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In the river dark and fast；
An isle with utter clearness lit；
Because a saint had stood in it；
Where flowers are flowers indeed and fit；
And trees are trees at last。
〃So were the island of a saint；
But I am a common king；
And I will make my fences tough
From Wantage Town to Plymouth Bluff；
Because I am not wise enough
To rule so small a thing。〃
And it fell in the days of Alfred；
In the days of his repose；
That as old customs in his sight
Were a straight road and a steady light；
He bade them keep the White Horse white
As the first plume of the snows。
And right to the red torchlight；
From the trouble of morning grey；
They stripped the White Horse of the grass
As they strip it to this day。
And under the red torchlight
He went dreaming as though dull；
Of his old companions slain like kings；
And the rich irrevocable things
Of a heart that hath not openings；
But is shut fast； being full。
And the torchlight touched the pale hair
Where silver clouded gold；
And the frame of his face was made of cords；
And a young lord turned among the lords
And said： 〃The King is old。〃
And even as he said it
A post ran in amain；
Crying： 〃Arm； Lord King； the hamlets arm；
In the horror and the shade of harm；
They have burnt Brand of Aynger's farm
The Danes are come again！
〃Danes drive the white East Angles
In six fights on the plains；
Danes waste the world about the Thames；
Danes to the eastwardDanes！〃
And as he stumbled on one knee；
The thanes broke out in ire；
Crying： 〃Ill the watchmen watch； and ill
The sheriffs keep the shire。〃
But the young earl said： 〃Ill the saints；
The saints of England； guard
The land wherein we pledge them gold；
The dykes decay； the King grows old；
And surely this is hard；
〃That we be never quit of them；
That when his head is hoar
He cannot say to them he smote；
And spared with a hand hard at the throat；
‘Go； and return no more。' 〃
Then Alfred smiled。 And the smile of him
Was like the sun for power。
But he only pointed： bade them heed
Those peasants of the Berkshire breed；
Who plucked the old Horse of the weed
As they pluck it to this hour。
〃Will ye part with the weeds for ever？
Or show daisies to the door？
Or will you bid the bold grass
Go； and return no more？
〃So ceaseless and so secret
Thrive terror and theft set free；
Treason and shame shall come to pass
While one weed flowers in a morass；
And like the stillness of stiff grass
The stillness of tyranny。
〃Over our white souls also
Wild heresies and high
Wave prouder than the plumes of grass；
And sadder than their sigh。
〃And I go riding against the raid；
And ye know not where I am；
But ye shall know in a day or year；
When one green star of grass grows here；
Chaos has charged you； charger and spear；
Battle…axe and battering…ram。
〃And though skies alter and empires melt；
This word shall still be true：
If we would have the horse of old；
Scour ye the horse anew。
〃One time I followed a dancing star
That seemed to sing and nod；
And ring upon earth all evil's knell；
But now I wot if ye scour not well
Red rust shall grow on God's great bell
And grass in the streets of God。〃
Ceased Alfred； and above his head
The grand green domes； the Downs；
Showed the first legions of the press；
Marching in haste and bitterness
For Christ's sake and the crown's。
Beyond the cavern of Colan；
Past Eldred's by the sea；
Rose men that owned King Alfred's rod；
From the windy wastes of Exe untrod；
Or where the thorn of the grave of God
Burns over Glastonbury。
Far northward and far westward
The distant tribes drew nigh；
Plains beyond plains； fell beyond fell；
That a man at sunset sees so well；
And the tiny coloured towns that dwell
In the corners of the sky。
But dark and thick as thronged the host；
With drum and torch and blade；
The still…eyed King sat pondering；
As one that watches a live thing；
The scoured chalk； and he said；
〃Though I give this land to Our Lady；
That helped me in Athelney；
Though lordlier trees and lustier sod
And happier hills hath no flesh trod
Than the garden of the Mother of God
Between Thames side and the sea；
〃I know that weeds shall grow in it
Faster than men can burn；
