s: Descending, burst the great bronze valves, and led


s: A hundred maids in train across the Park.


s: Some cowled, and some bare-headed, on they came,


s: Their feet in flowers, her loveliest:  by them went


s: The enamoured air sighing, and on their curls


s: From the high tree the blossom wavering fell,


s: And over them the tremulous isles of light


s: Slided, they moving under shade:  but Blanche


s: At distance followed:  so they came:  anon


s: Through open field into the lists they wound


s: Timorously; and as the leader of the herd


s: That holds a stately fretwork to the Sun,


s: Steps with a tender foot, light as on air,


s: To where her wounded brethren lay; there stayed;


s: Knelt on one knee,--the child on one,--and prest


s: Their hands, and called them dear deliverers,


s: And said 'You shall not lie in the tents but here,


s: And nursed by those for whom you fought, and served


s: Then, whether moved by this, or was it chance,


s: She past my way.  Up started from my side


s: The old lion, glaring with his whelpless eye,


s: Silent; but when she saw me lying stark,


s: Dishelmed and mute, and motionlessly pale,


s: Cold even to her, she sighed; and when she saw


s: The haggard father's face and reverend beard


s: Of grisly twine, all dabbled with the blood


s: Of his own son, shuddered, a twitch of pain


s: Tortured her mouth, and o'er her forehead past


s: A shadow, and her hue changed, and she said:


s: 'He saved my life:  my brother slew him for it.'


s: No more:  at which the king in bitter scorn


s: Drew from my neck the painting and the tress,


s: And held them up:  she saw them, and a day


s: When the good Queen, her mother, shore the tress


s: With kisses, ere the days of Lady Blanche:


s: And then once more she looked at my pale face:


s: Her noble heart was molten in her breast;


s: She bowed, she set the child on the earth; she laid


s: A feeling finger on my brows, and presently


s: 'O Sire,' she said, 'he lives:  he is not dead:


s: To lighten this great clog of thanks, that make


s: Our progress falter to the woman's goal.'


s: She said:  but at the happy word 'he lives'


s: My father stooped, re-fathered o'er my wounds.


s: With brow to brow like night and evening mixt


s: Their dark and gray, while Psyche ever stole


s: A little nearer, till the babe that by us,


s: Half-lapt in glowing gauze and golden brede,


s: Lay like a new-fallen meteor on the grass,


s: A blind and babbling laughter, and to dance


s: Its body, and reach its fatling innocent arms


s: And lazy lingering fingers.  She the appeal


s: Brooked not, but clamouring out 'Mine--mine--not yours,


s: It is not yours, but mine:  give me the child'


s: Ceased all on tremble:  piteous was the cry:


s: So stood the unhappy mother open-mouthed,


s: And turned each face her way:  wan was her cheek


s: With hollow watch, her blooming mantle torn,


s: Red grief and mother's hunger in her eye,


s: And down dead-heavy sank her curls, and half


s: The sacred mother's bosom, panting, burst


s: The laces toward her babe; but she nor cared


s: Nor knew it, clamouring on, till Ida heard,


s: Looked up, and rising slowly from me, stood


s: Erect and silent, striking with her glance


s: The mother, me, the child; but he that lay


s: Trailed himself up on one knee:  then he drew


s: Her robe to meet his lips, and down she looked


s: At the armed man sideways, pitying as it seemed,


s: Or self-involved; but when she learnt his face,


s: Once more through all her height, and o'er him grew


s: When the tide ebbs in sunshine, and he said:


s: 'O fair and strong and terrible!  Lioness


s: That with your long locks play the Lion's mane!


s: But Love and Nature, these are two more terrible


s: And stronger.  See, your foot is on our necks,


s: We vanquished, you the Victor of your will.


s: What would you more? Give her the child! remain


s: Or all as dead:  henceforth we let you be:


s: Lest, where you seek the common love of these,


s: The common hate with the revolving wheel


s: Should drag you down, and some great Nemesis


s: Break from a darkened future, crowned with fire,


s: And tread you out for ever:  but howso'er


s: Fixed in yourself, never in your own arms


s: Give her the child!  O if, I say, you keep


s: One pulse that beats true woman, if you loved


s: The breast that fed or arm that dandled you,


s: Or own one port of sense not flint to prayer,


s: Give her the child! or if you scorn to lay it,


s: Yourself, in hands so lately claspt with yours,


s: Or speak to her, your dearest, her one fault,


s: The tenderness, not yours, that could not kill,


s: At first her eye with slow dilation rolled


s: Dry flame, she listening; after sank and sank


s: And, into mournful twilight mellowing, dwelt


s: Full on the child; she took it:  'Pretty bud!


s: Lily of the vale! half opened bell of the woods!


s: Sole comfort of my dark hour, when a world


s: Of traitorous friend and broken system made


s: Pledge of a love not to be mine, farewell;


s: We two must part:  and yet how fain was I


s: To dream thy cause embraced in mine, to think


s: I might be something to thee, when I felt


s: Thy helpless warmth about my barren breast


s: In the dead prime:  but may thy mother prove


s: As true to thee as false, false, false to me!


s: And, if thou needs must needs bear the yoke, I wish it


s: Gentle as freedom'--here she kissed it:  then--


s: 'All good go with thee! take it Sir,' and so


s: Laid the soft babe in his hard-mailèd hands,


s: Who turned half-round to Psyche as she sprang


s: To meet it, with an eye that swum in thanks;


s: Then felt it sound and whole from head to foot,


s: And hugged and never hugged it close enough,


s: And in her hunger mouthed and mumbled it,


s: 'We two were friends:  I go to mine own land


s: I scarce am fit for your great plans:  yet speak to me,


s: Say one soft word and let me part forgiven.'


s: Then Arac.  'Ida--'sdeath! you blame the man;


s: You wrong yourselves--the woman is so hard


s: I am your warrior:  I and mine have fought


s: Your battle:  kiss her; take her hand, she weeps:


s: 'Sdeath!  I would sooner fight thrice o'er than see it.'


s: But Ida spoke not, gazing on the ground,


s: And reddening in the furrows of his chin,


s: 'I've heard that there is iron in the blood,


s: And I believe it.  Not one word? not one?


s: Whence drew you this steel temper? not from me,


s: Not from your mother, now a saint with saints.


s: She said you had a heart--I heard her say it--


s: "Our Ida has a heart"--just ere she died--


s: Be near her still" and I--I sought for one--


s: The Lady Blanche:  much profit!  Not one word;


s: No! though your father sues:  see how you stand


s: Stiff as Lot's wife, and all the good knights maimed,


s: I trust that there is no one hurt to death,


s: For our wild whim:  and was it then for this,


s: Where we withdrew from summer heats and state,


s: And had our wine and chess beneath the planes,


s: And many a pleasant hour with her that's gone,


s: Ere you were born to vex us?  Is it kind?


s: Speak to her I say:  is this not she of whom,


s: When first she came, all flushed you said to me


s: Now had you got a friend of your own age,


s: Now could you share your thought; now should men see


s: Than pairs of wedlock; she you walked with, she


s: You talked with, whole nights long, up in the tower,


s: And right ascension, Heaven knows what; and now


s: A word, but one, one little kindly word,


s: Not one to spare her:  out upon you, flint!


s: You shame your mother's judgment too.  Not one?


s: You will not? well--no heart have you, or such


s: Have fretted all to dust and bitterness.'


s: So said the small king moved beyond his wont.


s: But Ida stood nor spoke, drained of her force


s: By many a varying influence and so long.


s: Down through her limbs a drooping languor wept:


s: Her head a little bent; and on her mouth


s: A doubtful smile dwelt like a clouded moon


s: In a still water:  then brake out my sire,


s: Lifted his grim head from my wounds.  'O you,


s: And were half fooled to let you tend our son,


s: Because he might have wished it--but we see,


s: The accomplice of your madness unforgiven,


s: And think that you might mix his draught with death,


s: When your skies change again:  the rougher hand


s: Is safer:  on to the tents:  take up the Prince.'


s: He rose, and while each ear was pricked to attend


s: A tempest, through the cloud that dimmed her broke


s: A genial warmth and light once more, and shone


s: Through glittering drops on her sad friend.


s: O Psyche,' she cried out, 'embrace me, come,


s: Quick while I melt; make reconcilement sure


s: With one that cannot keep her mind an hour:


s: Come to the hollow hear they slander so!


s: Kiss and be friends, like children being chid!


s: _I_ seem no more:  _I_ want forgiveness too:


s: I should have had to do with none but maids,


s: That have no links with men.  Ah false but dear,


s: Dear traitor, too much loved, why?--why?--Yet see,


s: Before these kings we embrace you yet once more


s: Grant me your son, to nurse, to wait upon him,


s: Like mine own brother.  For my debt to him,


s: This nightmare weight of gratitude, I know it;


s: Taunt me no more:  yourself and yours shall have


s: Free adit; we will scatter all our maids


s: Till happier times each to her proper hearth:


s: What use to keep them here--now? grant my prayer.


s: Help, father, brother, help; speak to the king:


s: Thaw this male nature to some touch of that


s: Which kills me with myself, and drags me down


s: From my fixt height to mob me up with all


s: Followed:  the king replied not:  Cyril said:


s: 'Your brother, Lady,--Florian,--ask for him


s: Of your great head--for he is wounded too--


s: That you may tend upon him with the prince.'


s: 'Our laws are broken:  let him enter too.'


s: Then Violet, she that sang the mournful song,


s: Petitioned too for him.  'Ay so,' she said,


s: 'I stagger in the stream:  I cannot keep


s: My heart an eddy from the brawling hour:


s: We break our laws with ease, but let it be.'


s: 'Ay so?' said Blanche:  'Amazed am I to her


s: Your Highness:  but your Highness breaks with ease


s: The law your Highness did not make:  'twas I.


s: And blocked them out; but these men came to woo


s: So she, and turned askance a wintry eye:


s: Tolled by an earthquake in a trembling tower,


s: Rang ruin, answered full of grief and scorn.


s: 'Fling our doors wide! all, all, not one, but all,


s: Whatever man lies wounded, friend or foe,


s: Shall enter, if he will.  Let our girls flit,


s: Till the storm die! but had you stood by us,


s: The roar that breaks the Pharos from his base


s: Had left us rock.  She fain would sting us too,


s: But shall not.  Pass, and mingle with your likes.


s: We brook no further insult but are gone.'


s: She turned; the very nape of her white neck


s: Was rosed with indignation:  but the Prince


s: Her brother came; the king her father charmed


s: Her wounded soul with words:  nor did mine own


s: Refuse her proffer, lastly gave his hand.


s: Then us they lifted up, dead weights, and bare


s: Straight to the doors:  to them the doors gave way


s: Groaning, and in the Vestal entry shrieked


s: And on they moved and gained the hall, and there


s: Rested:  but great the crush was, and each base,


s: To left and right, of those tall columns drowned


s: Of female whisperers:  at the further end


s: Was Ida by the throne, the two great cats


s: Close by her, like supporters on a shield,


s: Bow-backed with fear:  but in the centre stood


s: The common men with rolling eyes; amazed


s: The women stared at these, all silent, save


s: When armour clashed or jingled, while the day,


s: Descending, struck athwart the hall, and shot


s: A flying splendour out of brass and steel,


s: That o'er the statues leapt from head to head,


s: Now set a wrathful Dian's moon on flame,


s: And shuddering fled from room to room, and died


s: And me they bore up the broad stairs, and through


s: The long-laid galleries past a hundred doors


s: To one deep chamber shut from sound, and due


s: To languid limbs and sickness; left me in it;


s: And others otherwhere they laid; and all


s: Till happier times; but some were left of those


s: Held sagest, and the great lords out and in,


s: From those two hosts that lay beside the walls,


s: Walked at their will, and everything was changed.


