A MIST was driving down the British Channel, | |
| The day was just begun, | |
| And through the window-panes, on floor and panel, | |
| Streamed the red autumn sun. | |
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| It glanced on flowing flag and rippling pennon, | 5 |
| And the white sails of ships; | |
| And, from the frowning rampart, the black cannon | |
| Hailed it with feverish lips. | |
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| Sandwich and Romney, Hastings, Hithe, and Dover | |
| Were all alert that day, | 10 |
| To see the French war-steamers speeding over, | |
| When the fog cleared away. | |
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| Sullen and silent, and like couchant lions, | |
| Their cannon, through the night, | |
| Holding their breath, had watched, in grim defiance, | 15 |
| The sea-coast opposite. | |
| |
| And now they roared at drum-beat from their stations | |
| On every citadel; | |
| Each answering each, with morning salutations, | |
| That all was well. | 20 |
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| And down the coast, all taking up the burden, | |
| Replied the distant forts, | |
| As if to summon from his sleep the Warden | |
| And Lord of the Cinque Ports. | |
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| Him shall no sunshine from the fields of azure, | 25 |
| No drum-beat from the wall, | |
| No morning gun from the black fort’s embrasure, | |
| Awaken with its call! | |
| |
| No more, surveying with an eye impartial | |
| The long line of the coast, | 30 |
| Shall the gaunt figure of the old Field Marshal | |
| Be seen upon his post! | |
| |
| For in the night, unseen, a single warrior, | |
| In sombre harness mailed, | |
| Dreaded of man, and surnamed the Destroyer, | 35 |
| The rampart wall had scaled. | |
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| He passed into the chamber of the sleeper, | |
| The dark and silent room, | |
| And as he entered, darker grew, and deeper, | |
| The silence and the gloom. | 40 |
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| He did not pause to parley or dissemble, | |
| But smote the Warden hoar; | |
| Ah! what a blow! that made all England tremble | |
| And groan from shore to shore. | |
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| Meanwhile, without, the surly cannon waited, | 45 |
| The sun rose bright o’erhead; | |
| Nothing in Nature’s aspect intimated | |
| That a great man was dead. | |
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