No More Learning

_
"Thirteen warriors lie at rest with a black wound in the breast,
And not one of these will wake.

XLV.

"So, no more of this shall be! heart-blood weighs too heavily"--
_Toll slowly. _
"And I could not sleep in grave, with the faithful and the brave
Heaped around and over me.

XLVI.

"Since young Clare a mother hath, and young Ralph a plighted faith"--
_Toll slowly. _
"Since my pale young sister's cheeks blush like rose when Ronald
speaks,
Albeit never a word she saith--

XLVII.

"These shall never die for me: life-blood falls too heavily":
_Toll slowly. _
"And if _I_ die here apart, o'er my dead and silent heart
They shall pass out safe and free.

XLVIII.

"When the foe hath heard it said--'Death holds Guy of Linteged'"--
_Toll slowly. _
"That new corse new peace shall bring, and a blessed, blessed thing
Shall the stone be at its head.

XLIX.

"Then my friends shall pass out free, and shall bear my memory"--
_Toll slowly.
_
"Then my foes shall sleek their pride, soothing fair my widowed bride
Whose sole sin was love of me:

L.

"With their words all smooth and sweet, they will front her and
entreat"--
_Toll slowly. _
"And their purple pall will spread underneath her fainting head
While her tears drop over it.

LI.

"She will weep her woman's tears, she will pray her woman's prayers"--
_Toll slowly. _
"But her heart is young in pain, and her hopes will spring again
By the suntime of her years.

LII.

"Ah, sweet May! ah, sweetest grief! --once I vowed thee my belief"--
_Toll slowly_--
"That thy name expressed thy sweetness,--May of poets, in completeness!
Now my May-day seemeth brief. "

LIII.

All these silent thoughts did swim o'er his eyes grown strange and
dim--
_Toll slowly. _
Till his true men, in the place, wished they stood there face to face
With the foe instead of him.

LIV.

"One last oath, my friends that wear faithful hearts to do and dare!