At Flores in the Azores[225]Sir Richard Grenville lay,And a pinnace like a flutter'd bird, came flying from far away:'Spanish ships of war at sea! we have sighted fifty-three!'Then sware Lord Thomas Howard[226]: 'Fore God I am no coward;But I cannot meet them here, for my ships are out of gear,5And the half my men are sick. I must fly, but follow quick.We are six ships of the line; can we fight with fifty-three?'
At Flores in the Azores[225]Sir Richard Grenville lay,And a pinnace like a flutter'd bird, came flying from far away:'Spanish ships of war at sea! we have sighted fifty-three!'Then sware Lord Thomas Howard[226]: 'Fore God I am no coward;But I cannot meet them here, for my ships are out of gear,5And the half my men are sick. I must fly, but follow quick.We are six ships of the line; can we fight with fifty-three?'
II
Then spake Sir Richard Grenville: 'I know you are no coward;You fly them for a moment to fight with them again.But I've ninety men and more that are lying sick ashore.10I should count myself the coward if I left them, my Lord Howard,To these Inquisition[227]dogs and the devildoms of Spain.'
Then spake Sir Richard Grenville: 'I know you are no coward;You fly them for a moment to fight with them again.But I've ninety men and more that are lying sick ashore.10I should count myself the coward if I left them, my Lord Howard,To these Inquisition[227]dogs and the devildoms of Spain.'
IIII
So Lord Howard passed away with five ships of war that day,Till he melted like a cloud in the silent summer heaven;But Sir Richard bore in hand all his sick men from the land15Very carefully and slow,Men of Bideford[228]in Devon,And we laid them on the ballast down below;For we brought them all aboard,And they blest him in their pain, that they were not left to Spain,20To the thumbscrew[229]and the stake[230]for the glory of the Lord.
So Lord Howard passed away with five ships of war that day,Till he melted like a cloud in the silent summer heaven;But Sir Richard bore in hand all his sick men from the land15Very carefully and slow,Men of Bideford[228]in Devon,And we laid them on the ballast down below;For we brought them all aboard,And they blest him in their pain, that they were not left to Spain,20To the thumbscrew[229]and the stake[230]for the glory of the Lord.
IV
He had only a hundred seamen to work the ship and to fightAnd he sailed away from Flores till the Spaniard came in sight,With his huge sea-castles heaving upon the weather bow.'Shall we fight or shall we fly?25Good Sir Richard, tell us now,For to fight is but to die!There'll be little of us left by the time this sun be set.'And Sir Richard said again, 'We be all good English men.Let us bang these dogs of Seville,[231]the children of the devil,30For I never turn'd my back upon Don[232]or devil yet.'
He had only a hundred seamen to work the ship and to fightAnd he sailed away from Flores till the Spaniard came in sight,With his huge sea-castles heaving upon the weather bow.'Shall we fight or shall we fly?25Good Sir Richard, tell us now,For to fight is but to die!There'll be little of us left by the time this sun be set.'And Sir Richard said again, 'We be all good English men.Let us bang these dogs of Seville,[231]the children of the devil,30For I never turn'd my back upon Don[232]or devil yet.'
V
Sir Richard spoke and he laugh'd, and we roar'd a hurrah, and soThe little Revenge ran on sheer into the heart of the foe,With her hundred fighters on deck, and her ninety sick below;For half of her fleet to the right and half to the left were seen,35And the little Revenge ran on thro' the long sea-lane between.
Sir Richard spoke and he laugh'd, and we roar'd a hurrah, and soThe little Revenge ran on sheer into the heart of the foe,With her hundred fighters on deck, and her ninety sick below;For half of her fleet to the right and half to the left were seen,35And the little Revenge ran on thro' the long sea-lane between.
VI
Thousands of their soldiers look'd down from their decks and laugh'd,Thousands of their seamen made mock at the mad little craftRunning on and on, till delay'dBy their mountain-like San Philip that, of fifteen hundred tons,40And up-shadowing high above us with her yawning tiers of guns,Took the breath from our sails, and we stay'd.
Thousands of their soldiers look'd down from their decks and laugh'd,Thousands of their seamen made mock at the mad little craftRunning on and on, till delay'dBy their mountain-like San Philip that, of fifteen hundred tons,40And up-shadowing high above us with her yawning tiers of guns,Took the breath from our sails, and we stay'd.
VII
And while now the great San Philip hung above us like a cloudWhence the thunderbolt will fall Long and loud,45Four galleons[233]drew awayFrom the Spanish fleet that day,And two upon the larboard and two upon the starboard lay,And the battle-thunder broke from them all.
And while now the great San Philip hung above us like a cloudWhence the thunderbolt will fall Long and loud,45Four galleons[233]drew awayFrom the Spanish fleet that day,And two upon the larboard and two upon the starboard lay,And the battle-thunder broke from them all.
