Stories of the Olden Time Author:James Johonnot Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: XII.-KING CANUTE. . 1. Upon his royal throne he sat In a monarch's thoughtful mood; Attendants on his regal state, His servile courtiers stood, With fo... more »olish flatteries, false and vain, To win his smile, his favor gain. 2. They told him e'en the mighty deep His kingly sway confessed ; That he could bid its billows leap, Or still its stormy breast! He smiled contemptuously and cried, " Be then my boasted empire tried !" 3. Down to the ocean's sounding shore The proud procession came, To see its billows' wild uproar King Canute's power proclaim, Or, at his high and dread command, In gentle murmurs kiss the strand. 4. Not so thought he, their noble king, As his course he seaward sped; And each base slave, like a guilty thing, Hung down his conscious head: He knew the ocean's Lord on high! They, that he scorned their senseless lie. 5. His throne was placed by ocean's side, He lifted his scepter there, Bidding, with tones of kingly pride, The waves their strife forbear; And while he spoke his royal will, All but the winds and waves were still. Canute and his Comiurs. 6. Louder the stormy blast swept by, In scorn of idle word; The briny deep its waves tossed high, By his mandate undeterred, As threatening, in their angry play, To sweep both king and court away. 7. The monarch, with upbraiding look, Turned to the courtly ring; But none the kindling eye could brook Even of his earthly king; For in that wrathful glance they see A mightier monarch wronged than he! 8. Canute, thy regal race is run ; Tby name had passed away, But for the meed this tale hath won, Which never shall decay: Its meek, unperishing renown Outlasts thy scepter and thy crown. 9. The Persian, in his mighty pride, Forged fett...« less