The Glove and the Lions by Leigh Hunt

The Glove and the Lions

BY LEIGH HUNT

King Francis was a hearty king, and loved a royal sport,

And one day as his lions fought, sat looking on the court;

The nobles filled the benches, and the ladies in their pride,

And 'mongst them sat the Count de Lorge, with one for whom he sighed:

And truly 'twas a gallant thing to see that crowning show,

Valour and love, and a king above, and the royal beasts below.


Ramped and roared the lions, with horrid laughing jaws;

They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with their paws;

With wallowing might and stifled roar they rolled on one another;

Till all the pit with sand and mane was in a thunderous smother;

The bloody foam above the bars came whisking through the air;

Said Francis then, "Faith, gentlemen, we're better here than there."


De Lorge's love o'erheard the King, a beauteous lively dame

With smiling lips and sharp bright eyes, which always seemed the same;

She thought, the Count my lover is brave as brave can be;

He surely would do wondrous things to show his love of me;

King, ladies, lovers, all look on; the occasion is divine;

I'll drop my glove, to prove his love; great glory will be mine.


She dropped her glove, to prove his love, then looked at him and smiled;

He bowed, and in a moment leaped among the lions wild:

The leap was quick, return was quick, he has regained his place,

Then threw the glove, but not with love, right in the lady's face.

"By God!" said Francis, "rightly done!" and he rose from where he sat:

"No love," quoth he, "but vanity, sets love a task like that."


Paraphrase Stanza 1

King Francis was a robust and enthusiastic ruler who enjoyed grand spectacles. On one occasion, while his lions were fighting in the arena, he watched the event from his seat. The seats around the arena were occupied by nobles, and the ladies were present, showing off their elegance. Among the spectators was Count de Lorge, who was seated with a woman he admired or loved. It was indeed a magnificent and impressive sight to witness such a grand event. The scene combined bravery and romance, with the king overseeing the spectacle and the royal lions battling below.

Paraphrase Stanza 2

The lions charged and roared aggressively, their mouths open in a frightening display. The lions bit and glared at each other, their strikes powerful like beams of light, and their movements created a gust of wind. They tumbled over each other with great force, their roars muffled as they fought. The arena became a chaotic mix of sand and lion manes, creating a loud and tumultuous scene. Blood and foam from the lions flew through the air above the protective bars. King Francis remarked that it was fortunate they were safely watching from their seats rather than being in the midst of the dangerous action.

Paraphrase Stanza 3

De Lorge's beloved, a beautiful and vivacious lady, overheard the king’s remark. She had a constant, radiant smile and sharp, bright eyes that always appeared lively and attentive. She believed that her lover, the Count, was as courageous as anyone could be. She was confident that he would perform remarkable deeds to demonstrate his love for her. She felt that everyone present, including the king and other spectators, was witnessing a perfect moment. She decided to drop her glove in the arena as a challenge, believing that her lover would retrieve it to prove his devotion, which would bring her great honor.

Paraphrase Stanza 4

She let her glove fall into the arena to test her lover's devotion and then smiled at him. He acknowledged her with a bow and immediately jumped into the pit where the wild lions were fighting. His jump into the pit and back was swift; he quickly returned to his seat. He threw the glove back at her, but instead of a loving gesture, he tossed it directly at her face. King Francis exclaimed in approval, acknowledging that the Count had acted correctly. The king remarked that the act was driven not by genuine love but by vanity, suggesting that such a dangerous task was undertaken to show off rather than out of true affection


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