The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.

By the same Author.

POEMS AND LYRICS OF THE JOY OF EARTH.

Extra Fcap. 8vo. 6s.

MACMILLAN AND CO.

1883.

Forthcoming Volume.

THE READING OF EARTH:

Poems and Lyrics.

BALLADS AND POEMS
OF
TRAGIC LIFE

BY

GEORGE MEREDITH

ROBERTS BROTHERS
3 SOMERSET STREET
BOSTON
1887

All rights reserved

CONTENTS

THE TWO MASKS

I.

Melpomene among her livid people,

Ere stroke of lyre, upon Thaleia looks,

Warned by old contests that one museful ripple

Along those lips of rose with tendril hooks,

Forebodes disturbance in the springs of pathos,

Perchance may change of masks midway demand,

Albeit the man rise mountainous as Athos,

The woman wild as Cape Leucadia stand.

II.

For this the Comic Muse exacts of creatures

Appealing to the fount of tears: that they

Strive never to outleap our human features,

And do Right Reason's ordinance obey,

In peril of the hum to laughter nighest.

But prove they under stress of action's fire

Nobleness, to that test of Reason highest,

She bows: she waves them for the loftier lyre.

ARCHDUCHESS ANNE

I.

I.

In middle age an evil thing

Befel Archduchess Anne:

She looked outside her wedding-ring

Upon a princely man.

II.

Count Louis was for horse and arms;

And if its beacon waved,

For love; but ladies had not charms

To match a danger braved.

III.

On battlefields he was the bow

Bestrung to fly the shaft:

In idle hours his heart would flow

As winds on currents waft.

IV.

His blood was of those warrior tribes

That streamed from morning's fire,

Whom now with traps and now with bribes

The wily Council wire.

V.

Archduchess Anne the Council ruled,

Count Louis his great dame;

And woe to both when one had cooled!

Little was she to blame.

VI.

Among her chiefs who spun their plots,

Old Kraken stood the sword:

As sharp his wits for cutting knots

Of babble he abhorred.

VII.

He reverenced her name and line,

Nor other merit had

Save soldierwise to wait her sign,

And do the deed she bade.

VIII.

He saw her hand jump at her side

Ere royally she smiled

On Louis and his fair young bride

Where courtly ranks defiled.

IX.

That was a moment when a shock

Through the procession ran,

And thrilled the plumes, and stayed the clock,

Yet smiled Archduchess Anne.

X.

No touch gave she to hound in leash,

No wink to sword in sheath:

She seemed a woman scarce of flesh;

Above it, or beneath.

XI.

Old Kraken spied with kennelled snarl,

His Lady deemed disgraced.

He footed as on burning marl,

When out of Hall he paced.

XII.

'Twas seen he hammered striding legs,

And stopped, and strode again.

Now Vengeance has a brood of eggs,

But Patience must be hen.

XIII.

Too slow are they for wrath to hatch,

Too hot for time to rear.

Old Kraken kept unwinking watch;

He marked his day appear.

XIV.

He neighed a laugh, though moods were rough

With standards in revolt:

His nostrils took the news for snuff,

His smacking lips for salt.

XV.

Count Louis' wavy cock's plumes led

His troops of black-haired manes,

A rebel; and old Kraken sped

To front him on the plains.

XVI.

Then camp opposed to camp did they

Fret earth with panther claws

For signal of a bloody day,

Each reading from the Laws.

XVII.

'Forfend it, heaven!' Count Louis cried,

'And let the righteous plead:

My country is a willing bride,

Was never slave decreed.

XVIII.

'Not we for thirst of blood appeal

To sword and slaughter cursed;

We have God's blessing on our steel,

Do we our pleading first.'

XIX.

Count Louis, soul of chivalry,

Put trust in plighted word;

By starlight on the broad brown lea,

To bar the strife he spurred.

XX.

