POEMS OLD AND NEW

They have whetted their teeth against the stones,
And now they pick the Bishop's bones ;
They gnaw'd the flesh from every limb, ^
For they were sent to do judgment on him.

ROBERT SOUTHEY

LA BELLE DAME SANS MERGI
" OH what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
Alone and palely loitering ?
The sedge is wither'd from the lake,
And no birds sing.
" Oh, what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
So haggard and so woebegone ? 10
The squirrel's granary is full,
And the harvest's done.
" I see a lily on thy brow
With anguish moist and fever dew ;
And on thy cheek a fading rose
Fast withereth too."
" I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful—a faery's child ;
Her hair was long, her foot was light.
And her eyes were wild. 20
" I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone ;
She look'd at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan.
" I set her on my pacing steed
And nothing else saw all day long,
For sideways would she lean, and sing
A faery's song.
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