] <h2>THE EVE OF CRECY</h2> <div class="cpoem25"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> GOLD on her head, and gold on her feet, And gold where the hems of her kirtle meet, And a golden girdle round my sweet; Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite. </div> <div class="stanza"> Margaret's maids are fair to see, Freshly dress'd and pleasantly; Margaret's hair falls down to her knee; Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite. </div> <div class="stanza"> If I were rich I would kiss her feet; I would kiss the place where the gold hems meet, And the golden girdle round my sweet: Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite. [Pg 167]</div> <div class="stanza"> Ah me! I have never touch'd her hand; When the arriere-ban goes through the land, Six basnets under my pennon stand; Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite. </div> <div class="stanza"> And many an one grins under his hood: Sir Lambert du Bois, with all his men good, Has neither food nor firewood; Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite. </div> <div class="stanza"> If I were rich I would kiss her feet, And the golden girdle of my sweet, And thereabouts where the gold hems meet; Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite. </div> <div class="stanza"> Yet even now it is good to think, While my few poor varlets grumble and drink In my desolate hall, where the fires sink, Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite. </div> <div class="stanza"> Of Margaret sitting glorious there, In glory of gold and glory of hair, And glory of glorious face most fair; Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite. [Pg 168]</div> <div class="stanza"> Likewise to-night I make good cheer, Because this battle draweth near: For what have I to lose or fear? Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite. </div> <div class="stanza"> For, look you, my horse is good to prance A right fair measure in this war-dance, Before the eyes of Philip of France; Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite. </div> <div class="stanza"> And sometime it may hap, perdie, While my new towers stand up three and three, And my hall gets painted fair to see, Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite. </div> <div class="stanza"> That folks may say: Times change, by the rood, For Lambert, banneret of the wood, Has heaps of food and firewood; Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite; </div> <div class="stanza"> And wonderful eyes, too, under the hood Of a damsel of right noble blood. St. Ives, for Lambert of the Wood! Ah! qu'elle est belle La Marguerite. </div> </div></div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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