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Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems

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<hr style="width: 65%;" />[Pg 226] <h2>WELLAND RIVER</h2> <div class="cpoem22"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> FAIR Ellayne she walk'd by Welland river, Across the lily lee: O, gentle Sir Robert, ye are not kind To stay so long at sea. </div> <div class="stanza"> Over the marshland none can see Your scarlet pennon fair; O, leave the Easterlings alone, Because of my golden hair. </div> <div class="stanza"> The day when over Stamford bridge That dear pennon I see Go up toward the goodly street, 'Twill be a fair day for me. [Pg 227]</div> <div class="stanza"> O, let the bonny pennon bide At Stamford, the good town, And let the Easterlings go free, And their ships go up and down. </div> <div class="stanza"> For every day that passes by I wax both pale and green, From gold to gold of my girdle There is an inch between. </div> <div class="stanza"> I sew'd it up with scarlet silk Last night upon my knee, And my heart grew sad and sore to think Thy face I'd never see. </div> <div class="stanza"> I sew'd it up with scarlet silk, As I lay upon my bed: Sorrow! the man I'll never see That had my maidenhead. </div> <div class="stanza"> But as Ellayne sat on her window-seat And comb'd her yellow hair, She saw come over Stamford bridge The scarlet pennon fair. [Pg 228]</div> <div class="stanza"> As Ellayne lay and sicken'd sore, The gold shoes on her feet, She saw Sir Robert and his men Ride up the Stamford street. </div> <div class="stanza"> He had a coat of fine red gold, And a bascinet of steel; Take note his goodly Collayne sword Smote the spur upon his heel. </div> <div class="stanza"> And by his side, on a grey jennet, There rode a fair lady, For every ruby Ellayne wore, I count she carried three. </div> <div class="stanza"> Say, was not Ellayne's gold hair fine, That fell to her middle free? But that lady's hair down in the street, Fell lower than her knee. </div> <div class="stanza"> Fair Ellayne's face, from sorrow and grief, Was waxen pale and green: That lady's face was goodly red, She had but little tene. [Pg 229]</div> <div class="stanza"> But as he pass'd by her window He grew a little wroth: O, why does yon pale face look at me From out the golden cloth? </div> <div class="stanza"> It is some burd, the fair dame said, That aye rode him beside, Has come to see your bonny face This merry summer-tide. </div> <div class="stanza"> But Ellayne let a lily-flower Light on his cap of steel: O, I have gotten two hounds, fair knight, The one has served me well; </div> <div class="stanza"> But the other, just an hour agone, Has come from over sea, And all his fell is sleek and fine, But little he knows of me. </div> <div class="stanza"> Now, which shall I let go, fair knight, And which shall bide with me? O, lady, have no doubt to keep The one that best loveth thee. [Pg 230]</div> <div class="stanza"> O, Robert, see how sick I am! Ye do not so by me. Lie still, fair love, have ye gotten harm While I was on the sea? </div> <div class="stanza"> Of one gift, Robert, that ye gave, I sicken to the death, I pray you nurse-tend me, my knight, Whiles that I have my breath. </div> <div class="stanza"> Six fathoms from the Stamford bridge He left that dame to stand, And whiles she wept, and whiles she cursed That she ever had taken land. </div> <div class="stanza"> He has kiss'd sweet Ellayne on the mouth, And fair she fell asleep, And long and long days after that Sir Robert's house she did keep. </div> </div></div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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