s: Ask me no more:  the moon may draw the sea;


s: The cloud may stoop from heaven and take the shape


s: With fold to fold, of mountain or of cape;


s: But O too fond, when have I answered thee?


s: Ask me no more:  what answer should I give?


s: Yet, O my friend, I will not have thee die!


s: Ask me no more, lest I should bid thee live;


s: Ask me no more:  thy fate and mine are sealed:


s: I strove against the stream and all in vain:


s: Let the great river take me to the main:


s: No more, dear love, for at a touch I yield;


s: So their fair college turned to hospital;


s: Sweet order lived again with other laws:


s: A kindlier influence reigned; and everywhere


s: Hung round the sick:  the maidens came, they talked,


s: They sang, they read:  till she not fair began


s: To gather light, and she that was, became


s: Her former beauty treble; and to and fro


s: With books, with flowers, with Angel offices,


s: Like creatures native unto gracious act,


s: And in their own clear element, they moved.


s: And hatred of her weakness, blent with shame.


s: Old studies failed; seldom she spoke:  but oft


s: Clomb to the roofs, and gazed alone for hours


s: On that disastrous leaguer, swarms of men


s: Darkening her female field:  void was her use,


s: And she as one that climbs a peak to gaze


s: O'er land and main, and sees a great black cloud


s: Drag inward from the deeps, a wall of night,


s: Blot out the slope of sea from verge to shore,


s: And suck the blinding splendour from the sand,


s: And quenching lake by lake and tarn by tarn


s: Expunge the world:  so fared she gazing there;


s: So blackened all her world in secret, blank


s: And waste it seemed and vain; till down she came,


s: And found fair peace once more among the sick.


s: And twilight dawned; and morn by morn the lark


s: Shot up and shrilled in flickering gyres, but I


s: And twilight gloomed; and broader-grown the bowers


s: Drew the great night into themselves, and Heaven,


s: Deeper than those weird doubts could reach me, lay


s: Quite sundered from the moving Universe,


s: Nor knew what eye was on me, nor the hand


s: That nursed me, more than infants in their sleep.


s: But Psyche tended Florian:  with her oft,


s: Melissa came; for Blanche had gone, but left


s: Her child among us, willing she should keep


s: Court-favour:  here and there the small bright head,


s: A light of healing, glanced about the couch,


s: Or through the parted silks the tender face


s: With blush and smile, a medicine in themselves


s: To wile the length from languorous hours, and draw


s: The sting from pain; nor seemed it strange that soon


s: He rose up whole, and those fair charities


s: Joined at her side; nor stranger seemed that hears


s: So gentle, so employed, should close in love,


s: Than when two dewdrops on the petals shake


s: To the same sweet air, and tremble deeper down,


s: Less prosperously the second suit obtained


s: At first with Psyche.  Not though Blanche had sworn


s: That after that dark night among the fields


s: She needs must wed him for her own good name;


s: Not though he built upon the babe restored;


s: Nor though she liked him, yielded she, but feared


s: To incense the Head once more; till on a day


s: Seen but of Psyche:  on her foot she hung


s: A moment, and she heard, at which her face


s: A little flushed, and she past on; but each


s: Assumed from thence a half-consent involved


s: In stillness, plighted troth, and were at peace.


s: Nor only these:  Love in the sacred halls


s: Held carnival at will, and flying struck


s: With showers of random sweet on maid and man.


s: Nor did her father cease to press my claim,


s: Nor did mine own, now reconciled; nor yet


s: Did those twin-brothers, risen again and whole;


s: But I lay still, and with me oft she sat:


s: Then came a change; for sometimes I would catch


s: Her hand in wild delirium, gripe it hard,


s: And fling it like a viper off, and shriek


s: And call her Ida, though I knew her not,


s: And call her hard and cold which seemed a truth:


s: And still she feared that I should lose my mind,


s: And often she believed that I should die:


s: Till out of long frustration of her care,


s: And pensive tendance in the all-weary noons,


s: And watches in the dead, the dark, when clocks


s: Throbbed thunder through the palace floors, or called


s: On flying Time from all their silver tongues--


s: And out of memories of her kindlier days,


s: And sidelong glances at my father's grief,


s: And at the happy lovers heart in heart--


s: And lonely listenings to my muttered dream,


s: And often feeling of the helpless hands,


s: And wordless broodings on the wasted cheek--


s: From all a closer interest flourished up,


s: Tenderness touch by touch, and last, to these,


s: Love, like an Alpine harebell hung with tears


s: By some cold morning glacier; frail at first


s: Last I woke sane, but well-nigh close to death


s: For weakness:  it was evening:  silent light


s: Slept on the painted walls, wherein were wrought


s: Two grand designs; for on one side arose


s: The women up in wild revolt, and stormed


s: At the Oppian Law.  Titanic shapes, they crammed


s: The forum, and half-crushed among the rest


s: A dwarf-like Cato cowered.  On the other side


s: Hortensia spoke against the tax; behind,


s: A train of dames:  by axe and eagle sat,


s: With all their foreheads drawn in Roman scowls,


s: And half the wolf's-milk curdled in their veins,


s: The fierce triumvirs; and before them paused


s: Hortensia pleading:  angry was her face.


s: I saw the forms:  I knew not where I was:


s: They did but look like hollow shows; nor more


s: Sweet Ida:  palm to palm she sat:  the dew


s: Dwelt in her eyes, and softer all her shape


s: And rounder seemed:  I moved:  I sighed:  a touch


s: Came round my wrist, and tears upon my hand:


s: Mine down my face, and with what life I had,


s: And like a flower that cannot all unfold,


s: So drenched it is with tempest, to the sun,


s: Yet, as it may, turns toward him, I on her


s: Fixt my faint eyes, and uttered whisperingly:


s: 'If you be, what I think you, some sweet dream,


s: Sweet dream, be perfect.  I shall die tonight.


s: Stoop down and seem to kiss me ere I die.'


s: I could no more, but lay like one in trance,


s: That hears his burial talked of by his friends,


s: And cannot speak, nor move, nor make one sign,


s: But lies and dreads his doom.  She turned; she paused;


s: She stooped; and out of languor leapt a cry;


s: Leapt fiery Passion from the brinks of death;


s: My spirit closed with Ida's at the lips;


s: Till back I fell, and from mine arms she rose


s: Her falser self slipt from her like a robe,


s: And left her woman, lovelier in her mood


s: Than in her mould that other, when she came


s: From barren deeps to conquer all with love;


s: And down the streaming crystal dropt; and she


s: To meet her Graces, where they decked her out


s: For worship without end; nor end of mine,


s: Stateliest, for thee! but mute she glided forth,


s: Nor glanced behind her, and I sank and slept,


s: Filled through and through with Love, a happy sleep.


s: Deep in the night I woke:  she, near me, held


s: There to herself, all in low tones, she read.


s: 'Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white;


s: Nor waves the cypress in the palace walk;


s: Nor winks the gold fin in the porphyry font:


s: The fire-fly wakens:  wake thou with me.


s: Now droops the milkwhite peacock like a ghost,


s: Now lies the Earth all Danaë to the stars,


s: Now lies the silent meteor on, and leaves


s: A shining furrow, as thy thoughts in me.


s: Now folds the lily all her sweetness up,


s: So fold thyself, my dearest, thou, and slip


s: I heard her turn the page; she found a small


s: Sweet Idyl, and once more, as low, she read:


s: 'Come down, O maid, from yonder mountain height:


s: What pleasure lives in height (the shepherd sang)


s: In height and cold, the splendour of the hills?


s: But cease to move so near the Heavens, and cease


s: And come, for love is of the valley, come,


s: For love is of the valley, come thou down


s: And find him; by the happy threshold, he,


s: Or hand in hand with Plenty in the maize,


s: Or foxlike in the vine; nor cares to walk


s: With Death and Morning on the silver horns,


s: Nor wilt thou snare him in the white ravine,


s: Nor find him dropt upon the firths of ice,


s: That huddling slant in furrow-cloven falls


s: But follow; let the torrent dance thee down


s: Lean-headed Eagles yelp alone, and leave


s: The monstrous ledges there to slope, and spill


s: Their thousand wreaths of dangling water-smoke,


s: That like a broken purpose waste in air:


s: So waste not thou; but come; for all the vales


s: Thy shepherd pipe, and sweet is every sound,


s: Sweeter thy voice, but every sound is sweet;


s: Myriads of rivulets hurrying through the lawn,


s: So she low-toned; while with shut eyes I lay


s: Listening; then looked.  Pale was the perfect face;


s: The bosom with long sighs laboured; and meek


s: Seemed the full lips, and mild the luminous eyes,


s: And the voice trembled and the hand.  She said


s: Brokenly, that she knew it, she had failed


s: Left in the quarry; but she still were loth,


s: She still were loth to yield herself to one


s: That wholly scorned to help their equal rights


s: Against the sons of men, and barbarous laws.


s: She prayed me not to judge their cause from her


s: That wronged it, sought far less for truth than power


s: In knowledge:  something wild within her breast,


s: A greater than all knowledge, beat her down.


s: And she had nursed me there from week to week:


s: Much had she learnt in little time.  In part


s: To vex true hearts:  yet was she but a girl--


s: 'Ah fool, and made myself a Queen of farce!


s: When comes another such? never, I think,


s: Till the Sun drop, dead, from the signs.'


s: choked, and her forehead sank upon her hands,


s: And her great heart through all the faultful Past


s: Went sorrowing in a pause I dared not break;


s: Till notice of a change in the dark world


s: Was lispt about the acacias, and a bird,


s: That early woke to feed her little ones,


s: Sent from a dewy breast a cry for light:


s: She moved, and at her feet the volume fell.


s: 'Blame not thyself too much,' I said, 'nor blame


s: Too much the sons of men and barbarous laws;


s: These were the rough ways of the world till now.


s: Henceforth thou hast a helper, me, that know


s: The woman's cause is man's:  they rise or sink


s: Together, dwarfed or godlike, bond or free:


s: For she that out of Lethe scales with man


s: The shining steps of Nature, shares with man


s: His nights, his days, moves with him to one goal,


s: Stays all the fair young planet in her hands--


s: If she be small, slight-natured, miserable,


s: How shall men grow? but work no more alone!


s: Our place is much:  as far as in us lies


s: We two will serve them both in aiding her--


s: That seem to keep her up but drag her down--


s: Will leave her space to burgeon out of all


s: Within her--let her make herself her own


s: To give or keep, to live and learn and be


s: All that not harms distinctive womanhood.


s: But diverse:  could we make her as the man,


s: Sweet Love were slain:  his dearest bond is this,


s: Not like to like, but like in difference.


