’Twas for our Founder now in turn to pause-- He felt his weakness at rebuff so stern; The kid had leaped beneath the lion’s paws, Whose fangs began to move, and eyes to burn; At length he said, “What bold encroachment draws The Sachem’s mind into this deep concern? How have the Yengees given thee offence? What deeds of theirs have marred thy confidence?” XLVII. At this, the Sachem from his girdle took His snow-white pipe, and snapt the stem in twain: “They came intruders, and the pipe was broke,” Said the stern Sachem, and it snapt again; “Our subject chiefs their ruling chiefs forsook, And they were sheltered by the stranger’s train. This fragment shows the serpent’s skin they sent, Filled with round thunders to our royal tent. XLVIII. “This shows, they raised their bulwarks high and proud, And poised their big guns at our distant home. This, when at Sowams[18] raged our battle loud, How their round thunders made that battle dumb. This, the fire-water how they have bestowed, And with its madness have our youth o’ercome. This, how amid the Pequot nation they Build the square lodge, and whet him to the fray. [18] See note to stanza XXXIII. XLIX. “This, with the Maqua how a league they made, And filled with arms his all-destroying hand. This, how they claim right over quick and dead-- Our fathers’ buried bones, their children’s land. This, how the earth grows pale, as fast they spread From glade to glade, like snow from Wamponand, When borne o’er ocean on the sounding gales, It crowns the hills and whitens through the vales. L. “Take thou the fragments--count their numbers well-- Ten times complains our violated right; They’ll help thy memory, and perchance will tell, Ten causes have we to distrust the White; Scarce can the grave our fathers’ spirits quell-- They come complaining in the dreams of night; Ten times the pipe was by the strangers broke, Ten times the hatchet from its slumbers woke.” LI. Williams the fragments took, and, counting ten, He promptly answered with this calm reply: “Sachem, some charity is due to men Who tread upon thy pipe unwittingly. Long had the waters tossed those wanderers, when, Hungry and cold, they came thy borders nigh; And, Sachem, they were ignorant of thy race, They only sought a safe abiding place. LII. “And this they found in that deserted strand, Where slept the dead--where living men were not; They knew no wrong in this--a rightful hand Appeared, and welcomed to the vacant spot; Each Sachem seemed as sovereign of his band-- They took his belt, for ’twas a token brought Of friendly greeting--who can this condemn? They aid the Whites, the Whites in turn aid them. LIII.