VIII
But anon the great San Philip, she bethought herself and went50Having that within her womb that had left her ill content;And the rest they came aboard us, and they fought us hand to hand,For a dozen times they came with their pikes and musqueteers,And a dozen times we shook 'em off as a dog that shakes his earsWhen he leaps from the water to the land.55
But anon the great San Philip, she bethought herself and went50Having that within her womb that had left her ill content;And the rest they came aboard us, and they fought us hand to hand,For a dozen times they came with their pikes and musqueteers,And a dozen times we shook 'em off as a dog that shakes his earsWhen he leaps from the water to the land.55
IX
And the sun went down, and the stars came out far over the summer sea,But never a moment ceased the fight of the one and the fifty-three.Ship after ship, the whole night long, their high-built galleons came,Ship after ship, the whole night long, with her battle-thunder and flame;Ship after ship, the whole night long, drew back withher dead and her shame.60For some were sunk and many were shatter'd, and so could fight us no more—God of battles, was ever a battle like this in the world before?
And the sun went down, and the stars came out far over the summer sea,But never a moment ceased the fight of the one and the fifty-three.Ship after ship, the whole night long, their high-built galleons came,Ship after ship, the whole night long, with her battle-thunder and flame;Ship after ship, the whole night long, drew back withher dead and her shame.60For some were sunk and many were shatter'd, and so could fight us no more—God of battles, was ever a battle like this in the world before?
X
For he said, 'Fight on! fight on!'Tho' his vessel was all but a wreck;And it chanced that, when half of the short summer night was gone,65With a grisly wound to be drest he had left the deck,But a bullet struck him that was dressing it suddenly dead,And himself he was wounded again in the side and the head,And he said 'Fight on! fight on!'
For he said, 'Fight on! fight on!'Tho' his vessel was all but a wreck;And it chanced that, when half of the short summer night was gone,65With a grisly wound to be drest he had left the deck,But a bullet struck him that was dressing it suddenly dead,And himself he was wounded again in the side and the head,And he said 'Fight on! fight on!'
XI
And the night went down, and the sun smiled out far over the summer sea,70And the Spanish fleet with broken sides lay round us all in a ring;But they dared not touch us again, for they fear'd that we still could sting,So they watch'd what the end would be.And we had not fought them in vain,But in perilous plight were we,75Seeing forty of our poor hundred were slain,And half of the rest of us maim'd for lifeIn the crash of the cannonades and the desperate strife;And the sick men down in the hold were most of them stark and cold,And the pikes were all broken or bent, and the powder was all of it spent;80And the masts and the rigging were lying over the side;But Sir Richard cried in his English pride,'We have fought such a fight for a day and a nightAs may never be fought again!We have won great glory, my men!85And a day less or moreAt sea or ashore,We die—does it matter when?Sink me the ship, Master Gunner—sink her, split her in twain!Fall into the hands of God, not into the hands of Spain!'90
And the night went down, and the sun smiled out far over the summer sea,70And the Spanish fleet with broken sides lay round us all in a ring;But they dared not touch us again, for they fear'd that we still could sting,So they watch'd what the end would be.And we had not fought them in vain,But in perilous plight were we,75Seeing forty of our poor hundred were slain,And half of the rest of us maim'd for lifeIn the crash of the cannonades and the desperate strife;And the sick men down in the hold were most of them stark and cold,And the pikes were all broken or bent, and the powder was all of it spent;80And the masts and the rigging were lying over the side;But Sir Richard cried in his English pride,'We have fought such a fight for a day and a nightAs may never be fought again!We have won great glory, my men!85And a day less or moreAt sea or ashore,We die—does it matter when?Sink me the ship, Master Gunner—sink her, split her in twain!Fall into the hands of God, not into the hands of Spain!'90
XII
And the gunner said 'Ay, ay,' but the seamen made reply:'We have children, we have wives,And the Lord hath spared our lives.We will make the Spaniard promise, if we yield, to let us go;We shall live to fight again and to strike another blow.'95And the lion there lay dying, and they yielded to the foe.
And the gunner said 'Ay, ay,' but the seamen made reply:'We have children, we have wives,And the Lord hath spared our lives.We will make the Spaniard promise, if we yield, to let us go;We shall live to fight again and to strike another blow.'95And the lion there lay dying, and they yielded to the foe.
XIII
And the stately Spanish men to their flagship bore him thenWhere they laid him by the mast, old Sir Richard caught at last,And they praised him to his face with their courtly foreign grace;But he rose upon their decks, and he cried:100'I have fought for Queen and Faith like a gallant man and true;I have only done my duty as a man is bound to do:With a joyful spirit I Sir Richard Grenville die!'And he fell upon their decks, and he died.
And the stately Spanish men to their flagship bore him thenWhere they laid him by the mast, old Sir Richard caught at last,And they praised him to his face with their courtly foreign grace;But he rose upon their decks, and he cried:100'I have fought for Queen and Faith like a gallant man and true;I have only done my duty as a man is bound to do:With a joyful spirit I Sir Richard Grenville die!'And he fell upon their decks, and he died.
