The Defence of Guenevere 23 A Good Knight in Prison 36 Shameful Death 41 The Eve of Crecy 43 The Haystack in the Floods 45 Riding together 51 Summer Dawn 54 From "THE LIFE AND DEATH OF JASON." (Book XIV.) The Sirens.--The Garden of the Hesperides.--The Heroes do Sacrifice at Malea 55 From "THE EARTHLY PARADISE." An Apology 82 From Prologue--The Wanderers 84 Ogier the Dane 95 The golden Apples 147 L'Envoi 168 From "LOVE IS ENOUGH." Interludes 173 From "THE STORY OF SIGURD THE VOLSUNG." (Book II.) Regin 178 FROM "THE DEFENCE OF GUENEVERE AND OTHER POEMS." THE DEFENCE OF GUENEVERE. But, knowing now that they would have her speak, She threw her wet hair backward from her brow, Her hand close to her mouth touching her cheek, As though she had had there a shameful blow, And feeling it shameful to feel ought but shame, All through her heart, yet felt her cheek burned so, She must a little touch it; like one lame She walked away from Gauwaine, with her head Still lifted up; and on her cheek of flame The tears dried quick; she stopped at last and said: "O knights and lords, it seems but little skill To talk of well-known things past now and dead. "God wot I ought to say, I have done ill, And pray you all forgiveness heartily! Because you must be right such great lords--still "Listen, suppose your time were come to die, And you were quite alone and very weak; Yea, laid a dying while very mightily "The wind was ruffling up the narrow streak Of river through your broad lands running well: Suppose a hush should come, then some one speak: "'One of these cloths is heaven, and one is hell, Now choose one cloth for ever, which they be, I will not tell you, you must somehow tell "'Of your own strength and mightiness; here, see!' Yea, yea, my lord, and you to ope your eyes, At foot of your familiar bed to see "A great God's angel standing, with such dyes, Not known on earth, on his great wings, and hands, Held out two ways, light from the inner skies "Showing him well, and making his commands Seem to be God's commands, moreover, too, Holding within his hands the cloths on wands; "And one of these strange choosing cloths was blue, Wavy and long, and one cut short and red; No man could tell the better of the two.