Then bright the castle banners shone
On every tower on high,

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,
As far as he could see:

'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,
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,

'O, 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.'

'O! 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.'

'O! mind them not, dear Red-cross Knight!
But stay and feast with me;

And the mass shall be sung, and the bells 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 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,
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.'

PART II.

And, as the lady prest the knight,
With her ladies clad in pall;
O! 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!'

'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,
Ye need not send to see:

For know, Sir Knight, that lady's dead,
And died for love of thee!'

O! 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 swooned 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!

'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,
And the feast eat merrily.

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,
Had hoped her troth to plight.

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,
And we'll feast right merrily."

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,