XIV
And they stared at the dead that had been so valiant and true,105And had holden the power and glory of Spain so cheapThat he dared her with one little ship and his English few;Was he devil or man? He was devil for aught they knew,But they sank his body with honour down in the deep,And they mann'd the Revenge with a swarthy alien crew,110And away she sail'd with her loss and long'd for her own;When a wind from the lands they had ruin'd awoke from sleep,And the water began to heave and the weather to moan,And or ever that evening ended a great gale blew,And a wave like the wave that is raised by an earthquake grew,115Till it smote on their hulls and their sails and their masts and their flags,And the whole sea plunged and fell on the shot-shatter'd navy of Spain,And the little Revenge herself went down by the island cragsTo be lost evermore in the main.
And they stared at the dead that had been so valiant and true,105And had holden the power and glory of Spain so cheapThat he dared her with one little ship and his English few;Was he devil or man? He was devil for aught they knew,But they sank his body with honour down in the deep,And they mann'd the Revenge with a swarthy alien crew,110And away she sail'd with her loss and long'd for her own;When a wind from the lands they had ruin'd awoke from sleep,And the water began to heave and the weather to moan,And or ever that evening ended a great gale blew,And a wave like the wave that is raised by an earthquake grew,115Till it smote on their hulls and their sails and their masts and their flags,And the whole sea plunged and fell on the shot-shatter'd navy of Spain,And the little Revenge herself went down by the island cragsTo be lost evermore in the main.
I sprang to the stirrup, and Joris, and he;I galloped, Dirck galloped, we galloped all three;"Good speed!" cried the watch, as the gate-bolts undrew;"Speed!" echoed the wall to us galloping through;Behind shut the postern, the lights sank to rest,5And into the midnight we galloped abreast.Not a word to each other; we kept the great paceNeck by neck, stride by stride, never changing our place;I turned in my saddle and made its girths tight,Then shortened each stirrup, and set the pique[234]right,10Rebuckled the cheek-strap, chained slacker the bit,Nor galloped less steadily Roland a whit.'Twas moonset at starting; but while we drew nearLokeren,[235]the cocks crew and twilight dawned clear;At Boom,[236]a great yellow star came out to see;15At Düffeld,[237]'twas morning as plain as could be;And from Mecheln[238]church-steeple we heard the half-chime,So Joris broke silence with, "Yet there is time!"At Aershot,[239]up leaped of a sudden the sun,And against him the cattle stood black every one,20To stare through the mist at us galloping past,And I saw my stout galloper Roland at last,With resolute shoulders, each butting awayThe haze, as some bluff river headland its spray:And his low head and crest, just one sharp ear bent back25For my voice, and the other pricked out on his track;And one eye's black intelligence,—ever that glanceO'er its white edge at me, his own master, askance!And the thick heavy spume-flakes which aye and anonHis fierce lips shook upwards in galloping on.30By Hasselt,[240]Dirck groaned; and cried Joris, "Stay spur!Your Roos galloped bravely, the fault's not in her,We'll remember at Aix"—for one heard the quick wheezeOf her chest, saw the stretched neck and staggering knees,And sunk tail, and horrible heave of the flank,35As down on her haunches she shuddered and sank.So, we were left galloping, Joris and I,Past Looz[241]and past Tongres,[242]no cloud in the sky;The broad sun above laughed a pitiless laugh,'Neath our feet broke the brittle bright stubble like chaff;40Till over by Dalhem[243]a dome-spire sprang white,And "Gallop," gasped Joris, "for Aix is in sight!""How they'll greet us!"—and all in a moment his roanRolled neck and croup over, lay dead as a stone;And there was my Roland to bear the whole weight45Of the news which alone could save Aix from her fate,[244]With his nostrils like pits full of blood to the brim,And with circles of red for his eye-sockets' rim.Then I cast loose my buff-coat, each holster let fall.Shook off both my jack-boots, let go belt and all,50Stood up in the stirrup, leaned, patted his ear,Called my Roland his pet-name, my horse without peer;Clapped my hands, laughed and sang, any noise, bad or good,Till at length into Aix Roland galloped and stood.And all I remember is—friends flocking round55As I sat with his head 'twixt my knees on the ground;And no voice but was praising this Roland of mine,As I poured down his throat our last measure of wine,Which (the burgesses voted by common consent)Was no more than his due who brought good news from Ghent.60
I sprang to the stirrup, and Joris, and he;I galloped, Dirck galloped, we galloped all three;"Good speed!" cried the watch, as the gate-bolts undrew;"Speed!" echoed the wall to us galloping through;Behind shut the postern, the lights sank to rest,5And into the midnight we galloped abreast.
Not a word to each other; we kept the great paceNeck by neck, stride by stride, never changing our place;I turned in my saddle and made its girths tight,Then shortened each stirrup, and set the pique[234]right,10Rebuckled the cheek-strap, chained slacker the bit,Nor galloped less steadily Roland a whit.
'Twas moonset at starting; but while we drew nearLokeren,[235]the cocks crew and twilight dawned clear;At Boom,[236]a great yellow star came out to see;15At Düffeld,[237]'twas morning as plain as could be;And from Mecheln[238]church-steeple we heard the half-chime,So Joris broke silence with, "Yet there is time!"
