The Norman Baron

Dans les moments de la vie ou la reflexion devient plus calme et plus profonde, ou l'interet et l'avarice parlent moins haut que la raison, dans les instants de chagrin domestique, de maladie, et de peril de mort, les nobles se repentirent de posseder des serfs, comme d'une chose peu agreable a Dieu, qui avait cree tous les hommes a son image.--THIERRY, Conquete de l'Angleterre.     In his chamber, weak and dying,     Was the Norman baron lying;     Loud, without, the tempest thundered                 And the castle-turret shook,     In this fight was Death the gainer,     Spite of vassal and retainer,     And the lands his sires had plundered,                 Written in the Doomsday Book.     By his bed a monk was seated,     Who in humble voice repeated     Many a prayer and pater-noster,                 From the missal on his knee;     And, amid the tempest pealing,     Sounds of bells came faintly stealing,     Bells, that from the neighboring kloster                 Rang for the Nativity.     In the hall, the serf and vassal     Held, that night their Christmas wassail;     Many a carol, old and saintly,                 Sang the minstrels and the waits;     And so loud these Saxon gleemen     Sang to slaves the songs of freemen,     That the storm was heard but faintly,                 Knocking at the castle-gates.     Till at length the lays they chanted     Reached the chamber terror-haunted,     Where the monk, with accents holy,                 Whispered at the baron's ear.     Tears upon his eyelids glistened,     As he paused awhile and listened,     And the dying baron slowly                 Turned his weary head to hear.     "Wassail for the kingly stranger     Born and cradled in a manger!     King, like David, priest, like Aaron,                 Christ is born to set us free!"     And the lightning showed the sainted     Figures on the casement painted,     And exclaimed the shuddering baron,                 "Miserere, Domine!"     In that hour of deep contrition     He beheld, with clearer vision,     Through all outward show and fashion,                 Justice, the Avenger, rise.     All the pomp of earth had vanished,     Falsehood and deceit were banished,     Reason spake more loud than passion,                 And the truth wore no disguise.     Every vassal of his banner,     Every serf born to his manor,     All those wronged and wretched creatures,                 By his hand were freed again.     And, as on the sacred missal     He recorded their dismissal,     Death relaxed his iron features,                 And the monk replied, "Amen!"     Many centuries have been numbered     Since in death the baron slumbered     By the convent's sculptured portal,                 Mingling with the common dust:     But the good deed, through the ages     Living in historic pages,     Brighter grows and gleams immortal,                 Unconsumed by moth or rust