Across his breast a crimson spot,

That in a quiver glowed,

The ruddy crested camp-fires shot,

As he to darkness rode.

XXI.

He rode while omens called, beware

Old Kraken's pledge of faith!

A smile and waving hand in air,

And outward flew the wraith.

XXII.

Before pale morn had mixed with gold,

His army roared, and chilled,

As men who have a woe foretold,

And see it red fulfilled.

XXIII.

Away and to his young wife speed,

And say that Honour's dead!

Another word she will not need

To bow a widow's head.

XXIV.

Old Kraken roped his white moustache

Right left for savage glee:

—To swing him in his soldier's sash,

Were kind for such as he!

XXV.

Old Kraken's look hard Winter wears

When sweeps the wild snow-blast:

He had the hug of Arctic bears

For captives he held fast.

II.

I.

Archduchess Anne sat carved in frost,

Shut off from priest and spouse.

Her lips were locked, her arms were crossed,

Her eyes were in her brows.

II.

One hand enclosed a paper scroll,

Held as a strangled asp.

So may we see the woman's soul

In her dire tempter's grasp.

III.

Along that scroll Count Louis' doom

Throbbed till the letters flamed.

She saw him in his scornful bloom,

She saw him chained and shamed.

IV.

Around that scroll Count Louis' fate

Was acted to her stare,

And hate in love and love in hate

Fought fell to smite or spare.

V.

Between the day that struck her old,

And this black star of days,

Her heart swung like a storm-bell tolled

Above a town ablaze.

VI.

His beauty pressed to intercede,

His beauty served him ill.

—Not Vengeance, 'tis his rebel's deed,

'Tis Justice, not our will!

VII.

Yet who had sprung to life's full force

A breast that loveless dried?

But who had sapped it at the source,

With scarlet to her pride!

VIII.

He brought her human wane as 'twere

New message from the skies.

And he betrayed, and left on her

The burden of their sighs.

IX.

In floods her tender memories poured;

They foamed with waves of spite:

She crushed them, high her heart outsoared,

To keep her mind alight.

X.

—The crawling creature, called in scorn

A woman!—with this pen

We sign a paper that may warn

His crowing fellowmen.

XI.

—We read them lesson of a power

They slight who do us wrong.

That bitter hour this bitter hour

Provokes; by turns the strong!

XII.

—That we were woman once is known:

That we are Justice now,

Above our sex, above the throne,

Men quaking shall avow.

XIII.

Archduchess Anne ascending flew,

Her heart outsoared, but felt

The demon of her sex pursue,

Incensing or to melt.

XIV.

Those counterfloods below at leap,

Still in her breast blew storm,

And farther up the heavenly steep,

Wrestled in angels' form.

XV.

To disentangle one clear wish

Not of her sex, she sought;

And womanish to womanish,

Discerned in lighted thought.

XVI.

With Louis' chance it went not well

When at herself she raged;

A woman, of whom men might tell

She doted, crazed and aged.

XVII.

Or else enamoured of a sweet

Withdrawn, a vengeful crone!

And say, what figure at her feet

Is this that utters moan?

XVIII.

The Countess Louis from her head

Drew veil: 'Great Lady, hear!

My husband deems you Justice dread,

I know you Mercy dear.

XIX.

'His error upon him may fall;

He will not breathe a nay.

I am his helpless mate in all,

Except for grace to pray.

XX.

'Perchance on me his choice inclined,

To give his House an heir:

I had not marriage with his mind,

His counsel could not share.

XXI.

'I brought no portion for his weal

But this one instinct true,

Which bids me in my weakness kneel,

Archduchess Anne, to you.'

XXII.

The frowning Lady uttered, 'Forth!'

Her look forbade delay.

'It is not mine to weigh your worth;

Your husband's others weigh.

XXIII.

'Hence with the woman in your speech,

For nothing it avails

In woman's fashion to beseech

Where Justice holds the scales.'

XXIV.