At Aershot,[239]up leaped of a sudden the sun,And against him the cattle stood black every one,20To stare through the mist at us galloping past,And I saw my stout galloper Roland at last,With resolute shoulders, each butting awayThe haze, as some bluff river headland its spray:
And his low head and crest, just one sharp ear bent back25For my voice, and the other pricked out on his track;And one eye's black intelligence,—ever that glanceO'er its white edge at me, his own master, askance!And the thick heavy spume-flakes which aye and anonHis fierce lips shook upwards in galloping on.30
By Hasselt,[240]Dirck groaned; and cried Joris, "Stay spur!Your Roos galloped bravely, the fault's not in her,We'll remember at Aix"—for one heard the quick wheezeOf her chest, saw the stretched neck and staggering knees,And sunk tail, and horrible heave of the flank,35As down on her haunches she shuddered and sank.
So, we were left galloping, Joris and I,Past Looz[241]and past Tongres,[242]no cloud in the sky;The broad sun above laughed a pitiless laugh,'Neath our feet broke the brittle bright stubble like chaff;40Till over by Dalhem[243]a dome-spire sprang white,And "Gallop," gasped Joris, "for Aix is in sight!"
"How they'll greet us!"—and all in a moment his roanRolled neck and croup over, lay dead as a stone;And there was my Roland to bear the whole weight45Of the news which alone could save Aix from her fate,[244]With his nostrils like pits full of blood to the brim,And with circles of red for his eye-sockets' rim.
Then I cast loose my buff-coat, each holster let fall.Shook off both my jack-boots, let go belt and all,50Stood up in the stirrup, leaned, patted his ear,Called my Roland his pet-name, my horse without peer;Clapped my hands, laughed and sang, any noise, bad or good,Till at length into Aix Roland galloped and stood.And all I remember is—friends flocking round55As I sat with his head 'twixt my knees on the ground;And no voice but was praising this Roland of mine,As I poured down his throat our last measure of wine,Which (the burgesses voted by common consent)Was no more than his due who brought good news from Ghent.60
You know, we French stormed Ratisbon:A mile or so away,On a little mound, NapoleonStood on our storming-day;With neck out-thrust,[245]you fancy how,5Legs wide, arms locked behind,As if to balance the prone browOppressive with its mind.Just as perhaps he mused[246]"My plansThat soar, to earth may fall,10Let once my army-leader Lannes[247]Waver at yonder wall,"—Out 'twixt the battery-smokes there flewA rider, bound on boundFull-galloping; nor bridle drew15Until he reached the mound.Then off there flung in smiling joy,And held himself erectBy just his horse's mane, a boy:You hardly could suspect—20(So tight he kept his lips compressed,Scarce any blood came through)You looked twice ere you saw his breastWas all but shot in two."Well," cried he, "Emperor, by God's grace25We've got you Ratisbon!The Marshal's in the market-place,And you'll be there anonTo see your flag-bird[248]flap his vansWhere I, to heart's desire,30Perched him!" The chief's eye flashed; his plansSoared up again like fire.The chief's eye flashed; but presentlySoftened itself, as sheathesA film the mother-eagle's eye35When her bruised eaglet breathes;"You're wounded!" "Nay," the soldier's prideTouched to the quick, he said:"I'm killed, Sire!" And his chief beside,Smiling the boy fell dead.40
You know, we French stormed Ratisbon:A mile or so away,On a little mound, NapoleonStood on our storming-day;With neck out-thrust,[245]you fancy how,5Legs wide, arms locked behind,As if to balance the prone browOppressive with its mind.
Just as perhaps he mused[246]"My plansThat soar, to earth may fall,10Let once my army-leader Lannes[247]Waver at yonder wall,"—Out 'twixt the battery-smokes there flewA rider, bound on boundFull-galloping; nor bridle drew15Until he reached the mound.
Then off there flung in smiling joy,And held himself erectBy just his horse's mane, a boy:You hardly could suspect—20(So tight he kept his lips compressed,Scarce any blood came through)You looked twice ere you saw his breastWas all but shot in two.
"Well," cried he, "Emperor, by God's grace25We've got you Ratisbon!The Marshal's in the market-place,And you'll be there anonTo see your flag-bird[248]flap his vansWhere I, to heart's desire,30Perched him!" The chief's eye flashed; his plansSoared up again like fire.
The chief's eye flashed; but presentlySoftened itself, as sheathesA film the mother-eagle's eye35When her bruised eaglet breathes;"You're wounded!" "Nay," the soldier's prideTouched to the quick, he said:"I'm killed, Sire!" And his chief beside,Smiling the boy fell dead.40
I
Hamelin[249]Town's in Brunswick,By famous Hanover city;The river Weser, deep and wide,Washes its wall on the southern side;A pleasanter spot you never spied;5But when begins my ditty,Almost five hundred years ago,To see the townsfolk suffer soFrom vermin, was a pity.
Hamelin[249]Town's in Brunswick,By famous Hanover city;The river Weser, deep and wide,Washes its wall on the southern side;A pleasanter spot you never spied;5But when begins my ditty,Almost five hundred years ago,To see the townsfolk suffer soFrom vermin, was a pity.
