should be so bold; how she had never feared to enter the church alone at night, but had loved to linger there when all was quiet, and even to climb the tower-stair, with no more light than that of the moon's rays stealing through the loop-holes in the thick old walls. 21. A whisper went about among the oldest there that she had seen and talked with angels; and when they called to mind how she had looked and spoken, and her early death, some thought it might be so indeed. Thus, coming to the grave in little knots, and glancing down, and giving place to others, and falling off in whispering groups of three or four, the church was cleared in time of all but the sexton and the mourning friends. 22. Then, when the dusk of evening had come on, and not a sound disturbed the sacred stillness of the place when the bright moon poured in her light on tomb and monument, on pillar, wall, and arch, and most of all, it seemed to them, upon her quiet grave—in that calm time, when all outward things and inward thoughts teem with assurances of immortality, and worldly hopes and fears are humbled in the dust before them, then with tranquil and submissive hearts they turned away, and left the child with God. Attend, all ye who list to hear our noble England's praise; I tell of the thrice famous deeds she wrought in ancient days, When that great fleet invincible against her bore in vain 2 The richest spoils of Mexico, the stoutest hearts of Spain. 5 It was about the lovely close of a warm summer day, There came a gallant merchant-ship full sail to Plymouth Bay; Her crew hath seen Castile's black fleet, beyond At earliest twilight, on the waves lie heaving many At sunrise she escaped their van, by God's especial grace; 10 And the tall Pinta, till the noon, had held her close 15 in chase. Forthwith a guard at every gun was placed along the wall; The beacon blazed upon the roof of Edgecumbe's 5 lofty hall; Many a light fishing-bark put out to pry along the coast, And with loose rein and bloody spur rode inland many a post. With his white hair unbonneted, the stout old sheriff comes; Behind him march the halberdiers; before him sound the drums; His yeomen round the market cross make clear an For there behoves him to set up the standard of And haughtily the trumpets peal, and gaily dance 20 As slow upon the labouring wind the royal blazon 25 swells. 6 Look how the Lion of the sea lifts up his ancient crown, And underneath his deadly paw treads the gay lilies down. So stalked he when he turned to flight, on that famed Picard field,7 Bohemia's plume, and Genoa's bow, and Cæsar's eagle shield. So glared he when at Agincourts in wrath he turned to bay, And crushed and torn beneath his claws the princely hunters lay. Ho! strike the flagstaff deep, Sir Knight: ho! scatter flowers, fair maids: Ho! gunners, fire a loud salute: ho! gallants, draw your blades: Thou sun, shine on her joyously; ye breezes, waft her wide; 9 30 Our glorious SEMPER EADEM, the banner of our pride. The freshening breeze of eve unfurl'd that banner's massy fold; The parting gleam of sunshine kissed that haughty scroll of gold; Night sank upon the dusky beach, and on the purple sea, Such night in England ne'er had been, nor e'er again shall be. 35 From Eddystone to Berwick10 bounds, from Lynn to Milford Bay," That time of slumber was as bright and busy as the day; For swift to East and swift to West the ghastly High on St. Michael's Mount12 it shone: it shone on Far on the deep the Spaniard saw, along each 40 Cape beyond cape, in endless range, those twinkling points of fire. The fisher left his skiff to rock on Tamar's11 glittering waves; The rugged miners poured to war from Mendip's1 sunless caves; O'er Longleat's16 towers, o'er Cranbourne's1 oaks, the fiery herald flew ; He roused the shepherds of Stonehenge, 18 the rangers of Beaulieu.19 45 Right sharp and quick the bells all night rang out from Bristol town, And ere the day three hundred horse had met on The sentinel on Whitehall gate looked forth into And saw o'erhanging Richmond Hill the streak of blood-red light. Then bugle's note and cannon's roar the deathlike silence broke, |