SELECTIONS IN ENGLISH POETRY
His bed, and the warm rugs whereon he lay; 95
And o'er his chilly limbs his woollen coat
He pass'd, and tied his sandals on his feet,
And threw a white cloak round him, and he took
In his right hand a ruler's staff, no sword;
And on his head he set his sheep-skin cap, *QQ
Black, glossy, curl'd, the fleece of Kara-Kul:
And raised the curtain of his tent, and cail'd
His herald to his side, and went abroad.
The sun by this had risen, and clear'd the fog'
From the broad Oxus and the glittering sands. IO5
And from their tents the Tartar horsemen filed
Into the open plain; so Haman bade—
Hainan, who next to Peran-Wisa ruled
The host, and still was in his lusty prime. I09
From their black tents, long files of horse, they
stream'd;
As when some grey November morn the files,
In marching order spread, of long-neck'd cranes
Stream over Casbin and the southern siopes
Of Elburz, from the Aralian estuaries,
Or some frore Caspian reed-bed, southward bound 115
For the warm Persian sea-board—so they stream 1d,
The Tartars of the Oxus, the King^ guard.
First, with black sheep-skin caps and with long spears;
Large men, large steeds; who from Bokhara come
And Khiva, and ferment the milk of mares. I2°
Next, the more temperate Toorkmuns of the south.
The Tukas, and the lances of Salore,
And those from Attruck and the Caspian sands;
Light men and on light steeds, who only drink
The acrid milk of camels, and their wells. 125
And then a swarm of wandering horse, who came
From far, and a more doubtful service own'd;
281