,transcriber's ,notes3 ,some typographical and punctuation errors have been corrected4 ,a complete list follows the text4 ,words italicized in the original are surrounded by underscores4 ,words in bold in the original are surrounded by equal signs4 ,characters superscripted in the original are inclosed in brackets4 ,more ,transcriber's ,notes follow the text4 ,select ,english ,classics ,,six ,,centuries ,,of ,,english ,,poetry ,,tennyson ,,to ,,chaucer ,,typical ,,selections ,,from ,,the ,,great ,,poets ,,by ,,james ,,baldwin1 ,,ph4,d4 ,,author ,,of ,,the ,,book ,,lover ,,etc41 ,,etc4 ,,silver1 ,,burdett ,,company ,,new ,,york 4 4 4 ,,boston 4 4 4 ,,chicago ,,copyright #ahib1 ,,by ,,silver1 ,,burdett ,,company4 ,,publishers' ,,note4 ,this is the first volume of a series of ,,select ,,english ,,classics which the publishers have in course of preparation4 ,the series will include an extensive variety of selections chosen from the different departments of ,english literature1 and arranged and annotated for the use of classes in schools4 ,it will embrace1 among other things1 representative specimens from all the best ,english writers1 whether of poetry or of prose2 selections from ,english dramatic literature1 especially of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries2 choice extracts from the writings of the great essayists2 selections from famous ,english allegories2 a volume of elegies and elegiacal poetry2 studies of ,english prose fiction1 with illustrative specimens1 etc4 ,each volume will contain copious notes1 critical1 explanatory1 and biographical1 besides the necessary vocabularies1 glossaries1 and indexes2 and the series when complete will present a varied and comprehensive view of all that is best in ,english literature4 ,for supplementary reading1 as well as for systematic class instruction1 the books will possess many peculiarly valuable as well as novel features2 while their attractive appearance1 combined with the sterling quality of their contents1 will commend them for general reading and make them desirable acquisitions for every library4 ,,to ,,teachers ,,and ,,students4 ,there is but one study more interesting than the history of literature1 and that is the study of literature itself4 ,that the former should often be mistaken for the latter is scarcely to be wondered at when we consider the intimate and almost indivisible relationship existing between them4 ,yet1 in truth1 they are as capable of separate consideration as are music and the history of music4 ,sidenote3 ,anglo-,saxon ,poetry4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,transition ,period4 ,any careful investigation of the history of ,english poetry would naturally begin at a point of time some six or seven hundred years earlier than that of ,chaucer4 ,from such investigation we should learn that even as early as the ninth century--perhaps1 indeed1 the eighth--there were in ,england some composers of verse in the ,anglo-,saxon tongue2 that the songs of these poets were chiefly of religion or of war1 and that being written in a language very different from our modern ,english they can scarcely be considered as belonging properly to our literature2 that among them1 however1 is a noble poem1 ,beowulf1 the oldest epic of any modern people1 which was probably sung or recited by pagan minstrels long before it was written down in permanent form2 that1 after the conquest of ,england by the ,normans1 the early language of the ,english people underwent a long and tedious process of transition1--a blending1 in a certain sense1 with the ,latinized and more polished tongue of their conquerors1--and that the result was the language which we now call ,english and are proud to claim as our own2 that it was about three hundred years after the ,norman ,conquest1 namely1 in #acfb1 that this new tongue was officially recognized and authorized to be used in the courts at law throughout the land2 and that about the same time ,geoffrey ,chaucer composed and wrote his first poems4 ,we should learn1 moreover1 that1 during the transition period mentioned above1 there were many attempts at writing poetry1 resulting in the production of tedious metrical romances 7chiefly translated from the ,french7 and interminable rhyming chronicles1 pleasing1 of course1 to the people of that time1 but wholly devoid of poetic excellence and unspeakably dull to modern readers2 that these poems1 so called1 were little better than rhymed doggerels1 written in couplets of eight-syllabled lines and having for their subjects the miraculous deeds of saints and heroes and the occurrence of supernatural or impossible phenomena2 that the composers of these metrical romances and chronicles1 although giving free rein to the imagination1 were utterly destitute of poetic fancy and hence produced no true poetry2 that1 nevertheless1 some writer was now and then inspired by a flash of real poetic fire1 producing a few lines of remarkable freshness and beauty1--little lyrics shining forth like gems in the great mass of verbiage and rubbish and foretelling the glorious possibilities which were to be realized in the future4 ,sidenote3 ,piers ,ploughman4 ,continuing this most interesting study1 we should learn that just at the time that ,chaucer was beginning the composition of his immortal works1 there appeared an allegorical poem of considerable length1 so earnest in tone1 so richly imaginative1 so full of picturesque descriptions1 that it seemed rather a fulfilment than a prophecy2 that this poem--called ,the ,vision of ,william concerning ,piers ,ploughman1 and written by an obscure monk whose name was probably ,william ,langland--was the greatest poem and the most popular that had ever been written in ,england1 and yet that it failed in many ways of being true ,english poetry3 its metre was irregular1 and its rhythm was imperfect2 its verses instead of rhyming were constructed in accordance with certain rules of alliteration2 its subjects1 while interesting1 no doubt1 to those for whom it was written1 were not such as bring into play the highest powers of the imagination or incite the poetic fancy to its noblest flights4 ,then we should learn that while the ink from good ,langland's pen was yet scarcely dry after his third revision of ,piers ,ploughman1 ,geoffrey ,chaucer came forward with his sweet imaginings bodied in immortal verse1 his tuneful numbers1 his well of ,english undefiled1--and ,english poetry1 which now for more than five centuries has been the chief glory of our literature1 had its true beginning4 ,sidenote3 ,three ,schools of ,poetry4 ,pursuing the study on lines which would now be more distinctly marked1 we should observe that ,chaucer's best poetry1 as well as that of the poets who followed him in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries1 was distinguished by its truthfulness to nature1 by its expression in hearty and harmonious words of the finer emotions of the soul1 and by the freedom and elasticity of its versification4 ,we should learn that in the seventeenth century this style of poetry--sometimes called the romantic--was succeeded by another and very different fashion in poetic composition1 introduced into ,england in imitation of continental and classical models3 that this new style of versification--ignoring nature and making everything subservient to art--was purely artificial1 characterized by an oratorical pomp1 a classical correctness1 a theatrical dressing1 abundance of moralizing2 and that1 with ,waller for its sponsor and ,dryden and ,pope for its high priests1 it remained for a century and a half the favorite of the literary world1 the model of poetic diction1 the standard of poetic taste4 ,we should learn that1 towards the end of the eighteenth century1 certain writers began to perceive that although attention to artistic rules in composition may be necessary to the best poetry1 yet natural feeling1 a cultivated imagination1 and a fancy unrestrained by merely arbitrary limitations are even more indispensable2 that these writers1 rebelling against the established order of things1 taught that there are elements of true poetry in the popular ballads of earlier times1 that even the wearisome metrical romances of the ,middle ,ages are rich in suggestiveness and in materials for a nobler poetry1 and that1 instead of going to the classics and to society for subjects and models1 the poet may find them in nature1 in the life which is about him1 and in a thousand sources never before suspected4 ,finally1 we should learn that1 at the very time when great revolutions in politics and philosophy were being inaugurated1 a new spirit thus began to manifest itself in our literature1--a spirit of revolt against artificial restrictions and traditional methods1--which produced a glorious revival in ,english poetic composition and ushered in a third great school of poetry1 distinguished for its breadth and freedom1 as that which it superseded had been known for its elegance and precision4#f3a ,sidenote3 ,the ,history of ,english ,poetry4 ,a study of the development of ,english poetry such as we have outlined above would involve a knowledge of the history of the ,english people and of the various circumstances and events which from time to time influenced our language and literature4 ,it would also embrace many other topics1 biographical1 philological1 rhetorical1 and speculative1 which have only a secondary relationship to the central idea of poetry4 ,in fact1 it would be a study not of poetry1 but about poetry1--of the circumstances which suggested it1 of the men who produced it1 and of the origin of the word-forms and methods of versification which distinguish it4 ,such a study1 altogether interesting and eminently profitable though it be1 should not be undertaken by any student until he has acquired an extensive personal acquaintance with poetry itself4 ,we may enjoy the beautiful creations of ,tennyson1 of ,shelley1 of ,burns1 even of ,chaucer1 without knowing one word of the history of poetry1 without so much as knowing the names of the writers or the circumstances under which they wrote4 ,but1 on the other hand1 to him who knows nothing of the masterpieces of our literature1 save at second hand1 the history of ,english letters must of necessity be dull1 uninteresting1 and often unintelligible4 ,while to him who has prepared himself for its study by fitting himself for an appreciation of these noble creations and becoming thoroughly imbued with their spirit1 what a field of delightful study does it offer6 ,sidenote3 ,object of this ,book4 ,sidenote3 ,methods of ,study4 ,the object of the present compilation is to aid in this preparatory work1--that is1 to offer a plan for promoting the study ,,of poetry before the broader but less important study ,,about poetry is undertaken4 ,to this end we present for the student's consideration a few representative poems written at different times and by men of widely different tastes and talents during the six centuries which may be said to have elapsed since the formation of the modern ,english tongue4 ,our chief aim is to lead to such a study of these selections as shall help the reader to perceive and appreciate their true poetic qualities and enter into full sympathy with the thoughts and feelings which their writers intended to express4 ,the first object to be sought in the study of these poems is the perception of those characteristic excellences which have made them universally admired and placed them among the classics of our language4 ,to accomplish this object rationally and successfully1 it is best to begin with those productions which are nearest to us in point of time and which are more in harmony with our own thoughts1 and therefore easiest to understand and enjoy4 ,an attempt to pursue these studies in chronological order1 beginning with the works of ,chaucer and the older poets1 would oblige the student to encounter at the outset so many purely mechanical difficulties that he would fail to discern the spiritual qualities of truth1 beauty1 and goodness1 which are the very essence of all genuine poetry4 ,he would very naturally acquire a distaste for poetry long before he was able to understand it1 and while he might attain to some considerable knowledge of the history of poetical literature1 that literature itself would remain to him practically a sealed book4 ,hence1 in the study of this subject1 as in that of other branches1 the true method is to present first that which is the least difficult1 to proceed from the known to the unknown1 to begin with that which is near at hand and from it to proceed to the consideration of things more remote4 ,not only are the most of ,tennyson's poems easily understood1 but their beauty is readily apparent even to the most superficial readers4 ,by the time we have read and extracted all the sweets from three or four of these1 we shall be prepared to go a step farther and undertake the study of ,wordsworth's immortal productions1--productions but little more difficult and but little less poetic4 ,thus1 step by step1 we may review the six centuries of ,english poetry which lie behind1 and when at last we reach the time of ,chaucer we shall be able to take hold of his works with understanding and with the zest which is begotten of true sympathy and appreciation4 ,after the book has been thus completed1 it may be well to run through it again1 reversing the order of the lessons and this time considering the subjects in strict chronological order4 ,our first study of the book will have introduced us to ,english poetry1 our second study of it will have given us some insight into the history of its development4 ,it is well to remember1 while pursuing this course1 that a taste for poetry is not acquired or fostered by an analysis of grammatical forms or by any study of words merely as such4 ,to analyze a puzzling sentence or to trace the derivation of an interesting word to its roots sometimes helps one to understand a difficult expression or to perceive in it a meaning hitherto unsuspected2 but to make the study of any selection consist largely of exercises of this kind is to substitute grammar or philology for literature4 ,so1 also1 should it be borne in mind that while it is often interesting and sometimes necessary to become acquainted with certain details relative to the life of an author--the date of his birth1 the character of his education1 the influences which shaped his life and his work--yet such knowledge belongs to biography and is in no sense literature4 ,the study of authors should never be substituted for the study of their works1 and is usually profitable only so far as it helps the student to understand the peculiarities which distinguish those works and which are the result of certain personal characteristics4 ,and yet it is no uncommon thing to find students acquainted with the minutest particulars in the lives of the great writers1 while of the masterpieces of thought and expression1 which are the glory of our literature1 they betray a deplorable ignorance4 ,nor is this the case with pupils at school alone4 ,for once that we take down a ,milton1 and read a book of that 'voice1' as ,wordsworth says1 'whose sound is like the sea1' we take up fifty times a magazine with something about ,milton1 or about ,milton's grandmother1 or a book stuffed with curious facts about the houses in which he lived1 and the juvenile ailments of his first wife4#i3a ,sidenote3 ,practical ,suggestions4 ,in the study of the selections contained in this volume1 the following method is recommended3-- #a4 ,the piece should be thoroughly committed to memory4 #b4 ,it should be recited or read by each member of the class in such manner as to bring out1 if possible1 his understanding of the meaning of every passage4 #c4 ,study the poem as a whole1 and let each pupil point out the beauties of thought or expression which distinguish it as a poetical composition4 #d4 ,now study each stanza1 or each independent thought1 in its order1 and endeavor to understand each word or expression just as the poet intended that it should be understood4 ,the ,notes appended to most of the selections are intended rather to suggest the line of study in this regard than to serve as exhaustive aids4 ,the pupil should1 so far as possible1 investigate for himself and make his own discoveries4 ,questions concerning the derivation of words and the syntax of sentences are to be discussed only so far as they will aid in the understanding of some passage or of the piece as a whole4 #e4 ,learn some of the most important facts connected with the author's life4 ,what were the conditions under which he wrote this piece8 ,what was the character of his education and of the other influences which shaped his life and distinguished his works8 ,learn what some of the leading critics have said concerning his works as a poet4 #f4 ,finally1 read the poem again1 as a whole1 and discuss its qualities as a work of literary art1 and again point out its distinctive beauties and characteristic excellences4 ,the extracts given at the beginning of each ,century will serve to keep in mind the leading peculiarities which distinguished the poetry of each period2 and the lists of poets and their works will be found valuable for purposes of reference4 ,before beginning the study of the selections both teacher and pupils should read this ,introduction carefully4 ,,footnotes3 #f3a ,see the quotation from ,taine1 page #ae4 #i3a ,frederic ,harrison3 ,on the ,choice of ,books4 ,,contents4 ,,principal ,,divisions4 ,,page ,,introduction #e ,,the ,,nineteenth ,,century #ae ,,the ,,eighteenth ,,century #ie ,,the ,,seventeenth ,,century #aeg ,,the ,,sixteenth ,,century #bae ,,the ,,fifteenth ,,century #bfg ,,the ,,fourteenth ,,century #bhe ,,index #cjc ,,poems4 ,,by ,,alfred ,,tennyson3-- ,the ,lady of ,shalott #ag ,the ,brook #be ,the ,lotus ,eaters #bh ,,by ,,william ,,wordsworth3-- ,intimations of ,immortality from ,recollections of ,early ,childhood #cg ,the ,two ,april ,mornings #di ,the ,solitary ,reaper #ea ,,by ,s4 ,t4 ,,coleridge3-- ,christabel4 ,part ,i #ee ,,by ,,percy ,,bysshe ,,shelley3-- ,to a ,skylark #fg ,hymn of ,pan #ga ,from ,epipsychidion #gd ,,by ,,john ,,keats3-- ,ode to a ,nightingale #hc ,from ,the ,eve of ,st4 ,agnes #hg ,,by ,,robert ,,burns3-- ,the ,cotter's ,saturday ,night #ig ,to a ,mountain ,daisy #ajg ,for a' that and a' that #aji ,,by ,,william ,,cowper3-- ,boadicea #aac ,on the ,receipt of my ,mother's ,picture #aae ,epitaph on a ,hare #abj ,,by ,,oliver ,,goldsmith3-- ,the ,village ,parson #abd ,the ,village ,schoolmaster #abe ,,by ,,thomas ,,gray3-- ,the ,bard #abi ,,by ,,alexander ,,pope3-- ,from the ,essay on ,criticism #ada ,ode on ,st4 ,cecilia's ,day #adg ,,by ,,john ,,dryden3-- ,alexander's ,feast #aei ,the ,fire of ,london #afi ,reason and ,religion #agd ,,by ,,john ,,milton3-- ,on the ,morning of ,christ's ,nativity #agg ,wordsworth's ,sonnet to ,milton #aif ,,by ,,robert ,,herrick3-- ,to ,phillis #aig ,the ,mad ,maid's ,song #aii ,a ,thanksgiving to ,god #bjj ,,by ,,edmund ,,waller3-- ,song3 ,go1 lovely ,rose #bjc ,of ,english ,verse #bjd ,on a ,girdle #bje ,,by ,,ben ,,jonson3-- ,an ,ode to ,himself #bjg ,to ,cynthia #bji ,to the ,memory of ,william ,shakespeare #baj ,herrick's ,ode for ,ben ,jonson #bad ,,by ,,william ,,shakespeare3-- ,venus's ,advice to ,adonis on ,hunting #bag ,a ,morning ,song for ,imogen #bai ,sigh no more1 ,ladies #bbj ,sunshine and ,cloud 7,sonnet xxxiii47 #bbj ,the ,world's ,way 7,sonnet lxvi47 #bba ,,by ,,edmund ,,spenser3-- ,the ,cave of ,mammon #bbc ,prothalamion2 or1 a ,spousall ,verse #bce ,,by ,,thomas ,,wyatt3-- ,a ,love ,song #bdg ,the ,courtier's ,life #bdh ,,by ,,the ,,earl ,,of ,,surrey3-- ,from ,virgil's neid #bdi ,sonnet3 ,geraldine #bej ,on the ,death of ,sir ,thomas ,wyatt #bea ,,ballads3-- ,waly1 waly #bec ,sir ,patrick ,spens #bee ,the ,bailiff's ,daughter of ,islington #bei ,robin ,hood and the ,widow's three ,sons #bfa ,,by ,,john ,,skelton3-- ,to ,maystress ,margaret ,hussey #bfi ,cardinal ,wolsey #bgj ,,by ,,john ,,lydgate3-- ,a ,visit to ,london #bgc ,the ,golden ,age #bge ,,by ,,robert ,,henryson3-- ,the ,garmond of ,fair ,ladies #bgg ,,by ,,william ,,dunbar3-- ,a ,may ,morning #bgi ,,by ,,gawain ,,douglas3-- ,in ,praise of ,honour #bha ,,by ,,geoffrey ,,chaucer3-- ,from the ,prologue to the ,canterbury ,tales #bhg ,,six ,,centuries ,,of ,,english ,,poetry4 ,the ,nineteenth ,century4 ,now appeared the ,english romantic school1 a sect of 'dissenters in poetry1' who spoke out aloud1 kept themselves close together1 and repelled settled minds by the audacity and novelty of their theories4 ,they had violently broken with tradition1 and leaped over all classical culture1 to take their models from the ,renaissance and the middle-age4 ,they sought1 in the old national ballads and ancient poetry of foreign lands1 the fresh and primitive accent which had been wanting in classical literature1 and whose presence seemed to them to be a sign of truth and beauty4 ,they proposed to adapt to poetry the ordinary language of conversation1 such as is spoken in the middle and lower classes1 and to replace studied phrases and a lofty vocabulary by natural tones and plebeian words4 ,in place of the classic mould1 they tried stanzas1 sonnets1 ballads1 blank verse1 with the roughness and subdivisions of the primitive poets4 4 4 4 ,some had culled gigantic legends1 piled up dreams1 ransacked the ,east1 ,greece1 ,arabia1 the ,middle ,ages1 and overloaded the human imagination with hues and fancies from every clime4 ,others had buried themselves in metaphysics and moral philosophy1 had mused indefatigably on the condition of man1 and spent their lives on the sublime and the monotonous4 ,others1 making a medley of crime and heroism1 had conducted1 through darkness and flashes of lightning1 a train of contorted and terrible figures1 desperate with remorse1 relieved by their grandeur4 ,men wanted to rest after so many efforts and so much success4 ,on the going out of the imaginative1 sentimental1 and ,satanic school1 ,tennyson appeared exquisite4 ,all the forms and ideas which had pleased them were found in him1 but purified1 modulated1 set in a splendid style4 ,he completed an age4--,,taine4 ,poets of the ,nineteenth ,century4 ,william ,wordsworth 7#aggj-ahej74 ,see biographical note1 page #eb4 ,sir ,walter ,scott 7#agga-ahcb74 ,the ,lay of the ,last ,minstrel2 ,the ,lady of the ,lake2 ,marmion2 ,the ,lord of the ,isles2 short poems4 ,samuel ,taylor ,coleridge 7#aggb-ahcd74 ,see biographical note1 page #fe4 ,robert ,southey 7#aggd-ahdc74 ,thalaba2 ,roderick1 the last of the ,goths2 ,joan of ,arc2 ,madoc2 ,the ,curse of ,kehama2 numerous short poems4 ,charles ,lamb 7#agge-ahcd74 ,chiefly short poems4 ,walter ,savage ,landor 7#agge-ahfd74 ,gebir2 and other poems4 ,thomas ,campbell 7#aggg-ahdd74 ,gertrude of ,wyoming2 ,the ,pleasures of ,hope2 short poems4 ,thomas ,moore 7#aggi-aheb74 ,irish ,melodies2 ,lalla ,rookh2 ,rhymes on the ,road2 ,the ,loves of the ,angels1 etc4 ,leigh ,hunt 7#aghd-ahei74 ,francesca ,rimini2 ,a ,legend of ,florence2 ,stories in ,verse1 etc4 ,bryan ,waller ,procter 7,barry ,cornwall7 7#aghg-ahgd74 ,a ,sicilian ,story2 ,english ,songs1 etc4 ,lord ,byron 7,george ,gordon ,noel7 7#aghh-ahbd74 ,childe ,harold2 ,the ,giaour2 ,bride of ,abydos2 ,the ,corsair2 ,lara2 ,hebrew ,melodies2 ,siege of ,corinth2 ,parisina2 ,manfred2 ,don ,juan1 etc4 ,percy ,bysshe ,shelley 7#agib-ahbb74 ,see biographical note1 page #ha4 ,john ,keats 7#agie-ahba74 ,see biographical note1 page #ic4 ,thomas ,hood 7#agii-ahde74 ,numerous short poems1 chiefly humorous4 ,lord ,macaulay 7#ahjj-ahei74 ,lays of ,ancient ,rome4 ,elizabeth ,barrett ,browning 7#ahji-ahfa74 ,prometheus ,bound2 ,casa ,guidi ,windows2 ,sonnets from the ,portuguese2 ,aurora ,leigh2 ,poems before ,congress2 ,last ,poems4 ,alfred ,tennyson 7,lord ,tennyson7 7#ahji-74 ,see biographical note1 page #ce4 ,richard ,monckton ,milnes 7,lord ,houghton7 7#ahji-ahhe74 ,historical ,poems2 ,poetry for the ,people2 ,poems of ,many ,years4 ,robert ,browning 7#ahab-ahhi74 ,christmas ,eve and ,easter ,day2 ,men and ,women2 ,the ,ring and the ,book2 ,balaustion's ,adventure2 ,fifine at the ,fair2 ,aristophanes' ,apology1 etc4 ,william ,edmondstoune ,aytoun 7#ahac-ahfe74 ,lays of the ,scottish ,cavaliers2 ,ballads of ,scotland1 etc4 ,arthur ,hugh ,clough 7#ahai-ahfa74 ,the ,bothie2 ,ambarvalia1 etc4 ,charles ,kingsley 7#ahai-ahge74 ,andromeda2 many short poems4 ,matthew ,arnold 7#ahbb-ahhi74 ,the ,strayed ,reveller and other ,poems2 ,balder4 ,adelaide ,anne ,procter 7#ahbe-ahfd74 ,legends and ,lyrics2 ,a ,chaplet of ,verses4 ,robert ,bulwer-,lytton 7,owen ,meredith7 7#ahca-ahib74 ,lucile2 ,marah1 etc4 ,alfred ,tennyson4 ,,the ,,lady ,,of ,,shalott4 ,,part ,i4 ,on either side the river lie ,long fields of barley and of rye1 ,that clothe the wold#a and meet the sky3 ,and through the fields the road runs by ,to many-towered ,camelot#b2 ,and up and down the people go1 ,gazing where the lilies blow ,round an island there below1 ,the island of ,shalott4 ,willows whiten1 aspens quiver1 ,little breezes dusk#c and shiver ,through the wave that runs forever ,by the island in the river ,flowing down to ,camelot2 ,four gray walls1 and four gray towers1 ,overlook a space of flowers1 ,and the silent isle imbowers ,the ,lady of ,shalott4 ,by the margin1 willow-veiled1 ,slide the heavy barges1 trailed#d ,by slow horses2 and unhailed ,the shallop flitteth silken-sailed1 ,skimming down to ,camelot3 ,but who hath seen her wave her hand8 ,or at the casement seen her stand8 ,or is she known in all the land1 ,the lady of ,shalott8 ,only reapers1 reaping early ,in among the bearded barley1 ,hear a song that echoes cheerly ,from the river winding clearly1 ,down to towered ,camelot3 ,and by the moon the reaper weary1 ,piling sheaves in uplands airy1 ,listening1 whispers1 ',tis the fairy ,lady of ,shalott4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,there she weaves by night and day ,a magic web#e with colors gay4 ,she has heard a whisper say1 ,a curse is on her if she stay ,to look down to ,camelot4 ,she knows not what the curse may be1 ,and so she weaveth steadily1 ,and little other care hath she1 ,the ,lady of ,shalott4 ,and moving through a mirror clear ,that hangs before her all the year1 ,shadows of the world appear4 ,there she sees the highway near ,winding down to ,camelot3 ,there the river-eddy whirls1 ,and there the surly village-churls1 ,and the red cloaks of market girls ,pass onward from ,shalott4 ,sometimes a troop of damsels glad1 ,an abbott on an ambling pad1#f ,sometimes a curly shepherd-lad ,or long-haired page in crimson clad1 ,goes by to towered ,camelot2 ,and sometimes through the mirror blue1 ,the knights come riding two and two3 ,she hath no loyal knight and true1 ,the ,lady of ,shalott4 ,but in her web she still delights ,to weave the mirrored magic sights1 ,for often through the silent nights ,a funeral1 with plumes and lights1 ,and music1 went to ,camelot2 ,or1 when the moon was overhead1 ,came two young lovers lately wed4 ,i am half-sick of shadows1 said ,the ,lady of ,shalott4#g ,,part ,,iii4 ,a bow-shot from her bower-eaves1 ,he rode between the barley-sheaves1 ,the sun came dazzling through the leaves1 ,and flamed upon the brazen greaves ,of bold ,sir ,lancelot4 ,a red-cross#h knight forever kneeled ,to a lady in his shield ,that sparkled on the yellow field1 ,beside remote ,shalott4 ,the gemmy bridle glittered free1 ,like to some branch of stars we see ,hung in the golden ,galaxy4#i ,the bridle-bells rang merrily ,as he rode down to ,camelot3 ,and from his blazoned baldric#aj slung ,a mighty silver bugle hung1 ,and as he rode his armor rung1 ,beside remote ,shalott4 ,all in the blue unclouded weather ,thick-jewelled shone the saddle-leather1 ,the helmet and the helmet-feather ,burned like one burning flame together1 ,as he rode down to ,camelot4 ,as often through the purple night1 ,below the starry clusters bright1 ,some bearded meteor1#aa trailing light1 ,moves over still ,shalott4 ,his broad clear brow in sunlight glowed2 ,on burnished hooves his war-horse trode2 ,from underneath his helmet flowed ,his coal-black curls as on he rode1 ,as he rode down to ,camelot4 ,from the bank and from the river ,he flashed#ab into the crystal mirror1 ,tirra lirra1 by the river#ac ,sang ,sir ,lancelot4 ,she left the web1 she left the loom1 ,she made three paces through the room1 ,she saw the water-lily bloom1 ,she saw the helmet and the plume1 ,she looked down to ,camelot4 ,out flew the web and floated wide2 ,the mirror cracked from side to side2 ,the curse is come upon me1 cried ,the ,lady of ,shalott4 ,,part ,,iv4 ,in the stormy east-wind straining1 ,the pale yellow woods were waning1 ,the broad stream in his banks complaining1 ,heavily the low sky raining ,over towered ,camelot2 ,down she came and found a boat ,beneath a willow left afloat1 ,and round about the prow she wrote1 ,the ,lady of ,shalott4 ,and down the river's dim expanse-- ,like some bold ser in a trance1 ,seeing all his own mischance-- ,with a glassy countenance ,did she look to ,camelot4 ,and at the closing of the day ,she loosed the chain1 and down she lay2 ,the broad stream bore her far away1 ,the ,lady of ,shalott4 ,lying1 robed in snowy white ,that loosely flew to left and right-- ,the leaves upon her falling light-- ,through the noises of the night ,she floated down to ,camelot3 ,and as the boat-head wound along ,the willowy hills and fields among1 ,they heard her singing her last song1 ,the ,lady of ,shalott4 ,heard a carol1 mournful1 holy1 ,chanted loudly1 chanted lowly1 ,till her blood was frozen slowly1 ,and her eyes were darkened wholly1 ,turned to towered ,camelot2 ,for ere she reached upon the tide ,the first house by the water-side1 ,singing in her song she died1 ,the ,lady of ,shalott4 ,under tower and balcony1 ,by garden-wall and gallery1 ,a gleaming shape she floated by1 ,a corse between the houses high1 ,silent into ,camelot4 ,out upon the wharfs they came1 ,knight and burgher1 lord and dame1 ,and round the prow they read her name1 ,the ,lady of ,shalott4 ,who is this8 and what is here8 ,and in the lighted palace near ,died the sound of royal cheer2 ,and they crossed themselves for fear1 ,all the knights at ,camelot2 ,but ,lancelot mused a little space2 ,he said1 ,she has a lovely face2 ,god in his mercy lend her grace1 ,the ,lady of ,shalott4 ,,notes4 ,this poem was written in #ahcb4 ,considered as a picture1 or as a series of pictures1 its beauty is unsurpassed4 ,the story which is here so briefly told is founded upon a touching legend connected with the romance of ,king ,arthur and his ,knights of the ,round ,table4 ,tennyson afterwards 7in #ahei7 expanded it into the ,idyll called ,elaine1 wherein he followed more closely the original narrative as related by ,sir ,thomas ,malory4 ,sir ,lancelot was the strongest and bravest of the ,knights of the ,round ,table1 and for him ,elaine1 the fair maid of ,astolat1 conceived a hopeless passion4 ,her love was platonic and pure as that of a child1 but it was masterful in its strength4 ,having learned that ,lancelot was pledged to celibacy1 she pined away and died4 ,but before her death she called her brother1 and having dictated a letter which he was to write1 she spake thus3 ',while my body is whole1 let this letter be put into my right hand1 and my hand bound fast with the letter until ,i be cold1 and let me be put in a fair bed with all my richest clothes that ,i have about me1 and so let my bed and all my rich clothes be laid with me in a chariot to the next place whereas the ,thames is1 and there let me be put in a barge1 and but one man with me1 such as ye trust to steer me thither1 and that my barge be covered with black samite over and over4' 4 4 4 ,so when she was dead1 the corpse and the bed and all was led the next way unto the ,thames1 and there all were put in a barge on the ,thames1 and so the man steered the barge to ,westminster1 and there he rowed a great while to and fro1 or any man espied4#bc3;,a ,at length the ,king and his ,knights1 coming down to the waterside1 and seeing the boat and the lily maid of ,astolat1 they uplifted the hapless body of ,elaine1 and bore it to the hall4 ,but ,arthur spied the letter in her hand1 ,stoopt1 took1 brake seal1 and read it2 this was all3 ',most noble ,lord1 ,sir ,lancelot of the ,lake1 ,i1 sometime called the maid of ,astolat1 ,come1 for you left me taking no farewell1 ,hither1 to take my last farewell of you4 ,i loved you1 and my love had no return1 ,and therefore my true love has been my death4 4 4 4 ,pray for my soul and yield me burial4 ,pray for my soul thou too ,sir ,lancelot1 ,as thou art a knight peerless4'#bd3;,a ,and so the maid was buried1 not as one unknown1 nor meanly1 but with gorgeous obsequies1 and mass and rolling music1 like a queen4 ,and the story of her dolorous voyage was blazoned on her tomb in letters gold and azure4 #a4 wold4 ,an open tract of hilly country1 where but few trees are left4 ,this word is more frequently used1 however1 to designate a forest or thick wood4 #b4 ,camelot4 ,it is supposed that this ,camelot was ,winchester4 ,it was the seat of ,king ,arthur's court1 and visitors are still shown the remains of what appear to have been certain kinds of intrenchments1 which the inhabitants call ,king ,arthur's ,palace4 ,sir ,thomas ,malory says3 ,sir ,ballin's sword was put into marble stone1 standing it upright as a great millstone1 and it swam down the stream to the city of ,camelot1 that is1 in ,english1 ,wincheste4 ,there was another ,camelot1 also ,king ,arthur's capital1 on the river ,camel1 in ,cornwall1 to which ,shakespeare makes reference in ,king ,lear1 ,,ii1 ii4 ,tennyson1 in ,gareth and ,lynette1 describes the appearance of the city when approached in the early morning3 ,far off they saw the silver-misty morn ,rolling her smoke about the ,royal mount1 ,that rose between the forest and the field4 ,at times the summit of the high city flash'd2 ,at times the spires and turrets half-way down ,prick'd thro' the mist2 at times the great gate shone ,only1 that open'd on the field below3 ,anon1 the whole fair city had disappear'd4 #c4 dusk4 ,produce a ruffled surface4 ,a very rare use of this word4 ,the river referred to is probably the ,thames4 #d4 trailed4 ,lat4 traho1 to draw2 ,dutch treilen1 to tow4 ,what picture is presented to the imagination in the first five lines of this stanza8 ,how do the barges differ in appearance and movement from the shallop mentioned two lines below8 #e4 web4 ,anything woven4 stay4 ,stop4 #f4 pad4 ,an easy-going saddle-horse2 a palfrey4 ,describe the picture which is presented in this stanza4 #g4 ,explain the meaning of the ,lady's exclamation4 #h4 red-cross knight4 ,a ,knight wearing a red cross4 ,one of ,king ,arthur's ,knights4 ,the red-cross ,knight in ,spenser's ,faerie ,queene symbolizes holiness4 ,and on his brest a bloodie crosse he bore1 ,the deare remembrance of his dying ,lord1 ,for whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore1 ,and dead1 as living ever1 him ador'd2 ,upon his shield the like was also scor'd1 ,for soveraine hope1 which in his helpe he had4 ,right1 faithfull1 true he was in deede and word2 ,but of his cheere did seeme too solemne sad2 ,yet nothing did he dread1 but ever was ydrad4 #i4 ,galaxy4 ,the milky-way4 ,gr4 gala1 galaktos1 milk4 #aj4 baldric4 ,a belt thrown over the shoulder4 ,from ,lat4 balteus4 #aa4 bearded meteor4 ,a shooting-star emitting rays of light in the direction in which it moves4 ,the beard of a comet is the light which it throws out in front of it1 in distinction from the tail or rays behind4 #ab4 ,he flashed4 ,his image was thrown upon and reflected from4 #ac4 ,tirra lirra4 ,french tire lire4 ,probably intended to imitate the note of the lark4 ,,footnotes3 #bc3;,a ,malory's ,king ,arthur1 ,part ,,iii4 #bd3;,a ,tennyson's ,elaine4 ,,the ,,brook4 ,i come from haunts of coot#a and hern1#b ,i make a sudden sally1 ,and sparkle out among the fern1 ,to bicker#c down a valley4 ,by thirty hills ,i hurry down1 ,or slip between the ridges1 ,by twenty thorps1#d a little town1 ,and half a hundred bridges4 ,till last by ,philip's farm ,i flow ,to join the brimming river1 ,for men may come and men may go1 ,but ,i go on forever4 ,i chatter over stony ways1 ,in little sharps and trebles1 ,i bubble into eddying bays1 ,i babble on the pebbles4 ,with many a curve my banks ,i fret ,by many a field and fallow1 ,and many a fairy foreland#e set ,with willow-weed and mallow4 ,i chatter1 chatter1 as ,i flow ,to join the brimming river1 ,for men may come and men may go1 ,but ,i go on forever4 ,i wind about1 and in and out1 ,with here a blossom sailing1 ,and here and there a lusty trout1 ,and here and there a grayling1 ,and here and there a foamy flake ,upon me1 as ,i travel1 ,with many a silvery waterbreak ,above the golden gravel1 ,and draw them all along1 and flow ,to join the brimming river1 ,for men may come and men may go1 ,but ,i go on forever4 ,i steal by lawns and grassy plots1 ,i slide by hazel#f covers2 ,i move the sweet forget-me-nots ,that grow for happy lovers4 ,i slip1 ,i slide1 ,i gloom1#g ,i glance1 ,among my skimming swallows2 ,i make the netted sunbeams dance ,against my shady shallows4 ,i murmur under moon and stars ,in brambly wildernesses2 ,i linger by my shingly#h bars2 ,i loiter round my cresses2 ,and out again ,i curve and flow ,to join the brimming river1 ,for men may come and men may go1 ,but ,i go on forever4 ,,notes4 ,this little lyric forms a part of an idyl of the same title1 published in #ahee4 ,the poet introduces it in the following manner3 ,here1 by this brook1 we parted2 ,i to the ,east ,and he to ,italy--too late--too late3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,yet the brook he loved 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 seems1 as ,i re-listen to it1 ,prattling the primrose fancies of the boy1 ,to me that loved him2 for1 ',o brook1' he says1 ',o babbling brook1' says ,edmund in his rhyme1 ',whence come you8' and the brook1 why not8 replies3 ',i come from haunts of coot and hern1' etc4 ,in reading this poem1 observe how strikingly the sound is made to correspond to the sense4 #a4 coot4 ,a wild water-fowl1 resembling the duck4 #b4 hern4 ,heron4 #c4 bicker4 ,to move unsteadily4 #d4 thorps4 ,small villages4 ,a4 ,s4 thorpe4 ,from ,ger4 trupp1 a troop4 #e4 foreland4 ,a promontory4 #f4 hazel covers4 ,hazel thickets4 #g4 gloom4 ,glimmer1 shine obscurely4 #h4 shingly4 ,gravelly4 ,,the ,,lotos-,,eaters4 ,courage6 he said1 and pointed toward the land2 ,this mounting wave will roll us shoreward soon4 ,in the afternoon they came unto a land1 ,in which it seemed always afternoon4 ,all round the coast the languid air did swoon1 ,breathing like one that hath a weary dream4 ,full-faced above the valley stood the moon2 ,and like a downward smoke1 the slender stream ,along the cliff to fall and pause and fall did seem4 ,a land of streams6 some1 like a downward smoke1 ,slow-dropping veils of thinnest lawn1 did go2 ,and some through wavering lights and shadows broke ,rolling a slumbrous sheet of foam below4 ,they saw the gleaming river seaward flow ,from the inner land3 far off1 three mountain-tops1 ,three silent pinnacles of aged snow1 ,stood sunset-flushed3 and1 dewed with showery drops1 ,up-clomb the shadowy pine above the woven copse4 ,the charmed sunset lingered low adown ,in the red ,west3 through mountain clefts the dale ,was seen far inland1 and the yellow down ,bordered with palm1 and many a winding vale ,and meadow1 set with slender galingale2 ,a land where all things always seemed the same6 ,and round about the keel with faces pale1 ,dark faces pale against that rosy flame1 ,the mild-eyed melancholy ,lotos-eaters came4 ,branches they bore of that enchanted stem1 ,laden with flower and fruit1 whereof they gave ,to each1 but whoso did receive of them1 ,and taste1 to him the gushing of the wave ,far1 far away did seem to mourn and rave ,on alien shores2 and if his fellow spake1 ,his voice was thin1 as voices from the grave2 ,and deep-asleep he seemed1 yet all awake1 ,and music in his ears his beating heart did make4 ,they sat them down upon the yellow sand1 ,between the sun and moon upon the shore2 ,and sweet it was to dream of ,father-land1 ,of child and wife1 and slave2 but evermore ,most weary seemed the sea1 weary the oar1 ,weary the wandering fields of barren foam4 ,then some one said1 ,we will return no more2 ,and all at once they sang1 ,our island home ,is far beyond the wave2 we will no longer roam4 ,,choric ,,song4 ,i4 ,there is sweet music here that softer falls ,than petals from blown roses on the grass1 ,or night-dews on still waters between walls ,of shadowy granite1 in a gleaming pass2 ,music that gentlier on the spirit lies1 ,than tired eyelids upon tired eyes2 ,music that brings sweet sleep down from the blissful skies4 ,here are cool mosses deep4 ,and thro' the moss the ivies creep1 ,and in the stream the long-leaved flowers weep1 ,and from the craggy ledge the poppy hangs in sleep4 ,,ii4 ,why are we weighed upon with heaviness1 ,and utterly consumed with sharp distress1 ,while all things else have rest from weariness8 ,all things have rest3 why should we toil alone1 ,we only toil1 who are the first of things1 ,and make perpetual moan1 ,still from one sorrow to another thrown3 ,nor ever fold our wings1 ,and cease from wanderings1 ,nor steep our brows in slumber's holy balm2 ,nor hearken what the inner spirit sings1 ,there is no joy but calm6 ,why should we only toil1 the roof and crown of things8 ,,iii4 ,lo6 in the middle of the wood1 ,the folded leaf is woo'd from out the bud ,with winds upon the branch1 and there ,grows green and broad1 and takes no care1 ,sun-steeped at noon1 and in the moon ,nightly dew-fed2 and turning yellow ,falls1 and floats adown the air4 ,lo6 sweetened with the summer light1 ,the full-juiced apple1 waxing over-mellow1 ,drops in a silent autumn night4 ,all its allotted length of days1 ,the flower ripens in its place1 ,ripens and fades1 and falls1 and hath no toil1 ,fast-rooted in the fruitful soil4 ,,iv4 ,hateful is the dark-blue sky1 ,vaulted o'er the dark-blue sea4 ,death is the end of life2 ah1 why ,should life all labour be8 ,let us alone4 ,time driveth onward fast1 ,and in a little while our lips are dumb4 ,let us alone4 ,what is it that will last8 ,all things are taken from us1 and become ,portions and parcels of the dreadful ,past4 ,let us alone4 ,what pleasure can we have ,to war with evil8 ,is there any peace ,in ever climbing up the climbing wave8 ,all things have rest1 and ripen toward the grave ,in silence2 ripen1 fall1 and cease3 ,give us long rest or death1 dark death1 or dreamful ease4 ,v4 ,how sweet it were1 hearing the downward stream1 ,with half-shut eyes ever to seem ,falling asleep in a half-dream6 ,to dream and dream1 like yonder amber light ,which will not leave the myrrh-bush on the height2 ,to hear each other's whispered speech2 ,eating the ,lotos day by day1 ,to watch the crisping ripples on the beach1 ,and tender curving lines of creamy spray2 ,to lend our hearts and spirits wholly ,to the influence of mild-minded melancholy2 ,to muse and brood and live again in memory1 ,with those old faces of our infancy ,heaped over with a mound of grass1 ,two handfuls of white dust1 shut in an urn of brass6 ,,vi4 ,dear is the memory of our wedded lives1 ,and dear the last embraces of our wives ,and their warm tears3 but all hath suffered change2 ,for surely now our household hearths are cold3 ,our sons inherit us3 our looks are strange3 ,and we should come like ghosts to trouble joy4 ,or else the island-princes over-bold ,have eat our substance1 and the minstrel sings ,before them of the ten-years' war in ,troy1 ,and our great deeds1 as half-forgotten things4 ,is there confusion in the little isle8 ,let what is broken so remain4 ,the gods are hard to reconcile3 ',tis hard to settle order once again4 ,there is confusion worse than death1 ,trouble on trouble1 pain on pain1 ,long labour unto aged breath1 ,sore task to hearts worn out by many wars1 ,and eyes grown dim with gazing on the pilot-stars4 ,,vii4 ,but1 propped on beds of amaranth and moly1 ,how sweet 7while warm airs lull us1 blowing lowly7 ,with half-dropped eyelids still1 ,beneath a heaven dark and holy1 ,to watch the long bright river drawing slowly ,his waters from the purple hill-- ,to hear the dewy echoes calling ,from cave to cave thro' the thick-twined vine-- ,to watch the emerald-coloured water falling ,thro' many a wov'n acanthus-wreath divine6 ,only to hear and see the far-off sparkling brine1 ,only to hear were sweet1 stretched out beneath the pine4 ,,viii4 ,the ,lotos blooms below the barren peak3 ,the ,lotos blows by every winding creek3 ,all day the wind breathes low with mellower tone3 ,thro' every hollow cave and alley lone ,round and round the spicy downs the yellow ,lotos-dust is blown4 ,we have had enough of action1 and of motion we1 ,rolled to starboard1 rolled to larboard1 when the surge was seething free1 ,where the wallowing monster spouted his foam-fountains in the sea4 ,let us swear an oath1 and keep it with an equal mind1 ,in the hollow ,lotos-land to live and lie reclined ,on the hills like gods together1 careless of mankind4 ,for they lie beside their nectar1 and the bolts are hurled ,far below them in the valleys1 and the clouds are lightly curled ,round their golden houses1 girdled with the gleaming world3 ,where they smile in secret1 looking over wasted lands1 ,blight and famine1 plague and earthquake1 roaring deeps and fiery sands1 ,clanging fights1 and flaming towns1 and sinking ships1 and praying hands4 ,but they smile1 they find a music centred in a doleful song ,steaming up1 a lamentation and an ancient tale of wrong1 ,like a tale of little meaning tho' the words are strong2 ,chanted from an ill-used race of men that cleave the soil1 ,sow the seed1 and reap the harvest with enduring toil1 ,storing yearly little dues of wheat1 and wine and oil2 ,till they perish and they suffer--some1 'tis whispered1 down in hell ,suffer endless anguish1 others in ,elysian valleys dwell1 ,resting weary limbs at last on beds of asphodel4 ,surely1 surely1 slumber is more sweet than toil1 the shore ,than labour in the deep mid-ocean1 wind and wave and oar2 ,oh1 rest ye1 brother mariners1 we will not wander more4 ,,note4 ,thence for nine whole days was ,i borne by ruinous winds over the teeming deep2 but on the tenth day we set foot on the land of the lotus-eaters1 who eat a flowery food4 ,so we stepped ashore and drew water1 and straightway my company took their mid-day meal by the swift ships4 ,now when we had tasted meat and drink1 ,i sent forth certain of my company to go and make search of what manner of men they were who here live upon the earth by bread1 and ,i chose out two of my fellows1 and sent a third with them as herald4 ,then straightway they went and mixed with the men of the lotus-eaters1 and so it was that the lotus-eaters devised not death for our fellows1 but gave them of the lotus to taste4 ,now whosoever of them did eat the honey-sweet fruit of the lotus1 had no more wish to bring tidings nor to come back1 but there he chose to abide with the lotus-eating men1 ever feeding on the lotus1 and forgetful of his homeward way4 ,therefore ,i led them back to the ships weeping1 and sore against their will1 and dragged them beneath the benches1 and bound them in the hollow barques4 ,but ,i commanded the rest of my well-loved company to make speed and go on board the swift ships1 lest haply any should eat of the lotus and be forgetful of returning4--,homer's ,odyssey1 ix1 #hj4 ,in this poem1 ',the ,lotos-,eaters1' the artistic ideal of the young poet 7it was written in #ahcj7 found its most finished expression and its culminating point4 ,here he seems to have attained a consciousness that beyond the ideal which he had adopted there is another1 larger1 grander1 and more satisfying4 ,nowhere else1 perhaps1 in the range of poetry1 is the trance of a listless life so harmoniously married to appropriate melodies and appropriate accompaniments4--,north ,british ,review4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,alfred ,,tennyson was born at ,somersby1 ,lincolnshire1 ,england1 in #ahji4 ,his early education was received at home from his father1 who was rector of ,somersby and vicar of ,bennington and ,grimsby4 ,he was afterwards sent to ,trinity ,college1 ,cambridge1 where1 at the age of twenty1 he received the chancellor's medal for a poem in blank verse1 entitled ,timbuctoo4 ,in #ahcj he published a small volume of ,poems chiefly ,lyrical4 ,a revised edition of this volume1 published in #ahcc1 contained ,the ,lady of ,shalott1 ,the ,lotos-,eaters1 and others of his best-known short poems4 ,in #ahej1 upon the death of ,wordsworth1 he was appointed poet-laureate4 ,in the same year he was married to ,emily1 daughter of ,henry ,sellwood1 ,esq41 and niece of ,sir ,john ,franklin4 ,since #ahea1 ,tennyson has resided for the greater part of the time at ,farringford1 ,freshwater1 ,isle of ,wight4 ,in ,december1 #ahhc1 he was made ,baron ,tennyson of ,aldworth and ,freshwater4 ,mr4 ,tennyson1 says ,r4 ,h4 ,hutton1 was an artist even before he was a poet2 in other words1 the eye for beauty1 grace1 and harmony of effect was even more emphatically one of his original gifts than the voice for poetic utterance itself4 ,this1 probably1 it is which makes his very earliest pieces appear so full of effort1 and sometimes even so full of affectation4 ,they were elaborate attempts to embody what he saw1 before the natural voice of the poet had come to him4 ,i think it possible to trace not only a pre-poetic period in his art1 but to date the period at which the soul was 'infused' into his poetry1 and the brilliant external figures became the dwelling-places of germinating poetic thoughts creating their own music4 ,curiously enough1 the first poem where there is any trace of those musings of the ,round ,table to which he has directed so much of his maturest genius1 is also a confession that the poet was sick of the magic mirror of fancy and its picture-shadows1 and was turning away from them to the poetry of human life4 ,whenever ,mr4 ,tennyson's pictorial fancy has had it in any degree in its power to run away with the guiding and controlling mind1 the richness and the workmanship have to some extent overgrown the spiritual principle of his poems4 ,it is obvious1 for instance1 that even in relation to natural scenery1 what his poetical faculty delights in most are rich1 luxuriant landscapes1 in which either nature or man has accumulated a lavish variety of effects4 ,it is in the scenery of the mill1 the garden1 the chase1 the down1 the rich pastures1 the harvest-field1 the palace pleasure-grounds1 the ,lord of ,burleigh's fair domains1 the luxuriant sylvan beauty1 bearing testimony to the careful hand of man1 'the summer crisp with shining woods1' that ,mr4 ,tennyson most delights4 ,if he strays to rarer scenes1 it is almost in search of richer and more luxuriant loveliness1 like the tropical splendors of ',enoch ,arden' and the enervating skies which cheated the ,lotos-,eaters of their longing for home4 ,mr4 ,tennyson1 says a writer in the ,north ,british ,review1 deserves an especial study1 not only as a poet1 but as a leader and a landmark of popular thought and feeling4 ,as a poet1 he belongs to the highest category of ,english writers2 for poetry is the strongest and most vigorous branch of ,english literature4 ,in this literature his works are evidently destined to secure a permanent place2 for they express in language refined and artistic1 but not unfamiliar1 a large segment of the popular thought of the period over which they range4 ,he has1 moreover1 a clearly marked if not strongly individualized style1 which has served as a model for imitators1 and as a starting-point for poets who have sought to improve upon it4 ,principal ,poems of ,tennyson3 ,charge of the ,light ,brigade1 written in #ahed2 ,dora1 #ahdb2 ,the ,dying ,swan1 #ahcj2 ,enoch ,arden1 #ahfd2 ,idylls of the ,king1 #ahei-ahgc1--to be read in the following order3 ,the ,coming of ,arthur2 ,gareth and ,lynette2 ,geraint and ,enid2 ,merlin and ,vivien2 ,lancelot and ,elaine2 ,the ,holy ,grail2 ,pelleas and ,ettarre2 ,the ,last ,tournament2 ,guinevere2 ,the ,passing of ,arthur2--,in ,memoriam1 #ahej 7#aca parts72 ,locksley ,hall1 #ahdb2 ,locksley ,hall ,sixty ,years ,afterwards1 #ahhf2 ,maud1 #ahee 7#c parts72 ,the ,princess1 #ahdg 7#g parts72 ,ode on the ,death of the ,duke of ,wellington1 #aheb4 ,,dramatic ,,pieces3 ,queen ,mary1 #ahge2 ,harold1 #ahgf2 ,the ,cup1 #ahha2 ,the ,falcon1 #ahhb2 ,becket1 #ahhd2 ,the ,foresters3 ,robin ,hood and ,maid ,marian1 #ahib4 ,,references3 ,stedman's ,victorian ,poets2 ,van ,dyke's ,the ,poetry of ,tennyson2 ,taine's ,history of ,english ,literature1 vol4 ,,iv2 ,kingsley's ,miscellanies2 ,elsdale's ,studies in the ,idylls2 ,buchanan's ,master ,spirits2 ,tainsh's ,studies in ,tennyson2 ,hutton's ,essays2 ,chapman's ,companion to ,in ,memoriam2 ,walters's ,in ,tennyson ,land4 ,william ,wordsworth4 ,,ode4 ,,intimations ,,of ,,immortality ,,from ,,recollections ,,of ,,early ,,childhood4 ,the ,child is father#a of the ,man2 ,and ,i could wish my days to be ,bound each to each by natural piety4 ,i4 ,there was a time when meadow1 grove1 and stream1 ,the earth1 and every common sight1 ,to me did seem ,apparelled#b in celestial light1 ,the glory and the freshness of a dream4 ,it is not now as it hath been of yore2-- ,turn wheresoe'er ,i may1 ,by night or day1 ,the things which ,i have seen ,i now can see no more4 ,,ii4 ,the rainbow comes and goes1 ,and lovely is the rose2 ,the moon doth with delight ,look round her when the heavens are bare2 ,waters on a starry night ,are beautiful and fair2 ,the sunshine is a glorious birth2 ,but yet ,i know1 where'er ,i go1 ,that there hath passed away a glory from the earth4 ,,iii4 ,now1 while the birds thus sing a joyous song1 ,and while the young lambs bound ,as to the tabor's#c sound1 ,to me alone there came a thought of grief3 ,a timely utterance gave that thought relief1 ,and ,i again am strong4 ,the cataracts#d blow their trumpets from the steep2 ,no more shall grief of mine the season wrong2 ,i hear the echoes#e through the mountains throng2 ,the winds come to me from the fields of sleep1#f ,and all the earth is gay2 ,land and sea ,give themselves up to jollity1#g ,and with the heart of ,may#h ,doth every beast keep holiday4 ,thou child of joy1 ,shout round me1 let me hear thy shouts1 thou happy shepherd-boy6 ,,iv4 ,ye blessed creatures1 ,i have heard the call ,ye to each other make2 ,i see ,the heavens laugh with you in your jubilee2 ,my heart is at your festival4 ,my head hath its coronal1#i ,the fulness of your bliss1 ,i feel--,i feel it all4 ,oh evil day if ,i were sullen ,while ,earth herself is adorning ,this sweet ,may morning1 ,and the children are culling ,on every side1 ,in a thousand valleys far and wide1 ,fresh flowers1 while the sun shines warm1 ,and the babe leaps up#aj on his mother's arm3 ,i hear1 ,i hear1 with joy ,i hear6 --,but there's a tree1#aa of many1 one1 ,a single field which ,i have looked upon1 ,both of them speak of something that is gone3 ,the pansy#ab at my feet ,doth the same tale repeat4 ,whither is fled the visionary gleam8 ,where is it now1 the glory and the dream8 ,v4 ,our birth is but a sleep#ac and a forgetting3 ,the soul that rises with us1 our life's star1 ,hath had elsewhere its setting1 ,and cometh from afar2 ,not in entire forgetfulness1 ,and not in utter nakedness1 ,but trailing clouds of glory do we come ,from ,god1 who is our home4 ,heaven lies about us in our infancy6 ,shades of the prison-house begin to close ,upon the growing boy1 ,but he beholds the light1 and whence it flows1 ,he sees it in his joy2 ,the youth1 who daily farther from the ,east ,must travel1 still is nature's priest1 ,and by the vision splendid ,is on his way attended2 ,at length the man perceives it die away1 ,and fade into the light of common day4 ,,vi4 ,earth fills her lap with pleasures of her own2 ,yearnings she hath in her own natural kind1 ,and even with something of a mother's mind1 ,and no unworthy aim1 ,the homely nurse doth all she can ,to make her foster-child1 her inmate man1 ,forget the glories he hath known1 ,and that imperial palace whence he came4 ,,vii4 ,behold the child#ad among his new-born blisses1 ,a six years' darling of a pigmy size6 ,see1 where 'mid work of his own hand he lies1 ,fretted by sallies of his mother's kisses1 ,with light upon him from his father's eyes6 ,see at his feet some little plan or chart1 ,some fragment from his dream of human life1 ,shaped by himself with newly-learned art-- ,a wedding or a festival1 ,a mourning or a funeral2 ,and this hath now his heart1 ,and unto this he frames his song4 ,then will he fit his tongue ,to dialogues of business1 love1 or strife3 ,but it will not be long ,ere this be thrown aside1 ,and with new joy and pride ,the little actor cons another part1 ,filling from time to time his 'humorous stage'#ae ,with all the persons1 down to palsied age1 ,that ,life brings with her in her equipage1 ,as if his whole vocation ,were endless imitation4 ,,viii4 ,thou1 whose exterior semblance doth belie ,thy soul's immensity2 ,thou1 best philosopher1 who yet dost keep ,thy heritage1 thou eye among the blind1 ,that1 deaf and silent1 read'st the eternal deep1 ,haunted for ever by the eternal mind1-- ,mighty prophet6 seer blest6#af ,on whom those truths do rest1 ,which we are toiling all our lives to find1 ,in darkness lost1 the darkness of the grave2 ,thou1 over whom thy immortality ,broods like the day1 a master o'er a slave1 ,a presence which is not to be put by2 ,thou little child1 yet glorious in the might ,of heaven-born freedom on thy being's height1 ,why with such earnest pains dost thou provoke ,the years to bring the inevitable yoke1 ,thus blindly with thy blessedness at strife8 ,full soon thy soul shall have her earthly freight1 ,and custom lie upon thee with a weight1 ,heavy as frost1 and deep almost as life6 ,,ix4 ,o joy1 that in our embers ,is something that doth live1 ,that nature yet remembers ,what was so fugitive6 ,the thought of our past years in me doth breed ,perpetual benediction3 not indeed ,for that which is most worthy to be blest-- ,delight and liberty1 the simple creed ,of childhood1 whether busy or at rest1 ,with new-fledged hope still fluttering in his breast3-- ,not for these ,i raise ,the song of thanks and praise2 ,but for those obstinate questionings ,of sense and outward things1 ,fallings from us1 vanishings2#ag ,blank misgivings#ah of a creature ,moving about in worlds not realized1 ,high instincts before which our mortal nature ,did tremble like a guilty thing surprised3 ,but for those first affections1 ,those shadowy recollections1 ,which1 be they what they may1 ,are yet the fountain light of all our day1 ,are yet a master light of all our seeing2 ,uphold us1 cherish1 and have power to make ,our noisy years seem moments in the being ,of the eternal