s: Yet in the long years liker must they grow;


s: He gain in sweetness and in moral height,


s: Nor lose the wrestling thews that throw the world;


s: She mental breadth, nor fail in childward care,


s: Nor lose the childlike in the larger mind;


s: Till at the last she set herself to man,


s: And so these twain, upon the skirts of Time,


s: Sit side by side, full-summed in all their powers,


s: Self-reverent each and reverencing each,


s: But like each other even as those who love.


s: Then comes the statelier Eden back to men:


s: Then reign the world's great bridals, chaste and calm:


s: Then springs the crowning race of humankind.


s: In our own lives, and this proud watchword rest


s: Is half itself, and in true marriage lies


s: Defect in each, and always thought in thought,


s: Purpose in purpose, will in will, they grow,


s: The two-celled heart beating, with one full stroke,


s: That once was mind! what woman taught you this?'


s: 'Alone,' I said, 'from earlier than I know,


s: Immersed in rich foreshadowings of the world,


s: I loved the woman:  he, that doth not, lives


s: A drowning life, besotted in sweet self,


s: Or pines in sad experience worse than death,


s: Or keeps his winged affections clipt with crime:


s: Yet was there one through whom I loved her, one


s: Not learnèd, save in gracious household ways,


s: Not perfect, nay, but full of tender wants,


s: Who looked all native to her place, and yet


s: Too gross to tread, and all male minds perforce


s: Swayed to her from their orbits as they moved,


s: Beats with his blood, and trust in all things high


s: Comes easy to him, and though he trip and fall


s: It seems you love to cheat yourself with words:


s: This mother is your model.  I have heard


s: of your strange doubts:  they well might be:  I seem


s: A mockery to my own self.  Never, Prince;


s: 'From yearlong poring on thy pictured eyes,


s: Ere seen I loved, and loved thee seen, and saw


s: Thee woman through the crust of iron moods


s: That masked thee from men's reverence up, and forced


s: Sweet love on pranks of saucy boyhood:  now,


s: Given back to life, to life indeed, through thee,


s: Indeed I love:  the new day comes, the light


s: Dearer for night, as dearer thou for faults


s: Lived over:  lift thine eyes; my doubts are dead,


s: My haunting sense of hollow shows:  the change,


s: This truthful change in thee has killed it.  Dear,


s: Look up, and let thy nature strike on mine,


s: Like yonder morning on the blind half-world;


s: Approach and fear not; breathe upon my brows;


s: In that fine air I tremble, all the past


s: Melts mist-like into this bright hour, and this


s: Is morn to more, and all the rich to-come


s: Reels, as the golden Autumn woodland reels


s: Athwart the smoke of burning weeds.  Forgive me,


s: I waste my heart in signs:  let be.  My bride,


s: My wife, my life.  O we will walk this world,


s: And so through those dark gates across the wild


s: That no man knows.  Indeed I love thee:  come,


s: Yield thyself up:  my hopes and thine are one:


s: Lay thy sweet hands in mine and trust to me.'


s: So closed our tale, of which I give you all


s: The words are mostly mine; for when we ceased


s: There came a minute's pause, and Walter said,


s: 'I wish she had not yielded!' then to me,


s: So prayed the men, the women:  I gave assent:


s: Yet how to bind the scattered scheme of seven


s: Together in one sheaf?  What style could suit?


s: The men required that I should give throughout


s: With which we bantered little Lilia first:


s: The women--and perhaps they felt their power,


s: For something in the ballads which they sang,


s: Or in their silent influence as they sat,


s: Had ever seemed to wrestle with burlesque,


s: And drove us, last, to quite a solemn close--


s: They hated banter, wished for something real,


s: Or all, they said, as earnest as the close?


s: Which yet with such a framework scarce could be.


s: Then rose a little feud betwixt the two,


s: And I, betwixt them both, to please them both,


s: And maybe neither pleased myself nor them.


s: But Lilia pleased me, for she took no part


s: Had touched her; and she sat, she plucked the grass,


s: She flung it from her, thinking:  last, she fixt


s: A showery glance upon her aunt, and said,


s: 'You--tell us what we are' who might have told,


s: For she was crammed with theories out of books,


s: But that there rose a shout:  the gates were closed


s: At sunset, and the crowd were swarming now,


s: To take their leave, about the garden rails.


s: So I and some went out to these:  we climbed


s: The slope to Vivian-place, and turning saw


s: The happy valleys, half in light, and half


s: Far-shadowing from the west, a land of peace;


s: Gray halls alone among their massive groves;


s: Trim hamlets; here and there a rustic tower


s: Half-lost in belts of hop and breadths of wheat;


s: The shimmering glimpses of a stream; the seas;


s: Imagined more than seen, the skirts of France.


s: 'Look there, a garden!' said my college friend,


s: The Tory member's elder son, 'and there!


s: God bless the narrow sea which keeps her off,


s: And keeps our Britain, whole within herself,


s: A nation yet, the rulers and the ruled--


s: Some sense of duty, something of a faith,


s: Some reverence for the laws ourselves have made,


s: Some patient force to change them when we will,


s: Some civic manhood firm against the crowd--


s: But yonder, whiff! there comes a sudden heat,


s: The gravest citizen seems to lose his head,


s: The king is scared, the soldier will not fight,


s: The little boys begin to shoot and stab,


s: Like an old woman, and down rolls the world


s: No graver than a schoolboys' barring out;


s: Too comic for the serious things they are,


s: Too solemn for the comic touches in them,


s: Like our wild Princess with as wise a dream


s: As some of theirs--God bless the narrow seas!


s: I wish they were a whole Atlantic broad.'


s: 'Have patience,' I replied, 'ourselves are full


s: Of social wrong; and maybe wildest dreams


s: Are but the needful preludes of the truth:


s: For me, the genial day, the happy crowd,


s: The sport half-science, fill me with a faith.


s: This fine old world of ours is but a child


s: Yet in the go-cart.  Patience!  Give it time


s: To learn its limbs:  there is a hand that guides.'


s: In such discourse we gained the garden rails,


s: And there we saw Sir Walter where he stood,


s: Among six boys, head under head, and looked


s: A great broad-shouldered genial Englishman,


s: A quarter-sessions chairman, abler none;


s: Fair-haired and redder than a windy morn;


s: Now shaking hands with him, now him, of those


s: That stood the nearest--now addressed to speech--


s: Who spoke few words and pithy, such as closed


s: Welcome, farewell, and welcome for the year


s: To follow:  a shout rose again, and made


s: The long line of the approaching rookery swerve


s: From the elms, and shook the branches of the deer


s: From slope to slope through distant ferns, and rang


s: More joyful than the city-roar that hails


s: Premier or king!  Why should not these great Sirs


s: Give up their parks some dozen times a year


s: To let the people breathe?  So thrice they cried,


s: I likewise, and in groups they streamed away.


s: But we went back to the Abbey, and sat on,


s: So much the gathering darkness charmed:  we sat


s: But spoke not, rapt in nameless reverie,


s: Perchance upon the future man:  the walls


s: Blackened about us, bats wheeled, and owls whooped,


s: That range above the region of the wind,


s: Deepening the courts of twilight broke them up


s: Through all the silent spaces of the worlds,


s: Beyond all thought into the Heaven of Heavens.


s: Disrobed the glimmering statue of Sir Ralph


s: From those rich silks, and home well-pleased we went.


s: returned to France, where he died in 1465.  His verses, for the


s: personal emotion, of love, of melancholy, of mocking despair, and


s: secretary of Cardinal Du Bellay--in the regret and affection with


s: reader of the thwarted career of Clough.


s: was in the service of James V. of Scotland, and had his share of


s: shipwrecks, battles, and amorous adventures.  An illness which


s: His epic, the Franciade, is as tedious as other artificial epics,


s: perfume from 'a closet long to quiet vowed, with mothed and


s: dropping arras hung.'  Ronsard's great fame declined when is


s: Tahureau has the merit, rare in his, or in any age, of being the


s: real expression of passion.  His brief life burned itself away


s: The originals of the French folk-songs here translated are to be


s: The Greek ballads have been translated with the aid of the French


s: Strengthen, my Love, this castle of my heart,


s: And with some store of pleasure give me aid,


s: For Jealousy, with all them of his part,


s: Strong siege about the weary tower has laid.


s: Nay, if to break his bands thou art afraid,


s: Too weak to make his cruel force depart,


s: Strengthen at least this castle of my heart,


s: And with some store of pleasure give me aid.


s: That still, ah Love! thy gracious rule obeyed.


s: Advance, and give me succour of thy part;


s: Strengthen, my Love, this castle of my heart.


s: That bears such growths; but Love instead


s: The leaves and flowers flush into shoot,


s: Brothers and men that shall after us be,


s: And for the flesh that so much we cherished


s: And ashes and dust fill our bones' place,


s: But pray God pardon us out of His grace.


s: Listen, we pray you, and look not in scorn,


s: Though justly, in sooth, we are cast to die;


s: The rain out of heaven has washed us clean,


s: Ravens and rooks have pecked at our eyne,


s: And feathered their nests with our beards and hair.


s: Round are we tossed, and here and there,


s: This way and that, at the wild wind's will,


s: We that with like hearts love, we lovers twain,


s: We bring these amaranths, these white lilies,


s: A sign, and sacrifice; may Love, we pray,


s: Like amaranthine flowers, feel no decay;


s: Like these cool lilies may our loves remain,


s: Perfect and pure, and know not any stain;


s: And be our hearts, from this thy holy hour,


s: Bound each to each, like flower to wedded flower.


s: So long you wandered on the dusky plain,


s: Where flit the shadows with their endless cry,


s: You reach the shore where all the world goes by,


s: You leave the strife, the slavery, the pain;


s: In vain stretch hands; for Charon sullenly


s: And with the learned lovers of old days,


s: And with your love, you wander ever-more


s: In the dim woods, and drink forgetfulness


s: Of us your friends, a weary crowd that press


s: Toil after hours that never come again, -


s: If everything that hath been must decay,


s: Why dreamest thou of joys that pass away,


s: My soul, that my sad body doth restrain?


s: Why of the moment's pleasure art thou fain?


s: Nay, thou hast wings,--nay, seek another stay.


s: There is the joy whereto each soul aspires,


s: And there the rest that all the world desires,


s: And there is love, and peace, and gracious mirth;


s: And there in the most highest heavens shalt thou


s: I send you here a wreath of blossoms blown,


s: Another dawn had seen them ruined, and shed


s: Loose leaves upon the grass at random strown.


s: By this, their sure example, be it known,


s: That all your beauties, now in perfect flower,


s: Shall fade as these, and wither in an hour,


s: Flowerlike, and brief of days, as the flower sown.


s: Ah, time is flying, lady--time is flying;


s: Nay, 'tis not time that flies but we that go,


s: Who in short space shall be in churchyard lying,


s: And of our loving parley none shall know,


s: Be therefore kind, my love, whiles thou art fair.


s: Hide this one night thy crescent, kindly Moon;


s: So shall Endymion faithful prove, and rest


s: Thy quiet course; for now the night is boon,


s: And through the friendly night unseen I fare,


s: And watch of hostile spies in the bright noon.


s: Thou knowest, Moon, the bitter power of Love;


s: 'Tis told how shepherd Pan found ways to move,


s: For little price, thy heart; and of your grace,


s: Sweet stars, be kind to this not alien fire,


s: Because on earth ye did not scorn desire,


s: Bethink ye, now ye hold your heavenly place.


