5 THE HIGHWAYMAN ALFRED NOYES PART ONE The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees; The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas; The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor; And the highwayman came riding— Riding-riding— The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door. He'd a French cocked hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin, A coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of brown doeskin; They fitted with never a wrinkle; his boots were up to the thigh! 10 And he rode with a jeweled twinkle, His pistol butts a-twinkle, His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jeweled sky. Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn yard; And he tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred; 15 He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there But the landlord's black-eyed daughter, Bess, the landlord's daughter, Plaiting a dark red love knot into her long black hair. And dark in the dark old inn yard a stable-wicket creaked 20 Where Tim the ostler listened; his face was white and peaked; His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like moldy hay, But he loved the landlord's daughter, The landlord's red-lipped daughter; Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say— 5 "One kiss, my bonny sweetheart; I'm after a prize tonight; But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light; Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day, Then look for me by moonlight; Watch for me by moonlight; I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way." He rose upright in the stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand, But she loosened her hair i' the casement! His face burned like a brand As the black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast; 10 And he kissed its waves in the moonlight (Oh, sweet black waves in the moonlight!); Then he tugged at his rein in the moonlight, and galloped away to the West. PART TWO He did not come in the dawning; he did not come at noon; And out o' the tawny sunset, before the rise o' the moon, 15 When the road was a gypsy's ribbon, looping the purple moor, A redcoat troop came marching— Marching-marching King George's men came marching, up to the old inn door. They said no word to the landlord; they drank his ale instead; 20 But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed; Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets at their side! There was death at every window; And hell at one dark window; For Bess could see, through her casement, the road that he would ride. They had tied her up to attention, with many a sniggering jest; They had bound a musket beside her, with the barrel beneath her breast! "Now keep good watch!" and they kissed her. She heard the dead man say: 5 Look for me by moonlight; Watch for me by moonlight; I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way! She twisted her hands behind her; but all the knots held good! She writhed her hands till her fingers were wet with sweat or blood! 10 They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like years, Till, now, on the stroke of midnight, Cold on the stroke of midnight, The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers! The tip of one finger touched it; she strove no more for the rest! 15 Up, she stood to attention, with the barrel beneath her breast. She would not risk their hearing; she would not strive again; For the road lay bare in the moonlight, Blank and bare in the moonlight; And the blood of her veins in the moonlight throbbed to her love's refrain. 20 Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hoof's ringing clear; Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot, in the distance! Were they deaf that they did not hear? Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill, The highwayman came riding, Riding-riding 25 The redcoats looked to their priming! She stood up, straight and still! Tlot-tlot, in the frosty silence! Tlot-tlot, in the echoing night! Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light! Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath; Then her finger moved in the moonlight; 5 Her musket shattered the moonlight; Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him-with her death. He turned; he spurred to the westward; he did not know who stood Bowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched with her own red blood! Not till the dawn he heard it, and slowly blanched to hear 10 How Bess, the landlord's daughter, The landlord's black-eyed daughter, Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there. Back he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky, With the white road smoking behind him, and his rapier brandished high! 15 Blood red were his spurs i' the golden noon; wine-red was his velvet coat, When they shot him down on the highway, Down like a dog on the highway; And he lay in his blood on the highway, with the bunch of lace at his throat. And still of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees, 20 When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, A highwayman comes riding Riding-riding- A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn door. 5 Over the cobbles he clatters and clangs in the dark inn yard; And he taps with his whip on the shutters, but all is locked and barred; He whistles a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there But the landlord's black-eyed daughter, Bess, the landlord's daughter, Plaiting a dark red love knot into her long black hair. NOTES AND QUESTIONS Biography. Alfred Noyes (1880- ), an English poet, lives in London. He was educated at Oxford University, and has since devoted himself to literature, contributing to many English magazines. During the World War he wrote many stirring poems, one of the best of which is "Kilmeny." In 1918-1919 Mr. Noyes lectured in the United States and taught literature at Princeton University. Discussion. 1. Where is the scene of this story laid? At what time? How can you tell? 2. How did people travel at that time? 3. How do you think the highwayman expected to get his "prize"? 4. Whom does he mean when he says, "If they press me sharply"? 5. What are we to imagine that Tim, the ostler, did? 6. How does the poet want you to feel toward Tim? 7. What did the troopers expect the highwayman to do? 8. How was he warned? 9. Why did he not remain in hiding after his escape? 10. Does it seem fitting that the highwayman should meet a violent death? Why? 11. What comparisons are made in the first stanza? Which of these can you picture most clearly? 12. How does the poet suggest the movement of the horse? How does he suggest the movement of the troopers? 13. What is added to the story by the last two stanzas of the poem? 14. Read again what is said of this poem in the Introduction on page 95; mention other poems you have read that were based on an old legend. 15. Compare your "private moving picture show" of this story with that of "John Gilpin"; which do you see the more clearly? 16. Find in the Glossary the meaning of: plaiting; harry; casement looping: priming. 17. Pronounce: moor; breeches; rapier; ostler. Class Reading. Bring to class and read aloud "Kilmeny" (in The Elson Readers, Book Seven), and other narrative poems by Noyes. |