silence3 truths that wake1 ,to perish never2 ,which neither listlessness1 nor mad endeavor1 ,nor man nor boy1 ,nor all that is at enmity with joy1 ,can utterly abolish or destroy6 ,hence in a season of calm weather1 ,though inland far we be1 ,our souls have sight of that immortal sea ,which brought us hither1 ,can in a moment travel thither1 ,and see the children sport upon the shore1 ,and hear the mighty waters rolling evermore4 ,x4 ,then sing1 ye birds6 sing1 sing a joyous song6 ,and let the young lambs bound ,as to the tabor's sound6 ,we in thought will join your throng1 ,ye that pipe and ye that play1 ,ye that through your hearts to-day ,feel the gladness of the ,may6 ,what though the radiance which was once so bright ,be now forever taken from my sight1 ,though nothing can bring back the hour ,of splendor in the grass1 of glory in the flower8 ,we will grieve not1 rather find ,strength in what remains behind2 ,in the primal sympathy ,which1 having been1 must ever be2 ,in the soothing thoughts that spring ,out of human suffering2 ,in the faith that looks through death1 ,in years that bring the philosophic mind4 ,,xi4 ,and ,o ye fountains1 meadows1 hills1 and groves1 ,forebode not any severing of our loves6 ,yet in my heart of hearts ,i feel your might2 ,i only have relinquished one delight ,to live beneath your more habitual sway4 ,i love the brooks1 which down their channels fret1 ,even more than when ,i tripped lightly as they3 ,the innocent brightness of a new-born day ,is lovely yet3 ,the clouds that gather round the setting sun#ai ,do take a sober coloring from an eye ,that hath kept watch o'er man's mortality2 ,another race hath been1 and other palms are won4 ,thanks to the human heart by which we live1 ,thanks to its tenderness1 its joys1 and fears1 ,to me the meanest flower that blows can give ,thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears4 ,,notes4 ,this was composed1 says ,wordsworth1 during my residence at ,town-,end1 ,grasmere 7#ahjc-ahjf74 ,two years at least passed between the writing of the first four stanzas and the remaining part4 ,to the attentive and competent reader the whole sufficiently explains itself1 but there may be no harm in adverting here to particular feelings or experiences of my own mind on which the structure of the poem partly rests4 ,nothing was more difficult for me in childhood than to admit the notion of death as a state applicable to my own being4 ,i have said elsewhere3 ',a simple child ,that lightly draws its breath1 ,and feels its life in every limb1 ,what should it know of death8'#dd3;,a ,but it was not so much from the source of animal vivacity that my difficulty came1 as from a sense of the indomitableness of the spirit within me4 ,i used to brood over the stories of ,enoch and ,elijah1 and almost persuade myself that1 whatever might become of others1 ,i should be translated in something of the same way to heaven4 ,with a feeling congenial to this1 ,i was often unable to think of external things as having external existence1 and ,i communed with all that ,i saw as something not apart from1 but inherent in1 my own immaterial nature4 ,many times while going to school have ,i grasped at a wall or tree to recall myself from this abyss of idealism to reality4 ,at that time ,i was afraid of mere processes4 ,in later periods of life ,i have deplored1 as we have all reason to do1 a subjugation of an opposite character1 and have rejoiced over the remembrances1 as is expressed in the lines1 ,obstinate questionings1 etc4 ,to that dream-like vividness and splendor which invests objects of sight in childhood every one1 ,i believe1 if he could look back1 could bear testimony1 and ,i need not dwell upon it here2 but having in the poem regarded it as a presumptive evidence of a prior state of existence1 ,i think it right to protest against a conclusion which has given pain to some good and pious persons1 that ,i meant to inculcate such a belief4 ,it is far too shadowy a notion to be recommended to faith as more than an element in our instincts of immortality4 ,but let us bear in mind that1 though the idea is not advanced in ,revelation1 there is nothing there to contradict it1 and the fall of man presents an analogy in its favor4 ,accordingly1 a pre-existent state has entered into the popular creeds of many nations1 and among all persons acquainted with classic literature is known as an ingredient in ,platonic philosophy4 ,archimedes said that he could move the world if he had a point whereon to rest his machine4 ,who has not felt the same aspirations as regards the world of his mind8 ,having to wield some of its elements when ,i was impelled to write this poem on the ',immortality of the ,soul1' ,i took hold of the notion of pre-existence as having sufficient foundation in humanity for authorizing me to make for my purpose the best use of it ,i could as a poet4 ,lord ,houghton says of this poem3 ,if ,i am asked what is the greatest poem in the ,english language1 ,i never for a moment hesitate to say1 ,wordsworth's ',ode on the ,intimations of ,immortality4' ,principal ,shairp says3 ',the ,ode on ,immortality' marks the highest limit which the tide of poetic inspiration has reached in ,england within this century1 or indeed since the days of ,milton4 ,the idea of the pre-existence of the soul had already been treated by ,henry ,vaughan in ,silex ,scintillans 7#afee74 ,happy those infant days1 when ,i ,shined in my angel-infancy6 ,before ,i understood this place ,appointed for my second race1 ,or taught my soul to fancy aught ,but a white1 celestial thought2 ,when yet ,i had not walked above ,a mile or two from my first ,love1 ,and looking back at that short space ,could see a glimpse of his bright face4 ,shelley1 in ,a ,lament1 hints at the same thought3 ,o world6 ,o life6 ,o time6 ,on whose last steps ,i climb1 ,trembling at that where ,i had stood before1 ,when will return the glory of your prime8 ,no more--oh1 never more6 ,out of the day and night ,a joy has taken flight2 ,fresh spring1 and summer1 and winter hoar1 ,move my faint heart with grief1 but with delight ,no more--oh1 never more6 #a4 ,the child is father1 etc4 ,these lines are from a short poem by ,wordsworth1 entitled ,my ,heart leaps up3 ,my heart leaps up when ,i behold ,a rainbow in the sky4 ,so was it when my life began2 ,so is it now ,i am a man2 ,so be it when ,i shall grow old1 ,or let me die6 ,the child is father of the man2 ,and ,i could wish my days to be ,bound each to each by natural piety4 ,compare with ,milton's lines in ',paradise ,regained1' ,bk4 ,,iv3 ,the childhood shows the man ,as morning shows the day4 #b4 apparelled4 ,from ,fr4 pareil1 ,lat4 parilis4 ,other ,english words as pair1 compare1 etc41 are similarly derived4 ,to apparel is strictly to pair1 to suit1 to put like to like4 #c4 tabor4 ,from ,old ,fr4 tabour1 ,fr4 tambour4 ,compare ,eng4 tambourine4 ,originally from the root tap1 ,gr4 tup1 to strike lightly4 ,an ancient musical instrument1--a small one-ended drum having a handle projecting from the frame1 by which it was held in the left hand1 while it was beaten with a stick held in the right hand4 #d4 the cataracts4 ,the poet has probably in mind the ghills or falls of his own lake country4 ,the metaphor which he uses is a bold one4 #e4 the echoes4 ,compare with a similar line by ,shelley3 ,lost ,echo sits amid the voiceless mountains4 --,adonais1 #abg4 #f4 the fields of sleep4 ,the yet reposeful1 slumbering country side4--,hales4 ,the fields that were dark during the hours of sleep4--,knight4 #g4 jollity4 ,merriment4 ,from ,lat4 jovialis4 ,see ,milton's ',l',allegro1' #bf3 ,haste thee nymph and bring with thee ,jest and youthful jollity4 #h4 ,may4 ,may1 with the poets1 is the month of gayety4 ,the older poetry especially is full of ,may raptures4 ,chaucer says3 ,for ,may will have no sluggardy a-night3 ,the season pricketh every gentle heart1 ,and maketh him out of his sleep to start4 #i4 coronal4 ,a crown of flowers1 a chaplet4 ,as at the ,roman banquets4 ,on such occasions it was usual for the host to give chaplets to his guests4 ,festoons of flowers were also sometimes hung over their necks and breasts4 ,the chaplet1 or coronal1 was regarded as a cheerful ornament and symbol of festivity4 #aj4 the babe leaps up4 ,that is for joy4 ,see the poem1 ,my heart leaps up1 on page #df4 #aa4 there's a tree4 ,compare this thought with that contained in the following lines3 ,only1 one little sight1 one plant1 4 4 4 whene'er the leaf grows there ,its drop comes from my heart1 that's all4 --,browning's ,may and ,death4 #ab4 pansy4 ,the flower of thought4 ,from ,fr4 pense1 thought2 penser1 to think4 ,it probably derived its name1 thought or fancy1 from its fanciful appearance4--,nares4 ,another derivation of the word is from panacea1 meaning all-heal1 a name given by the ,greeks to a plant which was popularly supposed to cure diseases and dispel sorrow4 ,the notion that the pansy is a cure for grief is shown in its common ,english name1 heart's-ease4 #ac4 ,our birth is but a sleep4 ,the idea of pre-existence was a favorite one of the ancient philosophers4 ,the doctrine of metempsychosis1 a form of the same idea1 was held by the ancient ,egyptians and is still maintained by the ,buddhists4 ,tennyson says3 ,as old mythologies relate1 ,some draught of ,lethe might await ,the slipping through from state to state4 ,and if ,i lapsed from nobler place1 ,some legend of a fallen race ,alone might hint of my disgrace4--,two ,voices4 #ad4 ,behold the child4 ,pope gives a similar picture3 ,behold the child1 by ,nature's kindly law1 ,pleased with a rattle1 tickled with a straw2 ,some livelier plaything gives his youth delight1 ,a little louder1 but as empty quite4--,essay on ,man4 ,when ,wordsworth wrote of ,a six years' darling of a pigmy size1 he probably had in mind ,hartley ,coleridge1 who was then a child of that age4 ,see his poem ,to ,hartley ,coleridge1 ,six ,years ,old4 #ae4 humorous stage4 ,see ,shakespeare's lines beginning ,all the world's a stage1 ,as ,you like ,it1 ,act ii1 sc4 #g4 ,the word humorous has here a special sense1 such as is used by ,ben ,jonson in his ,every ,man in his ,humor4 #af4 best philosopher 4 4 4 mighty prophet6 seer blest6 ,stopford ,brooke says3 ,these expressions taken separately have scarcely any recognizable meaning4 ,by taking them all together1 we feel rather than see that ,wordsworth intended to say that the child1 having lately come from a perfect existence1 in which he saw truth directly1 and was at home with ,god1 retains1 unknown to us1 that vision2--and1 because he does1 is the best philosopher1 since he sees at once that which we through philosophy are endeavoring to reach2 is the mighty prophet1 because in his actions and speech he tells unconsciously the truths he sees1 but the sight of which we have lost2 is more closely haunted by ,god1 more near to the immortal life1 more purely and brightly free because he half shares in the pre-existent life and glory out of which he has come4--,theology in the ,english ,poets4 #ag4 ,fallings from us1 vanishings4 ,fits of utter dreaminess and abstraction1 when nothing material seems solid1 but everything mere mist and shadow4--,hales4 #ah4 ,blank misgivings4 ,compare ,tennyson1 ,two ,voices3 ,moreover1 something is or seems1 ,that touches me with mystic gleams1 ,like glimpses of forgotten dreams2 ,of something felt1 like something here2 ,of something done1 ,i know not where2 ,such as no language may declare4 #ai4 ,the clouds that gather4 ,compare these lines with the following from ,wordsworth's ,excursion3 ,ah6 why in age ,do we revert so fondly to the walks ,of childhood1 but that there the soul discerns ,the dear memorial footsteps unimpair'd ,of her own native vigor1 thence can hear ,reverberations and a choral song1 ,commingling with the incense that ascends ,undaunted toward the imperishable heavens1 ,from her own lonely altar8 ,,footnotes3 #dd3;,a ,the first stanza of ,we are ,seven1 said to have been written by ,coleridge4 ,,the ,,two ,,april ,,mornings4 ,we walked along1 while bright and red ,uprose the morning sun2 ,and ,matthew#a stopped1 he looked1 and said1 ',the will of ,god be done6' ,a village schoolmaster was he1 ,with hair of glittering gray2 ,as blithe a man as you could see ,on a spring holiday4 ,and on that morning1 through the grass1 ,and by the steaming rills1 ,we travelled merrily1 to pass ,a day among the hills4 ',our work1' said ,i1 'was well begun3 ,then1 from thy breast what thought1 ,beneath so beautiful a sun1 ,so sad a sigh has brought8' ,a second time did ,matthew stop1 ,and fixing still his eye ,upon the eastern mountain-top1 ,to me he made reply3 ',yon cloud with that long purple cleft ,brings fresh into my mind ,a day like this which ,i have left ,full thirty years behind4 ,and just above yon slope of corn ,such colors1 and no other1 ,were in the sky1 that ,april morn1 ,of this the very brother4 ,with rod and line ,i sued the sport ,which that sweet season gave1 ,and1 to the church-yard come1 stopped short ,beside my daughter's grave4 ,nine summers had she scarcely seen1 ,the pride of all the vale3 ,and then she sang2--she would have been ,a very nightingale4 ,six feet in earth my ,emma lay2 ,and yet ,i loved her more1 ,for so it seemed1 than till that day ,i e'er had loved before4 ,and1 turning from her grave1 ,i met1 ,beside the churchyard yew1 ,a blooming girl1 whose hair was wet ,with points of morning dew4 ,a basket on her head she bare2 ,her brow was smooth and white3 ,to see a child so very fair1 ,it was a pure delight6 ,no fountain from its rocky cave ,e'er tripped with foot so free2 ,she seemed as happy as a wave ,that dances on the sea4 ,there came from me a sigh of pain ,which ,i could ill confine2 ,i looked at her1 and looked again3 ,and did not wish her mine6' ,matthew is in his grave1 yet now1 ,methinks1 ,i see him stand1 ,as at that moment1 with a bough ,of wilding#b in his hand4 ,,notes4 ,this poem was written in #agii1 and published the following year4 #a4 ,matthew4 ,this old schoolmaster is described elsewhere by ,wordsworth as being made up of several1 both of his class and men of other occupations4 #b4 wilding4 ,a twig from a wild apple tree4 ,ten ruddy wildings in the wood ,i found4--,dryden4 ,,the ,,solitary ,,reaper4 ,behold her1 single in the field1 ,yon solitary highland lass6 ,reaping and singing by herself2 ,stop here1 or gently pass6 ,alone she cuts and binds the grain1 ,and sings a melancholy strain2 ,o listen6 for the vale profound ,is overflowing with the sound4 ,no nightingale did ever chaunt ,more welcome notes to weary bands ,of travellers in some shady haunt ,among ,arabian sands3 ,a voice so thrilling ne'er was heard ,in spring-time from a cuckoo-bird1 ,breaking the silence of the seas ,among the farthest ,hebrides4 ,will no one tell me what she sings8-- ,perhaps the plaintive numbers flow ,for old1 unhappy1 far-off things1 ,and battles long ago3 ,or is it some more humble lay1 ,familiar matter of to-day8 ,some natural sorrow1 loss1 or pain1 ,that has been1 or may be again8 ,whate'er the theme1 the maiden sang ,as if her song could have no ending2 ,i saw her singing at her work1 ,and o'er the sickle bending2-- ,i listened1 motionless and still2 ,and1 as ,i mounted up the hill1 ,the music in my heart ,i bore1 ,long after it was heard no more4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,william ,,wordsworth was born at ,cockermouth1 a town in ,cumberland1 ,england1 ,april #g1 #aggj4 ,he went to school at ,hawkshead1 ,lancashire1 whence in his seventeenth year he was sent to ,st4 ,john's ,college1 ,cambridge4 ,in ,january1 #agia1 he took his degree at the ,university1 but without having distinguished himself in any way4 ,the next fifteen or sixteen months were spent in ,france1 just then in the first wild hopes of the ,revolution4 ,in the aspirations and hopes of the revolutionists he was an ardent sharer2 he thought that the world's great age was beginning anew2 and with all his soul he hailed so splendid an era4 ,the ultimate degradation of that great movement by wild lawlessness1 and then by most selfish ambition1 alienated his sympathy for it4 ,towards the close of #agib he returned to ,england1 and passed the subsequent time among his friends in ,london and elsewhere till he settled with his sister at ,racedown1 ,dorsetshire1 in #agif4 ,in the following year they removed to ,alfoxden4 ,it was during this period that he made the acquaintance of ,coleridge4 ,wordsworth had already published 7#agic7 two little volumes of poetry1 entitled ,descriptive ,sketches and ,the ,evening ,walk2 but they showed little promise of the triumphs which were to crown his later life4 ,in #agih the first volume of the ,lyrical ,ballads was published at ,bristol1 which purported to be the joint work of himself and ,mr4 ,coleridge1 but to which the latter contributed only ,the ,ancient ,mariner and two or three shorter poems4 ,after some months spent in ,germany1 ,wordsworth and his sister established themselves at ,grasmere1 in the lake country4 ,in #ahjj he published the second volume of the ,lyrical ,ballads1 and in #ahjb he married ,mary ,hutchinson4 ,from #agii to #ahad he was mainly busy with his great philosophical poem1 to be called ,the ,recluse1 containing views of ,man1 ,nature1 and ,society1 of which ,the ,prelude was to be the introduction and ,the ,excursion the ,second and main ,part4 ,he designed that his minor pieces should be so arranged in connection with this work as to give them claim to be likened to the little cells1 oratories1 and sepulchral recesses1 ordinarily included in ,gothic churches4 ,this plan1 however1 was never carried out1 as of the ,first and ,third ,parts only one book was written1 and it has never been published4 ,from #ahad until his death ,wordsworth lived serenely and quietly at ,rydal ,mount1 making occasional excursions into ,scotland and ,wales1 and a tour upon the continent4 ,in #ahdc1 upon the death of ,southey1 he was appointed ,poet-,laureate4 ,his life was a long one1 of steady work and much happiness4 ,he died ,april #bc1 #ahej4 ,the distinguishing feature of ,wordsworth's poetry is well set forth in his own words3 ,the moving accident is not my trade1 ,to freeze the blood ,i have no ready arts2 ',tis my delight1 alone in summer shade1 ,to pipe a simple song for thinking hearts4 --,hart-,leap ,well1 ,part ,,ii4 ,every great poet1 he said1 is a teacher2 ,i wish either to be considered as a teacher or as nothing4 ,and he avowed that the purpose of his poetry was to console the afflicted2 to add sunshine to daylight by making the happy happier2 to teach the young and the gracious of every age to see1 to think and feel1 and therefore to become more actively and securely virtuous4 ,love had he found in huts where poor men lie1 ,his daily teachings had been woods and rills1 ,the silence that is in the starry sky1 ,the sleep that is among the lonely hills4 ,wordsworth1 says ,john ,campbell ,shairp1 was the first who1 both in theory and practice1 shook off the trammels of the so-called poetic diction which had tyrannized over ,english poetry for more than a century4 ,this diction of course exactly represented the half-courtly1 half-classical mode of thinking and feeling4 ,as ,wordsworth rebelled against this conventionality of spirit1 so against the outward expression of it4 ,the whole of the stock phrases and used-up metaphors he discarded1 and returned to living language of natural feeling1 as it is used by men1 instead of the dead form of it which had got stereotyped in books4 ,and just as in his subjects he had taken in from the waste much virgin soil1 so in his diction he appropriated for poetic use a large amount of words1 idioms1 metaphors1 till then by the poets disallowed4 ,his shorter poems1 both the earlier and the later1 are1 for the most part1 very models of natural1 powerful1 and yet sensitive ,english2 the language being1 like a garment1 woven out of1 and transparent with1 the thought4 ,other ,poems to be ,read3 ,we are ,seven2 ,the ,pet ,lamb2 ,to a ,highland ,girl2 ,laodamia2 ,matthew2 ,the ,fountain2 ,the ,wishing ,gate2 ,to the ,small ,celandine2 ,three ,years ,she ,grew2 ,she was a ,phantom of ,delight2 ,at the ,grave of ,burns4 ,,references3 ,shairp's ,studies in ,poetry and ,philosophy2 ,hazlitt's ,english ,poets2 ,de ,quincey's ,miscellaneous ,works2 ,literature and ,life1 by ,e4 ,p4 ,whipple2 ,wordsworth 7,english ,men of ,letters71 by ,goldwin ,smith2 ,yesterdays with ,authors1 by ,james ,t4 ,fields2 ,among ,my ,books1 ,second ,series1 by ,j4 ,r4 ,lowell2 ,matthew ,arnold's ,introduction to the ,poems of ,william ,wordsworth4 ,samuel ,taylor ,coleridge4 ,,christabel4 ,,part ,i4 ',tis the middle of night by the castle clock1 ,and the owls have awaken'd the crowing cock1 ,tu--whit6----,tu--whoo6 ,and hark1 again6 the crowing cock1 ,how drowsily it crew4 ,sir ,leoline1 the ,baron rich1 ,hath a toothless mastiff bitch2 ,from her kennel beneath the rock ,she maketh answer to the clock1 ,four for the quarters1 and twelve for the hour2 ,ever and aye1 by shine and shower1 ,sixteen short howls1 not over loud2 ,some say1 she sees my lady's shroud4 ,is the night chilly and dark8 ,the night is chilly1 but not dark4 ,the thin gray cloud is spread on high1 ,it covers but not hides the sky4 ,the moon is behind1 and at the full2 ,and yet she looks both small and dull4 ,the night is chill1 the cloud is gray3 ',tis a month before the month of ,may1 ,and the ,spring comes slowly up this way4 ,the lovely lady1 ,christabel1 ,whom her father loves so well1 ,what makes her in the wood so late1 ,a furlong from the castle gate8 ,she had dreams all yesternight ,of her own betrothed knight2 ,dreams that made her moan and leap ,as on her bed she lay in sleep2 ,and she in the midnight wood will pray ,for the weal of her lover that's far away4 ,she stole along1 she nothing spoke1 ,the sighs she heaved were soft and low1 ,and naught was green upon the oak ,but moss and rarest mistletoe3 ,she kneels beneath the huge oak tree1 ,and in silence prayeth she4 ,the lady sprang up suddenly1 ,the lovely lady1 ,christabel6 ,it moaned as near as near can be1 ,but what it is she cannot tell4-- ,on the other side it seems to be ,of the huge1 broad-breasted1 old oak tree4 ,the night is chill2 the forest bare2 ,is it the wind that moaneth bleak8 ,there is not wind enough in the air ,to move away the ringlet curl ,from the lovely lady's cheek-- ,there is not wind enough to twirl ,the one red leaf1 the last of its clan1 ,that dances as often as dance it can1 ,hanging so light1 and hanging so high1 ,on the topmost twig that looks up at the sky4 ,hush1 beating heart of ,christabel6 ,jesu1 ,maria1 shield her well6 ,she folded her arms beneath her cloak1 ,and stole to the other side of the oak4 ,what sees she there8 ,there she sees a damsel bright1 ,drest in a silken robe of white1 ,that shadowy in the moonlight shone3 ,the neck that made that white robe wan1 ,her stately neck and arms were bare2 ,her blue-vein'd feet unsandal'd were1 ,and wildly glitter'd here and there1 ,the gems entangled in her hair4 ,i guess1 'twas frightful there to see ,a lady so richly clad as she-- ,beautiful exceedingly6 ,mary1 mother1 save me now6 7,said ,christabel17 ,and who art thou8 ,the lady strange made answer meet1 ,and her voice was faint and sweet3-- ,have pity on my sore distress1 ,i scarce can speak for weariness3 ,stretch forth thy hand1 and have no fear6 ,said ,christabel1 ,how camest thou here8 ,and the lady1 whose voice was faint and sweet1 ,did thus pursue her answer meet3-- ,my sire is of a noble line1 ,and my name is ,geraldine3 ,five warriors seized me yestermorn1 ,me1 even me1 a maid forlorn3 ,they choked my cries with force and fright1 ,and tied me on a palfrey white4 ,the palfrey was as fleet as wind1 ,and they rode furiously behind4 ,they spurred amain1 their steeds were white3 ,and once we cross'd the shade of night4 ,as sure as ,heaven shall rescue me1 ,i have no thought what men they be2 ,nor do ,i know how long it is 7,for ,i have lain entranced ,i wis7 ,since one1 the tallest of the five1 ,took me from the palfrey's back1 ,a weary woman1 scarce alive4 ,some mutter'd words his comrades spoke3 ,he placed me underneath this oak2 ,he swore they would return with haste2 ,whither they went ,i cannot tell-- ,i thought ,i heard1 some minutes past1 ,sounds as of a castle bell4 ,stretch forth thy hand 7thus ended she71 ,and help a wretched maid to flee4 ,then ,christabel stretch'd forth her hand ,and comforted fair ,geraldine2 ,o well1 bright dame6 may you command ,the service of ,sir ,leoline2 ,and gladly our stout chivalry ,will he send forth and friends withal ,to guide and guard you safe and free ,home to your noble father's hall4 ,she rose3 and forth with steps they pass'd ,that strove to be1 and were not1 fast4 ,her gracious stars the lady blest1 ,and thus spake on sweet ,christabel3 ,all our household are at rest1 ,the hall is silent as the cell2 ,sir ,leoline is weak in health1 ,and may not well awaken'd be1 ,but we will move as if in stealth1 ,and ,i beseech your courtesy1 ,this night1 to share your couch with me4 ,they cross'd the moat1 and ,christabel ,took the key that fitted well2 ,a little door she open'd straight1 ,all in the middle of the gate2 ,the gate that was iron'd within and without1 ,where an army in battle array had march'd out4 ,the lady sank1 belike through pain1 ,and ,christabel with might and main ,lifted her up1 a weary weight1 ,over the threshold of the gate3 ,then the lady rose again1 ,and moved1 as she were not in pain4 ,so free from danger1 free from fear1 ,they cross'd the court3 right glad they were4 ,and ,christabel devoutly cried ,to the lady by her side2 ,praise we the ,virgin all divine ,who hath rescued thee from thy distress6 ,alas1 alas6 said ,geraldine1 ,i cannot speak for weariness4 ,so free from danger1 free from fear1 ,they cross'd the court3 right glad they were4 ,outside her kennel the mastiff old ,lay fast asleep1 in moonshine cold4 ,the mastiff old did not awake1 ,yet she an angry moan did make6 ,and what can ail the mastiff bitch8 ,never till now she utter'd yell ,beneath the eye of ,christabel4 ,perhaps it is the owlet's scritch3 ,for what can ail the mastiff bitch8 ,they pass'd the hall1 that echoes still1 ,pass as lightly as you will6 ,the brands were flat1 the brands were dying1 ,amid their own white ashes lying2 ,but when the lady pass'd1 there came ,a tongue of light1 a fit of flame2 ,and ,christabel saw the lady's eye1 ,and nothing else saw she thereby1 ,save the boss of the shield of ,sir ,leoline tall1 ,which hung in a murky old niche in the wall4 ,o softly tread1 said ,christabel1 ,my father seldom sleepeth well4 ,sweet ,christabel her feet both bare1 ,and1 jealous of the listening air1 ,they steal their way from stair to stair1 ,now in glimmer1 and now in gloom1 ,and now they pass the ,baron's room1 ,and still as death1 with stifled breath6 ,and now have reach'd her chamber door2 ,and now doth ,geraldine press down ,the rushes of the chamber floor4 ,the moon shines dim in the open air1 ,and not a moonbeam enters here4 ,but they without its light can see ,the chamber carved so curiously1 ,carved with figures strange and sweet1 ,all made out of the carver's brain1 ,for a lady's chamber meet3 ,the lamp with twofold silver chain ,is fasten'd to an angel's feet4 ,the silver lamp burns dead and dim2 ,but ,christabel the lamp will trim4 ,she trimm'd the lamp1 and made it bright1 ,and left it swinging to and fro1 ,while ,geraldine1 in wretched plight1 ,sank down upon the floor below4 ,o weary lady1 ,geraldine1 ,i pray you1 drink this cordial wine6 ,it is a wine of virtuous powers2 ,my mother made it of wild flowers4 ,and will your mother pity me1 ,who am a maiden most forlorn8 ,christabel answered--,woe is me6 ,she died the hour that ,i was born4 ,i have heard the gray-hair'd friar tell1 ,how on her death-bed she did say1 ,that she should hear the castle-bell ,strike twelve upon my wedding-day4 ,o mother dear6 that thou wert here6 ,i would1 said ,geraldine1 she were6 ,but soon with altered voice1 said she-- ,off1 wandering mother6 ,peak and pine6 ,i have power to bid thee flee4 ,alas6 what ails poor ,geraldine8 ,why stares she with unsettled eye8 ,can she the bodiless dead espy8 ,and why with hollow voice cries she1 ,off1 woman1 off6 this hour is mine-- ,though thou her guardian spirit be1 ,off1 woman1 off6 'tis given to me4 ,then ,christabel knelt by the lady's side1 ,and raised to heaven her eyes so blue-- ,alas6 said she1 this ghastly ride-- ,dear lady6 it hath wilder'd you6 ,the lady wiped her moist cold brow1 ,and faintly said1 ',tis over now6 ,again the wild-flower wine she drank3 ,her fair large eyes 'gan glitter bright1 ,and from the floor whereon she sank1 ,the lofty lady stood upright3 ,she was most beautiful to see1 ,like a lady of a far countre4 ,and thus the lofty lady spake-- ,all they who live in the upper sky1 ,do love you1 holy ,christabel6 ,and you love them1 and for their sake ,and for the good which me befell1 ,even ,i in my degree will try1 ,fair maiden1 to requite you well4 ,but now unrobe yourself2 for ,i ,must pray1 ere yet in bed ,i lie4 ,quoth ,christabel1 ,so let it be6 ,and as the lady bade1 did she4 ,her gentle limbs did she undress1 ,and lay down in her loveliness4 ,but through her brain of weal and woe ,so many thoughts move to and fro1 ,that vain it were her lids to close2 ,so half-way from the bed she rose1 ,and on her elbow did recline ,to look at the lady ,geraldine4 ,beneath the lamp the lady bow'd1 ,and