THE KING'S FOOL
IN sooth he was a mighty King,And ruled in splendid state,Surrounded by a haughty bandOf nobles small and great;And he was good to one and all,Yet they were plotting for his fall.For though a king be good and greatAnd generous, I trowHis nobles yet will envy him,And seek his overthrow;For so hath been the ancient strifeSince man first took his sovereign's life.And thus, to gain their foul design,They planned to lie in wait,And drop a deadly poison inThe golden flagon great,That never more the King should rule;And no one heard them but the fool.So when the King came down that nightInto his hall to dine,He found his flagon in its place,And at its side the wine—The blood-red wine—at which he said,"Such wine should put life in the dead!"Then poured he full the poisoned cup,And, raising it on high,O'er all his courtiers in the hallHe ran his noble eye:"Oh, I would drink," he said, with zest,"Unto the man that loves me best!"Then mute they sat around the board,And each looked to the other,Till rose, with mocking reverence,The fool, and said, "Good brother,All round this board, of every guest,I am the man that loves thee best."Then wrothful was the King, and said,"Thou art no man, I wis,That makest such a silly jestAt such a time as this.Give us a better jest," he said,"Or pay the forfeit with thy head."Then quoth the fool, "My good liege lord,I'll give another jest,But after it, I tell thee now,That I will take my rest,No more to be thy jester," andHe snatched the flagon from his hand.Then dark became the King's great brow,Amazed was every guest,While with the flagon at his lipsThe fool quoth, "This sweet jestThat man, I trow, will best divineWho poured such strength into this wine"—Then drained the goblet at a draught,And set it down anon,While round the board each face grew pale,And strange to look upon;Then sank the fool into his place,And on the table laid his face.Amid the silence stood the King,As if perplexed with doubt;He looked upon his poor dead fool,And then looked round about;And then in thunder called the guardThat near him kept their watch and ward.He bid them take the traitors forthAnd put them all to death."Would God," he cried, "their lives could giveMy poor fool back his breath—My poor dead fool, whose silent breastDoth show, too late, he loved me best!"This is the legend of a foolWho died his king to save,And to its truth a monumentWas built above his grave;And on it in gold this wording ran,"He lived a fool, but died a man."
IN sooth he was a mighty King,And ruled in splendid state,Surrounded by a haughty bandOf nobles small and great;And he was good to one and all,Yet they were plotting for his fall.For though a king be good and greatAnd generous, I trowHis nobles yet will envy him,And seek his overthrow;For so hath been the ancient strifeSince man first took his sovereign's life.And thus, to gain their foul design,They planned to lie in wait,And drop a deadly poison inThe golden flagon great,That never more the King should rule;And no one heard them but the fool.So when the King came down that nightInto his hall to dine,He found his flagon in its place,And at its side the wine—The blood-red wine—at which he said,"Such wine should put life in the dead!"Then poured he full the poisoned cup,And, raising it on high,O'er all his courtiers in the hallHe ran his noble eye:"Oh, I would drink," he said, with zest,"Unto the man that loves me best!"Then mute they sat around the board,And each looked to the other,Till rose, with mocking reverence,The fool, and said, "Good brother,All round this board, of every guest,I am the man that loves thee best."Then wrothful was the King, and said,"Thou art no man, I wis,That makest such a silly jestAt such a time as this.Give us a better jest," he said,"Or pay the forfeit with thy head."Then quoth the fool, "My good liege lord,I'll give another jest,But after it, I tell thee now,That I will take my rest,No more to be thy jester," andHe snatched the flagon from his hand.Then dark became the King's great brow,Amazed was every guest,While with the flagon at his lipsThe fool quoth, "This sweet jestThat man, I trow, will best divineWho poured such strength into this wine"—Then drained the goblet at a draught,And set it down anon,While round the board each face grew pale,And strange to look upon;Then sank the fool into his place,And on the table laid his face.Amid the silence stood the King,As if perplexed with doubt;He looked upon his poor dead fool,And then looked round about;And then in thunder called the guardThat near him kept their watch and ward.He bid them take the traitors forthAnd put them all to death."Would God," he cried, "their lives could giveMy poor fool back his breath—My poor dead fool, whose silent breastDoth show, too late, he loved me best!"This is the legend of a foolWho died his king to save,And to its truth a monumentWas built above his grave;And on it in gold this wording ran,"He lived a fool, but died a man."
