VIVIEN.

A STORM was coming, but the winds were still,

And in the wild woods of Broceliande,

Before an oak, so hollow huge and old

It look'd a tower of ruin'd masonwork,

At Merlin's feet the wily Vivien lay.

The wily Vivien stole from Arthur's court: She hated all the knights, and heard in thought Their lavish comment when her name was named.

For once, when Arthur walking all alone,

Vext at a rumour rife about the Queen,

Had met her, Vivien, being greeted fair,

Would fain have wrought upon his cloudy mood

With reverent eyes mock-loyal, shaken voice,

And flutter'd adoration, and at last

With dark sweet hints of some who prized him more

Than who should prize him most; at which the King Had gazed upon her blankly and gone by:

But one had watch'd, and had not held his peace :

It made the laughter of an afternoon

That Vivien should attempt the blameless King.

And after that, she set herself to gain

Him, the most famous man of all those times,
Merlin, who knew the range of all their arts,
Had built the King his havens, ships, and halls,
Was also Bard, and knew the starry heavens;
The people called him Wizard; whom at first
She play'd about with slight and sprightly talk,
And vivid smiles, and faintly-venom'd points
Of slander, glancing here and grazing there;
And yielding to his kindlier moods, the Seer
Would watch her at her petulance, and play,
Ev'n when they seem'd unloveable, and laugh

As those that watch a kitten; thus he grew
Tolerant of what he half disdain'd, and she,
Perceiving that she was but half disdain'd,
Began to break her sports with graver fits,
Turn red or pale, would often when they met
Sigh fully, or all-silent gaze upon him

With such a fixt devotion, that the old man,
Tho' doubtful, felt the flattery, and at times
Would flatter his own wish in age for love,
And half believe her true for thus at times
He waver'd; but that other clung to him,
Fixt in her will, and so the seasons went.
Then fell upon him a great melancholy;

And leaving Arthur's court he gain'd the beach;
There found a little boat, and stept into it;
And Vivien follow'd, but he mark'd her not.
She took the helm and he the sail; the boat
Drave with a sudden wind across the deeps,
And touching Breton sands, they disembark'd.
And then she follow'd Merlin all the way,

Ev'n to the wild woods of Broceliande.

For Merlin once had told her of a charm,
The which if any wrought on any one

With woven paces and with waving arms,
The man so wrought on ever seem'd to lie
Closed in the four walls of a hollow tower,

From which was no escape for evermore ;

And none could find that man for evermore,

Nor could he see but him who wrought the charm

Coming and going, and he lay as dead

And lost to life and use and name and fame.

And Vivien ever sought to work the charm
Upon the great Enchanter of the Time,

As fancying that her glory would be great
According to his greatness whom she quench'd.

There lay she all her length and kiss'd his feet, As if in deepest reverence and in love.

A twist of gold was round her hair; a robe
Of samite without price, that more exprest