XII.
The ancient bard his glee repress’d:
“I’ll hast thou chosen theme for jest!
For who, through all this western wild,
Named Black[104] Sir Roderick e’er, and smiled?
In Holy-Rood[105] a knight he slew;
I saw, when back the dirk he drew,
Courtiers give place before the stride
Of the undaunted homicide;