, 1873-08-24
LONGFELLOW'S NEW POEM.


Tho Thyme OF sir tAfJ8ECpnCfs
It was Sir Christopher Gardiner,
knight of the Holy 9epulcher,
From Merry England ovor tho aeAt
Who stepped upon this continent
An II hiH august presence lent
A glory to tho colony.
You should havo secn him In the street
OF the Httio Boston Of W!nthrops time,
Ills rapicr dangling nt his feot,
Donblet aud hose md boots complete,
Prince Rupert hat with ostrich rlumc'
Gloves TINT 11hnled q faint perfume,
Luxuriant curls md air sublime,
And superior manners now obsolete
He had way Of saying things
THAT made one think Of Courts md Rings,
And Lords and ladies Of high tlogrce;
So that not having heen at Court
6coned something very little short
such GaeGa n aoeompIshea S1 Knight was he.
His dwelling WAS just beyond the town,
At what he called hls country-seat;
For, carclcss Of Fortunes sn,ilo or frown,
And weary grown OF the world and Its wsys,
Ho wishod 10 pass tho reat Of his laya
IN private lite aud calm retreat
But q double life wac the life he led;
And whtfo protesting to bo III search
OF goodly courae, and willing, he said,
Nay, anxious to join the Puritan Church,
ue 1nade Of an this but small account,
And ho passed his idle hours instead
With Eoystering Morton Of Merry Mount,
That pettifogger from tnrnlvals 1nn,
Who looked on the vino whom 1t WAS rod.
The country seat WAS utt1o moro
Than cabin Of logs but in front Of The door
modest howe1.bcd thtckly eown
With swcot alysaum and coumbne
Made those who saw II at once divine
Tho touch Of Bono other hand than his own.
And first 1t waa whispered, and then It vas known,
That ho In secret waa larbnring there
A little lady with golden hair,
Whom he called his cousin, but whom he had wed
III tho Italian manner, aH men Rnld;
And great Was tho scandal everywhere.
But worsu than thia was tho vnguo sir1hise-
Though mono could vouch for it or aver
That The Knight Of the Holy sopulchcr
Waa only papist In Disguise;
And tho moro to oinbitter their bitter lives,
And the more 10 trouble the public mind,
Camo lettcrs from England. from two other wives,
Whom he Ind carelessly left behind;
both Of tllom lettors Of such kind
IA made tho Governor hold his breath;
Tho one imploring him straight to send
Tho husband home, that lie might amend;
Tho other asking his instant death,
Aa the only way to make Nh end.
The wary Governor deemed It right
When all thia w1ckcdueas was revealed,
To send ha warrant aRned md sealed,
And tako tie body Of tho Knight.
Armed with this mighty instrument,
The Marshal, mounting his gallant stoed,
ho1o forth from town at the top OF his speed.
Aud followed by ail his baiIitIs bold,
IA II on high achievement bent,
To storm aome castle OF stronghold,
Challenge tho WardGrB on The wall,
And selzo In ILLS ancestral hall
4 robber-Barou grim and old.
13u. when through MI the dust and heat
He camo to slr Uhrdstopher's country-seat,
No Knight he found, nor Warder thero,
gut tho little lady with golden hais.
Who Was gathering In the bright sunshine
The sweet aly8aum and columGna;
While gallant Sir Uhrtatopher, al so gay,
Being forowarnoa, through the poatorn cato
OF 1is caRtlo wall had tripod away,
And wa6 keeping little holiday
In the forests, that bounded hts estate.
Then as trusty squire aud true
The Marshal searched tho castle through
Not credltiug What tho lady said
Searched from cellar TO garret In yatnt
And ARRESTED the golden darnsol inssesd,
And bore her in triumph into the town,
While from her eyea the tears rolled down
Tn tho 6Weet alyaarm and columhine,
That she held In her fingers white and hne.
Tho aovernor's heart vea moved to SEQ
20 fair creature caught within
The suares Of Batan aud Of Bin,
And read her little h0my
on tho folly and wtckodnpsa Of the Lives
or women, half cousins and half wives;
But, seeing that uaught his worda availed,
He sont her Away in ship that Bhlted
For Merry England over the Hea.
To tue other two wives In tho old countree,
70 search hor further, sineo he had fsiied
To como at the heart Of the mystery.
Through pathlesa woods for u month and day,
Shooting ptgeona, and sleeping at night
With the noble savage, who took delight
ln Ills featherod hat and blu velvet vest,
A!n gun, and hia rarier, aud the rent.
But ~ soon as tho noble savage heard
Tint bounty wao offered for thts guy bird,
10 wanted to siay him out Of hand,
AND bring In his beautiful scalp for show,
Like the QlGBHY bhhd Of 4 kita q crow,