With musquet, pike, and morion, To welcome noble Marmion, Stood in the Castle-yard; · Minstrels and trumpeters were there, Old Norham never heard. X. The guards their morrice-pikes advanced, The trumpets flourished brave, The cannon from the ramparts glanced, And thundering welcome gave. A blythe salute, in martial sort, The minstrels well might sound, For, as Lord Marmion crossed the court, He scattered angels round. "Welcome to Norham, Marmion! Stout heart, and open hand! Well dost thou brook thy gallant roan, XI. Two pursuivants, whom tabarts deck, With silver scutcheon round their neck, Stood on the steps of stone, By which you reach the Donjon gate, And there, with herald pomp and state, Of Lutterward, and Scrivelbaye, Of Tamworth tower and town; And he, their courtesy to requite, Gave them a chain of twelve marks weight, All as he lighted down. "Now largesse, largesse,* Lord Marmion, Knight of the crest of gold! A blazon'd shield, in battle won, Ne'er guarded heart so bold." XII. They marshall'd him to the castle-hall, And loudly flourished the trumpet-call, And the heralds loudly cried, “ Room, lordings, room for Lord Marmion, Full well we know the trophies won There, vainly, Ralph de Wilton strove 'Gainst Marmion's force to stand; To him he lost his ladye-love, And to the king his land. The cry by which the heralds expressed their thanks for the bounty of the nobles. C Ourselves beheld the listed field, A sight both sad and fair; We saw Lord Marmion pierce his shield, And saw his saddle bare; We saw the victor win the crest, He wears with worthy pride; And on the gibbet-tree, reversed, Place, nobles, for the Falcon-Knight! For him who conquered in the right, Marmion of Fontenaye!" XIII. Then stepped to meet that noble lord Sir Hugh the Heron bold, Baron of Twisell, and of Ford, And Captain of the Hold. He led Lord Marmion to the deas, Raised o'er the pavement high, And placed him in the upper place- They feasted full and high: The whiles a Northern harper rude Chaunted a rhyme of deadly feud, "How the fierce Thirwalls, and Ridleys all, Stout Willimondswick, And Hard-riding Dick, And Hughie of Hawdon, and Will o' the Wall, Have set on Sir Albany Featherstonhaugh, And taken his life at the Deadman's-shaw.” Scantly Lord Marmion's ear could brook The harper's barbarous lay; Yet much he praised the pains he took, And well those pains did pay: For lady's suit, and minstrel's strain, By knight should ne'er be heard in vain. * XIV. "Now, good Lord Marmion," Heron says, "Of your fair courtesy, The rest of this old ballad may be found in the note. |