II
Rats!10They fought the dogs and killed the cats,And bit the babies in the cradles,And ate the cheeses out of the vats,And licked the soup from the cooks' own ladles,Split open the kegs of salted sprats,15Made nests inside men's Sunday hats,And even spoiled the women's chatsBy drowning their speakingWith shrieking and squeakingIn fifty different sharps and flats.20
Rats!10They fought the dogs and killed the cats,And bit the babies in the cradles,And ate the cheeses out of the vats,And licked the soup from the cooks' own ladles,Split open the kegs of salted sprats,15Made nests inside men's Sunday hats,And even spoiled the women's chatsBy drowning their speakingWith shrieking and squeakingIn fifty different sharps and flats.20
III
At last the people in a bodyTo the Town Hall came flocking:"'Tis clear," cried they, "our Mayor's a noddy;And as for our Corporation—shockingTo think we buy gowns lined with ermine25For dolts that can't or won't determineWhat's best to rid us of our vermin!You hope, because you're old and obese,To find in the furry civic robe ease?Rouse up, sirs! Give your brains a racking30To find the remedy we're lacking,Or, sure as fate, we'll send you packing!"At this the Mayor and CorporationQuaked with a mighty consternation.
At last the people in a bodyTo the Town Hall came flocking:"'Tis clear," cried they, "our Mayor's a noddy;And as for our Corporation—shockingTo think we buy gowns lined with ermine25For dolts that can't or won't determineWhat's best to rid us of our vermin!You hope, because you're old and obese,To find in the furry civic robe ease?Rouse up, sirs! Give your brains a racking30To find the remedy we're lacking,Or, sure as fate, we'll send you packing!"At this the Mayor and CorporationQuaked with a mighty consternation.
IV
An hour they sat in council;35At length the Mayor broke silence:"For a guilder[250]I'd my ermine gown sell,I wish I were a mile hence!It's easy to bid one rack one's brain—I'm sure my poor head aches again,40I've scratched it so, and all in vain.O for a trap, a trap, a trap!"Just as he said this, what should hapAt the chamber-door but a gentle tap?"Bless us," cried the Mayor, "what's that?"45(With the Corporation as he sat,Looking little though wondrous fat;Nor brighter was his eye, nor moisterThan a too-long-opened oyster,Save when at noon his paunch grew mutinous50For a plate of turtle green and glutinous)"Only a scraping of shoes on the mat?Anything like the sound of a ratMakes my heart go pit-a-pat!"
An hour they sat in council;35At length the Mayor broke silence:"For a guilder[250]I'd my ermine gown sell,I wish I were a mile hence!It's easy to bid one rack one's brain—I'm sure my poor head aches again,40I've scratched it so, and all in vain.O for a trap, a trap, a trap!"Just as he said this, what should hapAt the chamber-door but a gentle tap?"Bless us," cried the Mayor, "what's that?"45(With the Corporation as he sat,Looking little though wondrous fat;Nor brighter was his eye, nor moisterThan a too-long-opened oyster,Save when at noon his paunch grew mutinous50For a plate of turtle green and glutinous)"Only a scraping of shoes on the mat?Anything like the sound of a ratMakes my heart go pit-a-pat!"
V
"Come in!" the Mayor cried, looking bigger:55And in did come the strangest figure!His queer long coat from heel to headWas half of yellow and half of red,And he himself was tall and thin,With sharp blue eyes, each like a pin,60And light loose hair, yet swarthy skin,No tuft on cheek nor beard on chin,But lips where smiles went out and in;There was no guessing his kith and kin:And nobody could enough admire65The tall man and his quaint attire.Quoth one: "It's as my great grandsire,Starting up at the Trump of Doom's[251]tone,Had walked this way from his painted tombstone!"
"Come in!" the Mayor cried, looking bigger:55And in did come the strangest figure!His queer long coat from heel to headWas half of yellow and half of red,And he himself was tall and thin,With sharp blue eyes, each like a pin,60And light loose hair, yet swarthy skin,No tuft on cheek nor beard on chin,But lips where smiles went out and in;There was no guessing his kith and kin:And nobody could enough admire65The tall man and his quaint attire.Quoth one: "It's as my great grandsire,Starting up at the Trump of Doom's[251]tone,Had walked this way from his painted tombstone!"
VI
He advanced to the council-table:70And, "Please your honors," said he, "I'm able,By means of a secret charm, to drawAll creatures living beneath the sun,That creep or swim or fly or run,After me so as you never saw!75And I chiefly use my charmOn creatures that do people harm,The mole and toad and newt and viper;And people call me the Pied Piper."[252](And here they noticed round his neck80A scarf of red and yellow stripe,To match with his coat of the self-same cheque;And at the scarf's end hung a pipe;And his fingers, they noticed, were ever strayingAs if impatient to be playing85Upon this pipe, as low it dangledOver his vesture so old-fangled.)"Yet," said he, "poor piper as I am,In Tartary I freed the Cham,[253]Last June, from his huge swarms of gnats;90I eased in Asia the Nizam[254]Of a monstrous brood of vampire-bats:And as for what your brain bewilders,If I can rid your town of ratsWill you give me a thousand guilders?"95"One? fifty thousand!"—was the exclamationOf the astonished Mayor and Corporation.