IN sooth he was a mighty King,And ruled in splendid state,Surrounded by a haughty bandOf nobles small and great;And he was good to one and all,Yet they were plotting for his fall.
IN sooth he was a mighty King,
And ruled in splendid state,
Surrounded by a haughty band
Of nobles small and great;
And he was good to one and all,
Yet they were plotting for his fall.
For though a king be good and greatAnd generous, I trowHis nobles yet will envy him,And seek his overthrow;For so hath been the ancient strifeSince man first took his sovereign's life.
For though a king be good and great
And generous, I trow
His nobles yet will envy him,
And seek his overthrow;
For so hath been the ancient strife
Since man first took his sovereign's life.
And thus, to gain their foul design,They planned to lie in wait,And drop a deadly poison inThe golden flagon great,That never more the King should rule;And no one heard them but the fool.
And thus, to gain their foul design,
They planned to lie in wait,
And drop a deadly poison in
The golden flagon great,
That never more the King should rule;
And no one heard them but the fool.
So when the King came down that nightInto his hall to dine,He found his flagon in its place,And at its side the wine—The blood-red wine—at which he said,"Such wine should put life in the dead!"
So when the King came down that night
Into his hall to dine,
He found his flagon in its place,
And at its side the wine—
The blood-red wine—at which he said,
"Such wine should put life in the dead!"
Then poured he full the poisoned cup,And, raising it on high,O'er all his courtiers in the hallHe ran his noble eye:"Oh, I would drink," he said, with zest,"Unto the man that loves me best!"
Then poured he full the poisoned cup,
And, raising it on high,
O'er all his courtiers in the hall
He ran his noble eye:
"Oh, I would drink," he said, with zest,
"Unto the man that loves me best!"
Then mute they sat around the board,And each looked to the other,Till rose, with mocking reverence,The fool, and said, "Good brother,All round this board, of every guest,I am the man that loves thee best."
Then mute they sat around the board,
And each looked to the other,
Till rose, with mocking reverence,
The fool, and said, "Good brother,
All round this board, of every guest,
I am the man that loves thee best."
Then wrothful was the King, and said,"Thou art no man, I wis,That makest such a silly jestAt such a time as this.Give us a better jest," he said,"Or pay the forfeit with thy head."
Then wrothful was the King, and said,
"Thou art no man, I wis,
That makest such a silly jest
At such a time as this.
Give us a better jest," he said,
"Or pay the forfeit with thy head."
Then quoth the fool, "My good liege lord,I'll give another jest,But after it, I tell thee now,That I will take my rest,No more to be thy jester," andHe snatched the flagon from his hand.
Then quoth the fool, "My good liege lord,
I'll give another jest,
But after it, I tell thee now,
That I will take my rest,
No more to be thy jester," and
He snatched the flagon from his hand.
Then dark became the King's great brow,Amazed was every guest,While with the flagon at his lipsThe fool quoth, "This sweet jestThat man, I trow, will best divineWho poured such strength into this wine"—
Then dark became the King's great brow,
Amazed was every guest,
While with the flagon at his lips
The fool quoth, "This sweet jest
That man, I trow, will best divine
Who poured such strength into this wine"—
Then drained the goblet at a draught,And set it down anon,While round the board each face grew pale,And strange to look upon;Then sank the fool into his place,And on the table laid his face.
Then drained the goblet at a draught,
And set it down anon,
While round the board each face grew pale,
And strange to look upon;
Then sank the fool into his place,
And on the table laid his face.
Amid the silence stood the King,As if perplexed with doubt;He looked upon his poor dead fool,And then looked round about;And then in thunder called the guardThat near him kept their watch and ward.
Amid the silence stood the King,
As if perplexed with doubt;
He looked upon his poor dead fool,
And then looked round about;
And then in thunder called the guard
That near him kept their watch and ward.
He bid them take the traitors forthAnd put them all to death."Would God," he cried, "their lives could giveMy poor fool back his breath—My poor dead fool, whose silent breastDoth show, too late, he loved me best!"
He bid them take the traitors forth
And put them all to death.
"Would God," he cried, "their lives could give
My poor fool back his breath—
My poor dead fool, whose silent breast
Doth show, too late, he loved me best!"
This is the legend of a foolWho died his king to save,And to its truth a monumentWas built above his grave;And on it in gold this wording ran,"He lived a fool, but died a man."
This is the legend of a fool
Who died his king to save,
And to its truth a monument
Was built above his grave;
And on it in gold this wording ran,
"He lived a fool, but died a man."