Harold, Complete

Southwark from the capital; and we must pause to gaze a moment

green mound of waste, within sight of the populous bridge, the gleemen were exercising their art. Here one dexterous juggler threw three balls and three knives alternately in the air, catching them one by one as they fell 30. There, another was gravely leading a great bear to dance on its hind legs, while hi

s the favourite spot of the popular ballad-singer 33. Here, too, might be seen the swarthy Saracen, with wares from Spain and Afric 34. Here, the German merchant from the Steel-yard swept along on his way to his suburban home. Here, on some holy office, went quick the muffled monk. Here, the city gallant paused to laugh with the country girl, her basket full of May-boughs and cowslips. In short, all bespoke that activity, whether in business or pastime, which was destined to render that city the mart of the world, and which had already knit the trade of the Anglo-Saxon to t

r king, thy lot hath fal

are the evidences of the Danes. Bethink thee how often they have sailed up this river. How know I but what the next year the raven flag may stream over these waters? Magnus of Denm

herbourg. And I tell thee this for thy comfort, that were I king of the English, and lord of this river, the citizens of London might sleep fro

he chroniclers have praised and noted. For it was his hope and his aim in this visit, that his cousin Edward should formal

ppointment at Edward's silence; "it seemeth the remains of some

ne of the old Lombard freemasons employed on my new palace of Westminster,

lliam; "and I predict that, some day or other, on that site, a King of

ave lodged, and ourself sometimes; but the sweet

ow palisades. Tall roods, and holy images, to which we owe the names of existing thoroughfares (Rood-lane and Lady-lane 38), where the ways crossed, attracted the curious and detained the pious. Spires there were not then, but blunt, cone-headed turrets, pyramidal, denoting the Houses of God

e of Christ, and of Edward's feeble and luckless father, Ethelred) might be seen, still gigantic in decay, the ruins of the vast temple of Diana 40. Many a church, and many a convent, pierced their mingled brick and timber work

le's gate 42) still too were seen the arches of one of those mighty aqueducts which the Roman learned from the Etrurian. And close by the Still-yard, occupied by "the Emperor's cheap men" (the German merchants), stood, almost entire, the Roman temple, extant in the time of Geoffrey of Monmouth. Without the walls, the old Roman vineyards 43 still put forth their green leaves and crude clusters, in th

on things, but on men, looked he; and as silently he rode on from street to street, out of those

ight, fair pastures below green holts, thinly studded with houses; over numerous cuts and inlets running into the river, rode they on. The hour and the season were thos

red awhile at the Mews 46 (where the hawks were kept), passed by the rude palace of stone and rubble, appropriated to the tributary kings of Scotland 47-a gift from Edgar to Kenneth-and finally, reaching the inlet of the river, which, wi