Thus ran the Student's pleasant rhyme
Of Eginhard and love and youth;
Some doubted its historic truth,
But while they doubted, ne'ertheless
Saw in it gleams of truthfulness,
And thanked the Monk of Lauresheim.
This they discussed in various mood;
Then in the silence that ensued
Was heard a sharp and sudden sound
As of a bowstring snapped in air;
And the Musician with a bound
Sprang up in terror from his chair,
And for a moment listening stood,
Then strode across the room, and found
His dear, his darling violin
Still lying safe asleep within
Its little cradle, like a child
That gives a sudden cry of pain,
And wakes to fall asleep again;
And as he looked at it and smiled,
By the uncertain light beguiled,
Despair! two strings were broken in twain.
While all lamented and made moan,
With many a sympathetic word
As if the loss had been their own,
Deeming the tones they might have heard
Sweeter than they had heard before,
They saw the Landlord at the door,
The missing man, the portly Squire!
He had not entered, but he stood
With both arms full of seasoned wood,
To feed the much-devouring fire,
That like a lion in a cage
Lashed its long tail and roared with rage.
The missing man! Ah, yes, they said,
Missing, but whither had he fled?
Where had he hidden himself away?
No farther than the barn or shed;
He had not hidden himself, nor fled;
How should he pass the rainy day
But in his barn with hens and hay,
Or mending harness, cart, or sled?
Now, having come, he needs must stay
And tell his tale as well as they.
The Landlord answered only: "These
Are logs from the dead apple-trees
Of the old orchard planted here
By the first Howe of Sudbury.
Nor oak nor maple has so clear
A flame, or burns so quietly,
Or leaves an ash so clean and white;"
Thinking by this to put aside
The impending tale that terrified;
When suddenly, to his delight,
The Theologian interposed,
Saying that when the door was closed,
And they had stopped that draft of cold,
Unpleasant night air, he proposed
To tell a tale world-wide apart
From that the Student had just told;
World-wide apart, and yet akin,
As showing that the human heart
Beats on forever as of old,
As well beneath the snow-white fold
Of Quaker kerchief, as within
Sendal or silk or cloth of gold,
And without preface would begin.
And then the clamorous clock struck eight,
Deliberate, with sonorous chime
Slow measuring out the march of time,
Like some grave Consul of old Rome
In Jupiter's temple driving home
The nails that marked the year and date.
Thus interrupted in his rhyme,
The Theologian needs must wait;
But quoted Horace, where he sings
The dire Necessity of things,
That drives into the roofs sublime
Of new-built houses of the great
The adamantine nails of Fate.
When ceased the little carillon
To herald from its wooden tower
The important transit of the hour,
The Theologian hastened on,
Content to be allowed at last
To sing his Idyl of the Past.
Tales of a Wayside Inn 1863
- Prelude; The Wayside Inn
- The Landlord's Tale; Paul Revere's Ride
- Interlude
- The Student's Tale; The Falcon of Ser Federigo
- Interlude
- The Spanish Jew's Tale; The Legend of Rabbi Ben Levi
- Interlude
- The Sicilian's Tale; King Robert of Sicily
- Interlude
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - I. The Challenge of Thor
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - II. King Olaf's Return
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - III. Thora of Rimol
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - IV. Queen Sigrid the Haughty
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - V. The Skerry of Shrieks
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - VI. The Wraith of Odin
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - VII. Iron-Beard
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - VIII. Gudrun
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - IX. Thangbrand the Priest
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - X. Raud the Strong
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - XI. Bishop Sigurd at Salten Fiord
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - XII. King Olaf's Christmas
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - XIII. The Building of the Long Serpent
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - XIV. The Crew of the Long Serpent
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - XV. A Little Bird in the Air
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - XVI. Queen Thyri and the Angelica Stalks
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - XVII. King Svend of the Forked Beard
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - XVIII. King Olaf and Earl Sigvald
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - XIX. King Olaf's War-Horns
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - XX. Einar Tamberskelver
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - XXI. King Olaf's Death-Drink
- The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf - XXII. The Nun of Nidaros
- Interlude
- The Theologian's Tale; Torquemada
- Interlude
- The Poet's Tale; The Birds of Killingworth
- Finale
- Prelude
- The Sicilian's Tale; The Bell of Atri
- Interlude
- The Spanish Jew's Tale; Kambalu
- Interlude
- The Student's Tale; The Cobbler of Hagenau
- Interlude
- The Musician's Tale; The Ballad of Carmilhan - I.
- The Musician's Tale; The Ballad of Carmilhan - II.
- The Musician's Tale; The Ballad of Carmilhan - III.
- The Musician's Tale; The Ballad of Carmilhan - IV.
- Interlude
- The Poet's Tale; Lady Wentworth
- Interlude
- The Theologian's Tale; The Legend Beautiful
- Interlude
- The Student's Second Tale; The Baron of St. Castine
- Finale
- Prelude
- The Spanish Jew's Tale; Azrael
- Interlude
- The Poet's Tale; Charlemagne
- Interlude
- The Student's Tale; Emma and Eginhard
- Interlude
- The Theologian's Tale; Elizabeth
- Interlude
- The Sicilian's Tale; The Monk of Casal-Maggiore
- Interlude
- The Spanish Jew's Second Tale; Scanderbeg
- Interlude
- The Musician's Tale; The Mother's Ghost
- Interlude
- The Landlord's Tale; The Rhyme of Sir Christopher
- Finale