On her palfry white the Duchess
  Sate and watch’d her working train—­
Flemish carvers, Lombard gilders, 95
  German masons, smiths from Spain.

Clad in black, on her white palfrey,
  Her old architect beside—­
There they found her in the mountains,
  Morn and noon and eventide. 100

There she sate, and watch’d the builders,
  Till the Church was roof’d and done. 
Last of all, the builders rear’d her
  In the nave a tomb of stone.

On the tomb two forms they sculptured, 105
  Lifelike in the marble pale—­
One, the Duke in helm and armour;
  One, the Duchess in her veil.

Round the tomb the carved stone fretwork deg. deg.109
  Was at Easter-tide put on. 110
Then the Duchess closed her labours;
  And she died at the St. John.

II

THE CHURCH

Upon the glistening leaden roof
Of the new Pile, the sunlight shines;
  The stream goes leaping by. 
The hills are clothed with pines sun-proof;
’Mid bright green fields, below the pines, 5
  Stands the Church on high. 
What Church is this, from men aloof?—­
’Tis the Church of Brou.

At sunrise, from their dewy lair
Crossing the stream, the kine are seen 10
  Round the wall to stray—­
The churchyard wall that clips the square
Of open hill-sward fresh and green
  Where last year they lay. 
But all things now are order’d fair 15
Round the Church of Brou.

On Sundays, at the matin-chime, deg. deg.17
The Alpine peasants, two and three,
  Climb up here to pray;
Burghers and dames, at summer’s prime, 20
Ride out to church from Chambery, deg. deg.21
  Dight deg. with mantles gay. deg.22
But else it is a lonely time
Round the Church of Brou.

On Sundays, too, a priest doth come 25
From the wall’d town beyond the pass,
  Down the mountain-way;
And then you hear the organ’s hum,
You hear the white-robed priest say mass,
  And the people pray. 30
But else the woods and fields are dumb
Round the Church of Brou.

And after church, when mass is done,
The people to the nave repair
  Round the tomb to stray; 35
And marvel at the Forms of stone,
And praise the chisell’d broideries deg. rare—­ deg.37
  Then they drop away. 
The princely Pair are left alone
In the Church of Brou. 40