New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-06
STINBURNE'S NEW POEM.
THE STORY OF rRIsTRAM AND isEULT.

as vigorous poem and partly from other pre-MaI-
lorian authorities, with epsOulC"I lli"'"
from " MOrte Arthur.
Tristram. the orphan son OF ROuand Rise Loru
of FrmonIe ard Blanche Fleur, SISTER OF hInP
Mark of Cornwall, has no proper place ia Wv ti -
thurian cycle, though Mallory ana olHcIs ia, - ~
10 ~ sc INN one. IT viii be remembered lHtt 10
vas cured of desperate wound ny lhcui', eiuEu'I
~ Inc King of Ireland. When lrstram alt'IWaiu
Tetnrned 10 the court of his uncle, hlng MARI ne
described in such glowing terms lhe D'''.'E "
Iseut that Mark fell III love win heT Nl'IIu' nav
inc seen her and sent TrlStram 10 Iclahu ~ WV
nor Inv proxy and bring her across tlie sea 10 NVii
wall Tins nisram achieved: ana ~ tne s', ~,
Swallow set sal for CoinWal WIN VIC -. GO tI
hoard But lseuits mother, III htr anAIeS tot VI, 'o
nroeneritv of the match, had cOncoted one Oh uoao
MYSTERIOUS love-pouoGs which play 5lcn an ~ ~
portant part in the early romahces oi &
iseults handmaden, BrangwaIn, the QHeeil-llo'!iel
secretly intrusted tins potion, ana sue kept .nJ
Golden flask containing it by her SIDE msht ana
d,v All went happily AT first. j ne men IoNcI
tLSnuGb tine simmer nj ght. while TrstIan amused
Jseult with harp and song Narieu DJ s'oil0' "
King Arthurs court.
And her heart sprang IN lseult, and she dIeW
With ali her spirit and life the sunrise through
And through her bps he keen triumphant ar
sea-sc1nted sweetcr than laLd-rosea were,
And through her eyes the Wnoie IeJoiolnb o"''
Sun-safisled and All the heaven al least i'll
Spread for the morning; and the lmperIous mlr1n
OF wind and light that moved upon TIE eaItH'
Making the spTng, and all the iruitiui mlsn'
And strong regeneration OF deilgnu ,
That So ellis tie seeding leaf ana sapnhg Ih"H'
since the inst life III the inst world Dcgah oi
ID
Aud the first love with sharp sweet piOcieiut pdIuS
10 pierce and bring forth roses; yea, She leh -,
Through her own soul the sOVerelgn lnolH'is i"'''
And all the sacred passion OF the sun -,
And as the young clouds flalned ana "eIo t'4uOO'
About him coming, touched ana burnt away
I'm rosy rum and yellow spoil OF day,
The sHeet veil of her body and corporal sense
| Felt the dawn also cleaye IT, and incense
| Nth Ipht from inward and with enuent neat
| The kindline soul through feshly hands and feet.
| And as the august great blossom OF the uaWh ,,
Burst. and the full sun scarce from sea wi'hur""n
Seemed on the fiery water nowef aHoat
SO as a fire the mighty morning smotS .o4
Throughout her, and mcensed with the lhhuehV
Her whole souls one great mystical red flower
Burst, and the bud OF her sweet spirit broke
Rose-iashion, and the strong spring at stIohe
Thrilled, and cloyen, and from the 1uH She"lh
The whole rose of the woman red as fame
And all her Mayday blood as from swCoh
So tor a space her heart rs heaVenward burned
Then with half summer III her eyes she luIheu'
And on her lips was April yet, ana Sihlieaa'
A though the spirit and sense unIecOhcieh
Shrank laughing back and would not ere Its houi
Lei life put forth the lrTevoca0le Hover
After q time the wind freshened, and the sea
growing rough, Iristram lent hahu 10 'Ao o@''-
men:
| For Tristram being athirst with toll now spake,
Saving Iseuit, for all dear loves labOrs sake,
| GIVE me TO dIink, and gave me for pledge,
| The touch of four lips on the beakers cage.
