They will come back—­come back again, as long as the red Earth rolls.  He never wasted a leaf or a tree.  Do you think He would squander souls?

THE KINGDOM

Now we are come to our Kingdom,
And the State is thus and thus;
Our legions wait at the Palace gate—–­
Little it profits us,
Now we are come to our Kingdom!

Now we are come to our Kingdom,
And the Crown is ours to take—­
With a naked sword at the Council board,
And under the throne the Snake,
Now we are come to our Kingdom!

Now we are come to our Kingdom,
And the Realm is ours by right,
With shame and fear for our daily cheer,
And heaviness at night,
Now we are come to our Kingdom!

Now we are come to our Kingdom,
But my love’s eyelids fall. 
All that I wrought for, all that I fought for,
Delight her nothing at all. 
My crown is of withered leaves,
For she sits in the dust and grieves.
Now we are come to our Kingdom!

TARRANT MOSS

I closed and drew for my love’s sake
That now is false to me,
And I slew the Reiver of Tarrant Moss
And set Dumeny free.

They have gone down, they have gone down,
They are standing all arow—­
Twenty knights in the peat-water,
That never struck a blow!

Their armour shall not dull nor rust,
Their flesh shall not decay,
For Tarrant Moss holds them in trust,
Until the Judgment Day.

Their soul went from them in their youth,
Ah God, that mine had gone,
Whenas I leaned on my love’s truth
And not on my sword alone!

Whenas I leaned on lad’s belief
And not on my naked blade—­
And I slew a thief, and an honest thief,
For the sake of a worthless maid.

They have laid the Reiver low in his place,
They have set me up on high,
But the twenty knights in the peat-water
Are luckier than I.

And ever they give me gold and praise
And ever I mourn my loss—­
For I struck the blow for my false love’s sake
And not for the Men of the Moss!

SIR RICHARD’S SONG

(A.D. 1066)

I followed my Duke ere I was a lover,
  To take from England fief and fee;
But now this game is the other way over—­
  But now England hath taken me!

I had my horse, my shield and banner,
  And a boy’s heart, so whole and free;
But now I sing in another manner—­
  But now England hath taken me!

As for my Father in his tower,
  Asking news of my ship at sea;
He will remember his own hour—­
  Tell him England hath taken me!

As for my Mother in her bower,
  That rules my Father so cunningly,
She will remember a maiden’s power—­
  Tell her England hath taken me!