. . . I' the great hall of the castle, arch'd aside
With fretted marble - feet of gold, rare wrought
Mosaic, a table stood, whereon was set
A silver chalice and a flagon of wine;
And from the cup the court were wont to drink
In the hot noon. And seeing it one day,
An evil thought slipt thro' the Queen's mad brain, -
To drug the cup, ere Tristram drank thereout,
That with the red wine he might drink white death.
She made a shift to lull suspicious thoughts.
One evening, before the King, she lifted
The boy to her lap and strokt his yellow hair,
And when the blue Saxon eyes were clos'd in sleep
Kist the shut lashes and her purfled robe
About him threw, and laid across his brow,
Read more in News
Notice.