BOOK II.
ARGUMENT.
Introductory reflections—Arthur's absence—Caradoc's suspended epic—The deliberations of the three friends—Merlin seeks them—The trial of the enchanted forest—Merlin's soliloquy by the fountain—The return of the knights from the forest—Merlin's selection of the one permitted to join the King—The narrative returns to Arthur—The strange guide allotted to him—He crosses the sea, and arrives at the court of the Vandal—Ludovick, the Vandal King, described—His wily questions—Arthur's answers—The Vandal seeks his friend Astutio—Arthur leaves the court—Conference between Astutio and Ludovick—Astutio's profound statesmanship and subtle schemes—The Ambassador from Mercia—His address to Ludovick—The Saxons pursue Arthur—Meanwhile the Cymrian King arrives at the sea-shore—Description of the caves that intercept his progress—He turns inland—The Idol-shrine—The wolf and the priest.
Oft in the sands, in idle summer days,1
Will childlike fondness write some cherish'd name,
Lull'd on the margin, while the wavelet plays,
And tides still dreaming on:—Alas! the same
On human hearts Affection prints a trace;
The sands record it, and the tides efface.
If absence parts, Hope, ready to console,2
Whispers, "Be soothed, the absent shall return;"
If Death divides, a moment from the goal,
Love stays the step, and decks, but leaves, the urn,
Vowing remembrance;—let the year be o'er,
And see, remembrance smiles like joy, once more!
In street and mart still plies the busy craft.3
Still Beauty trims for stealthy steps the bower;
By lips as gay the Hirlas horn[1] is quaft;
To the dark bourne still flies as fast the hour,
As when in Arthur men adored the sun;
And Life's large rainbow took its hues from One!
Yet ne'er by Prince more loved a crown was worn,4
And hadst thou ventured but to hint the doubt
That loyal subjects ever ceased to mourn,
And that without him, earth was joy without,—
Thou soon hadst join'd in certain warm dominions
The hornèd friends of pestilent opinions.
Thrice bless'd, O King, that on thy royal head5
Fall the night-dews; that the broad-spreading beech
Curtains thy sleep; that in the paths of dread,
Lonely thou wanderest,—so thy steps may reach
Renown,—that bridge which spans the midnight sea,
And joins two worlds,—Time and Eternity!
All is forgot save Poetry; or whether6
Haunting Time's river from the vocal reeds,
Or link'd not less in human souls together
With ends, which make the poetry of deeds;
For either poetry alike can shine—
From Hector's valour as from Homer's line.
Yet let me wrong ye not, ye faithful three,7
Gawaine, and Caradoc, and Lancelot!
Gawaine's light lip had lost its laughing glee
And gentle Caradoc had half forgot
That famous epic which his muse had hit on,
Of Trojan Brut—from whom the name of Briton.