On the Funeral of Charles the First at Night, in St. George's Chapel, Windsor
On the Funeral of Charles the First at Night, in St. George's Chapel, Windsor
Original Text
William Lisle Bowles, Poetical Works (Edinburgh: J. Nichol, 1855). PR 4161 B4 1855 Robarts Library
1The castle clock had tolled midnight:
2 With mattock and with spade,
3And silent, by the torches' light,
4 His corse in earth we laid.
5 The coffin bore his name, that those
6 Of other years might know,
7When earth its secrets should disclose,
8 Whose bones were laid below.
9 "Peace to the dead" no children sung,
10 Slow pacing up the nave,--
11No prayers were read, no knell was rung,
12 As deep we dug his grave.
13 We only heard the winter's wind,
14 In many a sullen gust,
15As, o'er the open grave inclined,
16 We murmured, "Dust to dust!"
17 A moonbeam from the arch's height
18 Streamed, as we placed the stone;
19The long aisles started into light,
20 And all the windows shone.
21 We thought we saw the banners then,
22 That shook along the walls,
23Whilst the sad shades of mailèd men
24 Were gazing on the stalls.
25 'Tis gone! again on tombs defaced
26 Sits darkness more profound;
27And only by the torch we traced
28 The shadows on the ground.
29 And now the chilling, freezing air
30 Without blew long and loud;
31Upon our knees we breathed one prayer,
32 Where he slept in his shroud.
33 We laid the broken marble floor,--
34 No name, no trace appears,--
35And when we closed the sounding door,
36 We thought of him with tears.
Publication Start Year
1855
RPO poem Editors
J. D. Robins
RPO Edition
2RP.2.19; RPO 1996-2000.
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