s: Fair flower of fifteen springs, that still


s: Through mists of death the dreamy shore,


s: How pale their lips that kiss and smile!


s: You'll sit and spin beside the fire, and say,


s: Humming my songs, 'Ah well, ah well-a-day!


s: When I was young, of me did Ronsard sing.'


s: None of your maidens that doth hear the thing,


s: But wakens at my name, and calls you one


s: I shall be low beneath the earth, and laid


s: On sleep, a phantom in the myrtle shade,


s: While you beside the fire, a grandame grey,


s: My love, your pride, remember and regret;


s: And gather roses, while 'tis called to-day.


s: What time Apollo's chariot takes the skies,


s: And, fain to fill with arrows from her eyes


s: His empty quiver, Love was standing there:


s: I saw two apples that her breast doth bear


s: Yields; nor hath Venus any such as these,


s: Nor she that had of nursling Mars the care.


s: Left bare, when Perseus passed her on a day,


s: And pale as Death for fear of Death she lay,


s: With breast as marble cold, as marble pure.


s: Twain that were foes, while Mary lived, are fled;


s: One laurel-crowned abides in heaven, and one


s: Beneath the earth has fared, a fallen sun,


s: A light of love among the loveless dead.


s: With the sweet beauty that made war on me,


s: When laughter of lips with laughing eyes was wed.


s: Their strife the Fates have closed, with stern control,


s: The earth holds her fair body, and her soul


s: And for Death's sake, I am in love with Death.


s: As in the gardens, all through May, the rose,


s: When dawn upon the dew of dawning glows;


s: Graces and Loves within her breast repose,


s: The woods are faint with the sweet odour shed,


s: Till rains and heavy suns have smitten dead


s: The languid flower, and the loose leaves unclose, -


s: So this, the perfect beauty of our days,


s: When earth and heaven were vocal of her praise,


s: The fates have slain, and her sweet soul reposes;


s: And tears I bring, and sighs, and on her tomb


s: Pour milk, and scatter buds of many a bloom,


s: That dead, as living, she may be with roses.


s: The gold that gleams in tresses of my Love?


s: What highest circle of the Heavens above


s: And where is the rich sea whose coral vies


s: With her red lips, that cannot kiss enough?


s: What dawn-lit garden knew the rose, whereof


s: The fled soul lives in her cheeks' rosy guise?


s: Can match the whiteness of her brow and breast?


s: When drew she breath from the Sabaean glade?


s: Gardens, and glades Sabaean, all that be


s: The far-off splendid semblance of my maid!


s: The high Midnight was garlanding her head


s: With many a shining star in shining skies,


s: And, of her grace, a slumber on mine eyes,


s: A thin shrill clamour of complaints and cries;


s: And all the woods were pallid, in strange wise,


s: And, from her palfrey stooping, did embrace


s: And hang upon my neck, and kissed me over;


s: Wherefore the day is far less dear than night,


s: And sweeter is the shadow than the light,


s: Since night has made me such a happy lover.


s: Come, love, through the woods of spring,


s: The dawn is smiling on the dew that covers


s: The tearful roses; lo, the little lovers


s: That kiss the buds, and all the flutterings


s: In jasmine bloom, and privet, of white wings,


s: That go and come, and fly, and peep and hide,


s: With muffled music, murmured far and wide!


s: Ah, Spring time, when we think of all the lays


s: Of the fond hearts within a billet bound,


s: Of all the soft silk paper that pens wound,


s: Written in April, and before the May time


s: Shredded and flown, play things for the wind's play-time,


s: We dream that all white butterflies above,


s: Who seek through clouds or waters souls to love,


s: And leave their lady mistress in despair,


s: To flit to flowers, as kinder and more fair,


s: Are but torn love-letters, that through the skies


s: Flutter, and float, and change to Butterflies.


s: Since I have set my lips to your full cup, my sweet,


s: Since I my pallid face between your hands have laid,


s: Since I have known your soul, and all the bloom of it,


s: And all the perfume rare, now buried in the shade;


s: Since it was given to me to hear one happy while,


s: The words wherein your heart spoke all its mysteries,


s: Since I have seen you weep, and since I have seen you smile,


s: Your lips upon my lips, and your eyes upon my eyes;


s: Since I have known above my forehead glance and gleam,


s: A ray, a single ray, of your star, veiled always,


s: Since I have felt the fall, upon my lifetime's stream,


s: Of one rose petal plucked from the roses of your days;


s: I now am bold to say to the swift changing hours,


s: Pass, pass upon your way, for I grow never old,


s: Fleet to the dark abysm with all your fading flowers,


s: One rose that none may pluck, within my heart I hold.


s: Your flying wings may smite, but they can never spill


s: The cup fulfilled of love, from which my lips are wet;


s: My heart has far more fire than you have frost to chill,


s: My soul more love than you can make my soul forget.


s: There is an air for which I would disown


s: Mozart's, Rossini's, Weber's melodies, -


s: A sweet sad air that languishes and sighs,


s: And keeps its secret charm for me alone.


s: Whene'er I hear that music vague and old,


s: Two hundred years are mist that rolls away;


s: The thirteenth Louis reigns, and I behold


s: An old red castle, strong with stony towers,


s: The windows gay with many coloured glass;


s: Wide plains, and rivers flowing among flowers,


s: That bathe the castle basement as they pass.


s: In antique weed, with dark eyes and gold hair,


s: A lady looks forth from her window high;


s: It may be that I knew and found her fair,


s: In some forgotten life, long time gone by.


s: The heart that once has been your shrine


s: Close heart, and eyes, and arms from me;


s: The throats that twitter, the wings that beat;


s: Through all the bitter months that were,


s: Our lips found words scarce sweet enough,


s: The rings we changed, the suns that set,


s: Yesterday, watching the swallows' flight


s: That bring the spring and the season fair,


s: Who loved me, when she had time to spare;


s: When you were lief, and when I was dear.


s: Still at your name must my sad heart beat;


s: The bread that pleasure was wont to bless.


s: The tables and curtains, the chairs and all,


s: Friends of our pleasure that looked on our pain,


s: Come, let the days of their mourning pass,


s: The silent friends that are sad for you yet;


s: For know you had often my share, Musette.


s: You wore of old, when the world was gay,


s: We will wander in woods of the heart's delight


s: Come, and your song will gain force to fly,


s: Musette, who had scarcely forgotten withal


s: One beautiful dawn of the new year's best,


s: Ah faithless and fair!  I embrace her yet,


s: With no heart-beat, and with never a sigh;


s: Farewell, my dear that was once so dear,


s: 'Tis only in searching the dust of the days,


s: That we find the key of the woodland ways


s: 'For you shall take this draught from me


s: 'Come in and sup, fair lady,' they said,


s: This one good night, this one fair night,


s: And the marriage-bell was tolled in hell


s: 'My daughter must lie in the tower alway,


s: 'Good-morrow, mother.'  'Good-morrow, son;


s: And strew the green boughs on the ground


s: The first she mocked, the second she laughed -


s: 'If ye have loved 'twas a false false love,


s: 'When you have crossed the western hills


s: 'You've maidens here, and maidens there,


s: 'Yea, crows shall build in the eagle's nest,


s: My silver flower, my bright-winged bird,


s: And you have spoiled the running spring,


s: All in the mirk midnight when I was beside you,


s: Who has seen, who has heard, what was said, what was done?


s: 'Twas the night and the light of the stars that espied you,


s: The fall of the moon, and the dawning begun.


s: 'Tis a swift star has fallen, a star that discovers


s: To the sea what the green sea has told to the oars,


s: And the oars to the sailors, and they of us lovers


s: Go singing this song at their mistress's doors.


s: Where Scott, come home to die, has stood,


s: With a patch of earth from the land of the dead,


s: For she was strong in the land of the dead."]


s: When autumn suns are soft, and sea winds moan,


s: And golden fruits make sweet the golden air,


s: In gardens where the apple blossoms were,


s: In these old springs before I walked alone;


s: Of all the former flowers that kissed your feet


s: A wild poppy that the wild winds have sown.


s: Alas! the rose forgets your hands of rose;


s: The changeless, windless garden of the dead,


s: You tend, with buds soft as your kiss that lies


s: I shall not see thee, nay, but I shall know


s: Perchance, thy grey eyes in another's eyes,


s: Shall guess thy curls in gracious locks that flow


s: On purest brows, yea, and the swift surmise


s: Shall follow, and track, and find thee in disguise


s: Of all sad things, and fair, where sunsets glow,


s: When through the scent of heather, faint and low,


s: The weak wind whispers to the day that dies.


s: From all sweet art, and out of all 'old rhyme,'


s: Thine eyes and lips are light and song to me;


s: Carven and sung, are only shapes of thee;


s: Alas, the shadowy shapes! ah, sweet my dear


s: Shall life or death bring all thy being near?


s: I dreamed that somewhere in the shadowy place,


s: And hopeless prayer accomplished turned to praise


s: On lips that had been songless many days;


s: Hope had no more to hope for, and desire


s: And dread were overpast, in white attire


s: New born we walked among the new world's ways.


s: Then from the press of shades a spirit threw


s: Towards me such apples as these gardens bear;


s: And turning, I was 'ware of her, and knew


s: And followed her fleet voice and flying hair, -


s: Followed, and found her not, and seeking you


s: Mine eyes may never see in the bright day


s: But in the night from forth the silent place


s: Thou comest, dim in dreams, as doth a stray


s: Star of the starry flock that in the grey


s: Is seen, and lost, and seen a moment's space.


s: And as the earth at night turns to a star,


s: Loved long ago, and dearer than the sun,


s: At night our souls are mingled and made one,


s: And wait till one night fall, and one dawn rise,


s: That brings no noon too splendid for your eyes.


s: The wind and the day had lived together,


s: We seemed to look on the hills of heaven;


s: Shall we wait and watch, where of old we stood,


s: The low good-night of the hill and the river,


s: The faint light fade, and the wan stars quiver,


s: By the example of certain Grecian mariners, who, being safely


s: returned from the war about Troy, leave yet again their old lands


s: Circe's Isle, the places of bodily delights, whereof men, falling


s: Where the soft night is born, and sunset dies;


s: The eastern shores see faint tides fade away,


s: That wash the lands where laughter, tears, and sighs,


s: Make life,--the lands beneath the blue of common skies.


s: (What sails have seen it, or what shipmen known?)


s: With coasts enchanted where the Sirens be,


s: With islands where a Goddess walks alone,


s: And in the cedar trees the magic winds make moan


s: Eastward the human cares of house and home,


s: Cities, and ships, and unknown Gods, and loves;


s: Westward, strange maidens fairer than the foam,


s: And lawless lives of men, and haunted groves,


s: Wherein a God may dwell, and where the Dryad roves.


s: The Gods are careless of the days and death


s: Of toilsome men, beyond the western seas;


s: The Gods are heedless of their painful breath,


s: And love them not, for they are not as these;


s: But in the golden west they live and lie at ease.


s: Yet the Phaeacians well they love, who live


s: At the light's limit, passing careless hours,


s: Most like the Gods; and they have gifts to give,


s: Even wine, and fountains musical, and flowers,


s: And song, and if they will, swift ships, and magic powers.


