Then bright the castle banners shone And all the minstrels sang aloud For the Christian's victory : And loud the warder blew his horn, On every turret high,— 'Let the mass be sung, and the bells be rung, And the feast eat merrily. The warder he lookt from the tower on high, 'I see a bold Knight! and by his red cross, He comes from the East country.' Then loud that warder blew his horn; And called, till he was hoarse, There comes a bold Knight, and on his shield bright He beareth a flaming cross.' Then down the lord of the castle came The Red-cross Knight to meet, And when the Red-cross Knight he spied, Right loving he did him greet: 'Thou'rt welcome here, Sir Red-cross Knight, For thy fame's well known to me! And the mass shall be sung, and the bells shall be rung, And we'll feast right merrily.' 'O! I am come from the holy land, And we have fought in the holy land, For with valiant might did the Christians fight, 'Thou'rt welcome here, dear Red-cross Knight! Come, lay thy armour by ; And, for the good tidings thou dost bring, We'll feast us merrily: For all in my castle shall rejoice, That we've won the victory; And the mass shall be sung, and the bells shall be rung, 'O, I cannot stay,' cried the Red-cross Knight, Where manors and castles will be my reward, 'O! say not so, thou Red-cross Knight! With manors so wide, and castles beside, 'I cannot stay,' cried the Red-cross Knight, But I must haste to my king and his knights, 'O! mind them not, dear Red-cross Knight! And the mass shall be sung, and the bells be rung, 'I cannot stay,' cried the Red-cross Knight, 'Nor can I feast with thee; But I must haste to a pleasant bower, Where a lady's waiting for me!' 'O say not so, dear Red-cross Knight, Nor heed that fond lady; For she can't compare with my daughter so rare, 'Now must I go,' said the Red-cross Knight, For that lady I'm to wed, And the feast-guests and bride-maids all are met, And prepared the bridal bed!' Now nay, now nay, thou Red-cross Knight, My daughter shall wed with thee; And the mass shall be sung, and the bells shall be rung, And we'll feast right merrily!' And now the silver lute's sweet sound, Re-echoed through the hall, And in that lord's fair daughter came, With her ladies clad in pall; That lady was deckt in costly robes, And shone as bright as day, And with courtesy sweet, the knight she did grect, Right welcome, brave Sir Red-cross Knight! Right welcome unto me: And here I hope long time thou❜lt stay, And bear us company; And for thy exploits in the holy land, 'Though ever thou press me, lady fair! I cannot stay with thee.' That lady frowned, to hear that knight It grieves me much, thou lady fair, For a beauteous lady is waiting for me, 'Now fie on thee, uncourteous knight, So say no more, but stay, brave knight, And bear us company; And the mass shall be sung, and the bells shall be rung, And we'll feast right merrily.' PART II. And, as the lady prest the knight, As he stood in the hall, 'Now Christ thee save, Sir Red-cross Knight, I'm come from the north country; Where a lady is laid all on her death bed, And evermore calls for thee.' Alas! alas! thou pilgrim-boy, Sad news thou tellest me; Now must I ride full hastily, To comfort that dear lady!' 'O-heed him not!' the ladies cried, 'But send a page to see ; While the mass is sung, and the bells are rung, Again bespake the pilgrim-boy, For know, Sir Knight, that lady's dead, O! then the Red-cross Knight was pale, But his heart did swell, and his tears down fell, Now fie on thee, thou weakly knight, Were I a noble knight like thee, I'd find another to wed. So, come cheer and comfort thy heart, And be good company; And the mass shall be sung, and the bells be rung, In vain that wily lady strove, The sorrowing knight to cheer, Each word he answered with a groan, Each soothing with a tear. 'And now farewell thou noble lord, And farewell lady fair! In pleasure and joy your hours employ, Nor think of my despair.' 'And where is her grave?' cried the Red-cross Knight, The grave where she doth lay! 'O, I know it well,' cried the pilgrim-boy, And I'll show thee on the way.' The knight was sad, the pilgrim sighed, While the warder loud did cry, Let the mass be sung, and the bells be rung, Meanwhile arose the lord's daughter, And to her ladies did call, O! what shall we say, to stay the knight, For he must not leave the hall ! For much that lady was in love, With the gallant Red-cross Knight, And ere many a day, with this knight so gay, 545 'O!' then bespake these ladies gay As they stood clad in pall, 'O! we'll devise how to make this knigh Stay in the castle hall.' Now that's well said, my ladies dear; And if he'll stay with me, Then the mass shall be sung, and the bells be rung, Then softly spake those ladies fair, Low whispering at the wall, 'O, we've devised how to keep the knight, In thy fair castle hall: Now, lady, command the warder blithe, To come from yon tower high, With tidings to say to inveigle away Yon wily pilgrim-boy!' Go, run! go, run, my foot-page dear, To the warder take thy way, And one of my ladies shall go with thee, To tell thee what to say: And now if we can but compel the knight, To stay in the castle with me, Then the mass shall be sung, and the bells shall be rung, And we'll all feast merrily.' The warder came, and blew his horn, And thus aloud did cry, 'Ho! is there a pilgrim in the hall, Come from the north country? For there's a foot-page waits without, To speak with him alone.' Thus the warder did call till out of the hall The pilgrim-boy is gone. Meanwhile bespake the ladies gay, As they stood clad in pall, 'Right glad, brave knight, we welcome thee Unto our castle hall.' But the knight he heeded not their talk, Although they cried with glee, Let the mass be sung, and the bells be rung, |