The Arthur of the English Poets

Front Cover
Houghton, Mifflin, 1907 - Biography & Autobiography - 454 pages
 

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 195 - The moon shines bright : — In such a night as this, When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees, And they did make no noise ; in such a night, Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan walls, And sigh'd his soul toward the Grecian tents, Where Cressid lay that night.
Page 381 - When he girt his young life up in gilded mail And set forth in search of the Holy Grail. The heart within him was ashes and dust; He parted in twain his single crust, He broke the ice on the streamlet's brink And gave the leper to eat and drink...
Page 259 - In that Faery Queene I meane glory in my generall intention, but in my particular I conceive the most excellent and glorious person of our soveraine the Queene, and her kingdome in Faery Land.
Page 319 - Girt with many a baron bold, Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty appear. In the midst a form divine ! Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line ; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face, Attemper'd sweet to virgin-grace.
Page 424 - And some among you held that if the King Had seen the sight he would have sworn the vow; Not easily, seeing that the King must guard That which he rules, and is but as the hind To whom a space of land is given to plow, Who may not wander from the allotted field Before his work be done...
Page 135 - I fair thro' faith and prayer A virgin heart in work and will. When down the stormy crescent goes, A light before me swims, Between dark stems the forest glows, I hear a noise of hymns: Then by some secret shrine I ride; I hear a voice but none are there; The stalls are void, the doors are wide, The tapers burning fair.
Page 288 - Fair stood the wind for France, When we our sails advance; Nor now to prove our chance Longer will tarry; But putting to the main, At Caux, the mouth of Seine, With all his martial train Landed King Harry.
Page 134 - My good blade carves the casques of men, My tough lance thrusteth sure, My strength is as the strength of ten, Because my heart is pure.
Page 422 - Rather than that gray king, whose name, a ghost, Streams like a cloud, man-shaped, from mountain peak, And cleaves to cairn and cromlech still...
Page 258 - The generall end therefore of all the booke is to fashion a gentleman or noble person in vertuous and gentle discipline...

Bibliographic information