s: Of twilight comes the God, though no man prayed,


s: To watch the maids and young men beautiful


s: Dance, and they see him, and are not afraid,


s: For they are near of kin to Gods, and undismayed.


s: Ah, would the bright red prows might bring us nigh


s: The dreamy isles that the Immortals keep!


s: But with a mist they hide them wondrously,


s: And far the path and dim to where they sleep, -


s: The loved, the shadowy lands along the shadowy deep.


s: The wide fire flames, as a flower uncloses,


s: Heavy with odour, and loose to the breeze.


s: The red rose clouds, without law or leader,


s: The nightingale sings to the dewy cedar,


s: The cedar scatters his scent to the main.


s: The strange flowers' perfume turns to singing,


s: The Siren's song, grown faint in winging,


s: As waifs blown out of the sunset, flying,


s: Brighten the air with their wings; their crying


s: Nor moons wax keen in this land of ours.


s: Great fruits, fragrant, green and golden,


s: Far in the dells the white maid hearkens,


s: Faints as the first bird's note, a warning,


s: Meet, and faint with the hours of pleasure,


s: The rose of the sea and the sky is white.


s: Fair white bird, what song art thou singing


s: Dear white bird, what way art thou winging,


s: Where no grass grows, and no green tree?


s: I looked at the far off fields and grey,


s: There grew no tree but the cypress tree,


s: That bears sad fruits with the flowers of May,


s: And who sets the same in his garden stead,


s: And strange, and though a shadow, sweet.


s: Their old sweet song came down the wind,


s: No voice from bowers o'ergrown and ruinous


s: There was no sound of singing in the air;


s: Failed or fled the maidens that were fair,


s: No more for sorrow or joy were seen of us,


s: No light of laughing eyes, or floating hair.


s: The perfume, and the music, and the flame


s: Alone abode, and stings of faint desire,


s: And pulses of vague quiet went and came.


s: Ah, Circe! in thy sad changed fairy place,


s: Our dead Youth came and looked on us a space,


s: With drooping wings, and eyes of faded fire,


s: That seemed so happy in the days erewhile?


s: Back to the westward and the waning light


s: We turned, we fled; the solitude of night


s: Flecked with the sea's last spray, and strown


s: Where the last weak waves faint and flow;


s: Ah, flowers and dance! ah, sun and snow!


s: Poured light and perfume through the drear


s: Sad youth, that feared to mourn or love,


s: The silk sail fills, the soft winds wake,


s: Nay, sweet the shore, and sweet the song,


s: 'Wrought in the troublous times of Italy


s: Of that last judgment, and last day drawn near


s: He worked and prayed in silence; this is she


s: And in spice gifts the hyssop on the spear,


s: Between the gold sky and the green o'er head,


s: The twelve great shining angels, garlanded,


s: The mother's love that shone on all of us,


s: What does the dim gaze of the dying find


s: In your sweet eyes what other eyes are blue,


s: And in your hair what gold hair on the wind


s: Floats of the days gone almost out of mind?


s: He may remember girls with locks like thine;


s: May dream how, where the waiting angels stand,


s: Some lost love's eyes are dim before they shine


s: With welcome: --so past homes, or homes to be,


s: And with brief passage of those barren lands


s: Comes to the home that is not made with hands.


s: And ah, for hearts, for hearts that yearn,


s: For fires of autumn that catch and burn,


s: Blue seas, blue eyes, are grieved and grey,


s: Listen, the word that the wind has spoken,


s: That summer's over, and troths are broken, -


s: A love has passed to the loves passed over,


s: May stay the wings of the Loves that hover,


s: I found my wits, but truly you lost yours.'


s: Whose heart kept all through summer time


s: All loves, but one that turned to grief.


s: Good-bye, there is no word to say but this,


s: Nor any tears to shed, when these tears dry;


s: There is no need to say 'forget,' I know,


s: For youth is youth, and time will have it so,


s: And though your lips are pale, and your eyes wet,


s: Many, and heavy, and with blossoms twined


s: Let this one sheaf be twined with poppy leaves


s: The ripe good fruit of many hearts and years,


s: Somewhere let this lie, grey and salt with tears;


s: It grew too near the sea wind, and the brine


s: And over-long was green, and early sere,


s: And never gathered gold in the late year


s: From autumn suns, and moons of harvesting,


s: This love, though weak as young corn withered,


s: Whereof no man may gather and make bread;


s: Thine, though it never knew the summer heat;


s: Scarce felt, what time the swallows flee,


s: With other helpless folk about the gate,


s: The gate called Beautiful, with weary eyes


s: That take no pleasure in the summer skies,


s: Nor all things that are fairest, does she wait;


s: So bleak a time, so sad a changeless fate


s: Makes her with dull experience early wise,


s: And in the dawning and the sunset, sighs


s: That all hath been, and shall be, desolate.


s: Ah, if Love come not soon, and bid her live,


s: And know herself the fairest of fair things,


s: Warm from his breast, and holy from his wings,


s: Or if at least Love's shadow in passing by


s: Touch not and heal her, surely she must die.


s: He spake not truth, however wise, who said


s: That happy, and that hapless men in sleep


s: Have equal fortune, fallen from care as deep


s: As countless, careless, races of the dead.


s: Not so, for alien paths of dreams we tread,


s: In vain to bring before his daylit eyes,


s: And one with fainting heart and feeble hand


s: Where strength and courage were of no avail;


s: Down fragrant fleeting waters rosy pale.


s: Runs red waist-high with slain men's blood.


s: desespoir, elles s'arresterent a la mer Sicilienne, ou par leurs


s: chants elles attiroient les navigans, mais l'unique fin de la


s: volupe de leur musique est la Mort.'--PONTUS DE TYARD.  1570.]


s: That through the water-meads with Proserpine


s: Plucked no fire-hearted flowers, but were content


s: Cool fritillaries and flag-flowers to twine,


s: With lilies woven and with wet woodbine;


s: Till once they sought the bright AEtnaean flowers,


s: And their bright mistress fled from summer hours


s: With Hades, down the irremeable decline.


s: And they have sought her all the wide world through


s: Till many years, and wisdom, and much wrong


s: Have filled and changed their song, and o'er the blue


s: Rings deadly sweet the magic of the song,


s: That once with maids went maidenlike, and played


s: And all her song was but of lady's bowers


s: And the returning swallows, and spring-flowers,


s: Till forth to seek a shadow-queen she strayed,


s: A shadowy land; and now hath overweighed


s: Her singing chaplet with the snow and showers.


s: Yea, fair well-water for the bitter brine


s: She left, and by the margin of life's sea


s: Sings, and her song is full of the sea's moan,


s: And wild with dread, and love of Proserpine;


s: His whole life long is slave to her alone.


s: Clasp thou thine arms, ah, mistress mine!


s: Breathe in your life, your heart, your grace,


s: I'll bear your yoke, that's light enough,


s: They'll flock around you, fleet and fair,


s: Her singing voice went through the corn,


s: Nay, though thou seek where gravesteads are,


s: Till through bleak dawn and blowing rain


s: ecstasy, whereby, as Porphyry saith, his soul, becoming free from


s: Our bright, our clouded life, and pass away


s: As through strewn clouds, that stain the quiet eve,


s: The soul may not, returning whence she came,


s: The joys that fever, and the cares that fret,


s: Made once more one with the eternal flame


s: That breathes in all things ever more the same.


s: She would be young again, thus drinking deep


s: Of her old life; and this has been, men say,


s: But this we know not, who have only sleep


s: To soothe us, sleep more terrible than day,


s: Where dead delights, and fair lost faces stray,


s: And of that long-lost path to the Divine


s: We dream, as some Greek shepherd erst might sing,


s: And of the lands that lie 'beneath the day's decline.'


s: the Gods, having made in her semblance a woman out of clouds and


s: shadows, sent the same to be wife to Paris.  For this shadow then


s: Why from the quiet hollows of the hills,


s: And extreme meeting place of light and shade,


s: Wherein soft rains fell slowly, and became


s: Clouds among sister clouds, where fair spent beams


s: And dying glories of the sun would dwell,


s: Why have they whom I know not, nor may know,


s: Strange hands, unseen and ruthless, fashioned me,


s: And borne me from the silent shadowy hills,


s: Hither, to noise and glow of alien life,


s: To harsh and clamorous swords, and sound of war?


s: One speaks unto me words that would be sweet,


s: Made harsh, made keen with love that knows me not,


s: And some strange force, within me or around,


s: Makes answer, kiss for kiss, and sigh for sigh,


s: And somewhere there is fever in the halls,


s: That troubles me, for no such trouble came


s: To vex the cool far hollows of the hills.


s: The foolish folk crowd round me, and they cry,


s: That house, and wife, and lands, and all Troy town,


s: Are little to lose, if they may keep me here,


s: And see me flit, a pale and silent shade,


s: Among the streets bereft, and helpless shrines.


s: Where one great river runs unswollen of rain,


s: Around me, then again the shriek of arms,


s: What make they?  Even this--the sport of Gods -


s: The sport of Gods, however free they seem.


s: Ah would the game were ended, and the light,


s: The blinding light, and all too mighty suns,


s: Withdrawn, and I once more with sister shades,


s: Unloved, forgotten, mingled with the mist,


s: Dwelt in the hollows of the shadowy hills.


s: Ah, would 't were the cloud's playtime, when the sun


s: And through the sky we flit, and gather grey,


s: Like men that leave their golden youth behind,


s: And through their wind-driven ways they gather grey,


s: And we like them grow wan, and the chill East


s: Receives us, as the Earth accepts all men, -


s: Ah thou! that, undeceived and unregretting,


s: Saw'st Death so near thee on the flowery way,


s: And with no sigh that life was near the setting,


s: Took'st the delight and dalliance of the day,


s: Ere life or love had done thee any wrong;


s: Ere thy wreath faded, or thy locks grew grey,


s: Or summer came to lull thine April song,


s: Sweet as all shapes of sweet things unfulfilled,


s: The first spring days, the sounds and scents thereof;


s: So clear thy fire of song, so early chilled,


s: So brief, so bright thy life that gaily met


s: Death, for thy Death came hand in hand with Love.


s: List, all that love light mirth, light tears, and all


s: That know the heart of shameful loves, or pure;


s: That know delights depart, desires endure,


s: Widowed of dead delights gone out of call;


s: List, all that deem the glory of the rose


s: Is brief as last year's suns, or last year's snows


s: All this your master Villon knew and sung;


s: Despised delights, and faint foredone desire;


s: And shame, a deathless worm, a quenchless fire;


s: And laughter from the heart's last sorrow wrung,


s: When half-repentance but makes evil whole,


s: And prayer that cannot help wears out the soul.


s: Master, I see thee with the locks of grey,


s: Crowned by the Muses with the laurel-wreath;


s: Cassandra's gift; she was less dear than they.


s: Thou, Master, first hast roused the lyric lay,


s: The sleeping song that the dead years bequeath,


s: Hast sung sweet answer to the songs that breathe


s: Through ages, and through ages far away.


s: Yea, and in thee the pulse of ancient passion


s: Leaped, and the nymphs amid the spring-water


s: Made bare their lovely limbs in the old fashion,


s: And birds' song in the branches was astir.