| And Iseult sought and would not wake Brangwaln,
| " no slept as one halt dead with fear ana pam,
Weut ISeult round her with soft looks ana sweet
| Pitying her pam; so sweet spirited thhg
| She was and daughter OF kindly hlhg'
| Aud spying what strange bright secret charge was
| kept
Fast in that maids white bosom lille she slept,
| She sought and drew the gold cup forth and smiled
| MaryeIling, with such light wonder az cllild
| That hears of glad sad lie III magic lands;
| And bare 1T back 10 Irstram WIN pure lanus
| Holding the lovedraught that should De lor lame
! To burn out Of them fear and fath ana shame,
| Aud tighten all their lie up ID mcIfs slgni,
| And make them sad for ever. Then The knlght
! bowed toward her and craved whence she Lad TINS
strange tl1ng
| Tn at might be spoil of some dim Asian King,
| I}y starlight stolen from some place of sands,
| And a maid bore II here IN harmless hands
! And Iseult aughing-" Other lorus JhaJ De
| Feast and then men least after them; but we
| Our men must keep the best wine back to feast
III they Ice full and we OF all men ieast
| Feed after them aud fam 10 fare 50 well:
! SO with mine handmade and your squire IL tel
! That hid this bright thing IRON us IN vile
And with hight lips yet full Of Their sweet smile,
| And hands that visit not though they dug grave,
| Undid the hasps OF gold, and drank and gave,
| Aud he drank after, deep glad klngly draught;
And all their life changed III them, Tor they quaned
| DEATH If 1T be death SO to drink and lare
AS men who change and are what these twain were.
| Aud shuddering with eyes full of fear and fire
! And heart-stung with "A serpentine desire
| lie turned and siw the terror III her eyes
| That yearned upon HIM shining IN such wise
| AS STAR midway III the midnight liked.
| Their Galabault was the cup, and she that miXed
| Nor other maud there needed, nor sweet speech
| 10 lure their lips together; each ON each
HING with strange eyes and lowered as a bird
| ounded. and each mouth treinbIed Tor a word;
Their heads nearcd, and their hands were drawn III
| And the1 saw dark, though still the unsunken sun
| Far through line ram shot fire into the south
| And their four lips became one burning mouth.
| On landing lseult received by King Mark
| with an affection which Is touchlngly described.
so great was the fame of Iseulps beauty that the
| knight and minstrel Paiamede, who during IRIS
| trans absence had obtained OF the KING raSh
To i'm IA IL
| handed the Queen herself, and Mark was COM
| PEELED by his oath To yield her up. Palamede rode
| oil with hIs pnze; but his triumph was OF short
! duration. Tristram followed him, and, after van
qulshing him. rode away with lseuit lut0 the woods
hen follow the love passages IN the woods which,
| though they nearly overpass the border line oil
modern eTOtlc poetry, 50 ul OF beauty, and are
| heroism which alone make beautiful a lawless
passion, tilit ~ Is ihPoosiDo W WISH lhcin uu"V
! ten
| There was bower beyond mans eyes more fair
| Than ever summer dews and sunnlest air,
| Fed fnll with rest and radiance nil the bOughs
| Had wrought a roof as for "a hOlor house
Than anght save love might breathe Ill; 1alref Iai
| han keeps the sweet light back of moon and star
| From high Kings chambers; there might love ana
| sleep
| Divide for 10y the darkling hours, and keep
| With amOrOus alienation OF sweet STRIFE
| The soft ana secret ways OF death ana lie
| Made smooth for pleasures feet To run ana rest
between the mIdnigh's and the morning ; breast,
| Where hardly though her happy head lie dO"h
! IL NAV forget the hour that WoVe us cIOWni
| Where hardly though her Joyous limDs Do iald
| TLey NAV forget the Iuirth that midnight made.
| And thither ere sweet night had sam sweet day,