He saw thro' life and death, thro' good And Freedom rear'd in that august sunrise and ill, He saw thro' his own soul. The marvel of the everlasting will, An open scroll, Her beautiful bold brow, When rites and forms before his burning eyes Melted like snow. Before him lay: with echoing feet he❘ There was no blood upon her maiden robes VEX not thou the poet's mind For thou canst not fathom it. Clear and bright it should be ever, So many minds did gird their orbs with Flowing like a crystal river; beams, Tho' one did fling the fire. Heaven flow'd upon the soul in many dreams Of high desire. Thus truth was multiplied on truth, the world Like one great garden show'd, And thro' the wreaths of floating dark upcurl'd, Rare sunrise flow'd. Bright as light, and clear as wind. II. Dark-brow'd sophist, come not anear; All the place is holy ground; Hollow smile and frozen sneer Come not here. Holy water will I pour Into every spicy flower Of the laurel-shrubs that hedge it around. The flowers would faint at your cruel cheer. THE SEA-FAIRIES—The deserted house. It would fall to the ground if you came in. In the middle leaps a fountain With a low melodious thunder; And it sings a song of undying love; And yet, tho' its voice be so clear and full, You never would hear it; your ears are so dull; So keep where you are: you are foul with sin; It would shrink to the earth if you came in. THE SEA-FAIRIES. SLOW sail'd the weary mariners and saw, Betwixt the green brink and the running foam, Sweet faces, rounded arms, and bosoms prest To little harps of gold; and while they mused Whispering to each other half in fear, Shrill music reach'd them on the middle sea. Whither away, whither away, whither away? fly no more. Whither away from the high green field, and the happy blossoming shore? Day and night to the billow the fountain calls: 15 Down shower the gambolling waterfalls High over the full-toned sea: O hither, come hither and furl your sails, Over the islands free; And the rainbow lives in the curve of the sand; Hither, come hither and see; wave, And sweet is the colour of cove and cave, And sweet shall your welcome be : O hither, come hither, and be our lords, For merry brides are we : We will kiss sweet kisses, and speak sweet words: O listen, listen, your eyes shall glisten Runs up the ridged sea. Who can light on as happy a shore THE DESERTED HOUSE. I. LIFE and Thought have gone away Leaving door and windows wide: Careless tenants they ! II. All within is dark as night : III. Close the door, the shutters close, Of the dark deserted house. IV. Come away: no more of mirth Is here or merry-making sound. The house was builded of the earth, And shall fall again to ground. V. Come away for Life and Thought But in a city glorious A great and distant city-have bought THE DYING SWAN. I. THE plain was grassy, wild and bare, Wide, wild, and open to the air, Which had built up everywhere An under-roof of doleful gray. And loudly did lament. And took the reed-tops as it went. II. Some blue peaks in the distance rose, One willow over the river wept, Chasing itself at its own wild will, And far thro' the marish green and still The tangled water-courses slept, Shot over with purple, and green, and yellow. III. The wild swan's death-hymn took the soul Hidden in sorrow: at first to the ear Sometimes afar, and sometimes anear; And the tumult of their acclaim is roll'd And the creeping mosses and clambering weeds, And the willow-branches hoar and dank, And the wavy swell of the soughing reeds, And the wave-worn horns of the echoing bank, And the silvery marish - flowers that throng The desolate creeks and pools among, A DIRGE. I. Now is done thy long day's work; Shadows of the silver birk LOVE AND DEATH-THE BALLAD OF ORIANA. II. The balm-cricket carols clear LOVE AND DEATH. 17 WHAT time the mighty moon was gathering light Love paced the thymy plots of Paradise, And all about him roll'd his lustrous eyes; When, turning round a cassia, full in view, Death, walking all alone beneath a yew, And talking to himself, first met his sight: 'You must begone,' said Death, these walks are mine.' Love wept and spread his sheeny vans for flight; Yet ere he parted said, 'This hour is thine : Thou art the shadow of life, and as the tree Stands in the sun and shadows all be neath, So in the light of great eternity Life eminent creates the shade of death; The shadow passeth when the tree shall fall, But I shall reign for ever over all.' THE BALLAD OF ORIANA. My heart is wasted with my woe, There is no rest for me below, When the long dun wolds are ribb'd with snow, And loud the Norland whirlwinds blow, Oriana, Alone I wander to and fro, Oriana. Ere the light on dark was growing, Oriana, At midnight the cock was crowing, Oriana : C |