He advanced to the council-table:70And, "Please your honors," said he, "I'm able,By means of a secret charm, to drawAll creatures living beneath the sun,That creep or swim or fly or run,After me so as you never saw!75And I chiefly use my charmOn creatures that do people harm,The mole and toad and newt and viper;And people call me the Pied Piper."[252](And here they noticed round his neck80A scarf of red and yellow stripe,To match with his coat of the self-same cheque;And at the scarf's end hung a pipe;And his fingers, they noticed, were ever strayingAs if impatient to be playing85Upon this pipe, as low it dangledOver his vesture so old-fangled.)"Yet," said he, "poor piper as I am,In Tartary I freed the Cham,[253]Last June, from his huge swarms of gnats;90I eased in Asia the Nizam[254]Of a monstrous brood of vampire-bats:And as for what your brain bewilders,If I can rid your town of ratsWill you give me a thousand guilders?"95"One? fifty thousand!"—was the exclamationOf the astonished Mayor and Corporation.
VII
Into the street the Piper stept,Smiling first a little smile,As if he knew what magic slept100In his quiet pipe the while;Then, like a musical adept,To blow the pipe his lips he wrinkled,And green and blue his sharp eyes twinkled,Like a candle-flame where salt is sprinkled;105And ere three shrill notes the pipe uttered,You heard as if an army muttered;And the muttering grew to a grumbling;And the grumbling grew to a mighty rumbling;And out of the houses the rats came tumbling.110Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats,Brown rats, black rats, gray rats, tawny rats,Grave old plodders, gay young friskers,Fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins,Cocking tails and pricking whiskers,115Families by tens and dozens,Brothers, sisters, husbands, wives—Followed the Piper for their lives.From street to street he piped advancing,And step by step they followed dancing,120Until they came to the river Weser,Wherein all plunged and perished!—Save one who, stout as Julius Cæsar,Swam across and lived to carry(As he, the manuscript he cherished)125To rat-land home his commentary:[255]Which was, "At the first shrill notes of the pipe,I heard a sound as of scraping tripe,And putting apples, wondrous ripe,Into a cider-press's gripe:130And a moving away of pickle-tub boards,And a leaving ajar of conserve-cupboards,And a drawing the corks of train-oil flasks,And a breaking the hoops of butter casks:And it seemed as if a voice135(Sweeter far than by harp or by psalteryIs breathed) called out, 'O rats, rejoice!The world is grown to one vast drysaltery!So munch on, crunch on, take your nuncheon,Breakfast, supper, dinner, luncheon!'140And just as a bulky sugar-puncheon,Already staved, like a great sun shoneGlorious scarce an inch before me,Just as methought it said, 'Come, bore me!'—I found the Weser rolling o'er me."145
Into the street the Piper stept,Smiling first a little smile,As if he knew what magic slept100In his quiet pipe the while;Then, like a musical adept,To blow the pipe his lips he wrinkled,And green and blue his sharp eyes twinkled,Like a candle-flame where salt is sprinkled;105And ere three shrill notes the pipe uttered,You heard as if an army muttered;And the muttering grew to a grumbling;And the grumbling grew to a mighty rumbling;And out of the houses the rats came tumbling.110Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats,Brown rats, black rats, gray rats, tawny rats,Grave old plodders, gay young friskers,Fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins,Cocking tails and pricking whiskers,115Families by tens and dozens,Brothers, sisters, husbands, wives—Followed the Piper for their lives.From street to street he piped advancing,And step by step they followed dancing,120Until they came to the river Weser,Wherein all plunged and perished!—Save one who, stout as Julius Cæsar,Swam across and lived to carry(As he, the manuscript he cherished)125To rat-land home his commentary:[255]Which was, "At the first shrill notes of the pipe,I heard a sound as of scraping tripe,And putting apples, wondrous ripe,Into a cider-press's gripe:130And a moving away of pickle-tub boards,And a leaving ajar of conserve-cupboards,And a drawing the corks of train-oil flasks,And a breaking the hoops of butter casks:And it seemed as if a voice135(Sweeter far than by harp or by psalteryIs breathed) called out, 'O rats, rejoice!The world is grown to one vast drysaltery!So munch on, crunch on, take your nuncheon,Breakfast, supper, dinner, luncheon!'140And just as a bulky sugar-puncheon,Already staved, like a great sun shoneGlorious scarce an inch before me,Just as methought it said, 'Come, bore me!'—I found the Weser rolling o'er me."145
VIII
You should have heard the Hamelin peopleRinging the bells till they rocked the steeple."Go," cried the Mayor, "and get long poles,Poke out the nests and block up the holes!Consult with carpenters and builders,150And leave in our town not even a traceOf the rats!"—when suddenly, up the faceOf the Piper perked in the market-place,With a, "First, if you please, my thousand guilders!"
