III.

Her strong enchantments failing, Her towers of fear in wreck, Her limbecks dried of poisons And the knife at her neck,

The Queen of air and darkness Begins to shrill and cry, 'O young man, O my slayer, To-morrow you shall die.'

O Queen of air and darkness, I think 'tis truth you say, And I shall die to-morrow; But you will die to-day.

IV. ILLIC JACET

Oh hard is the bed they have made him, And common the blanket and cheap; But there he will lie as they laid him: Where else could you trust him to sleep?

To sleep when the bugle is crying And cravens have heard and are brave, When mothers and sweethearts are sighing And lads are in love with the grave.

Oh dark is the chamber and lonely, And lights and companions depart; But lief will he lose them and only Behold the desire of his heart.

And low is the roof, but it covers A sleeper content to repose; And far from his friends and his lovers He lies with the sweetheart he chose.

V. GRENADIER

The Queen she sent to look for me, The sergeant he did say, 'Young man, a soldier will you be For thirteen pence a day?'

For thirteen pence a day did I Take off the things I wore, And I have marched to where I lie, And I shall march no more.

My mouth is dry, my shirt is wet, My blood runs all away, So now I shall not die in debt For thirteen pence a day.

To-morrow after new young men The sergeant he must see, For things will all be over then Between the Queen and me.

And I shall have to bate my price, For in the grave, they say, Is neither knowledge nor device Nor thirteen pence a day.

VI. LANCER

I 'listed at home for a lancer, Oh who would not sleep with the brave? I 'listed at home for a lancer To ride on a horse to my grave.

And over the seas we were bidden A country to take and to keep; And far with the brave I have ridden, And now with the brave I shall sleep.

For round me the men will be lying That learned me the way to behave. And showed me my business of dying: Oh who would not sleep with the brave?

They ask and there is not an answer; Says I, I will 'list for a lancer, Oh who would not sleep with the brave?

And I with the brave shall be sleeping At ease on my mattress of loam, When back from their taking and keeping The squadron is riding home.

The wind with the plumes will be playing, The girls will stand watching them wave, And eyeing my comrades and saying Oh who would not sleep with the brave?

They ask and there is not an answer; Says you, I will 'list for a lancer, Oh who would not sleep with the brave?