s: Ah, but thy songs are sad, thy roses wan,


s: Of all that were thy prisons--ah, untamed,


s: Ah, light and sacred soul!--none holds thee now;


s: No wall, no bar, no body of flesh, but thou


s: Art free and happy in the lands unnamed,


s: About whose gates, with weary wings and maimed,


s: Thou most wert wont to linger, entering there


s: Tidings that men or heeded not or blamed;


s: And they would smile and wonder, seeing where


s: Thou stood'st, to watch light leaves, or clouds, or wind,


s: Caught from the Valois peasants; dost thou find


s: Old prophecies fulfilled now, old tales true


s: In the new world, where all things are made new?


s: Strange lilies came with autumn; new and old


s: Were mingling, and the old world passed away,


s: And the night gathered, and the shadows grey


s: Dimmed the kind eyes and dimmed the locks of gold,


s: The Virgin then, to comfort him and stay,


s: Kissed the thin cheek, and kissed the lips acold,


s: Nor she alone, for queens of the old creed,


s: Like rival queens that tended Arthur, there


s: Were gathered, Venus in her mourning weed,


s: Pallas and Dian; wise, and pure, and fair


s: Was he they mourned, who living did not wrong


s: The walk was in itself a preparation, for the hill was long and


s: steep and at the mercy of the north-east wind; but at the top,


s: sheltered by a copse and a few tall trees, stood a small house,


s: reached by a flagged pathway skirting one side of a bright trim


s: sounds.  The two old ladies, sisters, both born in the last


s: listened as Mary read aloud a letter received that morning,


s: with its wings of silvery grey, hovering over my dear old ladies;


s: geraniums and yellow fever-few in the centre bed, I asked, awe-


s: struck, whether such glowing colours were approved; and Rebecca


s: wear His glories?" and Mary answered for her--"The change is not


s: yet; better beseems us the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.


s: Upstairs was the invalid daughter and niece.  For years she had


s: been compelled to lie on her face; and in that position she had


s: done wonderful drawings of the High Priest, the Ark of the


s: Covenant, and other Levitical figures.  She had a cageful of tame


s: occasionally defy his mistress from the secure fastness of a high


s: A city of Peace, this little house, for the same severely-gentle


s: decorum reigned in the kitchen as elsewhere:  and now, where is


s: In the earlier part of this century the Friends bore a most


s: important witness.  They were a standing rebuke to rough manners,


s: No one could fail to be impressed by the atmosphere of peace


s: they are as other men; and in a few short years the word Quaker


s: will sound as strange in our ears as the older appellation Shaker


s: "Come out from among them and be ye separate; touch not the


s: accursed thing!" he thundered; and out they came, obedient to his


s: vessels did they overlook in their terror of the curse!  The good


s: Fox refused to doff his hat to the Justice; the quaint old speech


s: generation are no longer 'disciplined' in matters of the common


s: social life; yet still they remain separate.


s: We of the outward and visible covenant need them, with their


s: inherited mysticism, ordered contemplation, and spiritual vision;


s: absence--and with the blinded eyes of their recognition, she is


s: because that unto them were committed the oracles of God."  What


s: advantage then has the Churchman? is the oft repeated question


s: today; and the answer is still the answer of St Paul.


s: visible signs, "that which we have heard, which we have seen with


s: fruits of the earth, sanctified by man's toil, a sufficiency for


s: his needs; and instinct with Divine life through the operation of


s: "In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread."


s: "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood ye


s: "And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."


s: The sacrament of life, divine life, with the outward body of


s: humiliation, bread and wine, fruit of the accursed ground, but


s: eat this bread and drink this cup if they would live:-


s: The sacrament of healing, the restoring of the Image of God in


s: The Church is one society, nay, the world is one society, for man


s: Church and the world, are inextricably woven the most social


s: Herein is great purpose, we say, bending the knee; and with deep


s: consciousness of sins and shortcomings we stretch out longing


s: welcoming hands to our grey brethren with their inheritance of


s: faithfulness and steadfastness under persecution, and their many


s: gifts and graces; and we cry, in the words of the Song of Songs


s: which is Solomon's:  "O my dove, that art in the clefts of the


s: rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy


s: It was intensely cold; Father Rhine was frozen over, so he may


s: speak for it; and for days we had lived to the merry jangle and


s: clang of innumerable sleigh bells, in a white and frost-bound


s: world.  As I passed through the streets, crowded with stolidly


s: admiring peasants from the villages round, I caught the dear


s: "Gelobt sei Jesu Christ!" cried little Sister Hilarius, coming on


s: good red wine:  I fancy few refuse her.  She nursed me once, the


s: good little sister, with unceasing care and devotion, and all the


s: Jagdschloss the wild creatures, crying a common truce of hunger,


s: trooped each day to the clearing by the Jager's cottage for the


s: their common enemy--a millennial banquet truly.


s: The market-place was crowded, and there were Christmas trees


s: everywhere, crying aloud in bushy nakedness for their rightful


s: fruit.  The old peasant women, rolled in shawls, with large


s: Many of the stalls were entirely given over to Christmas-tree


s: splendours.  Long trails of gold and silver Engelshaar, piles of


s: snow, festoons of coloured beads, fishes with gleaming scales,


s: glass-winged birds, Santa Klaus in frost-bedecked mantle and


s: scarlet cap, angels with trumpets set to their waxen lips; and


s: Bethlehem, feast of never-ending keeping, which has its crowning


s: A Sister passed with a fat, rosy little girl in either hand; they


s: child to receive for Him.  They came back to the poor booth close


s: after much consultation a little white vest was chosen--the elder


s: The Creche stood without the chancel, between the High Altar and


s: that of Our Lady of Sorrows.  It was very simple.  A blue paper


s: background spangled with stars; a roughly thatched roof supported


s: guardian, leaning on his staff; Mary knelt with hands slightly


s: pointing and softly whispering.  My little friends trotted up,


s: "Guck! guck mal an," she cried, clapping her fat gloved hands,


s: "Dass ist unser Jesu," said the elder, and the little one echoed


s: Then the vest was brought out and shown--why not, it was the


s: not wanted until the last moment chatted gaily to each other at


s: secure in the knowledge of a tree behind the parlour doors, and a


s: One little lad, with a pinched white face, and with only an empty


s: still air, "Zu Bethlehem geboren, ist uns ein Kindelein," as he


s: trimming to his coat and cap, into the half-fearful little hands.


s: refrained.  It was all his Christmas and he would keep it.  He


s: gazed and gazed, then a smile rippled across the wan little face


s: carefully, wandered away down the now brilliant streets:  he did


s: not know he was hungry any more; the angel had come with good


s: As I passed along the streets I could see through the uncurtained


s: little ones.  Then the bells rang out deep-mouthed, carrying the


s: call of the eager Church to her children, far up the valley and


s: across the frozen river.  And they answered; the great church was


s: A blue-black sky ablaze with stars for His glory, a fresh white


s: robe for stained and tired earth; so we went to Bethlehem in the


s: And so in the stillness, with tapers within and stars alight


s: without, with a white-clad earth, and souls forgiven, the Christ


s: Child came to those who looked for His appearing.


s: The Child with the wondering eyes sat on the doorstep, on either


s: still, proudly virtuous, and conscious each of a large saucer of


s: The Child rose, went into the house, and returned with a well-


s: thumbed brown book.  She turned the pages thoughtfully, and read


s: It was a cold, clear, bright day, a typical Christmas Eve.  There


s: temptation in the way of rabbits or frost-tamed birds, and the


s: Child lilted a quaint German hymn to a strange old tune:-


s: The Recluse was sitting on a bench outside his cave.  He was


s: "You have come to ask me a question, Child?"


s: "If you please," said the Child, "what is a symbol?"


s: "The Sage says," went on the Child, "that it is concealment yet


s: "Just as a mystery that we cannot understand is the greatest


s: possible wisdom.  Go in and sit by my fire, Child; there are


s: chestnuts on the hearth, and you will find milk in the brown jug.


s: The Child and the two cats went into the cave and sat down by the


s: lent ear.  I wonder what it will be this time," she said to


s: The grateful warmth made the Child sleepy, and she gave a start


s: "Come, dear Child," he said; and leaving the sleeping cats she


s: The air was full of wonderful sound, voices and song, and the cry


s: The Child wondered, and then remembered it was Christmas night.


s: "This is the front door of my house," said the Recluse, with a


s: They stood on a white road, on one side a stretch of limestone


s: down, on the other steep terraces with gardens and vineyard.  The


s: "Let us go with them," said the Recluse; and hand in hand they


s: The road curved to the right; round the bend, cut in the living


s: was filled with an overmastering longing, a desire so great that


s: the tears sprang hot to her eyes.  She dropped the Recluse's hand


s: The mystery which is the greatest possible wisdom.


s: He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.  The


s: cats' stretched in the sudden blaze, and then settled to sleep


s: was light in spite of the great trees.  The air was full of


s: and wondered when she would wake up.  They came to the old, old


s: church in the forest, and the pictured saints looked out at them


s: from the lighted window; through the open door they could see


s: little lamb had strayed in; and the wonderful figures of fire and


s: "Little one," said the Recluse softly, "here is a symbol--


s: concealment yet revelation--the King as servant--the strong


s: "You showed it me before," said the Child, "only we were out of


s: "Wait for me here with them, dear Child, I will fetch you after


s: The church began to fill; old men in smock frocks and tall hats,


s: little children wrapped warm against the cold, lads, shining and


s: spruce, old women in crossed shawls and wonderful bonnets.  The


s: service was not very long; then the Recluse went up into the old


s: grey stone pulpit.  The villagers settled to listen--he did not


s: "My brothers and sisters, to-night we keep the Birth of the Holy


s: Babe, and to-night you and I stand at the gate of the Kingdom of


s: "The Kingdom is a great one, nay, a limitless one; and many enter


s: this wonderful forest, all the wise and beautiful works that men


s: church on Sunday, a place to enter once a week in one's best:


s: "'Except ye become as little children.'  How are we to be born


s: again, simple children with wondering eyes?


s: "We must learn to lie in helpless dependence, to open our mouth


s: wide that it may be filled, to speak with halting tongue the


s: language we think we know; we must learn above all our own


s: ignorance, and keep alight and cherish the flame of innocency in


s: The lights were out in the church when the Recluse came to fetch


s: the Child.  She was still kneeling by the creche, keeping watch


s: with the wonderful figures of fire and mist.


s: "Was THIS a dream or the other?" said the Child.


s: "Neither," said the Recluse, and he blessed her in the moonlit


s: The air was full of wonderful sound, voices and song, and the cry


s: God said; "Let there be light"; and in the East


s: A star rose flaming from night's purple sea -


s: The star of Truth, the star of Joy, the star


s: Seen by the prophets down the lonely years;


s: Set for a light to show the Perfect Way;


s: Set for a sign that wayfarers might find;


s: Set for a seal to mark the Godhead's home.


s: Who waited ardently for promised things,


s: Beheld, and read aright.  Straightway the road


s: Was hot with pad of camel, horse's hoof,


s: While night was quick as day with spurring men


s: And light with flaring torch.  "Haste, haste!" they cried,


s: "We seek the King, the King! for in the East


s: Little One, Little One, Master and LORD,


s: Kings of the Earth come, desiring Thy Face;


s: All that my life holds, for all is Thy Grace.


