PART I.
PART I.
"Cross not this angry sea, O King,
Cross not the Firth of Forth,
Turn back thy gallant cavalcade,
There's danger in the North.
"Tak' tent, tak' tent of Robert Graham,
For on the holy Rood
He and his catheran crew have sworn
To shed thy royal blood."
"Woman, away, I know thee not,
What! would'st thou caution me?
No craven Graham wad face the King
Wherever he may be.
"There's ne'er a rood of braid Scotland
But humbled owns my sway;
In Perth my festival I'll hold
And who shall say me nay."
So, unto Perth the King has gane
To the Dominican,
He with a goodly company
And his proud Queen, Joann.
"Twas in the month of Februar
When stormy winds did blaw,
When firm was ilka pool and burn,
And the dykes were filled with snaw.
Without, without was Boreas' blast,
Within was revelry,
And wealth of meat and gude red wine
And merriment and glee.
O but the harpers harpit sweet,
And loud the ministrels sang;
With laughter and unwonted mirth
The ancient cloisters rang.
King Arthur's tables they were set
The belted knichts around,
And sports and games and woman's smile
The royal revels crowned.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It happened on that fatal night
That lives in history,
The King his courtiers had dismissed
From out the presence hie.
The Queen sat in her bed chamber
Beside her ladies fair,
Who doffed her golden robes of State
And combed her clust'ring hair.
The King stood in the bed chamber,
Of state and trouble free,
He jested and he loudly laughed
And a jovial man was he.
When hark! the clang of arms--a shout--
The war cry of the Graham--
They thirst for blood--the King they seek--
They hoarsely yell his name.
The spirit of a thousand kings
Flashed from the Monarch's eye,
He boundit to the chamber door
To meet his enemy.
When face to face his trusty page
He on the instant met,
Says "Back and bar the chamber door
We may escape them yet.
"'Twere vain to battle with a host,
And single-handed throw
Thy royal self unarmed before
The fury of the foe.
"Rive up the planking of the floor
And shelter thee beneath,
There yet is time, the friendly vault
May fend their murd'rous wrath."
Back to the chamber hies the King,
"Go! quickly bar the door,"
Then with the fury of despair
The planking he uptore.
Syne did he leap into the vault
And lion-hearted bide
In solitary silence there
Black Fate's approaching tide.
Then anxious rushed to bar the door
The waiting women fair,
Alas the treason! for they fand
Nor bolt nor bar was there.
Brave Catherine Douglas forward sped
To shield her Liege from harm,
And in the cruel staple she
Undaunted thrust her arm.
There was no terror in her eye,
No tremor in her frame,
But tranquilly awaited she
The coming of the Graham.
Nearer and nearer still the clash
Of arms approaching drew;
The caitiff band searched, room by room,
The Monastery through.
They reach the royal hall at length
With furious shout and din,
They knock, they threaten--all in vain--
They may not enter in.
Madly they hurl their force combined
Against the stubborn door,
The staples yield, and Catherine falls
Maimed on the oaken floor.
Her lily arm was broke in twain
Yet all undaunted she,
Nor cry nor groan her lips escaped--
(Long live her memory!)
The traitor rabble fill the hall
For royal quarry keen;
The waiting women they espy
Clustered around their Queen,
The little page their only guard
Defiance in his eye,
Composed he faced the ruthless band
And bore him manfully.
Outspake a son of Robert Graham,
"The tyrant James we seek,
We come not here to war with lads,
Nor yet with women weak,
"I promise on my bounden oath,
Thy life, O youth, to spare
If only thou wilt shew to me
The cunning Stewart's lair."
The while he spake the Graham advanced
And waved his bloody sword,
But the little page stood motionless
And answered not a word.
A moment more the blade descends
With savage cruel wound,
And the poor victim reft of life
Falls headlong to the ground.
Then forward rushed, with frenzied haste,
A blood-bespattered man
With gleaming dagger in his hand
To slay the Queen Joann.
