The Press., 1885-09-03
HIGH-TIDE ON THE COAST OF LINCOLN
 SHIRE.

HIGH-TIDE ON THE COAST OF LINCOLN The old mayor climbed the belfry tower,
 The ringers ran by two, by three; 'tPull! if ye never pulled before;
 Good ringers, pull your best" quoth he "Play uppe, play uppe, Q Boston bells Ply al your changes, all your swells
 Play uppe 1he Brides of Ender6y!" Men say it was 'sstolen tyde,"-
 The Lord that sent it, He knows all, But in myne ears doth still abide
 The message that the bells let fall And there was naught of strange, beside The flights of news and peevits pied,
 By millions crouched on the old sea-wal sat and spun within the doore; My thread brake off, raised myne eyes The level sun, like ruddy ore,
 Lay sinking in the barren skies; And dark against days golden death She moved where Lindis wandereth ' My sonnes faire wife, Elizabeth. ''Cusha Cusha! Cusha!'' calling, Ere the early dews were falling, Far away I heard her song. 'sCusha! Cusha!" all along; Where the reedy Lindis foweth, Floweth, foweth, From the meads where melick groweth, Faintly came her milking song: ssCusha! Cusha! Cusha !" calling, 'sFor the dews will soon be falling, Leave your meadow grasses mellow, Mellow, mellow! Quit your cowslips, cowslips yellow. Come uppe, Whitefoot! come uppe, Lightfoot! sS# Quit the stalks of parsley hollow, Hollow, hollow! Come uppe, Jetty! rise and follow; From the clovers lift your head! Come uppe, Whitefoot! come uppe, Lightfoot! sr Come uppe, Jetty! rise and follow, Jetty, to the milking she'd" If it be long-ay, long ago When beginne to think howe long, Againe hear the Lindis flow,
 Swift as an arrowe, sharpe and strong: And all the aire, it seemeth mee, Bin full of floating bells (sayth shee), 1 That ring the tune of Ender6y. Ale fresh the level pasture lay, ! And not a shadow mote be scene, Save where full five good miles away,
 The steeple lowered from out the greene And To the great bell farre and wide Was heard in all the countryside That Saturday at eventide. The swanherds where their sedges are,
 Moved on in sunsets golden breath The shepherde lads I heard afarre, And my sonne's wife Elizabeth Till, floating OCT the grassy sea, Came downe that kyndly message free, The Brides ot Mauss E,sderby. Then some looked uppe into the sky,
 And allsalong where Lindis flows To where the goodly vessels lie, | Ala Gl,o l., oolo They sayde, "And why should this thing be What danger lowers by land or sea? They ring the tune of Enderby. ''For evil news from Mabelthorpe,
 Of pyrate galleys, warping down. For ships ashore beyond the scorpe,
 They have not spared to wake the towne But while the west bin red to see, And storms be none, and pyrates flee, Why ring IAe Brides of Ender6ys" I looked without, and To my some
 Came riding downe with might and main He raised shout as he drew on,
 Till all the welkin rang again: ''Elizabeth Elizabeth !'' GA sweeter woman ne'er drew breath Than my sonne's wife, Eizabeth.) ''The olde sea-wall," he cryed, Sis downe
 The rising tide comes on apace; And boats adrift in wonder towne
 Go sailing uppe the market-place !'' He shook as one that looks on death; God save you, mother !" straight he sayth 'Where is my wife, Elizabeth ?'' Good some, where Lindis winds away
 With her two bairns I marked her long And ere yon bells beganne to play,
 Afar heard her milking-son He looked across the grassy sea, To rir,1% %o1 1af& ETo <1n.k1. They rang Ihe Brides of Enderby. With that he cried and beat his breast
 For lo along the rivers bed -. A mighty eygre reared his crest,
 And uppe the Lindis raging sped. It swept with thundrous noises loud,- ,- Shaped like curling snow-white cloud, Or like demon in 8 shroud. And rearing Lindis, backward pressed,
 Shook all her trembling bankes amaine Then madly at the eygre's breast
 Flung uppe her weltering walls again. Then bankes came downe with ruin and rout, Then beaten foam flew round about,- Then all the mighty floods were out. So farre, so fast, the eygre drave,
 The heart had hardly time to beat Before shallow seething wave
 Sobbed in the grasses at cure feet | The IeeC nad nafdly Jlme to nee Before it brake against the knee,- And all the world was in the sea. Upon the roofe we sate that night;
 The noise of bells went sweeping by; I marked the lofty beacon light
 Stream from the church tower, red all high,-
 A lurid mark, and dread to see And awsome bells they were to mee, That in the dark rang Ender6y. They rang the sailor lads to guide,
 From roofe to roofe who fearless rowed And l, my some was at my side,
 And yet the ruddy beacon glowed And yet he moaned beneath his breath, 70, come in life, or come in death! o lost my love, Elizabeth :" And didst thou visit him no more? Thou didst, thou didst, my daughter dearf The waters laid thee at his doore
 Ere yet the early dawn was cleare: Thy pretty bairns in fast embrace, The lifted sun shone on thy face, Downe drifted to thy dwelling place. | n, il