s: Earth is thy footstool, and Heav'n is Thy throne:


s: Praise thee, adore Thee, and claim Thee mine own.


s: Mine own, mine own, the whole world's Child!


s: Thus I, the great, hail Thee, the Least!


s: The Priest with hands upraised to bless,


s: The leaves fall softly:  a wind of sighs


s: While slow mists gather in shrouding tears


s: On All Souls' Day; and the bells are slow


s: To the inn where wearied travellers sleep,


s: They wend their way past the haunts of life,


s: To deck with candle and deathless cross,


s: The house which holds their dearest loss.


s: The sad folk wreathe each grave with flowers.


s: Each grave is vivid with points of light,


s: The lights burn bright in the realm of Death.


s: While the bells toll out to bid them speed,


s: The souls of the dead, whose bodies still


s: For us, who with Pater and prayerful bead


s: Have bidden those waiting spirits speed.


s: When the strain of a working day has left me weary, perhaps


s: then I make fast to the old alder-stump where last year the reed-


s: The water laps against the keel as the boat rocks gently in the


s: current; the river flows past, strong and quiet.  There are side


s: eddies, of course, and little disturbing whirlpools near the big


s: stones, but they are all gathered into the broad sweep of the


s: There are long stretches of time for me when I must remain apart


s: the stream 'never hasting, never resting':  the grass that grows


s: beside it is always green, the flowers are fresh; it makes long


s: embracing curves--I could cross from point to point in a minute,


s: but to follow takes five.  The ways of the water are ways of


s: Presently I reach the silent pool, where the stream takes a wide


s: sweep.  Here the fair white water-lilies lie on their broad green


s: I think of the fathomless depths of the peace of God, fair with


s: flowers of hope; of still places wrought in man; of mirrors that


s: reflect, in light uncomprehended, the Image of the Holy Face.


s: I go home across the common, comforted, towards the little town


s: passed through an industrious manufacturing world--but to me then


s: Where it had its source I never found out; it came from a little


s: Further down was our bridge, one flat stone dragged thither by


s: really herculean efforts.  It was unnecessary, but a triumph.  A


s: little below this outcome of our engineering skill the brook


s: widened again before disappearing under a flagged tunnel into the


s: restocking it.  Under one of the banks close by lived a fat frog


s: for whom I felt great respect.  We used to sit and gaze at each


s: But it was the brook itself that was my chief and dearest


s: moonlight nights, and scolding the pale lilac milk-maids on the


s: banks; and of a sad little old man dressed in brown, always sad


s: because his dear water-children ran away from him when they heard


s: It spoke to me of other more wonderful things, not even now to be


s: I have another friend--a Devonshire stream.  I found it in spring


s: tors, and doubtless in its beginning had a hard fight for


s: existence.  When it reaches the plain it is a good-sized stream,


s: although nowhere navigable.  I do not think it even turns a mill;


s: picture of blue sky, yellow bells, and clear rippling water--and


s: All the Devonshire streams are full of life and strength.  They


s: waters; tales, too, of feud and warfare, of grave council and


s: water is clear, cool in the hottest summer--they rise under the


s: shadow of the everlasting hills, and their goal is the sea.


s: There are other times when I must leave the clean waters and the


s: brothers in strange lands; and the river speaks of citizenship in


s: things, too, are my concern, the river says.


s: Life is very grim in London:  it is not painted in the fair,


s: glowing colours of grass and sky and trees, and shining streams


s: that bring peace.  It is drawn in hard black and white; but the


s: voice of its dark waters must be heard all the same.


s: Through wind-swept turf and moorland brown,


s: That mock the song-birds' liquid trills!


s: While all the earth with pleasure trills,


s: Staid Winter's passed and Spring's about


s: She wakes the wind-flower from her sleep,


s: This Queen who comes with wakening feet.


s: With longing lips and outstretched hands,


s: Brown, aged four, who was playing happily on the floor, unruffled


s: the mother.  Miss Brown was extinguished with the aid of a table-


s: I made Miss Brown's acquaintance a few days later.  She was lying


s: Miss Brown possessed one treasure, her 'luvly miss.'  I suppose I


s: consisted I dared not ask; Miss Brown would have deeply resented


s: the enquiry.  It was a very large potato with a large and a small


s: wood, the body and arms of 'luvly miss'; legs she had none.


s: How Miss Brown came by this treasure I never heard.  She had an


s: conversations with 'luvly miss' on all familiar subjects; and


s: apparently obtained much strange and rare information from her.


s: had a rooted belief that one day she and 'luvly miss' would be


s: Alas for little Miss Brown and her 'luvly miss'! their respective


s: Brown with a look of anguish on her poor little pinched face that


s: into the dying embers where--alas that I should have to say it!--


s: I came face to face with this state of things and I confess it


s: staggered me.  I knew Miss Brown too well to hope that any pink-


s: All at once I had an inspiration, and never in my life have I


s: imagination:  would I "yerely and twooly bwing" her "werry own


s: In a few minutes we returned with a pail of ashes, the ashes, of


s: Miss Brown's misplaced faith in me was strong.  Never shall I


s: forget the scream of joy which greeted the restored treasure, or


s: I saw them again next day.  Little Miss Brown was asleep in her


s: We will, therefore, endeavour to learn from this story:-


s: To be kind and grateful to cats and all other animals.


s: the Guard, who was in attendance with a company of his troops,


s: seized the Princess, put her on his horse, galloped away followed


s: "Miss," he said, for he was so upset he forgot Court etiquette,


s: "Miss, your ball must have hit the Dreadful Griffin in the eye (I


s: Castle of the White Cats.  There are seventeen of these animals


s: sitting outside the door and twenty-seven more standing in the


s: courtyard, so you're as safe as safe can be, for the Dreadful


s: Having made this long speech the Captain suddenly remembered the


s: Court etiquette, became very hot and red, went out of the room


s: stairs and out into the court where the twenty-seven cats were


s: having rations of mouse-pie served out to them; and the Captain


s: rolled into the middle of the pie, scalded himself badly with the


s: The King was so pleased with his promptitude that he made him the


s: Superfluous Salamanders, whereat the Captain was overjoyed.


s: was quite well next day and more anxious to eat the Princess than


s: Now next door to the Dreadful Griffin (that is, a hundred miles


s: The Dreadful Griffin was so pleased with the Wicked Witch that he


s: licked their lips sadly.  When the Griffin saw the last of the


s: twelve hundred dozen mice disappearing down the road with never a


s: lived six doors away, that is, about a thousand miles, so he flew


s: The Dreadful Griffin at once flew away to the Sparrow Preserves,


s: says, "Honour is dearer to cats than mice or birds," and all the


s: thinnest clothes, although it was the middle of winter.  He flew


s: home puffing and snorting, and on the way he passed the house of


s: "I think, dear Mr Griffin, that green spectacles would meet your


s: But the Griffin was already half-way to a Watchmaker's where they


s: way out of the town he met thirteen white poodles taking a walk,


s: No, I am not going to tell you what the Dreadful Griffin said and


s: steam roller, and his nose greased with seven pounds of tallow


s: heard something croaking, and saw the Fat Frog sitting under a


s: tree.  Now the Dreadful Griffin was so low in his mind that he


s: wanted to tell someone his troubles, so he told the Fat Frog.


s: screaming along; and just as he was stopping to take breath he


s: heard someone roaring with laughter, and saw a little yellow man


s: "Are you laughing at ME?" said the Dreadful Griffin (he was so


s: "Why?" said the Dreadful Griffin, still fearfully polite.


s: suppose the Princess flea wouldn't jump on to a tabby kitten, and


s: But the Griffin was gone.  He went to the Zoo, found a tabby


s: He waited half an hour and then swallowed the kitten at one gulp;


s: tickled his digestive organs so much that they cracked his sides


s: and he died; and the flea and the kitten came out quite unhurt,


s: offended had changed him into an ugly yellow man, and had sworn


s: that he should only regain his shape if he was eaten by a Griffin


s: bleached and had their tails crimped and their whiskers starched;


s: They had the very loveliest home you can imagine, with beautiful


s: soft moss and grass to grow in, trees to form a cosy shelter from


s: sunshine and gentle breezes, the greeting of the birds, and the


s: musical chatter of the brook; then when their brief visit to the


s: A little apart from the rest were four daffodils growing at the


s: It was mainly the fault of the cuckoo, for he was a grumbling,


s: bird of fine imagination; and at last, as I have already said,


s: feathers only on their heads.  They could not fly, but they could


s: creatures, which the cuckoo called GIRLS.


s: Then there were sad times in that sweet little nook under the oak


s: The naughty daffodils cried and quarrelled and bewailed their lot


s: extremely wretched.  Their little sister shook her head at them,


s: and scolded and said that for her part she was not meant to have


s: legs; but it was all no use, the daffodils would not be quiet.


s: matter.  When she heard the story she told them they were very


s: foolish and discontented, and that the cuckoo was a most


s: mischievous bird and liked to get people into trouble; but the


s: With that she waved her wand over the three daffodils and in a


s: twinkle they were gone; in their places stood three tall pretty


s: "Well, little one, don't you want to be a pretty maiden, too?"


s: But the daffodil shook her head with great determination:-


s: "I don't want legs and I won't have legs.  I was meant to be a


s: They went singing and dancing over the meadows in the soft


s: Presently they came to a house and stopped to ask whether they


s: very happy and quite content with the result of their experiment.


s: discovered that although they had the prettiest little legs and


s: feet and toes in the world, they were quite green, the colour of


s: The first daffodil said she was a wicked old witch.  The second


s: Then they all set to work arguing and quarrelling and crying like


s: The cuckoo, being in some respects a philosopher, did not attempt


s: wish to see their feet, and they could always wear stockings.  He


s: king has decided to divide his kingdom into three equal parts and


s: study science.  Now these Silver princes desire to marry three


s: The three maidens were so much interested and excited that they


s: forgot their troubles and began to sing.


s: court.  The gorgeous tents were of cloth of silver fastened with


s: the door of the largest and most gorgeous tent stood three


s: When they saw the maidens approaching, hand in hand, they gave a


s: cry of joy and ran forward to greet them.


s: "Dear beautiful princesses," they cried, "welcome to our court!


s: May we ask your names and the country you come from?"


s: The cuckoo, perched on a tent-pole hard by, answered for them.


s: When the princes heard the cuckoo's words they were almost beside


s: daughters of the same age whom the Silver princes were anxious to


s: The king was out, but the queen received the daffodils very


s: Then the young people visited all the beautiful tents, and the


s: great ballroom where there was to be a ball that night, and the


s: quite tired; so the princes put them into hammocks with little


s: monkeys to swing them, and the happy hours wore on until the


s: stockings to match, all ready for them.  They looked so beautiful


s: All that night they danced with the princes, and everyone was


s: charmed with their beauty and grace, especially the king, who had


s: When the princes came to meet their betrothed next morning the


s: maidens noticed that, although very affectionate, they were


s: downcast and somewhat silent.  At last, after a great deal of


s: they demanded to see the princesses' little feet with their own


s: When the princes with many blushes broke this news to their lady-


s: Imagine the grief of the poor princes!  The king had said quite


s: positively that not one of the princes should marry till he, the


s: queen, and the councillors of the kingdom, had seen the bride's


s: and now announced that he had a private message for the Golden


s: princesses, if they would take him to their tent.


