Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-03-15
HerVe RieI.
ny ROBERT BROWNING.

by hobhhf bROWNlNd.
Printed in Harper's Weekly, from advance sheets
of the Cornhill Mngazinel
On the sea and at the Hogue sixteen hundred nine
Did the English fight the French-woe to France!
And, the thirty-frst of May, heterskelter through
Like crowd Of frightened porpoises q shoal of
sharks pursue,
Came crowding ship on ship to st. Malo on the
Range,
With the English fleet in view
Twas the squadron that escaped, with the victor
full chase
First and foremost of the drove in his great ship
Damfreville;
Close on him fled, great and small
Twenty-Five good ships in all
And they signaled to the place
"Help the v inners of a racel
Get us guidance, give us harbor, take Us quick
or, quicker STILL
Here's the English can and willp
Then the pilots of the place put out brisk and eaped
on board;
"Why what hope or chance have ships like these
to pass y'llaughed they;
Crooks to starboaTd, rocks to port, all the passage
Scared and scored,
Shall the Formidable here, with her twelve and
eighty guns,
Think to make the rivermonth by the single narrow
Trust to enter where tits ticklish for craft of
And with flow at full besideg
Now tits slackest ebb of tide
II Reach the mooringf Rather say,
w lille rock stands or water runs,
Not ship will leave the bayp
Then was called a council straight
Brief and bitter the debate;
"Heres the English at our heels would YOU have
them take in tow
All that's left us of the fleet linked together stern
and bow,
For prize to Plymouth Sounds
Better run the ships agroundp
lEnded Damfreville his specify
mot minute more to wait
Let the captains oil and each
Shove ashore, than blow up, burn the vessels on
France must undergo her fate"
"Give the wordw But no such word
Was ever spoke or heard:
For up stood, for outstepped, for in struck amid
all these
A captains A.lieutenantg A mate-tirst, second
thirdl
No such man of mark, and meet
With his betters to competed
But a simple Breton sailor pressed by Touryille
for the fleet
poor coastingpilOt he, Herye Riel, the Croisick-
esq.,
And What mockery or malice have we hereH"
"Are you mad, you Malouinsf Are you towards,
fools, or roguesS
Talk to me Of rocks and shoals, me who took the
swell
'Twixt the Gflng here and Greye, where the river
Are you bought BY English goldS Is it love the
lying's fOrf
Morn and eve, night and day,
Have pioted your bay;
Entered free and anchored fast at the foot Of Soil
Burn the fleet, and ruin Francel That were worse
than fifty Hoguesi
sirs, they know l speak the truth sirs, believe
me there's q way!
Only let me lead the line,
Have the biggest ship to steer
Get this Formidable clear
Make the others follow mine,
And lead them most and least by passageI know
Right to soiidor, past Greve
And there lay them safe and sound;
And If one ship misbehave-
Keel so much as CRATE the ground
Why, I've nothing but my life; here's my headw
cries HerYe Rie
Not minute more to wait
.Steer us in, then, small and great!
Take the helm, lead the line save the squadron"
Captains, give the sailor placel
He is admiral, in brief
Still the north wind, by Gods grace,
See the noble fellows face
AS the big ship, with bound,
Clears the entry like hound,
Keeps the passage as its inch of way were the wide
seas profound!
See safe through shoal and rock,
How they follow in a flock,
Not ship that misbehaves, not a keel that CRATES
the ground
Not spar that comes to grief!
The peril, see, is past;
All are harbored to the last,
And Just as Herve Riel hOllas "AnchorP sure as
fate,
Up the English come, too late
So, the storm subsidies to calm;
They see the green trees wave
On the heights o'erlooking Greve;
Hearts that bled are stanched with balm,
Just our rapture to enhance,
Let the English rake the bay,
Gnash their teeth and glare askance
As they cannonade away!
Meath rampired Solidor, pleasant riding on the
Rancel"
Now hope succeeds despair on each captains
countenance
Out burst all with one accord,
"This is Paradise for He'll
Let France, let Frances king
Thank the man That did the thing!
What shout, and all one word,
"Herve Riel!'
AS he stepped in front once more,
Not symptom OF surprise
In the frank, blue Breton eyes,
Just the same man as before.
Then said Damfreville, "My friend,
must speak out at the end,
Though find the speaking hard:
Praise is deeper than the lips
You have saved the king his ships,
You must name your own reward;
Faith, our sun was near eclipse!
Demand Whate'er you will,
France remains your debtor still,
Ask to hearts content, and have; or my names not
DamfreVille.
Then beam of fun outbroke
On the bearded mouth that spoke,
As the honest heart laughed through
Those frank eyes of Breton blue;
"Since needs must say my say
Since on board the duty's done,
And from Malo Roads to Croisic Point what Is
it but q rum
Since It's ask and have, may
Since the Others go ashore
Comet good whole holiday!
Leave to go and see my wife, whom l call the
Belle AurOrep
That he asked, and that he gOt-nething more.
Name and deed alike are lost;
Not pillar nor a post
In his Croisic keeps alive the feat as 1t befe;
Not head in white and black
On single fshing-smack
In memory, of the man but for whom had gone to
rack
All that France saved from the fight whence En-
gland bore the bell;
60 to Paris rank rank
Search the heroes flung pe-me
On the Louvre face and flank;
Riel. |
So, for better and for worse
Herye Riel accept my verse!
In my verse, Herve Riel, do thou once more
save the squadron, honor France, love thy wife the
Belle Aurore!