slowly roll'd her eyes around2 ,then drawing in her breath aloud ,like one that shudder'd1 she unbound ,the cincture from beneath her breast2 ,her silken robe and inner vest1 ,dropt to her feet1 and full in view1 ,behold6 her bosom and half her side-- ,a sight to dream of1 not to tell6 ,o shield her6 shield sweet ,christabel4 ,yet ,geraldine nor speaks nor stirs2 ,ah6 what a stricken look was hers6 ,deep from within seems half-way ,to lift some weight with sick assay1 ,and eyes the maid and seeks delay2 ,then suddenly as one defied ,collects herself in scorn and pride1 ,and lay down by the maiden's side6-- ,and in her arms the maid she took1 ,ah1 well-a-day6 ,and with low voice and doleful look ,these words did say3 ,in the touch of this bosom there worketh a spell ,which is lord of thy utterance1 ,christabel6 ,thou knowest to-night1 and wilt know to-morrow ,this mark of my shame1 this seal of my sorrow2 ,but vainly thou warrest1 ,for this is alone in ,thy power to declare1 ,that in the dim forest ,thou heardest a low moaning1 ,and foundest a bright lady1 surpassingly fair3 ,and didst bring her home with thee in love and in charity1 ,to shield her and shelter her from the damp air4 ,,notes ,the first part of the unfinished poem1 ,christabel1 was written in #agig1 the second part which1 however1 left the story apparently as incomplete as before1 in #ahjh4 ,the two parts were first published in #ahaf4 ,the poem is a picture of white innocence1 purity1 and truth1 pursued and persecuted by the powers of evil4 ,its incompleteness seems to enhance its interest4 ,completion could scarcely have failed to lessen its reality1 for the reader could not have endured1 neither could the poet's own theory have endured1 the sacrifice of ,christabel1 the triumph of evil over good2 and had she triumphed1 there is a vulgar well-being in victory which has nothing to do with such a strain4 ,such is the unfinished and unfinishable tale of ,christabel--a poem which1 despite its broken notes and over-brevity1 has raised its author to the highest rank of poets1 and which in itself is at once one of the sweetest1 loftiest1 most spiritual utterances that has ever been framed in ,english words4 ,we know of no existing poem in any language to which we can compare it4 ,it stands by itself exquisite1 celestial1 ethereal1--a song of the spheres1--yet full of such pathos and tenderness and sorrowful beauty as only humanity can give4--,blackwood's ,magazine1 #ahga4 ,it is worthy of note that ,christabel was the immediate inspiration of ,scott's ,lay of the ,last ,minstrel4 ,it is to ,mr4 ,coleridge1 says ,sir ,walter1 that ,i am bound to make the acknowledgment due from the pupil to his master4 ,but certainly1 says ,hales1 ,scott himself never succeeded in surrounding any one of his works with so fine an atmosphere of glamour and romance4 ,the language and metrical arrangement of this poem are not only peculiar but are in full accord with the weird and fantastic conception of the piece as a whole4 ,the versification is based upon a principle not commonly practised--that of counting the number of accentuated words in a line instead of the number of syllables4 ,though the latter varies from seven to twelve1 yet in each line the accents never exceed four4 ,the result is an irregular1 but strangely beautiful harmony of a kind that can hardly be attained through the ordinary methods of versification4 ,this poem is to be studied for its exquisite beauty1 for the true poetic qualities which it possesses and which distinguish it from mere verse4 ,hence1 no explanatory notes are given with reference to any particular passage1 nor is it desirable that it should be analyzed with a view to grammatical or philological study4 ,it should be read and reread until the student is thoroughly in accord with the poetic spirit which breathes in and vivifies the entire production4 ,it was indolence1 no doubt1 that left the tale half told--indolence and misery--and a poetic instinct higher than all the better impulses of industry and virtuous gain4 ,the subject by its very nature was incomplete2 it had to be left a lovely1 weird suggestion--a vision for every eye that could see4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,samuel ,,taylor ,,coleridge was born at ,ottery ,saint ,mary1 ,october #ba1 #aggb4 ,he was educated at ,christ's ,hospital and at ,jesus ,college1 ,cambridge4 ,at the age of twenty-two he left the ,university without having taken a degree4 ,he was an intimate friend of ,charles ,lamb and ,southey1 and with the latter formed a wild scheme for the founding of a ,pantisocratic ,state in ,america1 which1 however1 was soon abandoned4 ,his first book of poetry was published in #agid4 ,in #agif he and ,charles ,lamb published a volume of poems together4 ,he soon afterwards became acquainted with ,wordsworth1 and in #agih the two brought out their famous volume of ,lyrical ,ballads1 containing some of ,wordsworth's best pieces and ,coleridge's ,ancient ,mariner4 ,christabel1 after lying in manuscript for several years1 was published in #ahaf1 three editions being issued within twelve months4 ,coleridge's chief poems were published in #ahag in a collection entitled ,sibylline ,leaves1 so called1 he says1 in allusion to the fragmentary and wildly scattered state in which they had long been suffered to remain4 ,at about the same time he was received into the house of ,mr4 ,gillman1 a surgeon residing at ,highgate1 in order to be cured if possible of his excessive use of opium4 ,here he produced his more important prose works1 ,aids to ,reflection1 and ,on the ,constitution of ,church and ,state2 and here he died1 ,july #be1 #ahcd4 ,coleridge was forever planning and designing1--beginning a work and leaving its completion until to-morrow--which never came4 ,he devoted his attention only sparingly to poetry--and that chiefly during his youth4 ,later in life he was occupied with political1 social1 and religious questions4 ,he was a living ,hamlet1 full of the most splendid thoughts and the noblest purposes1 but a most incompetent doer4 ,his mind1 wrote ,southey1 is a perpetual ,st4 ,vitus's dance--eternal activity without action4 ,of ,coleridge's best verses1 says ,swinburne1 ,i venture to affirm that the world has nothing like them1 and can never have2 that they are of the highest kind1 and of their own4 ,they are jewels of the diamond's price1 flowers of the rose's rank1 but unlike any rose or diamond known4 ,his best work is but little1 says ,stopford ,brooke1 but of its kind it is perfect and unique4 4 4 4 ,all that he did excellently might be bound up in twenty pages1 but it should be bound in pure gold4 ,other ,poems to be ,read3 ,the ,rime of the ,ancient ,mariner2 ,hymn before ,sunrise in the ,vale of ,chamouni2 ,ode to ,france2 ,genevieve4 ,,references3 ,swinburne's ,studies and ,essays2 ,shairp's ,studies in ,poetry2 ,carlyle's ,reminiscences2 ,coleridge's ,biographia ,literaria2 ,de ,quincey's ,essays2 ,coleridge 7,english ,men of ,letters71 by ,h4 ,d4 ,traill2 ,hazlitt's ,english ,poets2 ,hunt's ,imagination and ,fancy2 ,chorley's ,authors of ,england2 ,walter ,pater's ,apprecia4 ,percy ,bysshe ,shelley4 ,,to ,a ,,skylark ,hail to thee1 blithe spirit6 ,bird thou never wert1 ,that from heaven1 or near it1 ,pourest thy full heart ,in profuse#a strains of unpremeditated art4 ,higher still1 and higher1 ,from the earth thou springest ,like a cloud of fire2 ,the deep blue thou wingest1#b ,and singing still dost soar1 and soaring ever singest4 ,in the golden lightning ,of the sunken sun1#c ,o'er which clouds are brightening1 ,thou dost float and run1 ,like an unbodied joy whose race is just begun4 ,the pale purple even ,melts around thy flight2 ,like a star of heaven1 ,in the broad daylight ,thou art unseen1 but yet ,i hear thy shrill delight4 ,keen as are the arrows ,of that silver sphere1 ,whose intense lamp narrows ,in the white dawn clear1 ,until we hardly see1 we feel that it is there4 ,all the earth and air ,with thy voice is loud1 ,as1 when night is bare1 ,from one lonely cloud ,the moon rains#d out her beams1 and heaven is overflowed4 ,what thou art we know not2-- ,what is most like thee8 ,from rainbow clouds there flow not ,drops so bright to see1 ,as from thy presence showers a rain of melody4 ,like a poet hidden ,in the light of thought1 ,singing hymns unbidden1 ,till the world is wrought#e ,to sympathy with hopes and fears it heeded not3 ,like a high-born maiden ,in a palace tower1 ,soothing her love-laden ,soul in secret hour ,with music sweet as love1 which overflows her bower3 ,like a glow-worm golden ,in a dell of dew1 ,scattering unbeholden ,its arial hue ,among the flowers and grass1 which screen it from the view3 ,like a rose embowered ,in its own green leaves1 ,by warm winds deflowered1 ,till the scent it gives ,makes faint with too much sweet these heavy-winged thieves4 ,sound of vernal showers ,on the twinkling grass1 ,rain-awakened flowers1 ,all that ever was ,joyous1 and clear1 and fresh1 thy music doth surpass4 ,teach us1 sprite#f or bird1 ,what sweet thoughts are thine3 ,i have never heard ,praise of love or wine ,that panted forth a flood of rapture so divine4 ,chorus hymeneal1#g ,or triumphal chaunt1 ,matched with thine would be all ,but an empty vaunt-- ,a thing wherein we feel there is some hidden want4 ,what objects are the fountains ,of thy happy strain8 ,what fields1 or waves1 or mountains8 ,what shapes of sky or plain8 ,what love of thine own kind8 what ignorance of pain8 ,with thy clear keen joyance ,langour cannot be3 ,shadow of annoyance ,never came near thee3 ,thou lovest2 but ne'er knew love's sad satiety4 ,waking or asleep2 ,thou of death must deem ,things more true and deep ,than we mortals dream-- ,or how could thy notes flow in such a crystal stream8 ,we look before and after1 ,and pine for what is not3#h ,our sincerest laughter ,with some pain is fraught3 ,our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought4 ,yet if we could scorn ,hate1 and pride1 and fear2 ,if we were things born ,not to shed a tear1 ,i know not how thy joy we ever should come near4 ,better than all measures ,of delight and sound1 ,better than all treasures ,that in books are found1 ,thy skill to poet were1 thou scorner of the ground6 ,teach me half the gladness ,that thy brain must know1 ,such harmonious madness ,from my lips would flow1 ,the world should listen then1 as ,i am listening now4 ,,notes4 ,this is perhaps the most perfect lyric of its kind in the ,english language4 ,every verse is worthy of careful study1 and it should be read and reread until its exquisite melody is felt and the subtle thoughts which it embodies fully understood4 ,yet there is little in the poem which requires annotation--the lark's song itself admits of no explanation4 ,for sweetness the ',ode to a ,skylark' is inferior only to ,coleridge1 in rapturous passion to no man4 ,it is like the bird it sings1--enthusiastic1 enchanting1 profuse1 continuous1 and alone1--small1 but filling the heavens4--,leigh ,hunt4 ,has any one1 since ,shakespeare and ,spenser1 lighted on such tender and such grand ecstasies8--,taine4 ,the skylark is very generally distributed over the northern portions of the ,old ,world1 but is not found in ,america4 ,its song in the morning may often be heard when the bird is so high as to be entirely out of sight1 and although not finely modulated is remarkably cheerful and prolonged4 ,a person who is accustomed to the song can tell by its variations whether it be ascending1 stationary1 or descending4 #a4 profuse4 ,accent here on the first syllable4 ,from ,lat4 profundo1 to pour forth4 #b4 ,explain the figures of rhetoric employed in this line4 ,the meaning of blue2 of wingest4 #c4 sunken sun4 ,the sun is not yet above the horizon1 but the bird has risen so high that it is visible to him1 and he floats and runs in its golden light4 #d4 ,what is the meaning of rains8 of rain in the next stanza8 #e4 wrought4 ,influenced4 ,a4-,s4 worhte1 wyrcan1 to work4 #f4 sprite4 ,spirit4 ,in the first stanza he calls the lark a spirit and says it never was a bird2 here he calls it bird or sprite4 #g4 ,chorus hymeneal4 ,see note on ,prothalamion1 page #bda4 #h4 ,compare this thought with the ideas contained in ,wordsworth's ,ode on the ,intimations of ,immortality4 pine4 ,from ,a4-,s4 pinan1 to pain4 ,our word pain is derived from the same root4 ,,hymn ,,of ,,pan4 ,from the forests and highlands ,we come1 we come2 ,from the river-girt islands1 ,where loud waves are dumb ,listening to my sweet pipings4 ,the wind in the reeds and the rushes1 ,the bees on the bells of thyme1 ,the birds on the myrtle-bushes1 ,the cicale above in the lime1 ,and the lizards below in the grass1 ,were as silent as ever old ,tmolus#a was1 ,listening to my sweet pipings4 ,liquid ,peneus#b was flowing1 ,and all dark ,tempe lay ,in ,pelion's shadow1 outgrowing ,the light of the dying day1 ,speeded by my sweet pipings4 ,the ,sileni#c and ,sylvans and ,fauns1 ,and the ,nymphs of the woods and waves1 ,to the edge of the moist river-lawns1 ,and the brink of the dewy caves1 ,and all that did then attend and follow1 ,were silent with love1--as you now1 ,apollo1#d ,with envy of my sweet pipings4 ,i sang of the dancing stars1 ,i sang of the ddal#e earth1 ,and of heaven1 and the ,giant wars1#f ,and love1 and death1 and birth1 ,and then ,i changed my pipings1-- ,singing how down the vale of ,mnalus ,i pursued a maiden1#g and clasped a reed3 ,gods and men1 we are all deluded thus2 ,it breaks in our bosom1 and then we bleed4 ,all wept--as ,i think both ye now would1 ,if envy or age had not frozen your blood-- ,at the sorrow of my sweet pipings4 ,,notes4 ,pan1 as described in the ,homeric hymns1 is lord of all the hills and dales3 sometimes he ranges along the tops of the mountains2 sometimes pursues the game in the valleys1 roams through the woods1 or floats along the streams2 or drives his sheep into a cave1 and there plays on his reeds music not to be excelled by that of the sweetest singing birds2 and ,with him the clear-singing mountain-nymphs ,move quick their feet1 by the dark-watered spring ,in the soft mead1 where crocus1 hyacinths1 ,fragrant and blooming1 mingle with the grass ,confused1 and sing1 while echo peals around ,the mountain's top4 ,keats1 in ,endymion1 thus apostrophizes ,pan3 ,o ,hearkener to the loud clapping shears1 ,while ever and anon to his shorn peers ,a ram goes bleating3 ,winder of the horn1 ,when snouted wild-boars routing tender corn ,anger our huntsmen3 ,breather round our farms1 ,to keep off mildews1 and all weather harms3 ,strange ministrant of undescribed sounds1 ,that come a-swooning over hollow grounds1 ,and wither drearily on barren moors3 ,dread opener of the mysterious doors ,leading to universal knowledge--see1 ,great son of ,dryope1 ,the many that are come to pay their vows ,with leaves about their brows6 #a4 ,tmolus4 ,it was ,tmolus who acted as umpire in the musical contest between ,pan and ,apollo4 ,this contest is directly referred to throughout this poem4 #b4 ,peneus4 ,the chief river of ,thessaly4 ,it flows through the ,vale of ,tempe1 and between the mountains ,ossa and ,pelion1 emptying finally into the gean ,sea4 7,see map of ancient ,greece47 #c4 ,sileni4 ,a name applied to the older satyrs4 ,they were fond of wine and of every kind of sensual pleasure1 and hence represented the luxuriant powers of nature1 and were connected with the worship of ,bacchus4 ,sylvans4 ,deities of the fields and forests4 ,fauns4 ,gods of the shepherds1 flocks1 and fields4 ,a faun was usually represented as half man and half goat4 #d4 ,apollo4 ,one of the chief divinities of the ,greeks2 the god of music and song1 of prophecy1 of the flocks and herds1 of the founding of towns1 and of the sun4 ,he was the son of ,zeus and ,leto1 and was born on the island of ,delos4 ,his favorite oracle was at ,delphi4 #e4 ddal4 ,labyrinthine1 wonderful4 ,from ,ddalus1 a famous ,athenian architect1 who designed the labyrinth at ,crete in which the ,minotaur was kept4 #f4 ,giant wars4 ,the wars of the ,titans1--the contest in which ,zeus overcame and deposed his father1 ,chronos1 and made himself supreme ruler of the universe4 ,the ,titans1 who were opposed to him1 were overcome1 and hurled into the lowest depths of ,tartarus4 ,mnalus4 ,a mountain in ,arcadia1 celebrated as the favorite haunt of ,pan4 #g4 maiden4 ,syrinx1 a nymph of ,arcadia1 devoted to the service of ,artemis4 ,as she was returning one day from the chase1 ,pan saw and loved her2 but when he would address her1 she fled4 ,the god pursued4 ,she reached the river ,ladon1 and1 unable to cross it1 implored the aid of her sister nymphs2 and when ,pan thought to grasp the object of his pursuit1 he found his arms filled with reeds4 ,at that moment the wind began to agitate the reeds and produced a low musical sound4 ,the god took the hint1 cut seven of the twigs1 and formed from them his syrinx1 or pastoral pipe4 ,see ,ovid's ,metamorphoses4 ,,from ,,epipsychidion4 ,emily1 ,a ship is floating in the harbor now2 ,a wind is hovering o'er the mountain's brow2 ,there is a path on the sea's azure floor1-- ,no keel has ever ploughed that path before2 ,the halcyons#a brood around the foamless isles2 ,the treacherous ocean has forsworn its wiles2 ,the merry mariners are bold and free3 ,say1 my heart's sister1 wilt thou sail with me8 ,our bark is as an albatross whose nest ,is a far ,eden of the purple east2 ,and we between her wings will sit1 while ,night ,and ,day and ,storm and ,calm pursue their flight1 ,our ministers1 along the boundless sea1 ,treading each other's heels1 unheededly4 ,it is an isle under ,ionian#b skies1 ,beautiful as a wreck of paradise2 ,and1 for#c the harbors are not safe and good1 ,this land would have remained a solitude ,but for some pastoral people native there1 ,who from the elysian1 clear1 and golden air ,draw the last spirit of the age of gold1#d-- ,simple and spirited1 innocent and bold4 ,the blue gean girds this chosen home1 ,with ever-changing sound and light and foam ,kissing the sifted sands and caverns hoar2 ,and all the winds wandering along the shore ,undulate with the undulating tide4 ,there are thick woods where sylvan forms abide2 ,and many a fountain1 rivulet1 and pond1 ,as clear as elemental diamond1 ,or serene morning air4 ,and far beyond1 ,the mossy tracks made by the goats and deer 7,which the rough shepherd treads but once a year7 ,pierce into glades1 caverns1 and bowers1 and halls ,built round with ivy1 which the waterfalls ,illumining1 with sound that never fails1 ,accompany the noonday nightingales4 ,and all the place is peopled with sweet airs4#e ,the light clear element which the isle wears ,is heavy with the scent of lemon-flowers1 ,which floats like mist laden with unseen showers1 ,and falls upon the eyelids like faint sleep2 ,and from the moss violets and jonquils peep1 ,and dart their arrowy odor through the brain1 ,till you might faint with that delicious pain4 ,and every motion1 odor1 beam1 and tone1 ,with that deep music is in unison3 ,which is a soul within the soul1--they seem ,like echoes of an antenatal dream4#f ,it is an isle 'twixt heaven1 air1 earth1 and sea1 ,cradled1 and hung in clear tranquillity2 ,bright as that wandering ,eden1 ,lucifer1#g ,washed by the soft blue oceans of young air4#h ,it is a favored place4 ,famine or blight1 ,pestilence1 war1 and earthquake1 never light ,upon its mountain-peaks2 blind vultures1 they ,sail onward far upon their fatal way4 ,the wingd storms1 chaunting their thunder-psalm ,to other lands1 leave azure chasms of calm ,over this isle1 or weep themselves in dew1 ,from which its fields and woods ever renew ,their green and golden immortality4 ,and from the sea there rise1 and from the sky ,there fall1 clear exhalations1 soft and bright1 ,veil after veil1 each hiding some delight3 ,which sun or moon or zephyr draw aside1 ,till the isle's beauty1 like a naked bride ,glowing at once with love and loveliness1 ,blushes and trembles at its own excess4 ,yet1 like a buried lamp1 a soul no less ,burns in the heart of this delicious isle1 ,an atom of the ,eternal1 whose own smile ,unfolds itself1 and may be felt not seen ,o'er the gray rocks1 blue waves1 and forests green1 ,filling their bare and void interstices4 ,this isle and house are mine1 and ,i have vowed ,thee to be lady of the solitude4 ,and ,i have fitted up some chambers there ,looking towards the golden eastern air1 ,and level with the living winds which flow ,like waves above the living waves below4 ,i have sent books and music there1 and all ,those instruments with which high spirits call ,the future from its cradle1 and the past ,out of its grave1 and make the present last ,in thoughts and joys which sleep but cannot die1 ,folded within their own eternity4 ,our simple life wants little1 and true taste ,hires not the pale drudge ,luxury to waste ,the scene it would adorn2 and therefore still ,nature with all her children haunts the hill4 ,the ringdove in the embowering ivy yet ,keeps up her love-lament2 and the owls flit ,round the evening tower2 and the young stars glance ,between the quick bats in their twilight dance2 ,the spotted deer bask in the fresh moonlight ,before our gate2 and the slow silent night ,is measured by the pants of their calm sleep4 ,be this our home in life2 and1 when years heap ,their withered hours like leaves on our decay1 ,let us become the overhanging day1 ,the living soul1 of this elysian isle-- ,conscious1 inseparable1 one4 ,meanwhile ,we two will rise and sit and walk together ,under the roof of blue ,ionian weather2 ,and wander in the meadows2 or ascend ,the mossy mountains1 where the blue heavens bend ,with lightest winds to touch their paramour2#i ,or linger where the pebble-paven shore ,under the quick faint kisses of the sea ,trembles and sparkles as with ecstasy2-- ,possessing and possessed by all that is ,within that calm circumference of bliss1 ,and by each other1 till to love and live ,be one4 4 4 4 ,we shall become the same1 we shall be one ,spirit within two frames1 oh wherefore two8 ,one passion in twin hearts1 which grows and grew ,till1 like two meteors of expanding flame1 ,those spheres instinct with it become the same1 ,touch1 mingle1 are transfigured2 ever still ,burning1 yet ever inconsumable2 ,in one another's substance finding food1 ,light flames too pure and light and unimbued ,to nourish their bright lives with baser prey1 ,which point to heaven and cannot pass away3 ,one hope within two wills1 one will beneath ,two overshadowing minds1 one life1 one death1 ,one heaven1 one hell1 one immortality1 ,and one annihilation6 ,woe is me6 ,the wingd words on which my soul would pierce ,into the height of ,love's rare universe ,are chains of lead around its flight of fire-- ,i pant1 ,i sink1 ,i tremble1 ,i expire6 ,,notes4 ,a clever but disreputable professor at ,pisa one day related to ,shelley the sad story of a beautiful and noble lady1 the ,contessina ,emilia ,viviani1 who had been confined by her father in a dismal convent of the suburbs1 to await her marriage with a distasteful husband4 ,shelley1 fired as ever by a tale of tyranny1 was eager to visit the fair captive4 ,the professor accompanied him and ,medwin to the convent parlor1 where they found her more lovely than even the most glowing descriptions had led them to expect4 ,nor was she only beautiful4 ,shelley soon discovered that she had cultivated her mind beyond what ,i have ever met with in ,italian women2 and a rhapsody composed by her upon the subject of ,uranian ,love--,il ,vero ,amore--justifies the belief that she possessed an intellect of more than ordinary elevation4 ,he took ,mrs4 ,shelley to see her2 and both did all they could to make her convent prison less irksome by frequent visits1 by letters1 by presents of flowers and books4 ,it was not long before ,shelley's sympathy for this unfortunate lady took the form of love1 which1 however spiritual and ,platonic1 was not the less passionate4 ,the result was the composition of ,epipsychidion1 the most unintelligible of all his poems to those who have not assimilated the spirit of ,plato's ,symposium and ,dante's ,vita ,nuova4--,j4 ,a4 ,symonds4 ,w4 ,m4 ,rossetti characterizes this poem as a pure outpouring of poetry2 a brimming and bubbling fountain of freshness and music1 magical with its own spray rainbows4 ,a year after its composition1 ,shelley wrote3 ,the ',epipsychidion' ,i cannot look at4 ,if you are curious1 however1 to hear what ,i am and have been1 it will tell you something thereof4 ,it is an idealized history of my life and feelings4 ,epipsychidion4 ,from ,gr4 epi1 upon1 and psyche1 the soul4 ,this poem is addressed to the noble and unfortunate ,lady ,emilia ,viviani1 now imprisoned in the ,convent of ,st4 ,anne1 ,pisa1 and was written in #ahba4 #a4 halcyons4 ,kingfishers4 ,halcyone was the daughter of olus and wife of ,ceyx4 ,when her husband died she was changed into a bird1--the kingfisher1--and1 floating over the sea1 she still calls for the lost ,ceyx in tones full of plaining and tears4 ,and whensoever she makes her nest1 a law of nature brings round what is called ,halcyon's weather--days distinguishable among all others for their serenity4 #b4 ,ionian4 ,greek4 ,see the expression ,under the roof of blue ,ionian weather1 below4 ,explain its meaning4 #c4 for4 ,since1 because4 elysian4 ,heavenly4 ,pertaining to ,elysium1 the islands of the blest1 the ,elysian fields4 #d4 age of gold4 ,compare ,milton1 ,hymn on the ,nativity 7see note #cf1 page #aib4 ,see1 also1 poem by ,john ,lydgate1 page #bge74 #e4 peopled with sweet airs4 ,filled with sweet music4 #f4 antenatal dream4 ,see ,wordsworth's ,ode on the ,intimations of ,immortality 7also1 note #ac1 page #dg74 ,our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting4 #g4 ,lucifer4 ,venus when seen in the morning1 rising before the sun is called ,lucifer1 the light-bearer4 ,from ,lat4 lux1 light1 and fero1 to bear 7see note #ah1 page #ahi74 ,the same star when seen in the evening1 following the sun1 is called ,hesperus4 #h4 blue oceans of young air4 ,explain4 #i4 paramour4 ,see ,milton's ,ode on the ,nativity1 stanza i4 ,it was no reason then for her ,to wanton with the sun1 her lusty paramour4 ,milton makes the sun the paramour of the earth2 ,shelley1 the earth the paramour of the sky4 ,a ,,lament4 ,swifter far than summer's flight1 ,swifter far than youth's delight1 ,swifter far than happy night1 ,art thou come and gone3 ,as the earth when leaves are dead1 ,as the night when sleep is sped1 ,as the heart when joy is fled1 ,i am left alone1 alone4 ,the swallow ,summer comes again1 ,the owlet ,night resumes her reign1 ,but the wild swan ,youth is fain ,to fly with thee1 false as thou4 ,my heart each day desires the morrow1 ,sleep itself is turned to sorrow1 ,vainly would my winter borrow ,sunny leaves from any bough4 ,lilies for a bridal bed1 ,roses for a matron's head1 ,violets for a maiden dead1 ,pansies let my flowers be3 ,on the living grave ,i bear1 ,scatter them without a tear1 ,let no friend1 however dear1 ,waste one hope1 one fear1 for me4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,percy ,,bysshe ,,shelley was born at ,field ,place1 near ,horsham in ,sussex1 ,august #d1 #agib4 ,he was educated at ,eton and at ,oxford4 ,while a student at the latter place1 he wrote a pamphlet1 entitled ,the ,necessity of ,atheism1 which caused his expulsion from college4 ,this occurred in #ahaa1 and in the same year he married ,harriet ,westbrook1 from whom1 three years later1 he separated4 ,in #ahaf he married ,mary ,godwin4 ,in #ahah he left ,england for ,italy1 where he remained until his death by drowning in the gulf of ,spezia1 ,july #h1 #ahbb4 ,his first considerable poem1 ,queen ,mab1 was published in #ahac2 ,alastor1 or the ,spirit of ,solitude1 in #ahaf2 ,the ,revolt of ,islam1 in #ahah2 and ,epipsychidion and ,adonais in #ahba4 ,his two dramas1 the ,cenci and ,prometheus ,unbound1 were issued1 the former in #ahai1 the latter in #ahba4 ,shelley's early rupture with the ,english world1 says ,hales1 lost him all the advantages which a fuller experience of it and a longer intercourse with it might have given4 ,that world was no less estranged from him than he from it4 ,it misunderstood and misinterpreted him throughout his career4 ,it covered him with its opprobrium4 ,assuredly1 he was not the man that world painted4 ,it by no means follows that because ,shelley did not repeat the ordinary creeds1 and even mocked at them1 that he believed nothing4 ,shelley was never in his soul an atheist3 it was simply impossible with his nature that he should be2 what he did deny and defy was a deity whose worship seemed1 as he saw the world1 consistent with the reign of selfishness and bigotry4 ,lord ,macaulay says3 ,we doubt whether any modern poet has possessed in an equal degree some of the highest qualities of the great ancient masters4 ,the words bard and inspiration1 which seem so cold and affected when applied to other modern writers1 have a perfect propriety when applied to him4 ,he was not an author1 but a bard4 ,his poetry seems not to have been an art1 but an inspiration4 ,had he lived to the full age of man1 he might not improbably1 have given to the world some great work of the very highest rank in design and execution4 ,leigh ,hunt says3 ,assuredly1 had he lived1 he would have been the greatest dramatic writer since the days of ,elizabeth4 ,in general1 if ,coleridge is the sweetest of our poets1 ,shelley is at once the most ethereal and most gorgeous--the one who has clothed his thoughts in draperies