The Project Gutenberg eBook of Richard Coeur de Lion and Blondel

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: Richard Coeur de Lion and Blondel

Author: Charlotte Brontë

Release date: December 16, 2016 [eBook #53747]

Most recently updated: October 23, 2024

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53747

Credits: Produced by Mary Glenn Krause, David Wilson and the Online

Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This

book was produced from a file downloaded from the British

Library)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RICHARD COEUR DE LION AND BLONDEL ***

Transcriber’s Note

The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.

1833         All that is written in this book, must be in a good, plain and legible hand. P.B.

Richard Cœur de Lion

and Blondel

The blush, the light, the gorgeous glow of Eve

Waned from the radiant chambers of the west;

Now, twilight’s robe, dim, orient shadows weave:

One star, gleams faintly lustrous, in the east;

Far down it shines, on the blue Danube’s breast,

As calmly, wavelessly its waters glide

On to th’ appointed regions of their rest,

The Sea, profound and hoary, waste and wide;

Whose black’ning billows swell in ever restless pride.

High o’er the river rose a rocky hill,

With barren sides, precipitous, and steep:

There, ’gainst the sunset heav’ns, serene, and still

Frown’d the dark turrets of a feudal Keep.

Its folded flag, hung in the air asleep;

The breathless beauty of the Summer night

Gave not that Austrian standard, to the sweep

Of fresh’ning Zepyr, or wild Storm-blast’s might;

But motionless, it drooped, in eve’s soft, dying light

In that Stern Fortess, there were arch, and tow’r,

And Iron-wrought lattice, narrow, deep-embaye’d;

Where the gloom gather’d thick as night’s mid hour

And round about it, hung a chilling shade,

Which told of dungeons, where the light ne’er play’d,

Of prison-walls, of fetter-bolt and chain;

Of Captives, ’neath a Tyrant’s durance laid;

Never, to view the sun’s bright face again;

Never to breathe the air, of free, wild hill and plain.

The moon had risen, a host of stars among,

When, to th’ embattled castle walls, drew nigh

A wand’ring minstrel, from his shoulders hung

A harp, sweet instrument of melody.

He paus’d awhile, beneath the turret high,

Then took his harp, and all the sweet chords swept,

Till a sound swell’d beneath the silent sky,

And holiest music, on the charmed air crept,

Waked from the magic strings, Where till that hour they slept.

O! how that wild strain o’er the river swelled,

And mingled with its gentle murmuring,

From the true fount of Song divine, it welled;

Music’s own simple undefiled spring;

Notes rose, and dyed such as the wild birds sing

In the lone-wood, or the far lonelier sky.

O! none but Blondel but the minstrel king

Could waken such transcendant melody;

Sweet as a fairy’s lute, soft as a passing sigh.

The strain he sung, was some antique romance,

Some long forgotten song of other years;

Born in the cloudless clime of sunny France,

Where Earth, in vernal loveliness appears;

Where the bright grape distils its purple tears;

And clear streams flow, and dim, blue hills arise

A gleaming crown of snows Each mountain wears;

And there are cities, ’neath her starry skies,

As fair as ever blest, with beauty, mortal eyes.

Blondel’s Song.

The moonlight; sleeps low, on the hills of Provence;

The stars are all tracking, their paths in the sky:

How softly, and brightly, their golden orbs glance,

Where the long shining waves, of the silver Rhone lie

The tow’rs of De Courcy rise high in the beam,

From sky to earth trembling, so lustrous and pale,

Around them there dwells the deep hush of a dream,

And stilled is the murmur of River, and Gale.

There are groves in the moonlight, all sparkling with dew,

There are dim garden-paths, round that Castle of Pride;

Where the bud of the rose, and the hyacinth blue,

Close their leaves, to the balm, of the moist even-tide.

And long is the alley, dark, bowery, and dim,

Where sits a white form ’neath a tall chestnut tree

Which waves its brown branches, all dark’ling and grim,

O’er the young Rose of Courcy, Sweet Anna Marie.

And who kneels beside her? A warrior in mail.

On his helm there’s a plume In his hand there’s a lance

And why does the cheek of the lady turn pale?

Why weeps in her beauty The Flower of Provence?

She weeps for her lover, this night, are they met

To breathe a farewell, ’Neath love’s own holy star;

For to-morrow the crest of the young Lavalette,

Will float highest, and first in the van of the war.

