The Ballad of the White Horse - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 edition. Excerpt: ...of the Great Army Have no such seal to show. "The red print on my forehead Small flame for a red star, In the van of the violent marching, then When the sky is torn of the trumpets ten, And the hands of the happy howling men Fling wide the gates of war, "This blow that I return not Ten times will I return On kings and earls of all degree, And armies wide as empires be Shall slide like landslips to the sea, If the red star burn. "One man shall drive a hundred, As the dead kings drave; Before me rocking hosts be riven, And battering cohorts backwards driven, For I am the first king known of heaven That has been struck like a slave. "Up on the old white road, brothers, Up on the Roman walls! For this is the night of the drawing of swords, And the painted tower of the heathen hordes Leans to our hammers, fires and cords, Leans a little and falls. "Follow the star that lives and leaps, Follow the sword that sings, For we go gathering heathen men, A terrible harvest, ten by ten, As the wrath of the last red autumn--then When Christ reaps down the kings. "Follow a light that leaps and spins, Follow the fire unfurled! For riseth up against realm and rod, A thing forgotten, a thing down trod, The last lost giant, even God, Is risen against the world." Roaring they went o'er the Roman wall, And roaring up the lane, Their torches tossed, a ladder of fire, Higher their hymn was heard and higher, More sweet for hate and for heart's desire. And up in the northern scrub and brier They fell upon the Dane. BOOK V ETHANDUNE: THE FIRST STROKE ETHANDUNE: THE FIRST STROKE King Guthrum was a dread king, Like death out of the north; Shrines without name or number He rent and rolled as lumber, From Chester to the Humber He drove his foemen forth. The Roman...