How the Glorious News was Carried to Aix

Robert Browning

Robert Browning (1812–1889), Selected Poetry.

Vol. 42, pp. 1066-1068 of The Harvard Classics

Three brave men began the heroic ride from Ghent to Aix. Only one man arrived to tell the thrilling story of the tempestuous ride. In one of his most bewitching poems, in lines that haunt the memory, Browning retells the story.

(Robert Browning died Dec. 12, 1889.)

‘How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix’ [16—]

I SPRANG to the stirrup, and Joris, and he;

I galloped, Dirck galloped, we galloped all three;

‘Good speed!’ cried the watch, as the gate-bolts undrew;

‘Speed!’ echoed the wall to us galloping through;

Behind shut the postern, the lights sank to rest,

And into the midnight we galloped abreast.

 Not a word to each other; we kept the great pace

Neck by neck, stride by stride, never changing our place;

I turned in my saddle and made its girths tight,

Then shortened each stirrup, and set the pique right,

Rebuckled the cheek-strap, chained slacker the bit,

Nor galloped less steadily Roland a whit.

’Twas moonset at starting; but while we drew near

Lokeren, the cocks crew and twilight dawned clear;

At Boom, a great yellow star came out to see;

At Düffeld, ’twas morning as plain as could be;

And from Mecheln church-steeple we heard the half-chime,

So Joris broke silence with ‘Yet there is time!’

At Aerschot, up leaped of a sudden the sun,

And against him the cattle stood black every one,

To stare through the mist at us galloping past,

And I saw my stout galloper Roland at last,

With resolute shoulders, each butting away

The haze, as some bluff river headland its spray.

And his low head and crest, just one sharp ear bent back

For my voice, and the other pricked out on his track;

And one eye’s black intelligence,—ever that glance

O’er its white edge at me, his own master, askance!

And the thick heavy spume-flakes which aye and anon

His fierce lips shook upwards in galloping on.

By Hasselt, Dirck groaned; and cried Joris, ‘Stay spur!

Your Roos galloped bravely, the fault’s not in her,

We’ll remember at Aix’—for one heard the quick wheeze

Of her chest, saw the stretched neck and staggering knees,

And sunk tail, and horrible heave of the flank,

As down on her haunches she shuddered and sank.

So we were left galloping, Joris and I,

Past Looz and past Tongres, no cloud in the sky;

The broad sun above laughed a pitiless laugh,

’Neath our feet broke the brittle bright stubble like chaff;

Till over by Dalhem a dome-spire sprang white,

And ‘Gallop,’ gasped Joris, ‘for Aix is in sight!’

‘How they’ll greet us!’—and all in a moment his roan

Rolled neck and croup over, lay dead as a stone;

And there was my Roland to bear the whole weight

Of the news which alone could save Aix from her fate,

With his nostrils like pits full of blood to the brim,

And with circles of red for his eye-sockets’ rim.

Then I cast loose my buffcoat, each holster let fall,

Shook off both my jack-boots, let go belt and all,

Stood up in the stirrup, learned, patted his ear,

Called my Roland his pet-name, my horse without peer;

Clapped my hands, laughed and sang, any noise, bad or good,

Till at length into Aix Roland galloped and stood.

And all I remember is, friends flocking round

As I sat with his head ’twixt my knees on the ground;

And no voice but was praising this Roland of mine,

As I poured down his throat our last measure of wine,

Which (the burgesses voted by common consent)

Was no more than his due who brought good news from Ghent.

The Lost Leader

JUST for a handful of silver he left us,

  Just for a riband to stick in his coat—

Found the one gift of which fortune bereft us,

  Lost all the others she lets us devote;

They, with the gold to give, doled him out silver,

  So much was theirs who so little allowed:

How all our copper had gone for his service!

  Rags—were they purple, his heart had been proud!

We that had loved him so, followed him, honoured him,

  Lived in his mild and magnificent eye,

Learned his great language, caught his clear accents,

  Made him our pattern to live and to die!

Shakespeare was of us, Milton was for us,

  Burns, Shelley, were with us,—they watch from their graves!

He alone breaks from the van and the freemen,

  He alone sinks to the rear and the slaves!

We shall march prospering,—not through his presence;

  Songs may inspirit us,—not from his lyre;

Deeds will be done,—while he boasts his quiescence,

  Still bidding crouch whom the rest bade aspire:

Blot out his name, then, record one lost soul more,

  One task more declined, one more footpath untrod,

One more triumph for devils and sorrow for angels,

  One wrong more to man, one more insult to God!

Life’s night begins: let him never come back to us!

  There would be doubt, hesitation and pain,

Forced praise on our part—the glimmer of twilight,

  Never glad confident morning again!

Best fight on well, for we taught him,—strike gallantly,

  Menace our heart ere we master his own;

Then let him receive the new knowledge and wait us,

  Pardoned in Heaven, the first by the throne!