of the most evanescent and most magnificent words and imagery4 ,his poetry is as full of mountains1 seas1 and skies1 of light1 and darkness1 and the seasons1 and all the elements of our being1 as if ,nature herself had written it1 with the ,creation and its hopes newly cast around her1 not1 it must be confessed1 without too indiscriminate a mixture of great and small1 and a want of sufficient shade--a certain chaotic brilliancy1 'dark with excess of light4' ,another ,english poet says3 ,shelley outsang all poets on record but some two or three throughout all time2 his depths and heights of inner and outer music are as divine as nature's1 and not sooner exhaustible4 ,he was alone the perfect singing-god2 his thoughts1 words1 deeds1 all sang together4 ,the poet who creates a new ideal1 and fills men's hearts with the flame of a divine desire1 is a practical force in the stream of human development--and this ,shelley has done4 ,so much of his poetry is full of the tender melancholy of the moonlight he loved1 that the world is still half blind to his highest bardic character1 as the poet of a spiritual dawn1 the eager spirit who flies forward-- ,calling the lapsd soul1 ,and weeping in the morning dew4 ,even his moonlight seems to reflect the beams of some unrisen sun2 and his sunlight has all the ethereal exhilaration of that of the first hours of a glorious day4--,john ,todhunter4 ,other ,poems to be ,read3 ,adonais2 ,the ,sensitive ,plant2 ,the ,cloud2 ,mount ,blanc2 ,to ,wordsworth2 ,the ,euganean ,hills2 ,liberty2 ,alastor2 ,prometheus ,unbound4 ,,references3 ,de ,quincey's ,essays2 ,jeaffreson's ,the ,real ,shelley2 ,shelley 7,english ,men of ,letters71 by ,j4 ,a4 ,symonds2 ,leigh ,hunt's ,imagination and ,fancy2 ,rossetti's ,memoir of ,shelley2 ,dowden's ,life of ,p4 ,b4 ,shelley2 ,moore's ,life of ,lord ,byron2 ,middleton's ,shelley and his ,writings2 ,medwin's ,life of ,shelley2 ,trelawney's ,recollections of the ,last ,days of ,shelley and ,byron2 ,todhunter's ,shelley3 ,a ,study4 ,john ,keats4 ,,ode ,,to ,a ,,nightingale4 ,i ,my heart aches1 and a drowsy numbness pains ,my sense1 as though of hemlock ,i had drunk1 ,or emptied some dull opiate to the drains ,one minute past1 and ,lethe-wards#a had sunk3 ',tis not through envy of thy happy lot1 ,but being too happy in thy happiness1-- ,that thou1 light-winged ,dryad#b of the trees1 ,in some melodious plot ,of beechen green1 and shadows numberless1 ,singest of summer in full-throated ease4 ,,ii4 ,o for a draught of vintage1 that hath been ,cooled a long age in the deep-delved earth1 ,tasting of ,flora and the country-green1 ,dance1 and ,provenal song1#c and sun-burnt mirth6 ,o for a beaker full of the warm ,south1 ,full of the true1 the blushful ,hippocrene1#d ,with beaded bubbles winking at the brim1 ,and purple-stained mouth2 ,that ,i might drink1 and leave the world unseen1 ,and with thee fade away into the forest dim3 ,,iii4 ,fade far away1 dissolve1 and quite forget ,what thou among the leaves hast never known1 ,the weariness1 the fever1 and the fret ,here1 where men sit and hear each other groan2 ,where palsy shakes a few1 sad1 last gray hairs1 ,where youth grows pale1 and spectre-thin1 and dies2 ,where but to think is to be full of sorrow ,and leaden-eyed despairs2 ,where ,beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes1 ,or new ,love pine at them beyond to-morrow4 ,,iv4 ,away6 away6 for ,i will fly to thee1 ,not charioted by ,bacchus and his pards1#e ,but on the viewless wings of ,poesy1 ,though the dull brain perplexes and retards3 ,already with thee6 tender is the night1 ,and haply the ,queen-,moon is on her throne1 ,clustered around by all her starry ,fays2 ,but here there is no light1 ,save what from heaven is with the breezes blown ,through verdurous glooms and winding mossy ways4 ,v4 ,i cannot see what flowers are at my feet1 ,nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs1 ,but1 in embalmed darkness1 guess each sweet ,wherewith the seasonable month endows ,the grass1 the thicket1 and the fruit-tree wild2 ,white hawthorn1 and the pastoral eglantine2#f ,fast-fading violets covered up in leaves2 ,and mid-,may's eldest child1 ,the coming musk-rose1 full of dewy wine1 ,the murmurous haunt of flies on summer eyes4 ,,vi4 ,darkling#g ,i listen2 and for many a time ,i have been half in love with easeful ,death1 ,called him soft names in many a mused rhyme1 ,to take into the air my quiet breath2 ,now more than ever seems it rich to die1 ,to cease upon the midnight with no pain1 ,while thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad ,in such an ecstasy6 ,still wouldst thou sing1 and ,i have ears in vain-- ,to thy high requiem#h become a sod4 ,,vii4 ,thou wast not born for death1 immortal ,bird6 ,no hungry generations tread thee down2 ,the voice ,i hear this passing night was heard ,in ancient days by emperor and clown3 ,perhaps the self-same song that found a path ,through the sad heart of ,ruth1 when1 sick for home1 ,she stood in tears amid the alien corn#i2 ,the same that oft-times hath ,charmed magic casements1 opening on the foam ,of perilous seas1 in faery lands forlorn4 ,,viii4 ,forlorn6 the very word is like a bell ,to toll me back from thee to my sole self6 ,adieu6 the fancy cannot cheat so well ,as she is famed to do1 deceiving elf4 ,adieu6 adieu6 thy plaintive anthem fades ,past the near meadows1 over the still stream1 ,up the hill-side2 and now 'tis buried deep ,in the next valley-glades3 ,was it a vision1 or a waking dream8 ,fled is that music3--do ,i wake or sleep8 ,,notes4 ,this poem1 says ,leigh ,hunt1 was written in a house at the foot of ,highgate ,hill1 on the border of the fields looking towards ,hampstead4 ,the poet had then his mortal illness upon him1 and knew it2 never was the voice of death sweeter4 #a4 ,lethe-wards4 ,that is1 towards ,lethe4 ,lethe was one of the rivers of ,hell4 ,its name means forgetfulness4 ,milton describes it thus3 ,a slow and silent stream1 ,lethe1 the river of oblivion1 rolls ,her watery labyrinth1 whereof who drinks ,forthwith his former state and being forgets-- ,forgets both joy and grief1 pleasure and pain4 --,paradise ,lost1 ii1 #ehc4 #b4 ,dryad4 ,a wood-nymph4 ,from ,gr4 drus1 an oak tree4 ,the life of the ,dryad was supposed to be bound up with that of her tree4 ,the quickening power of the soul1 like ,martha1 is 'busy about many things1' or1 like a ,dryad1 living in a tree4--,sir ,john ,davis4 #c4 ,provenal song4 ,song of the troubadours1 a school of lyric poets that flourished in ,provence1 in the south of ,france1 from the eleventh to the thirteenth century4 ,a love song4 #d4 ,hippocrene4 ,the ,fountain of the ,horse 7,fons ,caballinus74 ,a fountain on ,mount ,helicon1 ,boeotia1 sacred to the ,muses4 ,it was said to have been produced by the horse ,pegasus striking the ground with his feet4 ,its waters were supposed to be a source of poetical inspiration4 ,longfellow1 in ,the ,goblet of ,life1 says3 ,no purple flowers--no garlands green1 ,conceal the goblet's shade or sheen1 ,nor maddening draughts of ,hippocrene1 ,like gleams of sunshine1 flash between ,thick leaves of mistletoe4 #e4 ,bacchus and his pards4 ,bacchus was frequently represented as riding on the back of a leopard1 a tiger1 or a lion1 or in a chariot drawn by panthers4 pards4 ,spotted beasts4 ,see ,dryden's ,alexander's ,feast1 third stanza1 page #afj4 #f4 ,compare with ,shakespeare's ,a ,midsummer ,night's ,dream1 ,act ii1 sc4 i3 ,i know a bank where the wild thyme blows1 ,where oxlips and the nodding violet grows1 ,quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine1 ,with sweet musk-roses and with eglantine4 #g4 darkling4 ,in the dark4 ,the word is very rarely used4 #h4 requiem4 ,a dirge1 or funeral song4 ,so called from the first word in the ,catholic mass for the dead1 ,requiem ternum dona iis ,domine 7,give eternal rest to them1 ,o ,lord74--,brand4 become a sod4 ,compare with ,ecclesiastes1 xii1 #g3 ,then shall the dust return to the earth as it was4 #i4 alien corn4 ,see ,ruth1 ii4 ,why alien corn8 ,longfellow1 in his poem on ,flowers1 says3 ,everywhere about us they are glowing-- ,some like stars1 to tell us ,spring is born2 ,others1 their blue eyes with tears o'erflowing1 ,stand like ,ruth amid the golden corn4 ,,from ,,the ,,eve ,,of ,,st4 ,,agnes4 ,full on this casement shone the wintry moon1 ,and threw warm gules on ,madeline's fair breast1 ,as down she knelt for heaven's grace and boon2 ,rose-bloom fell on her hands1 together prest1 ,and on her silver cross soft amethyst1 ,and on her hair a glory1 like a saint3 ,she seem'd a splendid angel1 newly drest1 ,save wings1 for heaven3--,porphyro grew faint3 ,she knelt1 so pure a thing1 so free from mortal taint4 ,anon his heart revives3 her vespers done1 ,of all its wreathed pearls her hair she frees2 ,unclasps her warmed jewels one by one2 ,loosens her fragrant bodice2 by degrees ,her rich attire creeps rustling to her knees3 ,half-hidden1 like a mermaid in sea-weed1 ,pensive awhile she dreams awake1 and sees1 ,in fancy1 fair ,st4 ,agnes in her bed1 ,but dares not look behind1 or all the charm is fled4 ,soon1 trembling in her soft and chilly nest1 ,in sort of wakeful swoon1 perplexed she lay1 ,until the poppied warmth of sleep oppressed ,her soothed limbs1 and soul fatigued away2 ,flown1 like a thought1 until the morrow-day2 ,blissfully havened both from joy and pain2 ,clasped like a missal where swart ,paynims pray3 ,blinded alike from sunshine and from rain1 ,as though a rose should shut1 and be a bud again4 ,stolen to this paradise1 and so entranced1 ,porphyro gazed upon her empty dress1 ,and listened to her breathing1 if it chanced ,to wake into a slumberous tenderness2 ,which when he heard1 that minute did he bless1 ,and breathed himself3 then from the closet crept1 ,noiseless as fear in a wide wilderness1 ,and over the hushed carpet1 silent1 stept1 ,and 'tween the curtains peeped1 where1 lo6--how fast she slept4 ,then by the bed-side1 where the faded moon ,made a dim1 silver twilight1 soft he set ,a table1 and1 half anguished1 threw thereon ,a cloth of woven crimson1 gold1 and jet3-- ,o for some drowsy ,morphean amulet6 ,the boisterous1 midnight1 festive clarion1 ,the kettle-drum1 and far-heard clarionet1 ,affray his ears1 though but in dying tone3-- ,the hall-door shuts again1 and all the noise is gone4 ,and still she slept an azure-lidded sleep1 ,in blanched linen1 smooth1 and lavendered1 ,while he from forth the closet brought a heap ,of candied apple1 quince1 and plum1 and gourd2 ,with jellies soother than the creamy curd1 ,and lucent syrups1 tinct with cinnamon2 ,manna and dates1 in argosy transferred ,from ,fez2 and spiced dainties1 every one1 ,from silken ,samarcand to cedared ,lebanon4 ,these delicates he heaped with glowing hand ,on golden dishes and in baskets bright ,of wreathed silver3 sumptuous they stand ,in the retired quiet of the night1 ,filling the chilly room with perfume light4-- ,and now1 my love1 my seraph fair1 awake6 ,thou art mine heaven1 and ,i thine eremite3 ,open thine eyes1 for meek ,st4 ,agnes' sake1 ,or ,i shall drowse beside thee1 so my soul doth ache4 ,thus whispering1 his warm1 unnerved arm ,sank in her pillow4 ,shaded was her dream ,by the dusk curtains3--'twas a midnight charm ,impossible to melt as iced stream3 ,the lustrous salvers in the moonlight gleam2 ,broad golden fringe upon the carpet lies3 ,it seemed he never1 never could redeem ,from such a steadfast spell his lady's eyes2 ,so mused awhile1 entoiled in woofed phantasies4 ,awakening up1 he took her hollow lute1-- ,tumultuous1--and1 in chords that tenderest be1 ,he play'd an ancient ditty1 long since mute1 ,in ,provence called ,la belle dame sans mercy3 ,close to her ear touching the melody2-- ,wherewith disturbed1 she uttered a soft moan3 ,he ceased--she panted quick--and suddenly ,her blue affrayed eyes wide open shone3 ,upon his knees he sank1 pale as smooth-sculptured stone4 ,her eyes were open1 but she still beheld1 ,now wide awake1 the vision of her sleep3 ,there was a painful change1 that nigh expelled ,the blisses of her dream so pure and deep4 ,at which fair ,madeline began to weep1 ,and moan forth witless words with many a sigh ,while still her gaze on ,porphyro would keep2 ,who knelt1 with joined hands and piteous eye1 ,fearing to move or speak1 she looked so dreamingly4 ,ah1 ,porphyro6 said she1 but even now ,thy voice was at sweet tremble in mine ear1 ,made tuneable with every sweetest vow2 ,and those sad eyes were spiritual and clear3 ,how changed thou art6 how pallid1 chill1 and drear6 ,give me that voice again1 my ,porphyro1 ,those looks immortal1 those complainings dear6 ,oh leave me not in this eternal woe1 ,for if thou diest1 my ,love1 ,i know not where to go4 ,beyond a mortal man impassioned far ,at these voluptuous accents1 he arose1 ,ethereal1 flushed1 and like a throbbing star ,seen 'mid the sapphire heaven's deep repose2 ,into her dream he melted1 as the rose ,blendeth its odor with the violet1-- ,solution sweet3 meantime the frost-wind blows ,like ,love's alarum pattering the sharp sleet ,against the window-panes2 ,st4 ,agnes' moon hath set4 ',tis dark3 quick pattereth the flaw-blown sleet3 ,this is no dream1 my bride1 my ,madeline6 ',tis dark3 the iced gusts still rave and beat3 ,no dream1 alas6 alas6 and woe is mine6 ,porphyro will leave me here to fade and pine4-- ,cruel6 what traitor could thee hither bring8 ,i curse not1 for my heart is lost in thine1 ,though thou forsakest a deceived thing2-- ,a dove forlorn and lost with sick unpruned wing4 ,my ,madeline6 sweet dreamer6 lovely bride6 ,say1 may ,i be for aye thy vassal blest8 ,thy beauty's shield1 heart-shaped and vermeil dyed8 ,ah1 silver shrine1 here will ,i take my rest ,after so many hours of toil and quest1 ,a famished pilgrim1--saved by miracle4 ,though ,i have found1 ,i will not rob thy nest1 ,saving of thy sweet self2 if thou think'st well ,to trust1 fair ,madeline1 to no rude infidel4 ,hark6'tis an elfin-storm from faery land1 ,of haggard seeming1 but a boon indeed3 ,arise--arise6 the morning is at hand2-- ,the bloated wassailers will never heed3-- ,let us away1 my love1 with happy speed2 ,there are no ears to hear1 or eyes to see1-- ,drowned all in ,rhenish and the sleepy mead3 ,awake6 arise6 my love1 and fearless be1 ,for o'er the southern moors ,i have a home for thee4 ,she hurried at his words1 beset with fears1 ,for there were sleeping dragons all around1 ,at glaring watch1 perhaps with ready spears-- ,down the wide stairs a darkling way they found1 ,in all the house was heard no human sound4 ,a chain-drooped lamp was flickering by each door2 ,the arras1 rich with horseman1 hawk1 and hound1 ,fluttered in the besieging wind's uproar2 ,and the long carpets rose along the gusty floor4 ,they glide1 like phantoms1 into the wide hall6 ,like phantoms to the iron porch they glide1 ,where lay the ,porter1 in uneasy sprawl1 ,with a huge empty flagon by his side3 ,the wakeful bloodhound rose1 and shook his hide1 ,but his sagacious eye an inmate owns3 ,by one1 and one1 the bolts full easy slide3-- ,the chains lie silent on the footworn stones2 ,the key turns1 and the door upon its hinges groans4 ,and they are gone3 ay1 ages long ago ,these lovers fled away into the storm4 ,that night the ,baron dreamt of many a woe1 ,and all his warrior-guests1 with shade and form ,of witch and demon and large coffin-worm1 ,were long be-nightmared4 ,angela1 the old1 ,died palsy-twitch'd with meagre face deform2 ,the ,beadsman1 after thousand aves told1 ,for aye unsought-for slept among his ashes cold4 ,,notes4 ,the ,eve of ,st4 ,agnes is one of the finest of ,keats's shorter poems4 ,leigh ,hunt describes it as the most complete specimen of his genius2 exquisitely loving2 young1 but full-grown poetry of the rarest description2 graceful as the beardless ,apollo2 glowing and gorgeous with the colors of romance4 ,the stanzas here quoted1 while comprising the main portion of the story1 are not quite half of the entire poem4 ,madeline1 the beautiful daughter of a rude and rich old baron1 is secretly betrothed to ,porphyro1 a young man whom her father has sworn to slay4 ,on the eve of ,st4 ,agnes a great feast is in progress in the baron's castle4 ,porphyro1 at the risk of his life1 comes across the moors1 with heart on fire for ,madeline4 ,with the aid of the old nurse1 ,angela1 he gains admission into the castle and is concealed in a closet1 where he conceives the plan for their elopement4 ,in the meanwhile1 ,madeline1 having danced with her father's guests1 retires to her room1 her mind full of the thought of ,porphyro1 and intent upon testing the truth of the belief1 then current1 that on this evening1 maidens might1 if they performed certain ceremonies and forms1 be vouchsafed a sight of their future husbands4 ,st4 ,agnes was a young virgin of ,palermo1 who is said to have suffered martyrdom at the age of thirteen1 in the ,diocletian persecution1 about ,a4,d4 #cjd4 ,her feast was celebrated on the #bast of ,january4 ,with reference to the versification of this poem1 see what is said of the ,spenserian stanza1 page #bcb4 ,there are many imitations of ,spenser in these verses4 ,the student is desired to discover for himself the peculiarities of thought1 of feeling1 of expression1 which give interest and beauty to this production4 ,the following are a few of the words and expressions whose meaning he should study3 ,gules2 taint2 vespers2 poppied2 ,swart ,paynims2 ,noiseless as fear in a wide wilderness2 ,morphean amulet2 affray2 azure-lidded sleep2 argosy2 missal2 tinct2 ,fez2 ,samarcand2 ,lebanon2 eremite2 witless2 alarum2 entoiled in woofed phantasies2 ,la belle dame sans mercy2 heart-shaped and vermeil dyed2 ,of haggard seeming2 arras4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,john ,,keats was born ,october #bi1 #agie1 in ,moorfields1 ,london4 ,he was sent to school at ,enfield1 where he gained the rudiments of a classical education2 but1 his father having died when ,john was a mere child1 he was apprenticed at an early age to a surgeon in ,edmonton4 ,when seventeen years old a copy of ,spenser's ,faerie ,queene fell into his hands1 and the perusal of that great poem was the beginning1 for him1 of a new life4 ,he felt the poetic instinct within him1 and resolved that he too would be a poet4 ,in #ahag he published a small volume of poems1 which attracted but little attention2 and in #ahah his more ambitious effort1 ,endymion1 was presented to the world4 ,the latter poem was unkindly received by the great reviews4 ,the author was advised to go back to his gallipots1 and told that a starved apothecary was better than a starved poet4 ,a story was long current that these severe criticisms induced ,keats's early death1 but this is entirely improbable4 ,he continued writing1 although consumption1 a hereditary disease in his family1 had already begun its work upon him4 ,he published ,the ,eve of ,st4 ,agnes in #ahbj1 and had made some progress with a noble poem1 entitled ,hyperion1 which ,lord ,byron declared to be actually inspired by the ,titans1 and as sublime as schylus4 ,in ,september of that year he sailed for ,italy1 but the hope of prolonging life by a change of climate proved to be vain4 ,on the #bgth of ,february1 #ahba1 he died at ,rome4 ,we can hardly be wrong in believing1 says ,masson1 that had ,keats lived to the ordinary age of man1 he would have been one of the greatest of all our poets4 ,as it is1 ,i believe we shall all be disposed to place him very near indeed to our very best4 ,that which was deepest in his mind1 says ,stopford ,brooke1 was the love of loveliness for its own sake1 the sense of its rightful and pre-eminent power2 and1 in the singleness of worship which he gave to ,beauty1 ,keats is especially the artist1 and the true father of the latest modern school of poetry4 ,other ,poems to be ,read3 ,endymion2 ,ode on a ,grecian ,urn2 ,lamia2 ,hyperion2 ,to ,autumn2 ,hymn to ,apollo2 ,isabella4 ,,references3 ,keats 7,english ,men of ,letters71 by ,sidney ,colvin2 ,keats1 by ,w4 ,m4 ,rossetti2 ,matthew ,arnold's ,essay on ,keats1 in ,ward's ,english ,poets2 ,shairp's ,studies in ,poetry4 ,the ,eighteenth ,century4 ,the influence of the poetry of the past lasted2 new elements were added to poetry1 and new forms of it took shape4 ,the study of the ,greek and ,latin classics revived1 and with it a more artistic poetry4 ,not only correct form1 for which ,pope sought1 but beautiful form was sought after4 ,men like ,thomas ,gray and ,william ,collins strove to pour into their work that simplicity of beauty which the ,greek poets and ,italians like ,petrarca had reached as the last result of genius restrained by art4 4 4 4 ,two things had been learned4 ,first1 that artistic rules were necessary1 and1 secondly1 that natural feeling was necessary in order that poetry should have a style fitted to express nobly the emotions and thoughts of man4 ,the way was therefore now made ready for a style in which the ,art should itself be ,nature1 and it sprang at once into being in the work of the poets of this time4 ,the style of ,gray is polished to the finest point1 and yet it is instinct with natural feeling4 ,goldsmith is natural even to simplicity1 and yet his verse is even more accurate than ,pope's4 ,cowper's style1 in such poems as the ',lines to my ,mother's ,picture1' arises out of the simplest pathos1 and yet it is as pure in expression as ,greek poetry4--,,stopford ,,brooke4 ,at last there started up an unfortunate ,scotch peasant 7,burns71 rebelling against the world1 and in love1 with the yearnings1 lusts1 greatness1 and irrationality of modern genius4 ,now and then behind his plough1 he lighted on genuine verses1 verses such as ,heine and ,alfred de ,musset have written in our own days4 ,in those few words1 combined after a new fashion1 there was a revolution4--,,taine4 ,poets of the ,eighteenth ,century4 ,alexander ,pope 7#afhh-agdd74 ,see biographical note1 page #aee4 ,thomas ,parnell 7#afgi-agah74 ,the ,hermit2 short poems4 ,edward ,young 7#afhd-agfe71 ,night ,thoughts2 ,the ,last ,day2 ,resignation4 ,allan ,ramsay 7#afhf-ageh74 ,the ,gentle ,shepherd3 ,scots ,songs2 ,fables and ,tales4 ,john ,gay 7#afhh-agcb74 ,the ,beggar's ,opera2 ,the ,shepherd's ,week2 ,trivia2 ,rural ,sports2 fables1 and other short poems4 ,matthew ,green 7#afif-agcg74 ,the ,grotto2 ,the ,spleen4 ,john ,dyer 7#afih-ageh74 ,grongar ,hill2 ,the ,fleece4 ,robert ,blair 7#afii-agdf74 ,the ,grave4 ,james ,thomson 7#agjj-agdh74 ,the ,seasons2 ,the ,castle of ,indolence4 ,samuel ,johnson 7#agji-aghd71 ,the ,vanity of ,human ,wishes2 ,london4 ,richard ,glover 7#agab-aghe74 ,leonidas2 ,admiral ,hosier's ,ghost2 ,the ,athenaid4 ,william ,shenstone 7#agad-agfc74 ,the ,schoolmistress2 ,pastoral ,ballads4 ,thomas ,gray 7#agaf-agga74 ,see biographical note1 page #aci4 ,william ,collins 7#agba-agei74 ,odes and other short poems4 ,mark ,akenside 7#agba-aggj74 ,the ,pleasures of the ,imagination4 ,oliver ,goldsmith 7#agbh-aggd74 ,see biographical note1 page #abh4 ,thomas ,warton 7#agbh-agij74 ,the ,pleasures of ,melancholy2 ,the ,triumph of ,isis2 short poems4 ,william ,cowper 7#agca-ahjj74 ,see biographical note1 page #abb4 ,charles ,churchill 7#agca-agfd74 ,the ,prophecy of ,famine2 ,the ,rosciad4 ,james ,beattie 7#agce-ahjc74 ,the ,minstrel4 ,robert ,fergusson 7#agej-aggd74 ,short ,scottish poems4 ,thomas ,chatterton 7#ageb-aggj74 ,poems of ,thomas ,rowlie2 short poems4 ,george ,crabbe 7#aged-ahcb74 ,tales of the ,hall2 ,the ,village2 ,the ,parish ,register2 ,tales in ,verse4 ,william ,blake 7#ageg-ahbg74 ,songs of ,innocence2 ,songs of ,experience2 ,poetical ,sketches4 ,robert ,burns 7#agei-agif74 ,see biographical note1 page #aaa4 ,robert ,burns4 ,,the ,,cotter',s#a ,,saturday ,,night4 ,,inscribed ,,to ,r4 ,,aiken1 ,,esq4#b ,let not ,ambition mock their useful toil1 ,their homely joys1 and destiny obscure2 ,nor ,grandeur hear1 with a disdainful smile1 ,the short but simple annals of the ,poor4#c--;,gray4 ,my loved1 my honored1 much respected friend6 ,no mercenary bard his homage pays2 ,with honest pride1 ,i scorn each selfish end1 ,my dearest meed1 a friend's esteem and praise3 ,to you ,i sing1 in simple ,scottish lays1#d ,the lowly train#e in life's sequestered scene2 ,the native feelings strong1 the guileless ways2 ,what ,aiken in a cottage would have been2 ,ah6 though his worth unknown1 far happier there ,i ween4 ,november chill blaws loud wi' angry sugh2#f ,the short'ning winter-day is near a close2 ,the miry beasts retreating frae the pleugh2 ,the black'ning trains o' craws to their repose2 ,the toil-worn ,cotter frae his labor goes1-- ,this night his weekly moil is at an end1-- ,collects his spades1 his mattocks1 and his hoes1 ,hoping the morn in ease and rest to spend1 ,and weary1 o'er the moor1 his course does hameward bend4#g ,at length his lonely cot appears in view1 ,beneath the shelter of an aged tree2 ,th' expectant wee things toddlin'1 stacher thro' ,to meet their dad1 wi' flichterin noise an' glee4 ,his wee bit ingle1 blinkin' bonnily1 ,his clean hearth-stane1 his thriftie wine's smile1 ,the lisping infant prattling on his knee1 ,does a' his weary carking cares beguile1 ,an' makes him quite forget his labor an' his toil4#h ,belyve1 the elder bairns#i come drapping in1 ,at service out1 amang the farmers roun'2 ,some ca'#aj the pleugh1 some herd1 some tentie rin ,a cannie errand to a neibor#aa town3 ,their eldest hope1 their ,jenny1 woman grown1 ,in youthfu' bloom1 love sparkling in her e'e1 ,comes hame1 perhaps1 to shew a braw new gown1 ,or deposit#ab her sair-won penny-fee1#ac ,to help her parents dear1 if they in hardship be4 ,wi' joy unfeigned1 brothers and sisters meet1 ,an' each for other's welfare kindly spiers3 ,the social hours1 swift-winged1 unnoticed fleet2 ,each tells the uncos that he sees or hears2 ,the parents1 partial1 eye their hopeful years1 ,anticipation forward points the view4 ,the mother wi' her needle an' her shears1 ,gars auld claes look amaist as weel's the new2 ,the father mixes a' wi' admonition due4 ,their master's and their mistress's command1 ,the younkers a' are warned to obey2 ,and mind their labors wi' an eydent hand1 ,and ne'er1 tho' out o' sight1 to jauk or play3 ,and1 oh6 be sure to fear the ,lord alway1 ,and mind your duty1 duly1 morn and night6 ,lest in temptation's path ye gang astray1 ,implore ,his counsel and assisting might3 ,they never sought in vain that sought the ,lord aright6#ad ,but1 hark6 a rap comes gently to the door2 ,jenny1 wha kens the meaning o' the same1 ,tells how a neibor lad came o'er the moor1 ,to do some errands1 and convoy her hame4 ,the wily mother sees the conscious flame ,sparkle in ,jenny's e'e1 and flush her cheek2 ,wi' heart-struck anxious care inquires his name1 ,while ,jenny hafflins is afraid to speak2 ,weel pleased the mother hears1 it's nae wild worthless rake4 ,wi' kindly welcome ,jenny brings him ben2#ae ,a strappin' youth2 he takes the mother's eye2 ,blythe ,jenny sees the visit's no ill ta'en2 ,the father cracks of horses1 pleughs1 and kye4#af ,the youngster's artless heart o'erflows wi' joy1 ,but1 blate and lathefu'1 scarce can weel behave2 ,the mother1 wi' a woman's wiles1 can spy ,what makes the youth sae bashfu' an' sae grave2 ,weel pleased to think her bairn's respected like the lave4 ,o happy love6 where love like this is found6 ,o heart-felt raptures6 bliss beyond compare6 ,i've paced much this weary1 mortal round1 ,and sage experience bids me this declare3-- ,if ,heaven a draught of heavenly pleasure spare1 ,one cordial in this melancholy vale1 ',tis when a youthful1 loving1 modest pair1 ,in other's arms breathe out the tender tale1 ,beneath the milk-white thorn that scents the evening gale6 ,is there1 in human form1 that bears a heart1 ,a wretch1 a villain1 lost to love and truth1 ,that can1 with studied1 sly1 ensnaring art1 ,betray sweet ,jenny's unsuspecting youth8 ,curse on his perjured arts6 dissembling smooth6 ,are honor1 virtue1 conscience1 all exiled8 ,is there no pity1 no relenting ruth1 ,points to the parents fondling o'er their child8 ,then paints the ruined maid1 and their distraction wild6 ,but now the supper crowns their simple board1-- ,the halesome parritch1 chief o' ,scotia's food3 ,the sowpe their only hawkie#ag does afford1 ,that 'yont the hallan snugly chows her cood2 ,the dame brings forth in complimental mood1 ,to grace the lad1 her weel-hained kebbuck1 fell1 ,an' aft he's prest1 an' aft he ca's it guid2 ,the frugal wifie1 garrulous1 will tell ,how 'twas a towmond auld1 sin' lint was i' the bell4#ah ,the cheerfu' supper done1 wi' serious face1 ,they1 round the ingle1 form a circle wide2 ,the sire turns o'er1 wi' patriarchal grace1 ,the big ha'-,bible1#ai ance his father's pride2 ,his bonnet#bj rev'rently is laid aside1 ,his lyart haffets wearing thin an' bare2 ,those strains that once did sweet in ,zion glide1 ,he wales a portion with judicious care2 ,and ,let us worship ,god6 he says1 with solemn air4 ,they chant their artless notes in simple guise2 ,they tune their hearts1 by far the noblest aim3 ,perhaps ,dundee's wild warbling measures rise1 ,or plaintive ,martyrs1 worthy of the name1 ,or noble ,elgin beets#ba the heavenward flame1 ,the sweetest far of ,scotia's holy lays3 ,compared with these1 ,italian trills are tame1 ,the tickled ears no heart-felt raptures raise2 ,nae unison hae they with our ,creator's praise4 ,the priest-like father reads the sacred page1 ,how ,abram was the friend of ,god on high2 ,or ,moses bade eternal warfare wage ,with ,amalek's ungracious progeny2 ,or how the royal bard did groaning lie ,beneath the