You should have heard the Hamelin peopleRinging the bells till they rocked the steeple."Go," cried the Mayor, "and get long poles,Poke out the nests and block up the holes!Consult with carpenters and builders,150And leave in our town not even a traceOf the rats!"—when suddenly, up the faceOf the Piper perked in the market-place,With a, "First, if you please, my thousand guilders!"
IX
A thousand guilders! The Mayor looked blue;155So did the Corporation too.For council dinners made rare havocWith Claret, Moselle, Vin-de-Grave, Hock;And half the money would replenishTheir cellar's biggest butt with Rhenish.160To pay this sum to a wandering fellowWith a gypsy coat of red and yellow!"Beside," quoth the Mayor with a knowing wink,"Our business was done at the river's brink;We saw with our eyes the vermin sink,165And what's dead can't come to life, I think.So, friend, we're not the folks to shrinkFrom the duty of giving you something for drink,And a matter of money to put in your poke[256];But as for the guilders, what we spoke170Of them, as you very well know, was in joke.Beside, our losses have made us thrifty.A thousand guilders! Come, take fifty!"
A thousand guilders! The Mayor looked blue;155So did the Corporation too.For council dinners made rare havocWith Claret, Moselle, Vin-de-Grave, Hock;And half the money would replenishTheir cellar's biggest butt with Rhenish.160To pay this sum to a wandering fellowWith a gypsy coat of red and yellow!"Beside," quoth the Mayor with a knowing wink,"Our business was done at the river's brink;We saw with our eyes the vermin sink,165And what's dead can't come to life, I think.So, friend, we're not the folks to shrinkFrom the duty of giving you something for drink,And a matter of money to put in your poke[256];But as for the guilders, what we spoke170Of them, as you very well know, was in joke.Beside, our losses have made us thrifty.A thousand guilders! Come, take fifty!"
X
The Piper's face fell, and he cried;"No trifling! I can't wait, beside!175I've promised to visit by dinner timeBagdat, and accept the primeOf the Head-Cook's pottage, all he's rich in,For having left, in the Caliph's kitchen,Of a nest of scorpions no survivor:180With him I proved no bargain-driver,With you, don't think I'll bate a stiver[257]!And folks who put me in a passionMay find me pipe after another fashion."
The Piper's face fell, and he cried;"No trifling! I can't wait, beside!175I've promised to visit by dinner timeBagdat, and accept the primeOf the Head-Cook's pottage, all he's rich in,For having left, in the Caliph's kitchen,Of a nest of scorpions no survivor:180With him I proved no bargain-driver,With you, don't think I'll bate a stiver[257]!And folks who put me in a passionMay find me pipe after another fashion."
XI
"How?" cried the Mayor, "d'ye think I brook185Being worse treated than a Cook?Insulted by a lazy ribaldWith idle pipe and vesture piebald[258]?You threaten us, fellow? Do your worst,Blow your pipe there till you burst!"190
"How?" cried the Mayor, "d'ye think I brook185Being worse treated than a Cook?Insulted by a lazy ribaldWith idle pipe and vesture piebald[258]?You threaten us, fellow? Do your worst,Blow your pipe there till you burst!"190
XII
Once more he stept into the street,And to his lips againLaid his long pipe of smooth straight cane;And ere he blew three notes (such sweetSoft notes as yet musician's cunning195Never gave the enraptured air)There was a rustling that seemed like a bustlingOf merry crowds justling at pitching and hustling;Small feet were pattering, wooden shoes clattering,Little hands clapping and little tongues chattering,200And, like fowls in a farm-yard when barley is scattering,Out came the children running.All the little boys and girls,With rosy cheeks and flaxen curls,And sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls,205Tripping and skipping, ran merrily afterThe wonderful music with shouting and laughter.
Once more he stept into the street,And to his lips againLaid his long pipe of smooth straight cane;And ere he blew three notes (such sweetSoft notes as yet musician's cunning195Never gave the enraptured air)There was a rustling that seemed like a bustlingOf merry crowds justling at pitching and hustling;Small feet were pattering, wooden shoes clattering,Little hands clapping and little tongues chattering,200And, like fowls in a farm-yard when barley is scattering,Out came the children running.All the little boys and girls,With rosy cheeks and flaxen curls,And sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls,205Tripping and skipping, ran merrily afterThe wonderful music with shouting and laughter.
