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!”

“ Oh, I am come from the Holy Land,

Where Christ did live and die ;
Behold the device I bear on my shield,

The Red-cross Knight am I:
And we have fought in the Holy Land.

And we've won the victory;
For with valiant might, did the Christians fight,

And made the proud Pagans fly.”

“ 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,

And the feast eat merrily!"

“ Oh, I cannot stay” (cried the Red-cross Knight),

But must go to my own country ;
Where manors and castles will be my reward,

And all for my bravery.”

“Oh! say not so, thou Red-cross Knight!

But if you 'll bide with me,
With manors so wide, and castles beside,

I'll honour thy bravery."

“ I cannot stay (cried the Red-cross Knight),

Nor can I bide with thee:
But I must haste to my king and his knights,

Who 're waiting to feast with me.”
« Oh! mind them not, dear Red-cross Knight!

But stay and feast with me; And the mass shall be sung, and the bells shall be rung,

And we'll banquet merrily!"

“ 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,

And she shall attend on thee."

“ 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 decked in costly robes,

And shone as bright as day;
And with courtesy sweet the knight she did greet,

And pressed him for to stay.

“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,

That hath gained us the victory,
The mass shall be sung, and the bells be rung,

And we 'll feast right merrily!".

“ Though ever thou press me, lady fair !

I cannot stay with thee.”
That lady frowned, to hear that knight

So slight her courtesy.
“ It grieves me much, thou lady fair!

That here I cannot stay;
For a beauteous lady is waiting for me,

Whom I've not seen many a day.”

“ Now fie on thee, uncourteous knight!

Thou shouldst not say me nay:
As for the lady that's waiting for thee,

Go see her another day.
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!”

THE RED-CROSS KNIGHT.

PART II.

And, as the lady pressed the knight,

With her ladies clad in pall; Oh! then bespake a pilgrim-boy,

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!
“ Oh-heed him not! (the ladies cried),

But send a page to see ;
While the mass is sung, and the bells are rung,

And we feast merrily !”

Again bespake the pilgrim-boy,

“ Ye need not send to see : For know, Sir Knight, that lady's dead,

And died for love of thee!”

Oh! then the Red-cross Knight was pale,

And not a word could say !
But his heart did swell, and his tears down fell,

And he almost swoon'd away.

“Now, fie on thee! thou weakly knight,

To weep for a lady dead :
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,

And we'll feast thee merrily!”

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!”
“Oh! I know it well (cried the pilgrim-boy),

And I'll shew 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,

And the feast eat merrily !".

Meanwhile arose the lord's daughter,

And to her ladies did call : “Oh! what shall we say, to stay the knight,

For he must not leave the hall !"