But he for payne and lacke of bloude
Was fallen into a swounde,
And there all walteringe in his gore,
Lay lifelesse on the grounde.
"Come downe, come downe, my daughter deare,
Thou art a leeche of skille;
Farre lever had I lose halfe my landes,
Than this good knighte sholde spille."
Downe then steppeth that fayre ladye,
To helpe him if she maye;
But when she did his beavere raise,
"It is my life, my lord," she sayes,
And shriekte and swound awaye.
Sir Cauline juste lifte up his eyes
When he heard his ladye crye,
"O ladye, I am thine owne true love;
For thee I wisht to dye."
Then giving her one partinge looke,
He closed his eyes in death,
Ere Christabelle, that ladye milde,
Begane to drawe her breathe.
But when she found her comelye knighte
Indeed was dead and gone,
She layde her pale cold cheeke to his,
And thus she made her moane:
"O staye, my deare and onlye lord,
For mee thy faithfulle feere;
'Tis meet that I shold follow thee,
Who hast bought my love soe deare."
Then fayntinge in a deadlye swoune,
And with a deepe-fette sighe,
That burst her gentle hearte in twayne,
Fayre Christabelle did dye.
NOTES
- SeeNorthern Antiquities, &c. vol. i. p. 318. vol. ii. p. 200.Mémoires de la
Chevalerie, tom. i. p. 44. - Perhaps "wake," as in ver. 61.
3.i.e.Knights. See the preface toChild Waters, Series III.