stroke of ,heaven's avenging ire2 ,or ,job's pathetic plaint1 and wailing cry2 ,or rapt ,isaiah's wild1 seraphic fire2 ,or other holy seers that tune the sacred lyre4 ,perhaps the ,christian volume is the theme1 ,how guiltless blood for guilty man was shed2 ,how ,he1 who bore in ,heaven the second name1 ,had not on earth whereon to lay ,his head3 ,how ,his first followers and servants sped2 ,the precepts sage they wrote to many a land3 ,how he1 who lone in ,patmos banished1 ,saw in the sun a mighty angel stand2 ,and heard great ,babylon's doom pronounced by ,heaven's command4 ,then kneeling down1 to ,heaven's ,eternal ,king1 ,the saint1 the father1 and the husband prays3 ,hope springs exulting on triumphant wing1#bb ,that thus they all shall meet in future days3 ,there ever bask in uncreated rays1 ,no more to sigh1 or shed the bitter tear1 ,together hymning their ,creator's praise1 ,in such society1 yet still more dear2 ,while circling time moves round in an eternal sphere4 ,compared with this1 how poor ,religion's pride1 ,in all the pomp of method and of art1 ,when men display to congregations wide ,devotion's every grace1 except the heart6 ,the ,power1 incensed1 the pageant will desert1 ,the pompous strain1 the sacerdotal stole#bc2 ,but1 haply1 in some cottage far apart1 ,may hear1 well pleased1 the language of the soul2 ,and in ,his book of life the inmates poor enroll4 ,then homeward all take off their several way2 ,the youngling cottagers retire to rest3 ,the parent-pair their secret homage pay1 ,and proffer up to ,heaven the warm request1 ,that ,he1 who stills the raven's clamorous nest1 ,and decks the lily fair in flowery pride1 ,would1 in the way ,his wisdom sees the best1 ,for them and for their little ones provide2 ,but1 chiefly1 in their hearts with grace divine preside4 ,from scenes like these old ,scotia's grandeur springs1 ,that makes her loved at home1 revered abroad3 ,princes and lords are but the breath of kings2 ,an honest man's the noblest work of ,god3#bd ,and certes1 in fair virtue's heavenly road1 ,the cottage leaves the palace far behind2 ,what is a lordling's pomp8--a cumbrous load1 ,disguising oft the wretch of human kind1 ,studied in arts of hell1 in wickedness refined6 ,o ,scotia6 my dear1 my native soil6 ,for whom my warmest wish to ,heaven is sent1 ,long may thy hardy sons of rustic toil ,be blest with health1 and peace1 and sweet content6 ,and1 oh1 may ,heaven their simple lives prevent ,from luxury's contagion1 weak and vile6 ,then1 howe'er crowns and coronets be rent1 ,a virtuous populace may rise the while1 ,and stand a wall of fire around their much-loved isle4 ,o ,thou6 who poured the patriotic tide ,that streamed thro' ,wallace's#be undaunted heart1 ,who dared to nobly stem tyrannic pride1 ,or nobly die1 the second glorious part1 7,the patriot's ,god peculiarly ,thou art1 ,his friend1 inspirer1 guardian1 and reward67 ,o never1 never1 ,scotia's realm desert2 ,but still the patriot1 and the patriot-bard1 ,in bright succession raise1 her ornament and guard6 ,,notes4 ,this poem1 composed in #aghe1 is written partly in the ,scottish dialect1 partly in ,english4 ,the livelier passages are in the poet's vernacular2 the loftier or more solemn parts in the language of books4 ,this distinction was doubtless made because ,burns disliked to treat his higher themes in a merely colloquial manner1 fearing to belittle them by so doing4 ,the household described was probably that of the poet's own father2 it was at least a typical ,scotch peasant's household1 with which no one was more familiar4 ,gilbert ,burns1 in a letter to ,dr4 ,currie1 says3 ,although the ',cotter' in the ,saturday ,night1 is an exact copy of my father in his manners1 his family devotions1 and exhortations1 yet the other parts of the description do not apply to our family4 ,none of us ever went ',at service out amang the neibors roun'4' ,instead of our depositing our 'sair-won penny-fee' with our parents1 my father labored hard1 and lived with the most rigid economy1 that he might be able to keep his children at home4 ,the influence of ,gray and ,goldsmith is very apparent in more than one passage in this poem4 ,robert had frequently remarked to me1 said his brother1 that there was something particularly venerable in the phrase1 ',let us worship ,god1' used by a decent1 sober head of a family introducing family worship4 ,to this sentiment of the author1 the world is indebted for ',the ,cotter's ,saturday ,night4' ,the hint of the plan and title of the poem is taken from ,ferguson's ',farmer's ,ingle4' #a4 ,cotter4 ,one who inhabits a cot1 or cottage1 dependent on a farm4--,jamieson4 #b4 ,r4 ,aiken4 ,a friend with whom ,burns had been brought into contact during the ,old and ,new ,light ,controversy4 #c4 ,see ,gray's ,elegy in a ,country ,churchyard1 eighth stanza4 #d4 lays4 ,songs2 probably from the same root as the ,german lied4 ,the word was originally applied to a form of elegiac ,french poetry1 much imitated by the ,english4 #e4 train4 ,a favorite word with the poets at this time4 ,goldsmith uses it no fewer than six times in the ,deserted ,village4 ,the original meaning is something drawn along2 from ,lat4 traho1 to draw4 #f4 sugh4 ,also spelled sough4 ,whistling sound1 murmur4 ,derived from the same root as sigh1 for which word it is used by ,burns in his lines1 ,on the ,battle of ,sherriffmuir3 ,my heart for fear gae sough for sough ,to hear the thuds1 etc4 #g4 ,compare with ,gray's ,elegy1 line #c3 ,the ploughman homeward plods his weary way4 #h4 ,toil was perhaps pronounced tile1 thus properly rhyming with beguile4 ,johnson1 in ,london1 says3 ,on all thy hours security shall smile1 ,and bless thine evening walk and morning toil4 #i4 bairns4 ,from ,a4-,s4 bearns1 children4 #aj4 ca'4 ,drive1 follow4 ,probably not from the same root as our common word call4 ,kingsley uses it in this sense in the line3 ,go1 ,mary1 go1 and call the cattle home4 #aa4 neibor4 ,neighboring4 ,milton1 in ,comus1 uses the expressions3 ,some neighbor woodman1 some neighbor villager2 and ,shakespeare says3 ,a neighbor thicket 7,love's ,labour ,lost71 and neighbor room 7,hamlet74 #ab4 deposit4 ,pronounced here depo-zit4 #ac4 penny-fee4 ,fee1 wages1 from ,a4-,s4 feoh1 cattle4 ,cattle1 says ,bosworth1 was the first kind of property2 and1 by bartering1 this word came to signify money in general4 ,so1 too1 the word penny is from ,a4-,s4 penig1 ,icelandic peningr1 cattle4 ,the word penny1 as in this country the word dollar1 is used indefinitely for money4 #ad4 ,observe that in quoting the words of the ,cotter the poet partially drops the ,ayrshire dialect and uses a purer ,english4 #ae4 ben4 ,within4 ,the inner part of the house2 from ,o4 ,e4 binnan1 within4 ,its opposite is but1 the outside of the house4 #af4 kye4 ,cattle1 from ,o4-,e4 cu1 or kie4 ,kine is derived from the same root1 and probably cow4 #ag4 hawkie4 ,this word1 says ,hales1 denotes1 properly1 a cow with a white face4 ,so1 in ,northumberland1 bawsand was used of an animal with a white spot on its forehead1 and crummie of a cow with crooked horns4 #ah4 sin' lint was i' the bell4 ,since flax was in bloom4 ,that is1 the cheese was a year old last flax-blossoming time4 #ai4 ha'-,bible4 ,the hall ,bible--the ,bible kept in the best room4 #bj4 bonnet4 ,this word in ,scotch denotes a man's head-covering4 ,in early ,english it was used in the same sense4 #ba4 beets4 ,feeds1--that is1 gives fuel to the flame4 ,it warms me1 it charms me1 ,to mention but her name2 ,it heats me1 it beets me1 ,and sets me a' on flame4 --,burns's ,epistle to ,davie1 a brother poet4 ,the word is probably from ,a4-,s4 betan1 to better1 to mend2 from which1 also1 we have the words beat1 to excel1 better1 best1 etc4 #bb4 ,burns refers the reader to ,pope's ,windsor ,forest for this quotation4 ,he probably had in mind the line in the ,essay on ,man3 ,hope springs eternal in the human breast4 #bc4 sacerdotal stole4 ,a long1 narrow scarf with fringed ends1 and richly embroidered1 worn by the clergy upon special occasions4 ,sacerdotal1 from ,lat4 sacerdos1 a priest4 ,stole1 from ,lat4 stola1 a long dress worn by ,roman women over their tunic and fastened with a girdle4 #bd4 ,pope's ,essay on ,man1 ,epistle iv1 line #bdg4 #be4 ,william ,wallace 7#abgj-acje71 the ,scotch national hero was1 like ,burns1 a native of ,ayrshire4 ,,vocabulary4 aft1 often4 amaist1 almost4 amang1 among4 ance1 once4 auld1 old4 belyve1 by and by4 blate1 bashful4 blinkin1 gleaming4 blythe1 happy4 braw1 brave1 fine4 cannie1 easy4 carking1 fretting4 certes1 certain4 chows1 chews4 claes1 clothes4 convoy1 accompany4 cracks1 talks4 craws1 crows4 drapping1 dropping4 eydent1 diligent4 fell1 tasty4 flichterin1 fluttering4 frae1 from4 gang1 go4 gars1 makes4 guid1 good4 hae1 have4 haffets1 temples4 hafflins1 half4 halesome1 wholesome4 hallan1 partition wall4 hameward1 homeward4 ingle1 fire4 jauk1 trifle4 kebbuck1 cheese4 kens1 understands4 lathefu'1 shy4 lave1 the rest4 lyart1 gray4 miry1 muddy1 dusty4 moil1 labor4 nae1 no4 parritch1 porridge4 pleugh1 plough4 rin1 run4 sair-won1 hard-earned4 sowpe1 milk4 spiers1 inquires4 stacher1 stagger4 strappin'1 strapping1 stout4 tentie1 attentively4 towmond1 twelvemonth4 uncos1 unknown things1 new4 wales1 chooses4 wee bit1 little4 weel1 well4 wee things1 little folks4 weel-hained1 well-kept4 wiles1 knowledge4 wily1 knowing4 youngling1 youthful4 younkers1 youngsters1 children4 'yont1 on the other side of4 ,,to ,a ,,mountain ,,daisy4 ,,on ,,turning ,,one ,,down ,,with ,,the ,,plough1 ,,in ,,april1 #aghf4 ,wee1 modest1 crimson-tippd flow'r1 ,thou's met me in an evil hour2 ,for ,i maun crush amang the stoure ,thy slender stem4 ,to spare thee now is past my power1 ,thou bonnie gem4 ,alas6 it's no thy neibor sweet1 ,the bonnie lark1 companion meet6 ,bending thee 'mang the dewy weet ,wi' spreckled breast1 ,when upward springing1 blythe to greet ,the purpling east4 ,cauld blew the bitter-biting north ,upon thy early humble birth2 ,yet cheerfully thou glinted forth ,amid the storm1 ,scarce reared above the parent earth ,thy tender form4 ,the flaunting flowers our gardens yield1 ,high sheltering woods an' wa's maun shield2 ,but thou1 beneath the random bield ,o' clod or stane1 ,adorns the histie stibble-field1 ,unseen1 alane4 ,there1 in thy scanty mantle clad1 ,thy snawie bosom sunward spread1 ,thou lifts thy unassuming head ,in humble guise3 ,but now the share uptears thy bed1 ,and low thou lies6 ,such is the fate of artless maid1 ,sweet flow'ret of the rural shade6 ,by love's simplicity betrayed1 ,and guileless trust1 ,till she1 like thee1 all soiled1 is laid ,low i' the dust4 ,such is the fate of simple bard1 ,on life's rough ocean luckless starred6 ,unskilful he to note the card ,of prudent lore1 ,till billows rage1 and gales blow hard1 ,and whelm him o'er6 ,such fate to suffering worth is given1 ,who long with wants and woes has striven1 ,by human pride or cunning driven ,to misery's brink1 ,till1 wrenched of every stay but ,heaven1 ,he1 ruined1 sink6 ,even thou who mourn'st the ,daisy's fate1 ,that fate is thine--no distant date2 ,stern ,ruin's ploughshare drives1 elate1 ,full on thy bloom1 ,till crushed beneath the furrow's weight1 ,shall be thy doom4 ,,vocabulary4 bield1 protection4 blythe1 happy4 bonnie1 pretty4 card1 compass4 glinted1 passed quickly4 histie1 barren4 maun1 must4 spreckled1 speckled4 stibble1 stubble4 stoure1 dust4 weet1 wetness4 wrenched1 deprived4 ,,for ,a' ,,that1 ,,and ,a' ,,that4 ,is there1 for honest poverty1 ,that hangs his head1 and a' that8#a ,the coward slave1 we pass him by1 ,we dare be poor for a' that6 ,for a' that1 and a' that1 ,our toils obscure1 and a' that2 ,the rank is but the guinea's stamp1#b ,the man's the gowd#c for a' that6 ,what though on hamely fare we dine1 ,wear hoddin gray1 and a' that2 ,gie fools their silks1 and knaves their wine1 ,a man's a man for a' that6 ,for a' that1 and a' that1 ,their tinsel show1 and a' that2 ,the honest man1 though e'er sae poor1 ,is king o' men for a' that6 ,ye see yon birkie1#d ca'd a lord1 ,wha struts1 and stares1 and a' that2 ,though hundreds worship at his word1 ,he's but a coof#e for a' that2 ,for a' that1 and a' that1 ,his riband1 star1 and a' that2 ,the man of independent mind1 ,he looks and laughs at a' that4 ,a prince can mak a belted knight1 ,a marquis1 duke1 and a' that2 ,but an honest man's aboon#f his might1 ,guid faith1 he maunna fa'#g that6 ,for a' that1 and a' that1 ,their dignities1 and a' that2 ,the pith o' sense1 and pride o' worth1 ,are higher ranks than a' that6 ,then let us pray that come it may-- ,as come it will for a' that-- ,that sense and worth1 o'er a' the earth1 ,may bear the gree1#h and a' that4 ,for a' that1 and a' that1 ,it's coming yet1 for a' that1 ,that man to man1 the warld o'er1 ,shall brothers be for a' that6 ,,notes4 #a4 ,is there anything in honest poverty to cause one to hang his head1 etc48 #b4 ,explain lines #g and #h fully4 #c4 gowd1 gold4 #d4 birkie1 fellow4 #e4 coof1 fool4 #f4 aboon his might1 above his power4 #g4 maunna fa'1 may not get4 #h4 gree1 palm1 supremacy4 ,burns was not only the poet of love1 but also of the new excitement about man4 ,himself poor1 he sang the poor4 ,neither poverty nor low birth made a man the worse--the man was 'a man for a' that4'--,stopford ,brooke4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,robert ,,burns was born in ,ayrshire1 ,scotland1 in #agei4 ,his childhood and youth were spent in poverty on his father's farm1 where he learned to plough1 reap1 mow1 and thresh in the barn1 but where opportunities for education were such only as ,scottish peasants know4 ,in #aghd his father died1 and he attempted to manage a farm of his own at ,mossgiel4 ,the experiment proving to be a failure1 he resolved to leave ,scotland1 and secured an appointment to a clerkship in ,jamaica4 ,just before the time set for his departure1 he learned of the success of a volume of his poems which had just been published at ,kilmarnock2 and1 instead of departing for the ,west ,indies1 he made a visit to ,edinburgh4 ,he was welcomed by the best society1 and received at once into the literary circles of the ,scottish capital4 ,his name and fame flashed like sunshine over the land3 the shepherd on the hill1 the maiden at her wheel1 learned his songs by heart1 and the first scholars of ,scotland courted his acquaintance4 ,a second edition of his poems was published in #aghg1 and with the proceeds--about #bejj--;he took a farm at ,ellisland1 in ,nithsdale4 ,but his habits were such that he made sad failure a second time in the experiment of farming2 and1 after two years of mismanagement1 to eke out his scanty income he accepted an appointment as exciseman4 ,in #agia1 unfortunately both for his health and for his reputation1 he removed to ,dumfries1 where1 five years later1 he died4 ,while the ,shakespeares and ,miltons roll on like mighty rivers through the country of ,thought1 bearing fleets of traffickers and assiduous pearl-fishers on their waves1 this little ,valclusa ,fountain will also arrest our eye2 for this also is of ,nature's own and most cunning workmanship1 bursts from the depths of the earth1 with a full gushing current1 into the light of day2 and often will the traveller turn aside to drink of its clear waters1 and muse among its rocks and pines4--,carlyle4 ,burns is not the poet's poet1 which ,shelley no doubt meant to be1 or the philosopher's poet1 which ,wordsworth1 in spite of himself1 is4 ,he is the poet of homely human nature1 not half so homely or prosaic as it seems4 ,his genius1 in a manner all its own1 associates itself with the fortunes1 experiences1 memorable moments1 of human beings whose humanity is their sole patrimony2 to whom 'liberty and whatever1 like liberty1 has the power ,to raise a man above the brute1 ,and mak him ken himsel1' is their portion in life2 for whom the great epochs and never-to-be-forgotten phases of existence are those which are occasioned by emotions inseparable from the consciousness of existence4 ,for the great majority of his readers1 and therefore for the mass of human beings1 the sympathy which exists between him and them is sympathy relative to their strongest and deepest feelings1 and this is sympathy out of which personal affection naturally springs1 and in the strength of which it cannot but grow strong4--,john ,service4 ,burns was not like ,shakespeare in the range of his genius1 but there is something of the same magnanimity1 directness1 and unaffected character about him4 ,with but little of ,shakespeare's imagination or inventive power1 he had the same life of mind2 within the narrow circle of personal feeling or domestic incidents1 the pulse of his poetry flows as healthily and vigorously4 ,he had an eye to see1 a heart to feel1--no more4 ,his pictures of good fellowship1 of social life1 of quaint humor1 are equal to anything2 they come up to nature1 and they cannot go beyond it4--,hazlitt4 ,his is that language of the heart ,in which the answering heart would speak1 ,thought1 word1 that bids the warm tear start1 ,or the smile light the cheek4 ,and his that music to whose tone ,the common pulse of man keeps time1 ,in cot or castle's mirth or moan1 ,in cold or sunny clime4 --,fitz-,greene ,halleck4 ,other ,poems to be ,read3 ,bannockburn2 ,auld ,lang ,syne2 ,tam ,o' ,shanter2 ,to a ,mouse2 ,the ,jolly ,beggars2 ,ye ,banks and ,braes of ,bonnie ,doon2 ,highland ,mary2 ,address to the ,deil2 ,to ,mary in ,heaven4 ,,references3 ,carlyle's ,essay on ,robert ,burns2 ,burns 7,english ,men of ,letters71 by ,j4 ,c4 ,shairp2 ,hazlitt's ,english ,poets4 ,william ,cowper4 ,,boadicea4 ,when the ,british warrior queen1 ,bleeding from the ,roman rods1 ,sought1 with an indignant mien1 ,counsel from her country's gods1 ,sage beneath the spreading oak ,sat the ,druid1 hoary chief2 ,every burning word he spoke ,full of rage1 and full of grief4 ,princess6 if our aged eyes ,weep upon thy matchless wrongs1 ',tis because resentment ties ,all the terrors of our tongues4 ,rome shall perish--write that word ,in the blood that she has spilt2 ,perish1 hopeless and abhorr'd1 ,deep in ruin as in guilt4 ,rome1 for empire far renown'd1 ,tramples on a thousand states2 ,soon her pride shall kiss the ground1-- ,hark1 the ,gaul is at her gates6 ,other ,romans shall arise1 ,heedless of a soldier's name2 ,sounds1 not arms1#a shall win the prize2 ,harmony the path to fame4 ,then the progeny that springs ,from the forests of our land1 ,arm'd with thunder1 clad with wings1#b ,shall a wider world command4 ,regions ,csar never knew ,thy posterity shall sway2 ,where his eagles never flew ,none invincible as they4#c ,such the bard's prophetic words1 ,pregnant with celestial fire1 ,bending as he swept the chords ,of his sweet but awful lyre4 ,she1 with all the monarch's pride1 ,felt them in her bosom glow1 ,rush'd to battle1 fought and died2 ,dying1 hurled them#d at the foe4 ,ruffians1 pitiless as proud1 ,heaven awards the vengeance due2 ,empire is on us bestowed1 ,shame and ruin wait for you4#e ,,notes4 ,boadicea was queen of the ,iceni1 a powerful and warlike tribe of ,britons1 about the middle of the first century4 ,upon the death of her husband1 ,prasutagus1 her kingdom was seized by the ,romans1 and she herself1 for some real or imaginary offence1 was publicly scourged4 ,during the absence of the ,roman governor from that part of ,england1 ,boadicea raised an immense army1 burned the city of ,london1 and put #gj1jjj ,romans to the sword4 ,she afterwards1 with #bcj1jjj troops1 met the ,roman army1 under ,suetonius1 in the field1 and although the ,romans could muster only #aj1jjj soldiers1 the ,british army was defeated1 and the queen1 in despair1 ended her own life by taking poison4 ,in this poem1 ,cowper represents the queen as1 soon after her shameful treatment by the ,romans1 seeking counsel from one of the native priests4 ,the ,druid prophesies the destruction of ,rome and the future greatness of ,britain4 #a4 ,sounds1 not arms4 ,does the poet allude to the cultivation of oratory and poetry among the ,romans and the neglect of military affairs8 #b4 ,arm'd with thunder1 clad with wings4 ,what do these expressions mean8 ,to what do they refer8 #c4 ,explain the prophecy included in this stanza4 #d4 hurled them4 ,hurled what8 #e4 ,this stanza1 evidently a part of the imprecation which ,boadicea hurled at her enemies1 ought to be enclosed with quotation marks1 but in most versions of the poem it appears without them4 ,,on ,,the ,,receipt ,,of ,,my ,,mother',s ,,picture4 ,oh1 that those lips had language6 ,life has passed ,with me but roughly since ,i heard thee last4 ,those lips are thine--thy own sweet smile ,i see1 ,the same that oft in childhood solaced me2 ,voice only fails1 else how distinct they say1 ,grieve not1 my child1 chase all thy fears away6 ,the meek intelligence of those dear eyes 7,blessed be the art that can immortalize1 ,the art that baffles ,time's tyrannic claim ,to quench it7 here shines on me still the same4 ,faithful remembrancer of one so dear1 ,o welcome guest1 though unexpected here6 ,who bidst me honor with an artless song1 ,affectionate1 a mother lost so long1 ,i will obey1 not willingly alone1 ,but gladly1 as the precept were her own3 ,and1 while that face renews my filial grief1 ,fancy shall weave a charm for my relief1 ,shall steep#a me in ,elysian reverie1#b ,a momentary dream that thou art she4 ,my mother6 when ,i learnt#c that thou wast dead1 ,say1 wast thou conscious of the tears ,i shed8 ,hovered thy spirit o'er thy sorrowing son1 ,wretch even then1 life's journey just begun8 ,perhaps thou gavest me1 though unfelt1 a kiss2 ,perhaps a tear1 if souls can weep in bliss4 ,ah6 that maternal smile6 ,it answers--,yes4 ,i heard the bell tolled on thy burial day1 ,i saw the hearse that bore thee slow away1 ,and1 turning from my nursery window1 drew ,a long1 long sigh1 and wept a last adieu6 ,but was it such8--,it was4--,where thou art gone ,adieus and farewells are a sound unknown4 ,may ,i but meet thee on that peaceful shore1 ,the parting word shall pass my lips no more6 ,the maidens1 grieved themselves at my concern1#d ,oft gave me promise of thy quick return4 ,what ardently ,i wished ,i long believed1 ,and1 disappointed still1 was still deceived4 ,by expectation every day beguiled1 ,dupe of to-morrow even from a child4 ,thus many a sad to-morrow came and went1 ,till1 all my stock of infant sorrow spent1 ,i learned at last submission to my lot2 ,but1 though ,i less deplored thee1 ne'er forgot4 ,where once we dwelt our name is heard no more1 ,children not thine have trod my nursery floor2 ,and where the gardener ,robin1 day by day1 ,drew me to school along the public way1 ,delighted with my bauble coach1 and wrapped ,in scarlet mantle warm1 and velvet capped1 ',tis now become a history little known1 ,that once we called the pastoral house our own4 ,short-lived possession6 but the record fair ,that memory keeps1 of all thy kindness there1 ,still outlives many a storm that has effaced ,a thousand other themes less deeply traced4#e ,thy nightly visits to my chamber made1 ,that thou mightst know me safe and warmly laid2 ,thy morning bounties ere ,i left my home1 ,the biscuit1 or confectionary plum2#f ,the fragrant waters on my cheek bestowed ,by thy own hand1 till fresh they shone and glowed2 ,all this1 and more endearing still than all1 ,thy constant flow of love1 that knew no fall1 ,ne'er roughened by those cataracts and brakes ,that humor interposed too often makes2#g ,all this still legible in memory's page1 ,and still to be so to my latest age1 ,adds joy to duty1 makes me glad to pay ,such honors to thee as my numbers may2 ,perhaps a frail memorial1 but sincere1 ,not scorned in heaven1 though little noticed here4 ,could ,time1 his flight reversed1 restore the hours1 ,when1 playing with thy vesture's tissued flowers1 ,the violet1 the pink1 and jessamine1 ,i pricked them into paper with a pin 7,and thou wast happier than myself the while1 ,wouldst softly speak1 and stroke my head and smile71 ,could those few pleasant days again appear1 ,might one wish bring them1 would ,i wish them here8 ,i would not trust my heart--the dear delight ,seems so to be desired1 perhaps ,i might4-- ,but no--what here we call our life is such ,so little to be loved1 and thou so much1 ,that ,i should ill requite thee to constrain ,thy unbound spirit into bonds again4 ,thou1 as a gallant bark#h from ,albion's coast 7,the storms all weathered and the ocean crossed7 ,shoots into port at some well-havened isle1 ,where spices breathe1 and brighter seasons smile1 ,there sits quiescent on the floods that show ,her beauteous form reflected clear below1 ,while airs impregnated with incense play ,around her1 fanning light her streamers gay2 ,so thou1 with sails how swift6 hast reached the shore1 ,where tempests never beat nor billows roar4#i ,and thy loved consort on the dangerous tide ,of life long since has anchored by thy side4 ,but me1 scarce hoping to attain that rest1 ,always from port withheld1 always distressed-- ,me howling blasts drive devious1 tempest tost1 ,sails ripped1 seams opening wide1 and compass lost1 ,and day by day some current's thwarting force1 ,sets me more distant from a prosperous course4 ,yet1 oh1 the thought that thou art safe1 and he6 ,that thought is joy1 arrive what may to me4 ,my boast is not1 that ,i deduce my birth ,from loins enthroned and rulers of the earth2 ,but higher far my proud pretensions rise-- ,the son of parents passed into the skies6 ,and now1 farewell--,time unrevoked has run ,his wonted course1 yet what ,i wished is done4 ,by contemplation's help1 not sought in vain1 ,i seem to have lived my childhood o'er again2 ,to have renewed the joys that once were mine1 ,without the sin of violating thine3 ,and1 while the wings of ,fancy still are free1 ,and ,i can view this mimic show of thee1#aj ,time has but half succeeded in his theft-- ,thyself removed1 thy power to soothe me left4 ,,notes4 ,this1 one of the most exquisite poems in the language1 was written by ,cowper in the last glimmering of the evening light1 before his mind was wholly overwhelmed by the final attack of insanity4 ,every line is instinct with a profound and chastened feeling1 to which it would be difficult to find a parallel4 ,there is not a phrase1 not a word1 which jars upon the most susceptible ear1 not a tinge of exaggeration1 not a touch that is excessive4 ,the fact that he who gave forth these supreme utterances of filial love was old himself when he did it1 brings into the relationship a strange1 tender equality which is marvellously touching4 #a4 steep4 ,imbue4 ,from ,ger4 stippen4 ,from the same root as dip1 with the letter s prefixed4 #b4 ,elysian reverie4 ,heavenly meditation4 ,see note on ,elysium1 page #gi4 #c4 when ,i learnt4 ,cowper was only six years old when his mother died4 #d4 concern4 ,distress1 anxiety4 #e4 ,nearly fifty years after his mother's death1 ,cowper wrote3 ,i can truly say that not a week passes 7perhaps ,i might with equal veracity say a day7 in which ,i do not think of her2 such was the impression her tenderness made upon me1 though the opportunity she had for showing it was so short4 #f4 plum4 ,perhaps the gravest fault in this poem is the frequent intermixture1 as in these two lines1 of trivial thoughts and circumstances with those of a more noble character4 #g4 ,explain the metaphor which the poet attempts to carry through these three lines4 ,brakes breaks1 interruptions4 ,what is the meaning of humor8 #h4 as a gallant bark4 ,observe the beauty of the simile in these twelve lines1 also of the simile which follows4 #i4 ,probably misquoted from ,the ,dispensary1 by ,samuel ,garth 7#afgj-agai73 ,to die is landing on some silent shore1 ,where billows never break nor tempests roar4 #aj4 this mimic show4 ,explain the meaning of this expression4 ,,epitaph ,,on ,a ,,hare4 ,here lies1 whom hound did ne'er pursue1 ,nor swifter greyhound follow1 ,whose foot ne'er tainted morning dew1 ,nor ear heard huntsman's halloo2 ,old ,tiney1 surliest of his kind1 ,who1 nursed with tender care1 ,and to domestic bounds confined1 ,was still a wild ,jack hare4 ,though duly from my hand he took ,his pittance every night1 ,he did it with a jealous look1 ,and1 when he could1 would bite4 ,his diet was of wheaten bread1 ,and milk1 and oats1 and straw2 ,thistles1 or lettuces instead1 ,with sand to scour his maw4 ,on twigs of hawthorn he regaled1 ,on pippins' russet peel1 ,and1 when his juicy salads failed1 ,sliced carrot pleased him well4 ,a ,turkey carpet was his lawn1 ,whereon he loved to bound1 ,to skip and gambol like a fawn1 ,and swing his rump around4 ,his frisking was at evening hours1 ,for then he lost his fear1 ,but most before approaching showers1 ,or when a storm drew near4 ,eight years and five round-rolling moons ,he thus saw steal away1 ,dozing out all his idle noons1 ,and every night at play4 ,i kept him for his humor's sake1 ,for he would oft beguile ,my heart of thoughts that made it ache1 ,and force me to a smile4 ,but now beneath this walnut shade ,he finds his long last home1 ,and waits1 in snug concealment laid1 ,till gentler ,puss shall come4 ,he1 still more agd1 feels the shocks ,from which no care can save1 ,and1 partner once of ,tiney's box1 ,must soon partake his grave4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,william ,,cowper was born at ,great ,berkhamstead1 ,november #bf1 #agca4 ,his father was the rector of the parish1 and his mother was ,ann ,donne of the family of the famous ,john ,donne4 ,cowper was educated at a private school and afterwards at ,westminster4 ,it was intended that