Thus far sung Blondel, when a sudden tone,

of quivering harp-strings, on his ear upsprung;

It sounded, like an echo of his own:

So faintly, that mysterious music rung,

So sweet, it floated, those dark towers among,

And seemed to issue from their topmost height;

Then there were words, in measured cadence sung.

Now soft and low, then with a master’s might,

Poured forth that varying strain, upon the stilly night

Who sings? the minstrel knows there is but one,

Whose voice has music half so rich, and deep

Whose hand can summon from the harp a tone,

So thrilling, that it calls from latent sleep

Heroic thoughts, dims eyes, that seldom weep,

With tears of extasy, and fires the breast,

Till listening warriors, from their chargers leap,

Assume the glittering helm, and nodding crest,

Unsheathe the ready sword And lay the lance in rest

But not of war, nor of the battle blast,

Sung now the kingly harper. No his strain

Was mournful, as a dream of days long past.

At times it swelled, but quickly died again;

And oh! the sadness of that wild refrain!

Suited full well with the lone, solemn hour,

Too sad for joy, too exquisite for pain,

It touched the heart Subdued the spirit’s power

Blent with the Danube’s moan, and wailed around the tower

Richard’s Song

Thrice, the great fadeless lights of heaven

The moon, and the eternal sun

As God’s unchanging law was given,

Have each their course appointed run.

Three times the Earth, her mighty way

Hath measured o’er a shoreless sea;

While hopeless still from day, to day,

I’ve sat in lone captivity;

Listening the wind, and River’s moan,

Wakening my wild harp’s solemn tone,

And longing to be free.

Blondel! my heart seems cold, and dead;

My soul, has lost its ancient might;

The sun of chivalry is fled

And dark despair’s, unholy night

Above me closes still and deep;

While wearily each lapsing day

Leads onward, to the last, long sleep;

The hour when all shall pass away;

When King, and Captive, Lord, and Slave

Must rest unparted, in the grave

A mass of soulless clay.

O long I’ve listened to the sound,

Of winter’s blast, and summer’s breeze,

As their sweet voices sung around,

Through echoing caves, and wind-waved trees.

And long I’ve viewed from prison bars

Sunset, and dawn, and night, and noon:

Watched the uprising of the stars,

Seen the calm advent of the moon:

But blast and breeze and star, and Sun

All vainly swept, all vainly shone,

I filled a living tomb.

God of my fathers! Can it be?

Must I, the chosen of thy might?

Whose name alone, brought victory,

Whose battle cry was God my Right

Closed, in a Tyrant’s dungeon cell,

Wear out the remnant of my life?

And never hear again, the swell

Of high and hot and glorious strife

Where trumpet’s peal, and bugles sing,

And minstrels sweep the martial string,

And war, and fame are rife.

No Blondel! thou wert sent by heaven,

Thy King, thy Lion-King to free,

To thee, the high command was given

To rescue from captivity.

Haste from the Tyrant Austrian’s Hold,

Cross rapidly the rolling sea,

And go, where dwell the brave, the bold,

By stream and Hill and green-wood tree.

Minstrel let merry England, ring

With tidings of her Lion-King,

And bring back liberty.

Such was the lay, the monarch-minstrel sung,

A few bright moons, waned from the silent heavens

And Albion, with a shout of Triumph rung;

As once again her worshipped King, was given

Back to her breast, his bonds asunder riven

And the Sweet Empress of the subject Sea

Sent up her hymn of gratitude to heaven

Through all her coasts she hailed him crowned and free

The Champion of God’s hosts The pride of liberty.

Charlotte Brontë

Decbr 27th 1833

Haworth nr Bradford

Transcriber’s note

This text has been transcribed from the author’s handwritten notebook. Spelling, punctuation and capitalisation have been left as in the manuscript, except for a few ampersands which have been rendered here as “and”. A small number of linebreaks have been inferred from the metre and rhyme.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RICHARD COEUR DE LION AND BLONDEL ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg License when you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg electronic works provided that:

- • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”

- • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.

- • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.

- • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 41 Watchung Plaza #516, Montclair NJ 07042, USA, +1 (862) 621-9288. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.

Table of Contents

Richard Cœur de Lion and Blondel

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE