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Or, there's Satan!-one might venture
Pledge one's soul to him, yet leave
Such a flaw in the indenture

As he 'd miss till, past retrieve,
Blasted lay that rose-acacia

We're so proud of! Hy, Zy, Hine..
'St, there's Vespers! Plena gratiâ
Ave Virgo! Gr-r-r—you swine!

THROUGH THE METIDJA TO ABD-EL-KADR.

A

S I ride, as I ride,

With a full heart for my guide,

So its tide rocks my side,

As I ride, as I ride,

That, as I were double-eyed,

He, in whom our Tribes confide,

Is descried, ways untried

As I ride, as I ride.

As I ride, as I ride

To our Chief and his Allied,

Who dares chide my heart's pride

As I ride, as I ride?

Or are witnesses denied,—

Through the desert waste and wide

Do I glide unespied

As I ride, as I ride?

As I ride, as I ride,

When an inner voice has cried,

The sands slide, nor abide

(As I ride, as I ride)

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As I ride, as I ride,

Ne'er has spur my swift horse plied,
Yet his hide, streaked and pied,

As I ride, as I ride,

Shows where sweat has sprung and dried,

Zebra-footed, ostrich-thighed,

How has vied stride with stride

As I ride, as I ride!

As I ride, as I ride,

Could I loose what Fate has tied,

Ere I pried, she should hide
As I ride, as I ride,

All that 's meant me: satisfied

When the Prophet and the Bride
Stop veins I'd have subside
As I ride, as I ride!

COUNT GISMOND.

'HRIST God, who savest men, save most

CH

Of men Count Gismond who saved me! Count Gauthier, when he chose his post, Chose time and place and company To suit it; when he struck at length My honor 't was with all his strength.

And doubtlessly ere he could draw

All points to one, he must have schemed.

That miserable morning saw
Few half so happy as I seemed,
While being dressed in Queen's array
To give our Tourney prize away.

I thought they loved me, did me grace
To please themselves; 't was all their deed:
God makes, or fair or foul, our face;

If showing mine so caused to bleed

My cousins' hearts, they should have dropped A word, and straight the play had stopped.

They, too, so beauteous! Each a queen
By virtue of her brow and breast;
Not needing to be crowned, I mean,
As I do. E'en when I was dressed,
Had either of them spoke, instead
Of glancing sideways with still head!

But no: they let me laugh, and sing
My birthday song quite through, adjust
The last rose in my garland, fling

A last look on the mirror, trust
My arms to each an arm of theirs,
And so descend the castle-stairs, -

And come out on the morning troop

Of merry friends who kissed my cheek, And called me Queen, and made me stoop Under the canopy,- (a streak

That pierced it, of the outside sun,

Powdered with gold its gloom's soft dun,) —

And they could let me take my state

And foolish throne amid applause

Of all come there to celebrate

My Queen's day, — O, I think the cause
Of much was, they forgot no crowd
Makes up for parents in their shroud!

Howe'er that be, all eyes were bent
Upon me, when my cousins cast

Theirs down; 't was time I should present

The victor's crown, but . . . there, 't will last No long time. . . the old mist again Blinds me as then it did. How vain!

See! Gismond 's at the gate, in talk

With his two boys: I can proceed. Well, at that moment, who should stalk Forth boldly (to my face, indeed) But Gauthier, and he thundered "Stay!" And all stayed. "Bring no crowns, I say!"

"Bring torches ! Wind the penance-sheet
About her! Let her shun the chaste,

Or lay herself before their feet!
Shall she, whose body I embraced
A night long, queen it in the day?
For Honor's sake no crowns,

Say!"

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I never fancied such a thing

As answer possible to give.

What says the body when they spring Some monstrous torture-engine's whole Strength on it? No more says the soul.

Till out strode Gismond; then I knew
That I was saved. I never met.
His face before, but, at first view,

I felt quite sure that God had set
Himself to Satan; who would spend
A minute's mistrust on the end?

He strode to Gauthier, in his throat
Gave him the lie, then struck his mouth
With one back-handed blow that wrote
In blood men's verdict there.

North, South,

East, West, I looked.

The lie was dead,

And damned, and truth stood up instead.

This glads me most, that I enjoyed

The heart of the joy, with my content In watching Gismond unalloyed

By any doubt of the event:

God took that on him, I was bid

Watch Gismond for my part: I did.

Did I not watch him while he let

His armorer just brace his greaves,

Rivet his hauberk, on the fret

The while! His foot. . . my memory leaves

No least stamp out, nor how anon

He pulled his ringing gauntlets on.

And e'en before the trumpet's sound

Was finished, prone lay the false Knight, Prone as his lie upon the ground:

Gismond flew at him, used no sleight Of the sword, but open-breasted drove, Cleaving till out the truth he clove.

Which done, he dragged him to my feet

And said, "Here die, but end thy breath

In full confession, lest thou fleet

From my first, to God's second death! Say hast thou lied?" And I have lied

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To God and her," he said, and died.

Then Gismond, kneeling to me, asked

What safe my heart holds, though no word

Could I repeat now, if I tasked

My powers forever, to a third

Dear even as you are.

Pass the rest

Until I sank upon his breast.

Over my head his arm he flung

Against the world; and scarce I felt

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