“But is there no danger of attracting wandering savages, and so being taken prisoners, or shot with their arrows?”

“The danger of being treated as enemies is less, for what Indian would suspect such of going singing through the woods?”

“Then here is my song,” said Arundel, “but I shall look for a like complaisance on thy part.”

  “Who loves the greenwood cool and sweet,
    O! let him come with me! 
  No harsher sound his ears shall greet,
    Than songs of birds so free;
  No sight less fair his eyes shall view,
    Than trees, and ferns, and flowers,
  Sun, stars, the branches shimmering through,
    To light the flying hours.

  “Ambition hither cannot come,
    Here Pomp is out of place,
  And fawning Flattery finds no home
    With Simper and Grimace,
  But Nature, in her artless dress,
    (A greenwood nymph is she,)
  With eyes so wild and flowing tress,
    And bare ungartered knee.

  “Then come, O, come!  O, come with me! 
    Forgot be toil and care;
  O! come beneath the greenwood tree,
    For happiness is there. 
  The sun shall shine with tempered ray,
    The moonbeam soft, yet bright;
  O, come!  Joy beckons us away,
    To revel in delight!”

“Good!” exclaimed the Knight.  “Thy voice is as sweet as a sky-lark’s, and runs with marvellous cunning through the harmonious changes of the tune.  Why, never preface thy song again with an apology, or I shall begin to doubt thy sincerity.”

“Wild woods and savage life have not tarnished the courtly polish of Sir Christopher Gardiner,” said Arundel.  “And now for my guerdon, though in truth I feel shame for the little I have been able to do, in comparison with what I expect.”

“By my troth, thou art a master in the science of delicate compliments.  There was, I confess, a time when, with youthful vanity, I did esteem myself possessed of some skill, and could step along the gamut with any Don or Signor of them all; but that is long since, and I fear me that the gutturals of Northern Germany have quite driven out of my throat the liquids and vowels of Italy.  However, to pleasure me, thou hast sung with infinite discretion and wonderful sweetness, a most delectable song; and now it were boorish not to attempt at least to repay thy musical favor.”

So saying, the Knight sung in a manner and with an expression that proved him to be an accomplished musician, and in some contrast with the less artful style of Arundel, the following song: 

  “On golden Guadalquiver’s banks
    Are tinkling gay guitars,
  To hail with song and smiling thanks,
    The soldier from the wars.

  “When glowing youth and beauty met,
    Blush at each other’s glance,
  And, bounding to the castanet,
    Entwine th’ impassioned dance.

  “And purple Xeres sends her wine,
    To laugh in those dark eyes,
  Whose flashing orbs the stars outshine,
    Of Andalusia’s skies.