XIII
The Mayor was dumb, and the Council stoodAs if they were changed into blocks of wood,Unable to move a step, or cry210To the children merrily skipping by,—Could only follow with the eyeThat joyous crowd at the Piper's back.But how the Mayor was on the rack,And the wretched Council's bosoms beat,215As the Piper turned from the High StreetTo where the Weser rolled its watersRight in the way of their sons and daughters!However, he turned from South to West,And to Koppelberg Hill his steps addressed,220And after him the children pressed;Great was the joy in every breast."He never can cross that mighty top!He's forced to let the piping drop,And we shall see our children stop!"225When, lo, as they reached the mountain-side,A wondrous portal opened wide,As if a cavern was suddenly hollowed;And the Piper advanced and the children followed,And when all were in to the very last,230The door in the mountain-side shut fast.Did I say, all? No! One was lame,And could not dance the whole of the way;And in after years, if you would blameHis sadness, he was used to say,—235"It's dull in our town since my playmates left!I can't forget that I'm bereftOf all the pleasant sights they see,Which the Piper also promised me.For he led us, he said, to a joyous land,240Joining the town and just at hand,Where waters gushed and fruit-trees grewAnd flowers put forth a fairer hue,And everything was strange and new;The sparrows were brighter than peacocks here,245And their dogs outran our fallow deer,And honey-bees had lost their stings,And horses were born with eagles' wings:And just as I became assuredMy lame foot would be speedily cured,250The music stopped and I stood still,And found myself outside the hill,Left alone against my will,To go now limping as before,And never hear of that country more!"255
The Mayor was dumb, and the Council stoodAs if they were changed into blocks of wood,Unable to move a step, or cry210To the children merrily skipping by,—Could only follow with the eyeThat joyous crowd at the Piper's back.But how the Mayor was on the rack,And the wretched Council's bosoms beat,215As the Piper turned from the High StreetTo where the Weser rolled its watersRight in the way of their sons and daughters!However, he turned from South to West,And to Koppelberg Hill his steps addressed,220And after him the children pressed;Great was the joy in every breast."He never can cross that mighty top!He's forced to let the piping drop,And we shall see our children stop!"225When, lo, as they reached the mountain-side,A wondrous portal opened wide,As if a cavern was suddenly hollowed;And the Piper advanced and the children followed,And when all were in to the very last,230The door in the mountain-side shut fast.Did I say, all? No! One was lame,And could not dance the whole of the way;And in after years, if you would blameHis sadness, he was used to say,—235"It's dull in our town since my playmates left!I can't forget that I'm bereftOf all the pleasant sights they see,Which the Piper also promised me.For he led us, he said, to a joyous land,240Joining the town and just at hand,Where waters gushed and fruit-trees grewAnd flowers put forth a fairer hue,And everything was strange and new;The sparrows were brighter than peacocks here,245And their dogs outran our fallow deer,And honey-bees had lost their stings,And horses were born with eagles' wings:And just as I became assuredMy lame foot would be speedily cured,250The music stopped and I stood still,And found myself outside the hill,Left alone against my will,To go now limping as before,And never hear of that country more!"255
XIV
Alas, alas! for Hamelin!There came into many a burgher's pateA text which says that heaven's gateOpes to the rich at as easy rateAs the needle's eye[259]takes a camel in!260The Mayor sent East, West, North, and South,To offer the Piper, by word of mouth,Wherever it was men's lot to find him,Silver and gold to his heart's content,If he'd only return the way he went,265And bring the children behind him.But when they saw 'twas a lost endeavor,And Piper and dancers were gone forever,They made a decree that lawyers neverShould think their records dated duly270If, after the day of the month and year,These words did not as well appear,"And so long after what happened hereOn the Twenty-second of July,Thirteen hundred and seventy-six:"275And the better in memory to fixThe place of the children's last retreat,They called it the Pied Piper's Street—Where any one playing on pipe or taborWas sure for the future to lose his labor.280Nor suffered they hostelry or tavernTo shock with mirth a street so solemn;But opposite the place of the cavernThey wrote the story on a column,And on the great church-window painted285The same, to make the world acquaintedHow their children were stolen away,And there it stands to this very day.And I must not omit to sayThat in Transylvania there's a tribe290Of alien people who ascribeThe outlandish ways and dressOn which their neighbors lay such stress,To their fathers and mothers having risenOut of some subterraneous prison295Into which they were trepannedLong time ago in a mighty bandOut of Hamelin town in Brunswick land,But how or why, they don't understand.
Alas, alas! for Hamelin!There came into many a burgher's pateA text which says that heaven's gateOpes to the rich at as easy rateAs the needle's eye[259]takes a camel in!260The Mayor sent East, West, North, and South,To offer the Piper, by word of mouth,Wherever it was men's lot to find him,Silver and gold to his heart's content,If he'd only return the way he went,265And bring the children behind him.But when they saw 'twas a lost endeavor,And Piper and dancers were gone forever,They made a decree that lawyers neverShould think their records dated duly270If, after the day of the month and year,These words did not as well appear,"And so long after what happened hereOn the Twenty-second of July,Thirteen hundred and seventy-six:"275And the better in memory to fixThe place of the children's last retreat,They called it the Pied Piper's Street—Where any one playing on pipe or taborWas sure for the future to lose his labor.280Nor suffered they hostelry or tavernTo shock with mirth a street so solemn;But opposite the place of the cavernThey wrote the story on a column,And on the great church-window painted285The same, to make the world acquaintedHow their children were stolen away,And there it stands to this very day.And I must not omit to sayThat in Transylvania there's a tribe290Of alien people who ascribeThe outlandish ways and dressOn which their neighbors lay such stress,To their fathers and mothers having risenOut of some subterraneous prison295Into which they were trepannedLong time ago in a mighty bandOut of Hamelin town in Brunswick land,But how or why, they don't understand.
XV