And though they scatter now and go；
In some far century； sad and slow；
I have a vision； and I know
The heathen shall return。
〃They shall not come with warships；
They shall not waste with brands；
But books be all their eating；
And ink be on their hands。
〃Not with the humour of hunters
Or savage skill in war；
But ordering all things with dead words；
Strings shall they make of beasts and birds；
And wheels of wind and star。
〃They shall come mild as monkish clerks；
With many a scroll and pen；
And backward shall ye turn and gaze；
Desiring one of Alfred's days；
When pagans still were men。
〃The dear sun dwarfed of dreadful suns；
Like fiercer flowers on stalk；
Earth lost and little like a pea
In high heaven's towering forestry；
These be the small weeds ye shall see
Crawl； covering the chalk。
〃But though they bridge St。 Mary's sea；
Or steal St。 Michael's wing
Though they rear marvels over us；
Greater than great Vergilius
Wrought for the Roman king；
〃By this sign you shall know them；
The breaking of the sword；
And man no more a free knight；
That loves or hates his lord。
〃Yea； this shall be the sign of them；
The sign of the dying fire；
And Man made like a half…wit；
That knows not of his sire。
〃What though they come with scroll and pen；
And grave as a shaven clerk；
By this sign you shall know them；
That they ruin and make dark；
〃By all men bond to Nothing；
Being slaves without a lord；
By one blind idiot world obeyed；
Too blind to be abhorred；
〃By terror and the cruel tales
Of curse in bone and kin；
By weird and weakness winning；
Accursed from the beginning；
By detail of the sinning；
And denial of the sin；
〃By thought a crawling ruin；
By life a leaping mire；
By a broken heart in the breast of the world；
And the end of the world's desire；
〃By God and man dishonoured；
By death and life made vain；
Know ye the old barbarian；
The barbarian come again
〃When is great talk of trend and tide；
And wisdom and destiny；
Hail that undying heathen
That is sadder than the sea。
〃In what wise men shall smite him；
Or the Cross stand up again；
Or charity or chivalry；
My vision saith not； and I see
No more； but now ride doubtfully
To the battle of the plain。〃
And the grass…edge of the great down
Was cut clean as a lawn；
While the levies thronged from near and far；
From the warm woods of the western star；
And the King went out to his last war
On a tall grey horse at dawn。
And news of his far…off fighting
Came slowly and brokenly
From the land of the East Saxons；
From the sunrise and the sea。
From the plains of the white sunrise；
And sad St。 Edmund's crown；
Where the pools of Essex pale and gleam
Out beyond London Town
In mighty and doubtful fragments；
Like faint or fabled wars；
Climbed the old hills of his renown；
Where the bald brow of White Horse Down
Is close to the cold stars。
But away in the eastern places
The wind of death walked high；
And a raid was driven athwart the raid；
The sky reddened and the smoke swayed；
And the tall grey horse went by。
The gates of the great river
Were breached as with a barge；
The walls sank crowded； say the scribes；
And high towers populous with tribes
Seemed leaning from the charge。
Smoke like rebellious heavens rolled
Curled over coloured flames；
Mirrored in monstrous purple dreams
In the mighty pools of Thames。
Loud was the war on London wall；
And loud in London gates；
And loud the sea…kings in the cloud
Broke through their dreaming gods； and loud
Cried on their dreadful Fates。
And all the while on White Horse Hill
The horse lay long and wan；
The turf crawled and the fungus crept；
And the little sorrel； while all men slept；
Unwrought the work of man。
With velvet finger； velvet foot；
The fierce soft mosses then
Crept on the large white commonweal
All folk had striven to strip and peel；
And the grass； like a great green witch's wheel；
Unwound the toils of men。
And clover and silent thistle throve；
And buds burst silently；
With little care for the Thames Valley
Or what things there might be
That away on the widening river；
In the eastern plains for crown
Stood up in the pale purple sky
One turret of smoke like ivory；
And the smoke changed and the wind went by；
And the King took London Town。
End