CHRISTABEL

PART THE FIRST

'Tis the middle of night by the castle clock, And the owls have awakened the crowing cock, - Tu whoo!

Tu whit!

Four for the quarters, and twelve for the hour;

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Ever and aye, by shine and shower,

Sixteen short howls, not over loud;
Some say, she sees my lady's shroud.

Is the night chilly and dark?

The night is chilly, but not dark.

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The thin grey cloud is spread on high,

It covers but not hides the sky.

The moon is behind, and at the full;

And yet she looks both small and dull.
The night is chill, the cloud is grey:
'Tis a month before the month of May,
And the Spring comes slowly up this way.

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The lovely lady, Christabel,

Whom her father loves so well,

CHRISTABEL

What makes her in the wood so late,
A furlong from the castle gate?
She had dreams all yesternight
Of her own betrothed knight;

And she in the midnight wood will pray
For the weal of her lover that's far away.

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She stole along, she nothing spoke,

The sighs she heaved were soft and low,
And naught was green upon the oak

Of the huge, broad-breasted, old oak tree.

The night is chill; the forest bare;
Is it the wind that moaneth bleak?
There is not wind enough in the air
To move away the ringlet curl
From the lovely lady's cheek
There is not wind enough to twirl
The one red leaf, the last of its clan,
That dances as often as dance it can,

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Hanging so light, and hanging so high,

On the topmost twig that looks up at the sky.

Hush, beating heart of Christabel!

Jesu Maria, shield her well!

She folded her arms beneath her cloak,

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And stole to the other side of the oak.
What sees she there?

Her blue-veined feet unsandal'd were,
And wildly glittered here and there
The gems entangled in her hair.

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Said Christabel, ' And who art thou?'

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The lady strange made answer meet,
And her voice was faint and sweet:
'Have pity on my sore distress,
I scarce can speak for weariness: '

Stretch forth thy hand, and have no fear!'
Said Christabel, 'How camest thou here?'
And the lady, whose voice was faint and sweet,
Did thus pursue her answer meet:

And they rode furiously behind.

They spurred amain, their steeds were white:
And once we crossed the shade of night.
As sure as Heaven shall rescue me,

I have no thought what men they be;

Nor do I know how long it is

(For I have lain entranced I wis)
Since one, the tallest of the five,
Took me from the palfrey's back,
A weary woman, scarce alive.

Some muttered words his comrades spoke:
He placed me underneath this oak;

He swore they would return with haste;
Whither they went I cannot tell

I thought I heard, some minutes past,
Sounds as of a castle bell.

Stretch forth thy hand' (thus ended she),
And help a wretched maid to flee.'

Then Christabel stretched forth her hand,
And comforted fair Geraldine:

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'O well, bright dame! may you command The service of Sir Leoline;

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And gladly our stout chivalry

Will he send forth and friends withal

To guide and guard you safe and free

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Home to your noble father's hall.'

She rose: and forth with steps they passed
That strove to be, and were not, fast.

Her gracious stars the lady blest,
And thus spake on sweet Christabel:
'All our household are at rest,
The hall as silent as the cell;
Sir Leoline is weak in health,

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And may not well awakened be,

But we will move as if in stealth,

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And I beseech your courtesy,

This night, to share your couch with me.'

They crossed the moat, and Christabel

Took the key that fitted well;

A little door she opened straight,

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All in the middle of the gate;

The gate that was ironed within and without,

Where an army in battle array had marched out.

The lady sank, belike through pain,

And Christabel with might and main

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Lifted her up, a weary weight,

Over the threshold of the gate:
Then the lady rose again,

And moved, as she were not in pain.