he should follow the profession of law1 and1 after the completion of his studies at ,westminster1 he entered the ,middle ,temple and was articled to a solicitor4 ,at the age of twenty-two1 through the influence of his uncle1 ,major ,cowper1 he was appointed to two clerkships in the ,house of ,lords4 ,the excitement brought on by this occurrence1 together with an unhappy love affair1 induced an attack of insanity1 from which he suffered for more than a year4 ,in #aggc he suffered from a second attack of insanity1 which continued for sixteen months4 ,it was not until #aghj1 when in his fiftieth year1 that he began really to write poetry4 ,his first volume was published in #aghb1 and comprised1 besides several shorter pieces1 the three poems1 ,conversation1 ,retirement1 and ,table ,talk4 ,his second volume appeared in #aghe1 and contained ,the ,task1 ,tirocinium1 and the ballad of ,john ,gilpin1 which had already become famous through the recitations of one ,henderson1 an actor4 ,cowper's translation of ,homer was completed and published in #agia4 ,from that time until his death in #ahjj he suffered from hopeless dejection1 regarding himself as an object of divine wrath1 a condemned and forsaken outcast4 ,cowper was not a great poet2 but he was the first to abandon the mechanical versification and conventional phrases of the artificial poets1 to find inspiration and guidance in nature4 ,it may be said that he lacked creative power2 but he possessed a quickness of thought1 a depth of feeling1 and a certain manliness and sincerity1 which lifted him above the level of the ordinary versifiers of his time4 ,other ,poems to be ,read3 ,the ,castaway2 ,john ,gilpin2 ,the ,task2 ,the ,loss of the ,royal ,george4 ,,references3 ,southey's ,life of ,william ,cowper2 ,cowper 7,english ,men of ,letters71 by ,goldwin ,smith2 ,hazlitt's ,english ,poets2 ,macaulay's ,essay on ,moore's ,life of ,byron2 ,life of ,cowper1 in the ,globe ,edition of his works4 ,oliver ,goldsmith4 ,,three ,,pictures ,,from ,,the ,,deserted ,,village4 ,sweet was the sound1 when oft at evening's close ,up yonder hill the village murmur rose4 ,there as ,i pass'd1 with careless steps and slow1 ,the mingling notes came soften'd from below3 ,the swain responsive as the milkmaid sung1 ,the sober herd that low'd to meet their young1 ,the noisy geese that gabbled o'er the pool1 ,the playful children just let loose from school1 ,the watch-dog's voice that bay'd the whispering wind1 ,and the loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind-- ,these all in sweet confusion sought the shade1 ,and fill'd each pause the nightingale had made4 ,but now the sounds of population fail1 ,no cheerful murmurs fluctuate in the gale1 ,no busy steps the grass-grown footway tread1 ,for all the bloomy flush of life is fled-- ,all but yon widow'd1 solitary thing1 ,that feebly bends beside the plashy spring2 ,she1 wretched matron--forc'd in age1 for bread1 ,to strip the brook with mantling cresses spread1 ,to pick her wintry faggot from the thorn1 ,to seek her nightly shed1 and weep till morn-- ,she only left of all the harmless train1 ,the sad historian of the pensive plain6 ,near yonder copse1 where once the garden smiled1 ,and still where many a garden-flower grows wild2 ,there1 where a few torn shrubs the place disclose1 ,the village preacher's#a modest mansion rose4 ,a man he was to all the country dear1 ,and passing#b rich with forty pounds#c a year2 ,remote from towns he ran his godly race1 ,nor e'er had changed1 nor wished to change1 his place2 ,unpractised he to fawn1 or seek for power1 ,by doctrines fashioned to the varying hour2 ,far other aims his heart had learned to prize1 ,more skilled to raise the wretched than to rise4 ,his house was known to all the vagrant train2 ,he chid their wanderings1 but relieved their pain3 ,the long-remembered beggar was his guest1 ,whose beard descending swept his aged breast2 ,the ruined spendthrift1 now no longer proud1 ,claimed kindred there1 and had his claims allowed2 ,the broken soldier1#d kindly bade to stay1 ,sat by his fire1 and talked the night away1 ,wept o'er his wounds or1 tales of sorrow done1 ,shouldered his crutch and showed how fields were won4 ,pleased with his guests1 the good man learned to glow1 ,and quite forgot their vices in their woe2 ,careless their merits or their faults to scan1 ,his pity gave ere charity began4 ,thus to relieve the wretched was his pride1 ,and e'en his failings leaned to virtue's side2 ,but in his duty prompt at every call1 ,he watched and wept1 he prayed and felt for all2 ,and1 as a bird each fond endearment tries ,to tempt its new-fledged offspring to the skies1 ,he tried each art1 reproved each dull delay1 ,allured to brighter worlds1 and led the way4 ,beside the bed where parting life was laid1 ,and sorrow1 guilt1 and pain by turns dismayed1 ,the reverend champion stood4 ,at his control ,despair and anguish fled the struggling soul2 ,comfort came down the trembling wretch to raise1 ,and his last faltering accents whispered praise4 ,at church1 with meek and unaffected grace1 ,his looks adorned the venerable place3 ,truth from his lips prevailed with double sway1 ,and fools who came to scoff remained to pray4 ,the service past1 around the pious man1 ,with steady zeal1 each honest rustic ran2 ,even children followed with endearing wile1 ,and plucked his gown to share the good man's smile4 ,his ready smile a parent's warmth expressed2 ,their welfare pleased him1 and their cares distressed2 ,to them his heart1 his love1 his griefs were given1 ,but all his serious thoughts had rest in heaven4 ,as some tall cliff that lifts its awful form1 ,swells from the vale1 and midway leaves the storm1 ,though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread1 ,eternal sunshine settles on its head4#e ,beside yon straggling fence that skirts the way1 ,with blossomed furze unprofitably gay1 ,there in his noisy mansion1#f skilled to rule1 ,the village master taught his little school4 ,a man severe he was1 and stern to view2 ,i knew him well1 and every truant knew2 ,well had the boding#g tremblers learned to trace ,the day's disasters in his morning face2 ,full well they laughed with counterfeited glee ,at all his jokes1 for many a joke had he2 ,full well the busy whisper circling round ,conveyed the dismal tidings when he frowned4 ,yet he was kind1 or1 if severe in aught1 ,the love he bore to learning was in fault2 ,the village#h all declared how much he knew2 ',twas certain he could write1 and cipher too2 ,lands he could measure1 terms and tides#i presage1 ,and e'en the story ran that he could gauge3#aj ,in arguing1 too1 the parson owned his skill2 ,for e'en though vanquished1 he could argue still2 ,while words of learned length and thundering sound ,amazed the gazing rustics ranged around2 ,and still they gazed1 and still the wonder grew ,that one small head could carry all he knew4 ,but past is all his fame4 ,the very spot ,where many a time he triumphed is forgot4 ,,notes4 #a4 ,the village preacher4--,this picture of the village pastor1 says ,irving1 which was taken in part from the character of his father1 embodied likewise the recollections of his brother ,henry2 for the natures of the father and son seem to have been identical4 4 4 4 ,to us the whole character seems traced as it were in an expiatory spirit2 as if1 conscious of his own wandering restlessness1 he sought to humble himself at the shrine of excellence which he had not been able to practise4 #b4 passing rich4 ,exceedingly rich4 ,the word is a common one among the poets4 ,is she not passing fair8 7,shakespeare1 ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona1 ,act iv1 sc4 #d72 ,how passing sweet is solitude 7,cowper1 ,retirement74 #c4 forty pounds4 ,in his dedication of ,the ,traveller1 ,goldsmith refers to his brother ,henry as a man who1 despising fame and fortune1 has retired early to happiness and obscurity1 with an income of forty pounds a year4 #d4 broken soldier4 ,see ,the ,soldier's ,dream1 ,campbell4 ,and fain was their war-broken soldier to stay6 #e4 ,the simile included in these four lines1 says ,lord ,lytton1 is translated almost literally from a poem by the ,abb de ,chaulieu1 who died in #agbj4 ,every one must own1 adds he1 that1 in copying1 ,goldsmith wonderfully improved the original4 #f4 ,the village master4--,the portrait here drawn of the village schoolmaster is from ,goldsmith's own teacher1 ,thomas ,byrne1 with whom he was placed when six years old4 ,byrne had been educated for a pedagogue1 says ,irving1 but had enlisted in the army1 served abroad during the wars of ,queen ,anne's time1 and risen to the rank of quartermaster of a regiment in ,spain4 ,at the return of peace1 having no longer exercise for the sword1 he resumed the ferule1 and drilled the urchin populace of ,lissoy4 ,there are certain whimsical traits in the character of ,byrne1 not given in the foregoing sketch4 ,he was fond of talking of his vagabond wanderings in foreign lands1 and had brought with him from the wars a world of campaigning stories of which he was generally the hero1 and which he would deal forth to his wondering scholars when he ought to have been teaching them their lessons4 ,these travellers' tales had a powerful effect upon the vivid imagination of ,goldsmith1 and awakened an unconquerable passion for wandering and seeking adventure4 ,byrne was1 moreover1 of a romantic vein1 and exceedingly superstitious4 ,he was deeply versed in the fairy superstitions which abound in ,ireland1 all which he professed implicitly to believe4 ,under his tuition ,goldsmith soon became almost as great a proficient in fairy lore4 noisy mansion4 ,the old-time school-room was a noisy place1 the pupils studying their lessons aloud1 and but little care being taken to secure quietness at any time4 #g4 boding4 ,foreboding2 seeing that which is about to happen4 ,from ,a4-,s4 bodian1 to announce1 to foretell4 #h4 village4 ,villagers4 #i4 terms and tides4 ,times and seasons4 presage4 ,foreknow4 ,from ,lat4 pre1 before1 and sagio1 to perceive4 #aj4 gauge4 ,measure liquids4 ,the humor in this and in some other expressions in these verses is too apparent to require comment4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,oliver ,,goldsmith was born at ,pallas1 county of ,longford1 ,ireland1 on the #ajth of ,november1 #agbh4 ,he was educated at ,trinity ,college1 ,dublin1 and afterwards studied medicine at ,edinburgh and at ,leyden4 ,after travelling on foot through portions of ,western ,europe1 he made his way to ,london1 where he was in turn assistant to a chemist1 usher in a school at ,peckham1 and literary hack for one of the leading monthly publications4 ,he afterwards contributed many articles1 both in prose and poetry1 to the leading periodicals of the time4 ,he wrote ,the ,traveller in #agfd1 and ,the ,deserted ,village and ,the ,vicar of ,wakefield in #aggj4 ,he died in his chambers in ,brick ,court1 ,london1 ,april #d1 #aggd4 ,for a full account of his life1 read ,macaulay's ,essay on ,oliver ,goldsmith4 ,the naturalness and ease of ,goldsmith's poetry1 says ,edward ,dowden1 are those of an accomplished craftsman4 ,his verse1 which flows towards the close of the period with such a gentle yet steady advance1 is not less elaborated than that of ,pope2 and ,goldsmith conceived his verse more in paragraphs than in couplets4 ,his artless words were1 each one1 delicately chosen2 his simple constructions were studiously sought4 ,and ,sir ,walter ,scott said of him3 ,it would be difficult to point out one among the ,english poets less likely to be excelled in his own style4 ,possessing much of ,pope's versification without the monotonous structure of his lines2 rising sometimes to the swell and fulness of ,dryden1 without his inflections2 delicate and masterly in his descriptions2 graceful in one of the greatest graces of poetry1 its transitions2 alike successful in his sportive or grave1 his playful or melancholy mood2 he may long bid defiance to the numerous competitors whom the friendship or flattery of the present age is so hastily arraying against him4 ,other ,poems to be ,read3 ,the ,traveller2 the rest of ,the ,deserted ,village2 ,retaliation4 ,,references3 ,irving's ,life of ,goldsmith2 ,forster's ,life and ,times of ,oliver ,goldsmith2 ,macaulay's ,essay on ,goldsmith2 ,thackeray's ,english ,humorists of the ,eighteenth ,century2 ,de ,quincey's ,eighteenth ,century2 ,hazlitt's ,english ,poets2 ,goldsmith 7,english ,men of ,letters71 by ,william ,black4 ,thomas ,gray4 ,,the ,,bard4 ,i4 #a4 ,ruin seize thee1 ruthless ,king6 ,confusion on thy banners wait2 ,tho' fanned by ,conquest's crimson wing1#a ,they mock the air with idle state4#b ,helm1 nor hauberk's#c twisted mail1 ,nor e'en thy virtues1 ,tyrant1 shall avail ,to save thy secret soul from nightly fears1 ,from ,cambria's#d curse1 from ,cambria's tears6 ,such were the sounds that o'er the crested pride ,of the first ,edward scattered wild dismay1 ,as down the steep of ,snowdon's#e shaggy side ,he wound with toilsome march his long array4 ,stout ,gloster#f stood aghast in speechless trance3 ,to arms6 cried ,mortimer1#g and couched his quivering lance4 ,i4 #b4 ,on a rock#h whose haughty brow ,frowns o'er cold ,conway's foaming flood1 ,robed in the sable garb of woe1 ,with haggard eyes the poet stood1 7,loose his beard1 and hoary hair ,streamed1 like a meteor1 to the troubled air#i7 ,and with a master's hand1 and prophet's fire1 ,struck the deep sorrows of his lyre4#aj ,hark1 how each giant-oak1 and desert cave1 ,sighs to the torrent's awful voice beneath6 ,o'er thee1 oh ,king6 their hundred arms they wave1 ,revenge on thee in hoarser murmurs breathe2 ,vocal no more1 since ,cambria's fatal day1 ,to high-born ,hoel's#aa harp1 or soft ,llewellyn's lay4 ,i4 #c4 ,cold is ,cadwallo's tongue1 ,that hushed the stormy main3#ab ,brave ,urien sleeps upon his craggy bed3 ,mountains1 ye mourn in vain ,modred1 whose magic song ,made huge ,plinlimmon#ac bow his cloud-topt head4 ,on dreary ,arvon's shore#ad they lie1 ,smeared with gore1 and ghastly pale3 ,far1 far aloof th' affrighted ravens sail2 ,the famished eagle#ae screams1 and passes by4 ,dear lost companions of my tuneful art1 ,dear as the light that visits these sad eyes1 ,dear as the ruddy drops that warm my heart1#af ,ye died amidst your dying country's cries-- ,no more ,i weep4 ,they do not sleep4 ,on yonder cliffs1 a griesly band1 ,i see them sit1#ag they linger yet1 ,avengers of their native land3 ,with me in dreadful harmony they join1 ,and weave with bloody hands the tissue of thy line4 ,,ii4 #a4 ,weave the warp1 and weave the woof1#ah ,the winding sheet of ,edward's race4 ,give ample room1 and verge enough ,the characters of hell to trace4 ,mark the year1 and mark the night1 ,when ,severn shall re-echo with affright ,the shrieks of death1 thro' ,berkley's roof that ring1 ,shrieks of an agonizing king6#ai ,she-wolf of ,france1#bj with unrelenting fangs1 ,that tear'st the bowels of thy mangled mate1 ,from thee be born1 who o'er thy country hangs ,the scourge of heaven4#ba ,what terrors round him wait6 ,amazement in his van1 with ,flight combined1 ,and ,sorrow's faded form1 and ,solitude behind4 ,,ii4 #b4 ,mighty victor1 mighty lord6 ,low on his funeral couch he lies6#bb ,no pitying heart1 no eye1 afford ,a tear to grace his obsequies4 ,is the sable warrior#bc fled8 ,thy son is gone4 ,he rests among the dead4 ,the swarm1 that in thy noontide beam were born1 ,gone to salute the rising morn4 ,fair laughs the morn1 and soft the zephyr blows1#bd ,while proudly riding o'er the azure realm ,in gallant trim the gilded vessel goes2 ,youth on the prow1 and ,pleasure at the helm2 ,regardless of the sweeping whirlwind's sway1 ,that1 hushed in grim repose1 expects his evening prey4 ,,ii4 #c4 ,fill high the sparkling bowl1 ,the rich repast prepare2 ,reft of a crown1 he yet may share the feast3 ,close by the regal chair ,fell ,thirst and ,famine scowl#be ,a baleful smile upon their baffled guest4 ,heard ye the din of battle#bf bray1 ,lance to lance1 and horse to horse8 ,long years of havoc urge their destined course1 ,and thro' the kindred squadrons mow their way4 ,ye towers of ,julius1#bg ,london's lasting shame1 ,with many a foul and midnight murder fed1 ,revere his consort's faith1 his father's fame1 ,and spare the meek usurper's#bh holy head4 ,above1 below1 the rose of snow1 ,twined with her blushing foe1#bi we spread3 ,the bristled boar#cj in infant-gore ,wallows beneath the thorny shade4 ,now1 brothers1 bending o'er the accursed loom1 ,stamp we our vengeance deep1 and ratify his doom4 ,,iii4 #a4 ,edward1#ca lo6 to sudden fate 7,weave we the woof4 ,the thread is spun47 ,half of thy heart#cb we consecrate4 7,the web is wove4 ,the work is done47 ,stay1 oh stay6 nor thus forlorn ,leave me unblessed1 unpitied1 here to mourn3 ,in yon bright track1 that fires the western skies1 ,they melt1 they vanish from my eyes4 ,but oh6 what solemn scenes on ,snowdon's height ,descending slow their glittering skirts unroll8 ,visions of glory1 spare my aching sight6#cc ,ye unborn ages1 crowd not on my soul6 ,no more our long-lost ,arthur we bewail4 ,all hail1 ye genuine kings1 ,britannia's issue1 hail6 ,,iii4 #b4 ,girt with many a baron bold ,sublime their starry fronts they rear2 ,and gorgeous dames1 and statesmen old ,in bearded majesty1 appear4 ,in the midst a form divine6#cd ,her eye proclaims her of the ,briton-line2 ,her lion-port1 her awe-commanding face1#ce ,attempered sweet to virgin-grace4 ,what strings symphonious tremble in the air1 ,what strains of vocal transport round her play4 ,hear from the grave1 great ,taliessin1#cf hear2 ,they breathe a soul to animate thy clay4 ,bright ,rapture calls1 and soaring as she sings1 ,waves in the eye of heaven her many-colored wings4 ,,iii4 #c4 ,the verse adorn again ,fierce ,war1 and faithful ,love1#cg ,and ,truth severe1 by fairy ,fiction drest4 ,in buskined measures#ch move ,pale ,grief1 and pleasing ,pain1 ,with ,horror1 tyrant of the throbbing breast4 ,a voice1 as of the cherub-choir1 ,gales from blooming ,eden bear2 ,and distant warblings lessen on my ear1 ,that lost in long futurity expire4 ,fond1#ci impious man1 think'st thou yon sanguine cloud1 ,raised by thy breath1 has quenched the orb of day8 ,to-morrow he repairs#dj the golden flood1 ,and warms the nations with redoubled ray4 ,enough for me2 with joy ,i see ,the different doom our fates assign4 ,be thine despair1 and sceptred care2 ,to triumph1 and to die1 are mine4 ,he spoke1 and headlong from the mountain's height ,deep in the roaring tide he plunged to endless night4 ,,notes4 ,this poem was published in #ageg4 ,it is founded1 says ,gray1 on a tradition current in ,wales that ,edward ,i41 when he completed the conquest of that country1 ordered all the bards that fell into his hands to be put to death4 ,the argument is as follows3 ,the army of ,edward ,i41 as they march through a deep valley1 and approach ,mount ,snowdon1 are suddenly stopped by the appearance of a venerable figure seated on the summit of an inaccessible rock1 who1 with a voice more than human1 reproaches the king with all the desolation and misery which he had brought on his country2 foretells the misfortunes of the ,norman race1 and with prophetic spirit declares that all his cruelty shall never extinguish the noble ardor of poetic genius in this island2 and that men shall never be wanting to celebrate true virtue and valor in immortal strains1 to expose vice and infamous pleasure1 and boldly censure tyranny and oppression4 ,his song ended1 he precipitates himself from the mountain1 and is swallowed up by the river that rolls at its feet4 ,the tradition upon which the poem is said to be founded1 if it ever had any existence1 is in great part mythical4 ,edward ,i4 did indeed conquer ,wales1 but there is no evidence that he massacred or even persecuted the ,welsh bards4 ,a hundred years after his time their number and influence had not been diminished4 ,this poem is a good example of an ,english ode constructed strictly after ,greek models4 ,it will be observed that it is written1 not in uniform stanzas1 but in three uniform parts1 each of which contains three stanzas4 ,the first of these parts is called the ,strophe1 or ,turn2 the second1 the ,antistrophe1 or ,counter-turn2 the third1 the ,epode1 or ,after-song4 ,the origin of these terms may be traced to the use of the ode as an important part of the entertainment presented in the ancient ,greek theatre4 ,the ,strophe was sung while the chorus moved from one side of the orchestra to the other2 the ,antistrophe while the reversed movement was being made2 and the ,epodos after the singers had returned to their original position4 ,the accurate perception of harmony and the relationship between the different parts of the choral ode1 which enabled the ,greeks to enter thoroughly into its enjoyment1 is unknown among moderns4 ,hence1 there have been but few attempts in the ,english language to construct odes strictly after the ,greek model4 ,most of our odes are poems relating to themes of greater or less varying length1 and divided into many irregular stanzas of varying lengths and metres4 ,such are ,dryden's ,alexander's ,feast1 ,keats's ,ode to a ,nightingale1 and ,wordsworth's ,ode on the ,intimations of ,immortality1 all of which are odes in form and style1 although differing from their ,greek prototype and from one another4 ,of all ,english poets1 none have worked so thoroughly on the ancient model as ,gray1 although to ,congreve must be given the honor of being the first to attempt this species of ,english composition4 #a4 crimson wing4 ,explain the meaning of this line4 #b4 ,compare this line with ,shakespeare1 ,king ,john1 ,act v1 sc4 #a3 ,mocking the air with colors idly spread4 #c4 hauberk4 ,from ,a4-,s4 heals1 the neck1 and beorgan1 to protect4 ,the hauberk was a texture of steel ringlets1 or rings interwoven1 forming a coat of mail that sat close to the body1 and adapted itself to every motion4--,gray4 #d4 ,cambria4 ,wales4 ,an ancient legend says it was so called from ,camber1 the son of ,brute4 ,this legendary king of ,britain divided his dominions among his three sons3 to ,locrin he gave the southern part 7,england71 which was called ,loegria2 to ,albanact the northern 7,scotland71 ,albania2 and to ,camber1 the western 7,wales71 ,cambria4 #e4 ,snowdon4 ,snowdon was a name given by the ,saxons to that mountainous tract which the ,welsh themselves call ,cragium-eryri4 ,it included all the highlands of ,caernarvonshire and ,merionethshire as far east as the river ,conway4--,gray4 ,it was in the spring of #abhc that the army of ,edward ,i4 forced its way through the defiles of these mountains4 shaggy4 ,see ,lycidas1 #ed3 ,nor on the shaggy top of ,mona high4 #f4 ,gloster4 ,gilbert de ,clare1 surnamed the ,red1 ,earl of ,gloucester and ,hereford1 son-in-law to ,king ,edward4--,gray4 #g4 ,mortimer4 ,edward1 or ,edmond1 de ,mortimer1 ,lord of ,wigmore1 one of ,king ,edward's ablest leaders4 ,it was by one of his knights that the ,welsh prince ,llewellyn was slain in ,december1 #abhb4 #h4 rock4 ,one of the heights of ,snowdon1 probably ,pen-maen-mawr1 the extreme northern point of the range1 a few miles from the mouth of the ,conway ,river4 #i4 ,the image was taken from a well-known picture of ,raphael1 representing the ,supreme ,being in the vision of ,ezekiel4 ,there are two of these paintings 7both believed originals71 one at ,florence1 the other in the ,duke of ,orleans's collection at ,paris4--,gray4 #aj4 ,explain the meaning of this line4 #aa4 ,hoel4 ,a ,welsh prince and famous bard1 some of whose poems are still extant4 ,cadwallo and ,urien1 named below1 were other celebrated bards4 ,the name of ,modred is not so well known2 it is possible that ,gray refers to the famous ,myrddin ab ,morvyn1 called ,merlyn the ,wild1 a disciple of ,taliessin--the form of the name being changed for the sake of euphony4 ,it is not entirely clear whether the ,llewellyn mentioned here was a bard1 or the famous but unfortunate prince who lost his life in the war with ,king ,edward4 7,see note #g1 above47 ,is it the lay sung in memory of mild ,llewellyn8 ,or is it the lay which soft ,llewellyn sang8 #ab4 hushed the stormy main4 ,shakespeare says3 ,the rude sea grew civil at her song1 ,and certain stars shot madly from their spheres1 ,to hear the sea-maid's music4 --,midsummer ,night's ,dream1 ,act ii1 sc4 #a4 #ac4 ,plinlimmon4 ,a group of lofty mountains in ,wales4 ,the name is probably a corruption of ,pum-lumon1 the fire-beacons1 so-called because there was a beacon on each of the five peaks composing the group4 #ad4 ,arvon's shore4 ,caernarvon1 or ,caer yu ,arvon1 means the camp in ,arvon4 ,the shore referred to is that of ,caernarvon1 on the mainland1 opposite the island of ,anglesey4 #ae4 eagle4 ,camden and others observe that eagles used annually to build their aerie among the rocks of ,snowdon1 which from thence 7as some think7 were named by the ,welsh1 ,craigian-eryri1 or the crags of the eagles4 ,at this day 7,i am told71 the highest point of ,snowdon is called 'the ,eagle's ,nest4'--,gray4 #af4 ,dear as the ruddy drops4 ,shakespeare has it3 ,as dear to me as are the ruddy drops ,that visit my sad heart4 --,julius ,csar1 ,act ii1 sc4 #a4 #ag4 ,i see them sit4 ,see ,milton's ,lycidas1 #eb3 ,on the steep ,where your old bards1 the ,druids lie4 griesly4 ,grisly4 ,from the ,a4-,s4 grisli1 dreadful4 #ah4 ,weave the warp1 etc4 ,as the ,fates were represented by the ancient ,greeks as spinning the destinies of men1 so the ,norns in the ,norse mythology are said to weave the destinies of the heroes who die in battle4 ,glittering lances are the loom1 ,where the dusky warp we strain1-- ,shafts for shuttles1 dipt in gore1 ,shoot the trembling cords along2 ,swords that once a monarch bore1 ,keep the tissue close and strong4 --,the ,fatal ,sisters1 translated by ,gray1 from the ,norse4 #ai4 ,edward the ,second1 cruelly butchered in ,berkeley ,castle4--,gray4 ,the murder of the king occurred on the night of ,september #ba1 #acbg4 ,berkeley ,castle stands at the southeast end of the town of ,berkeley1 about one and one-half miles from the ,severn ,river4 ,it was built before the time of ,henry ,,ii41 and is still inhabited by a descendant of its founders4 #bj4 ,she-wolf of ,france4 ,isabel of ,france1 the wife of ,edward ,,ii4 ,shakespeare applies this epithet to ,margaret1 the queen of ,henry ,,vi43 ,she-wolf of ,france1 but worse than wolves of ,france4 --#c ,henry ,,vi41 ,act i1 sc4 #d4 #ba4 ,edward ,,iii41 the son of ,queen ,isabel1 proved indeed to be a scourge to ,france4 #bb4 ,death of that king 7,edward ,,iii471 abandoned by his children1 and even robbed in his last moments by his courtiers and his mistress4--,gray4 #bc4 sable warrior4 ,edward the ,black ,prince1 dead some time before his father4--,gray4 #bd4 ,the magnificence of the first years of ,richard ,,ii4's reign is figured in this and the following lines4 #be4 ,thirst and ,famine scowl4 ,when ,richard ,,ii4 died in prison1 his body was brought to ,st4 ,paul's1 and the face was left uncovered1 to meet rumors that he had been assassinated by his keeper1 ,sir ,piers ,exon4 ,but the older writers assert that he was starved to death4 #bf4 din of battle4 ,ruinous wars of ,york and ,lancaster4--,gray4 bray4 ,from ,gr4 bracho1 to clash4 #bg4 towers of ,julius4 ,the oldest part of that structure 7the ,tower of ,london7 is vulgarly attributed to ,julius ,csar4--,gray4 #bh4 meek usurper4 ,henry the ,sixth1 very near being canonized4 ,the line of ,lancaster had no right of inheritance to the crown4--,gray4 ,the references in the preceding line are to ,henry's consort1 ,queen ,margaret1 and his father1 ,henry ,v4 #bi4 ,the rose of snow1 twined with her blushing foe4 ,the reference is to the union of the houses of ,york and ,lancaster after the ,war of the ,roses4 #cj4 bristled boar4 ,richard ,,iii41 so called from his badge of a silver boar4 ,so ,shakespeare3 ,in the sty of the most deadly boar4 --,richard ,,iii41 ,act iv1 sc4 #e4 ,the wretched1 bloody1 and usurping boar ,that spoiled your summer fields and fruitful vines1 ,swills your warm blood like wash4 --,ibid4 ,act v1 sc4 #b4 #ca4 ,the bard's vision of the future has come to an end1 and he again addresses the king4 #cb4 ,half of thy heart4 ,eleanor of ,castile died a few years after the conquest of ,wales4 ,the heroic proof she gave of her affection for her lord is well known4--,gray4 ,tennyson1 in the ,dream of ,fair ,women1 speaks of ,queen ,eleanor as ,her who knew that ,love can vanquish ,death1 ,who kneeling1 with one arm about her king1 ,drew forth the poison with her balmy breath1 ,sweet as new buds in spring4 #cc4 ,the bard's visions are resumed1 and he sees the glories which were ushered in with the advent of the ,tudor line4 ,henry ,,vii4's paternal grandfather was ,sir ,owen ,tewdwr of ,pernnyuydd1 in ,anglesey1 whose mother was of royal ,british blood4 ,both ,merlin and ,taliessin had prophesied that the ,welsh should regain their sovereignty over this island2 which seemed to be accomplished in the house of ,tudor4--,gray4 #cd4 a form divine4 ,elizabeth4 #ce4 awe-commanding face4 ,speed1 relating an audience given by ,queen ,elizabeth to ,paul ,dzialiuski1 ambassador of ,poland1 says3 ',and thus she1 lion-like rising1 daunted the malapert orator no less with her stately port and majestical deporture1 than with the tartnesse of her princlie cheekes4'--,gray4 #cf4 ,taliessin was a famous ,welsh bard who flourished in the sixth century4 ,it is said that some of his works are still preserved by