She stood, a mantle loosely cast
Around her snowy breast,
Half clad she stood, with flowing hair,
And yet a Queen confessed.
And he has plunged his dagger keen
Into her shoulder white,
And he has raised his coward arm
Prepared anew to smite.
When Graham, the wary, rushed between--
"Nay, let the woman go,
Time presses, let us seek the King
Our unrelenting foe."
So they have left the royal hall,
And up and down they sought,
A'through the Abbey's ample bounds,
But their search it cam' to nought.
PART II.
The King paced up and down the vault
Like lion in his cage,
Impatience held his haughtly soul
And fanned his vengeful rage.
"Ho, ladies, draw me from this den,
There's work for me to do,
The baffled Graham has fled, and I
Maun mount and fast pursue."
They tore the boarding from its place,
With willing hands conveyed
The linen sheets sae white and fine
From off the royal bed.
Now they have let the sheeting down
And they wad earnest seek
To draw the Monarch up, alas!
Their snawy arms were weak.
Their strength was only woman's strength,
They strove and better strove,
In vain, their force relaxed, nor might
They raise the King above,
And waur to tell, a noble maid
Of the leal Douglas race
Fell with a sorry crash, adown
Into the lurking place.
Out shrieked the women loud and shrill,
And quickly at the din
Graham and his savage myrmidons
Cam' pouring furious in.
The Halls cam' in, the Hays cam' in,
Steward and Chamberlain,
Chalmers and Boyd, and mony mair,
Rude ill-conditioned men.
(But wary Athole bade awa
Though he was in the plot.)
And, torch in hand, they stood aboon
The Stewart lurking spot.
Then Chalmers tore the plank aside
And downwards lookit he,
He saw the King, and the Ladye fair,
And he laughed with murd'rous glee.
"Behold," he cried, "my gentles all
Behold a welcome sight;
Now we have found the bride we sought
And carolled for all night."
John Hall leaped down into the vault,
His dagger in his hand,
He rushed on an unarm'ed man
But soon his master fand.
For James has grasped him by the throat
And hurled him 'gainst the wa'
And heavily bereft of sense,
The miscreant did fa'.
Then Hall the younger leaped adown;
James caught his gleaming knife,
Then hurled the traitor down, wha begged
And whimpered for dear life.
Then, sword in hand, the Graham leaped down,
"False King, we meet at last;"
Then in the Monarch's naked breast
His glancing blade he passed.
"If thou but spare my life, O Graham,
Thou shalt have pardon free,
And all my fair inheritance
Shall I divide with thee."
"I want na your inheritance,
Nor do I trust your word,
I wadna barter for your crown
This honest ready sword,"
He said, and pierced the King again
With many a grievous wound,
Until at last the Stewart fell
Exhausted on the ground.
"O send a holy man to me
I wad confess," he said,
"The best confessor," quoth the Graham,
"Is mine ain trusty blade."
And now the Graham has shrived the King
With his blood-thirsty blade;
"My work is done, my gentles all,
The tyrant King is dead."
He swung him lightly from the vault,
Triumphant was his mien,
"So far, so well this day has gane,
We'll end it with the Queen."
Then sair they lookit for the Queen,
They lookit round and roun',
But the Ladye and her waiting maids
Had fled into the town.
"There's danger an' we wait her wrath,
Its here we maunna bide;
Then mount ye fast, my gallant men,
Then mount ye fast and ride."
They mounted and they rode until
They to the Hielands came;
Better, I trow, for ane and a'
That they had stayed at hame,
For murder is an ugly word,
Past pardon or remeid;
And nane there were in fair Scotland
Wha might excuse the deed.
The deed is done, and they maun brook
The vengeance of the Queen,
Her wrath implacable, her thirst
For retribution keen.
"Twas lang and sair the people grieved,
With tear and bitter moan
The best, the noblest Stewart King
That ever filled the Throne.
And loud and furious was the cry
Against Sir Robert Graham,
"He slew our lion-hearted King,
God give the traitor shame."
I'd love to have you drop by!--Barbara
