| |
| OH thou, or what remains of thee, | |
| Ælla, the darling of futurity, | |
| Let this my song bold as thy courage be, | |
| As everlasting to posterity. | |
| |
| When Dacia’s sons, whose hairs of blood-red hue, | 5 |
| Like king-cups bursting with the morning dew, | |
| Arranged in drear array, | |
| Upon the deadly day, | |
| Spread far and wide on Watchet’s shore; | |
| Then didst thou furious stand, | 10 |
| And by thy valiant hand | |
| Besprenged all the mees with gore. | |
| |
| Drawn by thine anlace fell, | |
| Down to the depth of hell | |
| Thousands of Dacians went; | 15 |
| Brystowans, men of might, | |
| Y-dared the bloody fight, | |
| And acted deeds full quent. | |
| |
| Oh thou, where’er (thy bones at rest) | |
| Thy sprite to haunt delighteth best, | 20 |
| Whether upon the blood-embruèd plain, | |
| Or where thou know’st from far | |
| The dismal cry of war, | |
| Or seest some mountain made of corse of slain; | |
| |
| Or seest the hatchèd steed | 25 |
| Y-prancing o’er the mead, | |
| And neigh to be among the pointed spears; | |
| Or, in black armour stalk’st around | |
| Embattled Bristol, once thy ground, | |
| And glow, ardurous, on the castle-stairs; | 30 |
| |
| Or fiery round the minster glare, | |
| Let Bristol still be made thy care; | |
| Guard it from foemen and consuming fire. | |
| Like Avon’s stream, ensyrke it round, | |
| Nor let a flame enharm the ground, | 35 |
| Till in one flame all the whole world expire. | |
| |