s: "Green feet," he said, "are very uncommon and would no doubt be


s: "I heard the king and queen say that green was their favourite


s: This was pure invention on the cuckoo's part, but the daffodils


s: when the king found their toes were all right he would think the


s: present at the counting of the princesses' toes.


s: That night the daffodils never slept, for fear once more took


s: Next morning two of the court ushers came to escort them to the


s: Cabinet Council.  Poor daffodils!  Their eyes were red with


s: In the middle on a raised dais sat the king and queen, on their


s: right stood the three princes, on their left the councillors in


s: their robes of state.  Three chairs were placed for the maidens,


s: Blushing crimson the daffodils slowly and unwillingly took off


s: their shoes.  Then they cried a little and said they really truly


s: "They wear two pairs, I see," said the queen, who was a little


s: But the daffodils only hung their heads and wept.


s: Now the king was a shrewd old gentleman, and the true state of


s: fields; and when the people saw their little green feet a great


s: shout of laughter went up, in which the king and the princes


s: breath; and where do you think they were?  Why in their old home


s: But the daffodils were sobbing too bitterly to answer, and the


s: discontented daffodils!  They had to pay a heavy price for their


s: asleep in bed while Mamma dormouse nodded over her knitting and


s: And then the babies would shake, for they were afraid of the big


s: stick; and naughty Fairy Fluffikins would dance off to find some


s: One night she had fine fun.  She found a little dead mouse in a


s: field; and at first she was sorry for the mouse, and thought she


s: would bury it and plant a daisy on its grave; but then an idea


s: struck her.  She hunted about till she found a piece of long,


s: the Ancient Owl lived.  There was a little hole at the bottom of


s: the tree and into it Fairy Fluffikins crept, leaving the mouse


s: "I smell mouse, I smell mouse."  Then there was a swoop of wings,


s: "Where's that mouse gone?  I smelt mouse, I know I smelt mouse!"


s: She grew tired of this game after a few times, so she left the


s: mouse in the hole and crept away to a new one.  She really was a


s: away (I forgot to tell you that she had little, soft wings), and


s: the bargain, till he thought he must have got the nightmare.


s: One day Fairy Fluffikins was well paid out for some of her


s: naughtiness.  She was flying away from a tree where she had just


s: takes to tell found herself in the nest of the Ancient Owl.


s: Now when Fairy Fluffikins saw five pairs of large round eyes


s: blinking and staring at her she lost her head and cried out--


s: Then the Ancient Owl was MOST DREADFULLY ANGRY and read Fairy


s: Even this sad adventure did not cure Fairy Fluffikins of getting


s: No one caught Fairy Fluffikins; but she caught herself, as you


s: She was poking about round a haystack one night, trying to find


s: something naughty to do, when she came upon a sweet little house


s: How she cried and stamped and pushed at the door, and promised to


s: There she remained, and in the morning one of the labourers found


s: I'm not sure it doesn't serve her quite right.


s: Once upon a time there lived a Tinkle-Tinkle.  I cannot tell you


s: sometimes in the water, sometimes in a cave; and I can't tell you


s: and found two small dormice sobbing under a tree because they had


s: when he got there he put the dormice to bed in his grandmother's


s: the dormice, appearing a most cheerful and contented creature.


s: Now it happened on a certain evening that the Tinkle-Tinkle was


s: travelling over the sea, when suddenly in the depths he caught


s: lovely voice you ever heard, like the sighing of the waves in the


s: Tinkle-Tinkle remember a dream he had once had of sunshine, and


s: forest trees, and the song of birds; and the Creature said, "Ah,


s: When the Tinkle-Tinkle heard this he was glad with a new strange


s: gladness, and he went back to his cave; but not alone, for the


s: The Tinkle-Tinkle had one gift--he could sing--how, no man knew,


s: not even the Tinkle-Tinkle himself; and this is how he discovered


s: The great stag's head drooped lower and lower till even the sun


s: melted in a mist of pity, and the trees sighed, and the breezes


s: hushed their voices.  Then suddenly the Tinkle-Tinkle crept close


s: Many were the adventures of the Tinkle-Tinkle, and countless the


s: creatures he cheered and helped, yet he never fancied himself any


s: crab without a claw, and the green bird and the dormice found a


s: So it went on till all the Tinkle-Tinkle's homes were full of


s: strange occupants, and he began to feel very old and worn and


s: weary.  Then he remembered the promise of the beautiful Creature,


s: The Tinkle-Tinkle could just see it from between the beautiful


s: Presently--and though the time had been one thousand years it had


s: beautiful place that was nothing but light, and the beautiful


s: Creature set the Tinkle-Tinkle down; he looked around him and saw


s: and the continuation is indented two spaces.  Some obvious errors


s: Thinking none saw him:  when he ceas'd I started from the trees,


s: And caught him in my hat, as boys knock down a butterfly."


s: One last innovation I have still to mention.  It will be found in


s: Excursion", in "Some Imagist Poets". I here record my thanks.


s: For the substance of the poems--why, the poems are here. No one


s: Stravinsky's Three Pieces "Grotesques", for String Quartet


s: Thompson's Lunch Room--Grand Central Station


s: The two sea songs quoted in "The Hammers" are taken from


s: 'Songs:  Naval and Nautical, of the late Charles Dibdin', London,


s: Are blowing, and the bright blue squills.


s: Tripping by in high-heeled, ribboned shoes.


s: And one small flower has dropped upon my bosom.


s: Is the softness of a woman bathing in a marble basin,


s: So thick, she cannot see her lover hiding,


s: I should like to see it lying in a heap upon the ground.


s: All the pink and silver crumpled up on the ground.


s: I would be the pink and silver as I ran along the paths,


s: I should see the sun flashing from his sword-hilt and the buckles


s: To lead him in a maze along the patterned paths,


s: A bright and laughing maze for my heavy-booted lover,


s: With the shadows of the leaves and the sundrops,


s: It was brought to me this morning by a rider from the Duke.


s: "Madam, we regret to inform you that Lord Hartwell


s: As I read it in the white, morning sunlight,


s: "See that the messenger takes some refreshment.


s: The blue and yellow flowers stood up proudly in the sun,


s: In a month he would have been my husband.


s: And I answered, "It shall be as you have said."


s: Will give place to pillared roses, and to asters, and to snow.


s: And the softness of my body will be guarded from embrace


s: For the man who should loose me is dead,


s: How fresh the Dartle's little waves that day!


s: And flashing where the round clouds, blown away,


s: Let drop the yellow sunshine to gleam through


s: And tip the edges of the waves with shifts


s: And spots of whitest fire, hard like gems


s: Cut from the midnight moon they were, and sharp


s: The Lady Eunice walked between the drifts


s: Of blooming cherry-trees, and watched the rifts


s: Of clouds drawn through the river's azure warp.


s: Her little feet tapped softly down the path.


s: Her soul was listless; even the morning breeze


s: Fluttering the trees and strewing a light swath


s: Of fallen petals on the grass, could please


s: Her not at all.  She brushed a hair aside


s: With a swift move, and a half-angry frown.


s: To test the colours; put them at her side,


s: Then at her breast, then loosened them and tried


s: Some new arrangement, but it would not do.


s: Whose husband is in Flanders with the Duke


s: Of Marlborough and Prince Eugene, she's grown


s: Her idleness.  What is she on this Earth?


s: Be wed nor single, must not let her mind


s: Except for hers.  Indeed that were no dearth


s: Were her Lord here, for well she knew his worth,


s: And when she thought of him her eyes were kind.


s: Too lately wed to have forgot the wooing.


s: Other than strange delight at her wife's doing.


s: Even at the thought a gentle blush would steal


s: Over her face, and then her lips would frame


s: Some little word of loving, and her eyes


s: Would brim and spill their tears, when all they saw


s: Through burgeoning trees, and all the morning's flame


s: Burning and quivering round her.  With quick shame


s: She shut her heart and bent before the law.


s: He was a soldier, she was proud of that.


s: This was his house and she would keep it well.


s: His honour was in fighting, hers in what


s: He'd left her here in charge of.  Then a spell


s: Of conscience sent her through the orchard spying


s: Upon the gardeners.  Were their tools about?


s: Were any branches broken?  Had the weeds


s: Under the 'spaliered pears, and were these lying


s: Nailed snug against the sunny bricks and drying


s: Their leaves and satisfying all their needs?


s: She picked a stone up with a little pout,


s: Stones looked so ill in well-kept flower-borders.


s: Where should she put it?  All the paths about


s: Were strewn with fair, red gravel by her orders.


s: No stone could mar their sifted smoothness.  So


s: She stood a moment charmed by the swift blue


s: She watched it curdling, crinkling, and the snow


s: Purfled upon its wave-tops.  Then, "Hullo,


s: My Beauty, gently, or you'll wriggle through."


s: To save herself from tumbling in the shallows


s: Which rippled to her feet.  Then straight away


s: She peered down stream among the budding sallows.


s: Of silver, bowed and damascened, and girt


s: With crimson spots and moons which waned and played.


s: The fish hung circled for a moment, ringed


s: And bright; then flung itself out, a thin blade


s: Of spotted lightning, and its tail was winged


s: With chipped and sparkled sunshine.  And the shade


s: Broke up and splintered into shafts of light


s: Wheeling about the fish, who churned the air


s: And made the fish-line hum, and bent the rod


s: The young man took against the twigs, with slight,


s: Deft movements he kept fish and line in tight


s: He lay there, and the fish hung just beyond.


s: He seemed uncertain what more he should do.


s: He drew back, pulled the rod to correspond,


s: Tossed it and caught it; every time he threw,


s: He caught it nearer to the point.  At last


s: The fish was near enough to touch.  He paused.


s: Eunice knew well the craft--"What's got the thing!"


s: Where is his net?  The moment will be past.


s: The fish will wriggle free."  She stopped aghast.


s: He turned and bowed.  One arm was in a sling.


s: The broad, black ribbon she had thought his basket


s: Must hang from, held instead a useless arm.


s: "I do not wonder, Madam, that you ask it."


s: He smiled, for she had spoke aloud.  "The charm


s: When you must play your fish on land as well."


s: "How will you take him?" Eunice asked.  "In truth


s: 'Twas stupid of me, but it simply chanced


s: I never thought of that until he glanced


s: Into the branches.  'Tis a bit uncouth."


s: He watched the fish against the blowing sky,


s: Writhing and glittering, pulling at the line.


s: "The hook is fast, I might just let him die,"


s: He mused.  "But that would jar against your fine


s: Sense of true sportsmanship, I know it would,"


s: Cried Eunice.  "Let me do it."  Swift and light


s: She ran towards him.  "It is so long now


s: I lost all heart for everything."  She stood,


s: Supple and strong, beside him, and her blood


s: She quickly seized the fish and with a stone


s: Ended its flurry, then removed the hook,


s: Untied the fly with well-poised fingers.  Done,


s: She asked him where he kept his fishing-book.


s: He pointed to a coat flung on the ground.


s: She searched the pockets, found a shagreen case,


s: Replaced the fly, noticed a golden stamp