his countrymen4 #cg4 ,see ,faerie ,queene1 #a3 ,fierce warres and faithful love shall moralize my song4 #ch4 buskined measures4 ,the tragic drama as represented by ,shakespeare4 ,so ,milton speaks 7,il ,penseroso1 #ajb7 of the buskind stage4 ,the buskin was the ,greek cothurnus1 a boot with high heels1 designed to add stature and dignity to the tragic actor4 #ci4 ,fond4 ,foolish4 ,this is the original meaning of the word1 and is so used by the older poets4 #dj4 he repairs4 ,so ,milton3 ,sinks the day-star in the ocean bed1 ,and yet anon repairs his drooping head4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,thomas ,,gray was born in ,cornhill1 ,london1 ,december #bfth1 #agaf4 ,through the help of his mother's brother1 who was ,assistant-,master at that famous school1 he received his primary education at ,eton1 and in #agce entered ,st4 ,peter's ,college1 ,cambridge4 ,in #agch he left the ,university without taking a degree1 intending to study law at the ,inner ,temple4 ,soon afterwards1 however1 he accompanied ,horace ,walpole on a tour through ,france and ,italy1 and spent the greater part of two years in ,paris1 ,rome1 and ,florence4 ,upon his return to ,england1 finding himself possessed of a life-long competency1 he resolved to give up the law and devote himself entirely to self-culture4 ,he settled at ,cambridge1 and gave all his time to study and to the cultivation of his mind4 ,the first of his poems to appear in print was the ,ode on a ,distant ,prospect of ,eton ,college1 published in #agdg4 ,his ,elegy ,written in a ,country ,churchyard was not published until #agej1 although it had been written and handed about in manuscript several years before4 ,the post of ,poet-,laureate was offered him in #ageg1 on the death of ,colley ,cibber2 but he did not accept it4 ,in #agfh he was appointed ,professor of ,modern ,history at ,cambridge1 but the state of his health was such that he was never permitted to lecture4 ,he died1 ,july #bith1 #agga1 at the age of fifty-four4 ,he was certainly the most accomplished man of his time1 says ,hales1 and was something much more than accomplished4 ,his learning was not only wide but deep2 his taste1 if perhaps too fastidious1 was pure and thorough2 his genius was of no mean degree or order2 his affections were of the truest and sincerest4 4 4 4 ,his poems are works of refinement rather than of passion2 but yet they are inspired with genuine sentiment4 ,they are no doubt extremely artificial in form2 the weight of their author's reading somewhat depresses their originality2 he can with difficulty escape from his books to himself2 but yet there is in him a genuine poetical spirit4 ,his poetry1 however elaborated1 is sincere and truthful4 ,if the exterior is what ,horace might have called over-filed and polished1 the thought is mostly of the simplest and naturalest4 ,matthew ,arnold says3 ,gray's production was scanty1 and scanty it could not but be4 ,even what he produced was not always pure in diction1 true in evolution4 ,still1 with whatever drawbacks1 he is alone or almost alone in his age4 ,gray said himself that the style he aimed at was 'extreme conciseness of expression1 yet pure1 perspicuous1 and musical4' ,compared1 not with the work of the great masters of the golden ages of poetry1 but with the poetry of his own contemporaries in general1 ,gray may be said to have reached1 in his style1 the excellence at which he aimed4 ,cowper writes1 ,i have been reading ,gray's works1 and think him the only poet since ,shakespeare entitled to the character of sublime4 ,lowell says3 ,gray1 if we may believe the commentators1 has not an idea1 scarcely an epithet1 that he can call his own1 and yet he is1 in the best sense1 one of the classics of ,english literature4 ,and ,sir ,james ,mackintosh says3 ,of all ,english poets he was the most finished artist4 ,he attained the highest degree of splendor of which poetic style seemed to be capable4 ,it may be added that he deserves the comparatively trifling praise of having been the most learned poet since ,milton4 ,other ,poems to be ,read3 ,elegy ,written in a ,country ,churchyard2 ,on a ,distant ,prospect of ,eton ,college2 ,the ,progress of ,poesy2 ,ode on ,spring4 ,,references3 ,johnson's ,lives of ,english ,poets2 ,gray 7,english ,men of ,letters71 by ,edmund ,gosse2 ,hazlitt's ,lectures on the ,english ,poets2 ,roscoe's ,essays4 ,alexander ,pope4 ,,from ,,the ,,essay ,,on ,,criticism4 ,some to ,conceit#a alone their taste confine1 ,and glitt'ring thoughts struck out at ev'ry line2 ,pleas'd with a work where nothing's just or fit2#b ,one glaring ,chaos and wild heap of wit4#c ,poets1 like painters1 thus1 unskill'd to trace ,the naked nature and the living grace1 ,with gold and jewels cover ev'ry part1 ,and hide with ornaments their want of art4 ,true wit is nature to advantage dress'd2 ,what oft was thought1 but ne'er so well express'd2#d ,something1 whose truth convinc'd at sight we find1 ,that gives us back the image of our mind4 ,as shades more sweetly recommend the light1 ,so modest plainness sets off sprightly wit4 ,for works may have more wit than does 'em good1 ,as bodies perish through excess of blood4 ,others for ,language all their care express1 ,and value books1 as women men1#e for dress3 ,their praise is still1--the style is excellent2 ,the sense1 they humbly take upon content4#f ,words are like leaves2 and where they most abound1 ,much fruit of sense beneath is rarely found3 ,false eloquence1 like the prismatic glass1 ,in gaudy colors spreads on ev'ry place2 ,the face of nature we no more survey1 ,all glares alike1 without distinction gay3 ,but true expression1 like th' unchanging sun1 ,clears and improves whate'er it shines upon2 ,it gilds all objects1 but it alters none4 ,expression is the dress of thought1 and still ,appears more decent1 as more suitable2 ,a vile conceit in pompous words express'd ,is like a clown in regal purple dress'd3 ,for diff'rent styles with diff'rent subjects sort1#g ,as sev'ral garbs with country1 town1 and court4 ,some by old words to fame have made pretence1 ,ancients in phrase1 mere moderns in their sense2 ,such labor'd nothings1 in so strange a style1 ,amaze th' unlearn'd1 and make the learned smile1 ,unlucky1 as ,fungoso#h in the play1 ,these sparks#i with awkward vanity display ,what the fine gentleman wore yesterday2 ,and but so mimic ancient wits at best1 ,as apes our grandsires1 in their doublets drest4 ,in words1 as fashions1 the same rule will hold2 ,alike fantastic1 if too new or old3 ,be not the first by whom the new are try'd1 ,nor yet the last to lay the old aside4 ,but most by numbers judge a poet's song1 ,and smooth or rough1 with them1 is right or wrong3 ,in the bright muse1 tho' thousand charms conspire1 ,her voice is all these tuneful fools admire2 ,who haunt ,parnassus#aj but to please their ear1 ,not mend#aa their minds1 as some to church repair1 ,not for the doctrine1 but the music there4 ,these equal syllables alone require1 ,tho' oft the ear the open vowels tire2#ab ,while expletives their feeble aid do join2 ,and ten low words oft creep in one dull line3 ,while they ring round the same unvaried chimes1 ,with sure returns of still expected rhymes2 ,where'er you find the cooling western breeze1 ,in the next line1 it whispers through the trees3#ac ,if crystal streams with pleasing murmurs creep1 ,the reader's threaten'd 7not in vain7 with sleep3 ,then1 at the last and only couplet fraught ,with some unmeaning thing they call a thought1 ,a needless ,alexandrine ends the song1#ad ,that1 like a wounded snake1 drags its slow length along4#ae ,leave such to tune their own dull rhymes1 and know ,what's roundly smooth1 or languishingly slow2 ,and praise the easy vigor of a line1 ,where ,denham's strength and ,waller's#af sweetness join4 ,true ease in writing comes from art1 not chance1 ,as those move easiest who have learn'd to dance4 ',tis not enough no harshness gives offence1 ,the sound must seem an echo to the sense3 ,soft is the strain when ,zephyr gently blows1 ,and the smooth stream in smoother numbers#ag flows2 ,but when loud surges lash the sounding shore1 ,the hoarse1 rough verse should like the torrent roar3 ,when ,ajax#ah strives some rock's vast weight to throw1 ,the line too labors1 and the words move slow3 ,not so1 when swift ,camilla#ai scours the plain1 ,flies o'er th' unbending corn1 and skims along the main4 ,hear how ,timotheus'#bj vary'd lays surprise1 ,and bid alternate passions fall and rise6 ,while at each change1 the son of ,libyan ,jove#ba ,now burns with glory1 and then melts with love2 ,now his fierce eyes with sparkling fury glow1 ,now sighs steal out1 and tears begin to flow3 ,persians and ,greeks like turns of nature found1 ,and the world's victor stood subdu'd by sound6 ,the power of music all our hearts allow1 ,and what ,timotheus was1 is ,dryden now4 ,avoid extremes2 and shun the fault of such1 ,who still are pleas'd too little or too much4 ,at ev'ry trifle scorn to take offence1 ,that always shows great pride1 or little sense3 ,those heads1 as stomachs1 are not sure the best1 ,which nauseate all1 and nothing can digest4 ,yet let not each gay turn thy rapture move2 ,for fools admire1 but men of sense approve3 ,as things seem large which we through mists descry2 ,dulness is ever apt to magnify4 ,some foreign writers1 some our own despise2 ,the ancients only1 or the moderns prize4 ,thus wit1 like faith1 by each man is apply'd ,to one small sect1 and all are damn'd beside4 ,meanly they seek the blessing to confine1 ,and force that sun but on a part to shine1 ,which not alone the southern wit sublimes1 ,but ripens spirits in cold northern climes2 ,which from the first has shone on ages past1 ,enlights the present1 and shall warm the last2 ,tho' each may feel increases and decays1 ,and see now clearer and now darker days4 ,regard not1 then1 if wit be old or new1 ,but blame the false1 and value still the true4 ,some ne'er advance a judgment of their own1 ,but catch the spreading notion of the ,town2 ,they reason and conclude by precedent1 ,and own stale nonsense which they ne'er invent4 ,some judge of authors' names1 not works1 and then ,nor praise nor blame the writings1 but the men4 ,of all this servile herd1 the worst is he ,that in proud dulness joins with ,quality4#bb ,a constant critic at the great man's board1 ,to fetch and carry nonsense for my ,lord4 ,what woful stuff this madrigal would be1 ,in some starv'd hackney sonneteer1 or me8 ,but let a ,lord once own the happy lines1 ,how the wit brightens6 how the style refines6 ,before his sacred name flies ev'ry fault1 ,and each exalted stanza teems with thought6 ,,notes4 ,pope's ,essay on ,criticism was published in #agaa4 ,it consists of #gbd lines1 and is written in heroic couplets--that style of poetic composition in which ,pope excelled all others4 ,it is full of sound critical precepts1 put together with considerable art1 and expressed in a manner which1 at the time of its production1 insured the popularity of the poem and the fame of its author4 ,it was probably suggested by ,boileau's ,art ,potique1 which was founded on ,horace's ,ars ,poetica1 and it in turn on ,aristotle's rules1 very commonly known among the classical poets4 ,the ,essay1 says ,de ,quincey1 is a collection of independent maxims tied together into a fasciculus by the printer1 but having no natural order or logical dependence2 generally so vague as to mean nothing4 ,and1 what is remarkable1 many of the rules are violated by no man so often as by ,pope1 and by ,pope nowhere so often as in this poem4 #a4 ,conceit4 ,affected wit4 ,conceit is to nature what paint is to beauty2 it is not only needless but impairs what it would improve4--,pope4 #b4 fit4 ,proper4 ,fit audience find1 though few 7,milton1 ,paradise ,lost1 ,v1 #g74 #c4 wit4 ,this is a favorite word with ,pope1 and is used by him to indicate a variety of ideas1--such as thought1 knowledge1 imagination1 expression1 the exercise of humor1 etc4 ,in this poem there are no fewer than twelve couplets rhyming to it4 #d4 ,it requires very little reading of the ,french text-books to find the maxims which ,pope has strung together in this poem1 but he has dressed them so neatly1 and turned them out with such sparkle and point1 that these truisms have acquired a weight not their own1 and they circulate as proverbs among us in virtue of their pithy form rather than their truth4 ,they exemplify his own line1 ',what oft was thought1 but ne'er so well expressed4' ,pope told ,spence that he had gone through all the best critics1 specifying ,quintilian1 ,rapin1 and ,le ,bossu4 ,but whatever trouble he took in collecting what to say1 his main effort is expended upon how to say it4--,pattison4 #e4 as women men4 ,as women value men1 or as women by men are valued--which8 #f4 humbly take upon content4 ,are satisfied to take in faith4 #g4 sort4 ,agree4 #h4 ,fungoso4 ,a character in ,ben ,jonson's comedy1 ,every ,man in his ,humour4 #i4 sparks4 ,fops2 vain1 showy men4 #aj4 ,parnassus4 ,a mountain in ,hellas1 the chief seat of ,apollo and the ,muses4 ,hence1 figuratively1 a resort of the poets4 #aa4 mend4 ,improve1 make better1 amend4 ,mend your speech a little ,lest it may mar your fortunes4 --,shakespeare1 ,king ,lear1 ,act i1 sc4 i4 #ab4 ,the gaping of the vowels in this line1 the expletive do in the next1 and the ten monosyllables in that which follows1 give such a beauty to this passage as would have been very much admired in an ancient poet4--,addison4 #ac4 ,pope himself is not disinclined to make use of these rhymes4 ,see ,essay on ,man1 #bga4 ,warms in the sun1 refreshes in the breeze1 ,glows in the stars1 and blossoms in the trees4 #ad4 ,referring to the ,spenserian stanza which is composed of nine lines1 eight of which are iambic pentameters1 and the ninth a hexameter or ,alexandrine4 ,the name ,alexandrine is said to have been derived from an old ,french poem on ,alexander the ,great1 written about the twelfth or thirteenth century1 and composed entirely of hexameter verses4 ,see note on the versification of the ,faerie ,queene1 page #bcd4 #ae4 ,observe the skill with which1 both in this line and in several which precede and follow1 the poet has made the sound to seem an echo to the sense4 #af4 ,waller had been regarded as the greatest poet of the seventeenth century 7see page #bje71 and ,denham1 in the time of ,pope1 was more esteemed than ,milton or ,spenser4 ,dryden called ,denham ,that limping old bard ,whose fame on ',the ,sophy' and ',cooper's ,hill' stands4 #ag4 numbers4 ,poetical metre4 ,as yet a child nor yet a fool to fame1 ,i lisped in numbers1 for the numbers came4 --,pope1 ,epistle to ,dr4 ,arbuthnot4 #ah4 ,ajax4 ,the beautiful distich upon ,ajax puts me in mind of a description in ,homer's ',odyssey1' which none of the critics have taken notice of4 ,it is where ,sisyphus is represented lifting his stone up the hill which is no sooner carried to the top of it1 but it immediately tumbles to the bottom4 ,this double motion of the stone is admirably described in the numbers of these verses2 as in the four first it is heaved up by several spondees intermixed with proper breathing places1 and at last trundles down in a continual line of dactyls4--,addison4 #ai4 ,camilla4 ,the virgin queen of the ,volsci4 ,she aided ,turnus against neas1 and was famed for her fleetness of foot4 #bj4 ,timotheus4 ,see notes on ,alexander's ,feast1 by ,dryden4 #ba4 son of ,libyan ,jove4 ,alexander4 ,see note #e1 page #aff4 #bb4 ,quality4 ,persons of high rank4 ,,ode ,,on ,,st4 ,,cecilia',s ,,day4 ,,mdccviii4 ,i4 ,descend1 ye ,nine6#a descend and sing2 ,the breathing instruments inspire1 ,wake into voice each silent string1 ,and sweep the sounding lyre6 ,in a sadly pleasing strain1#b ,let the warbling lute complain3 ,let the loud trumpet sound1 ,till the roofs all around ,the shrill echoes rebound2 ,while in more lengthen'd notes and slow1 ,the deep1 majestic1 solemn organs blow4 ,hark6 the numbers soft and clear ,gently steal upon the ear2 ,now louder1 and yet louder rise1 ,and fill with spreading sounds the skies3 ,exulting in triumph now swell the bold notes1 ,in broken air1 trembling1 the wild music floats1 ,till1 by degrees1 remote and small1 ,the strains decay1 ,and melt away1 ,in a dying1 dying fall4 ,,ii4 ,by music1 minds an equal temper know1#c ,nor swell too high1 nor sink too low4 ,if in the breast tumultuous joys arise1 ,music her soft1 assuasive#d voice applies2 ,or1 when the soul is press'd with cares1 ,exalts her in enlivening airs4 ,warriors she fires with animated sounds2 ,pours balm into the bleeding lover's wounds3 ,melancholy lifts her head1 ,morpheus rouses from his bed1 ,sloth unfolds her arms and wakes1 ,listening ,envy drops her snakes2 ,intestine war no more our passions wage1 ,and giddy factions hear away their rage4 ,,iii4 ,but when our country's cause provokes to arms1 ,how martial music every bosom warms6 ,so when the first bold vessel dared the seas1 ,high on the stern the ,thracian raised his strain1#e ,while ,argo saw her kindred trees ,descend from ,pelion to the main4 ,transported demi-gods#f stood round1 ,and men grew heroes at the sound1 ,inflamed with glory's charms2 ,each chief his sevenfold shield display'd1 ,and half unsheathed the shining blade3 ,and seas1 and rocks1 and skies rebound1 ,to arms6 to arms6 to arms6 ,,iv4 ,but when1 through all the infernal bounds#g ,which flaming ,phlegethon surrounds1 ,love1 strong as death1#h the poet led ,to the pale nations of the dead1 ,what sounds were heard1 ,what scenes appear'd1 ,o'er all the dreary coast6 ,dreadful gleams1 ,dismal screams1 ,fires that glow1 ,shrieks of woe1 ,sullen moans1 ,hollow groans1 ,and cries of tortured ghosts6 ,but1 hark6 he strikes the golden lyre2 ,and see6 the tortured ghosts respire1 ,see1 shady forms#i advance6 ,thy stone1 ,o ,sisyphus1 stands still1#aj ,ixion rests upon his wheel1 ,and the pale spectres dance2 ,the ,furies sink upon their iron beds1 ,and snakes uncurl'd hang listening round their heads4 ,v4 ,by the streams that ever flow1 ,by the fragrant winds that blow ,o'er the ,elysian flowers2 ,by those happy souls who dwell ,in yellow meads of asphodel1 ,or amaranthine bowers2 ,by the heroes' armed shades1 ,glittering through the gloomy glades1 ,by the youths that died for love1 ,wandering in the myrtle grove1 ,restore1 restore ,eurydice to life3 ,oh take the husband1 or return the wife6 ,he sung1 and hell#aa consented ,to hear the poet's prayer2 ,stern ,proserpine relented1 ,and gave him back the fair4 ,thus song could prevail ,o'er death and o'er hell1 ,a conquest how hard and how glorious6 ,though fate had fast bound her ,with ,styx nine times round her1 ,yet music and love were victorious4#ab ,,vi4 ,but soon1 too soon1 the lover turns his eyes3 ,again she falls1 again she dies1 she dies6 ,how wilt thou now the fatal sisters move8 ,no crime was thine1 if 'tis no crime to love4 ,now under hanging mountains1 ,beside the falls of fountains1 ,or where ,hebrus wanders1 ,rolling in meanders1 ,all alone1 ,unheard1 unknown1 ,he makes his moan2 ,and calls her ghost1 ,for ever1 ever1 ever lost6 ,now with furies surrounded1#ac ,despairing1 confounded1 ,he trembles1 he glows1 ,amidst ,rhodope's#ad snows3 ,see1 wild as the winds1 o'er the desert he flies2 ,hark6 ,hmus resounds with the ,bacchanals' cries-- ,ah see1 he dies6 ,yet even in death ,eurydice he sung1 ,eurydice still trembled on his tongue1 ,eurydice the woods1 ,eurydice the floods1 ,eurydice the rocks1 and hollow mountains rung4 ,,vii4 ,music#ae the fiercest grief can charm1 ,and fate's severest rage disarm2 ,music can soften pain to ease1 ,and make despair and madness please3 ,our joys below it can improve1 ,and antedate the bliss above4 ,this the divine ,cecilia found1 ,and to her ,maker's praise confined the sound4 ,when the full organ joins the tuneful choir1 ,the immortal powers incline their ear2 ,borne on the swelling notes our souls aspire1 ,while solemn airs improve the sacred fire2 ,and angels lean from heaven to hear4 ,of ,orpheus now no more let poets tell1 ,to bright ,cecilia greater power is given2 ,his numbers raised a shade from hell1 ,hers lift the soul to heaven4#af ,,notes4 ,this poem was written in #agjh at the suggestion of ,sir ,richard ,steele2 it was set to music by ,maurice ,greene1 and in #agcj was performed at the public commemoration at ,cambridge4 ,its model is ,dryden's famous ode1 ,alexander's ,feast1 of which ,pope was a warm admirer 7see page #aei74 ,dr4 ,johnson says2 ,in his ',ode on ,st4 ,cecilia's ,day' ,pope is generally confessed to have miscarried2 yet he has miscarried only as compared with ,dryden1 for he has far outgone other competitors4 ,dryden's plan is better chosen2 history will always take stronger hold of the passions than fable3 the passions excited by ,dryden are the pleasures and pains of real life2 the scene of ,pope is laid in imaginary existence2 ,pope is read with calm acquiescence1 ,dryden with turbulent delight2 ,pope hangs upon the ear1 ,dryden finds the passes of the mind4 ,both the odes want the essential constituent of metrical compositions1 the stated recurrence of settled numbers4 4 4 4 ,if ,pope's ode be particularly inspected1 it will be found that the first stanza consists of sounds1 well chosen1 indeed1 but only sounds4 ,the second consists of hyperbolical commonplaces1 easily to be found1 and1 perhaps1 without much difficulty to be as well expressed4 ,in the third1 however1 there are numbers1 images1 harmony1 and vigor not unworthy the antagonist of ,dryden4 ,had all been like this--but every part cannot be the best4 ,the next stanzas place and detain us in the dark and dismal regions of mythology2 4 4 4 we have all that can be performed by elegance of diction or sweetness of versification2 but what can form avail without better matter8 ,the last stanza again refers to commonplaces4 ,the conclusion is too evidently modelled by that of ,dryden2 and it may be remarked that both end with the same fault--the comparison of each is literal on one side and metaphorical on the other4 ,poets do not always express their own thoughts4 ,pope1 with all this labor in the praise of music1 was ignorant of its principles and insensible of its effects4 ,st4 ,cecilia1 the ,christian ,polyhymnia and patron saint of sacred music1 is said to have suffered martyrdom about the year #bcj4 ,in ,chaucer's ,seconde ,nonnes ,tale--which is an almost literal translation of the ,legenda ,aurea1 written in the thirteenth century--it is related that1 on account of ,cecilia's spotless purity1 an angel came down from heaven to be her guardian4 ,her husband1 ,valerian1 was also the recipient of angelic favors1 for ,this angel had of roses and lilie ,corones two1 the which he bare in honde1 ,and first to ,cecile1 as ,i understonde1 ,he yaf that on1 and after gan he take ,that other to ,valerian hire make4 ,how and when ,cecilia was first recognized as the patron saint of music does not appear4 ,the legend only says1 that ,while the organs maden melodie1 ,to ,god alone thus in hire hert song she2 ',o ,lord1 my soule and eke my body gie ,unwemmed1 lest that ,i confounded be4' ,there is also a tradition in the church that ,st4 ,cecilia was the inventor of the organ4 ,dryden calls her inventress of the vocal frame 7see page #afd74 ,the origin of this musical instrument is not known1 but the first organs used in ,italy are said to have been brought thither from ,greece4 ,some of the ,roman churches are known to have had them in use in the seventh century1 but they were not common until several hundred years later4 ,the festival of ,st4 ,cecilia occurs on the #bb;d of ,november4 #a4 ye ,nine4 ,the nine ,muses3 7#a7 ,calliope1 the ,muse of epic poetry2 7#b7 ,clio1 the ,muse of history2 7#c7 ,euterpe1 the ,muse of lyric poetry2 7#d7 ,melpomene1 the ,muse of tragedy2 7#e7 ,terpsichore1 the ,muse of choral dance and song2 7#f7 ,erato1 the ,muse of erotic poetry2 7#g7 ,polyhymnia1 the ,muse of the sublime hymn2 7#h7 ,urania1 the ,muse of astronomy2 7#i7 ,thalia1 the ,muse of comedy and idyllic poetry4 ,the custom of invoking the ,muses1 at the beginning of poems1 is derived from ,homer3 ,of ,peleus' son1 ,achilles1 sing1 ,o ,muse4 --,iliad1 ,i1 #a4 ,tell me1 ,o ,muse1 of that sagacious man ,who1 having overthrown the sacred town ,of ,ilium1 wandered far1 etc4 --,odyssey1 ,i1 #a4 ,milton invokes the heavenly ,muse that on the secret top ,of ,oreb1 or of ,sinai1 didst inspire ,that shepherd1 etc4 --,paradise ,lost1 ,i1 #a4 #b4 ,observe how1 in the sixteen lines following1 the sound is made in some measure to be an echo to the sense4 #c4 equal temper know4 ,evenness of disposition acquire4 ,the music of ,timotheus had an opposite effect on ,alexander4 ,see ,alexander's ,feast4 #d4 assuasive4 ,moderating4 #e4 the ,thracian raised his strain4 ,orpheus was a ,thracian1 the son of ,oeagrus and the ,muse ,calliope4 ,apollo gave him a lyre1 and the ,muses instructed him in its use2 and so sweet was the music which he drew from it that the wild beasts were enchanted and the trees and rocks moved from their places to follow the sound4 ,when ,jason and his followers1 the ,argonauts1 were unable to launch their ship ,argo1 ,orpheus played his lyre1 and the vessel glided into the sea1 while her kindred trees descended from the slopes of the mountain 7,pelion7 and followed her into the main4 #f4 demi-gods4 ,half-gods2 heroes4 ,among the ,argonauts were ,hercules1 ,castor and ,pollux1 ,theseus1 ,peleus1 ,nestor1 and others similarly renowned4 #g4 infernal bounds4 ,boundaries of hell4 ,the wife of ,orpheus was a nymph named ,eurydice4 ,she having died from the bite of a serpent1 the sweet musician followed her into the infernal regions4 ,he begged of ,pluto that his wife might return with him to the earth1 but his prayer was granted only upon condition that he should not look back upon her until both had safely passed the gates between ,hades and the upper world4 ,the poet tells the rest of the story4 ,phlegethon4 ,a river of hell in which flowed fire instead of water4 #h4 ,see ,song of ,solomon viii4 #f3 ,love is strong as death4 #i4 shady forms4 ,departed spirits were called shades1 because they were supposed to be perceptible sometimes to the sight but never to the touch4 ,see heroes' armed shades1 below4 #aj4 ,sisyphus4 ,see note #ah1 page #adg4 ,ixion4 ,king of the ,lapith4 ,as a punishment for ingratitude to ,zeus1 his hands and feet were chained to a wheel which was always in motion4 ,furies4 ,see note #bj1 page #afg4 #aa4 hell4 ,the powers of hell--or1 as he explains below1 ,proserpine1 the queen of the infernal regions4 ,styx4 ,the principal river of hell1 around which it flows seven--not nine--times4 #ab4 ,see ,milton's ,l',allegro1 #ace3 ,lap me in soft ,lydian airs1 ,married to immortal verse1 4 4 4 ,that ,orpheus' self may heave his head ,from golden slumber on a bed ,of heaped ,elysian flowers1 and hear ,such strains as would have won the ear ,of ,pluto to have quite set free ,his half-regain'd ,eurydice4 #ac4 ,orpheus's grief for the loss of ,eurydice caused him to treat with contempt the ,thracian women among whom he dwelt1 and they in revenge tore him to pieces1 under the excitement of their ,bacchanalian orgies4 ,his head was given by the ,hebrus to the sea1 and finally carried to the island of ,lesbos1 where it was buried4 ,see ,milton's ,lycidas1 #eh3 ,what could the ,muse herself that ,orpheus bore1 ,the ,muse herself for her enchanting son1 ,whom universal nature did lament1 ,when by the rout that made the hideous roar1 ,his gory visage down the stream was sent1 ,down the swift ,hebrus to the ,lesbian shore8 ,see1 also1 ,paradise ,lost1 ,,vii1 #cb3 ,the barbarous dissonance ,of ,bacchus and his revellers1 the race ,of that wild rout that tore the ,thracian bard ,in ,rhodope1 where woods and rocks had ears ,to rapture1 till the savage clamor drown'd ,both harp and voice2 nor could the ,muse defend ,her son4 #ad4 ,rhodope4 ,a range of mountains in ,thrace1 sacred to ,bacchus4 ,hmus was another range extending from ,rhodope1 on the west1 to the ,black ,sea1 on the east4 #ae4 ,music4 ,compare what ,pope says of music with3 ,music hath charms to soothe the savage breast4 --,congreve1 ,the ,mourning ,bride4 ,o ,music6 sphere-descended maid1 ,friend of pleasure1 wisdom's aid6 --,collins1 ,the ,passions4 ,soft is the music that would charm forever4 --,wordsworth1 ,sonnets4 #af4 ,compare these lines with the four which end ,dryden's ,alexander's ,feast4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,alexander ,,pope was born in ,london in #afhh4 ,he had some instruction at home1 and was afterwards sent1 first to a ,roman ,catholic seminary near ,winchester1 then to another in ,london4 ,this1 he said1 was all the teaching ,i ever had1 and ,god knows it extended a very little way4 ,when ,i had done with my priests1 ,i took to reading by myself1 for which ,i had a very great eagerness and enthusiasm1 especially for poetry3 and in a few years ,i had dipped into a very great number of the ,english1 ,italian1 ,latin1 and ,greek poets4 ,he was small of stature and deformed1 and his ill health made him peevish1 irritable1 and selfish4 ,yet his rare intellectual abilities and the deserved success of his earlier poetry secured for him the friendship of many of the most influential men of the time4 ,bolingbroke declared that he never knew a man more tenderly devoted to his friends2 and ,warburton said1 ,he is as good a companion as poet1 and1 what is more1 appears to be a good man4 ,pope's ,essay on ,criticism was published in #agaa2 the ,rape of the ,lock in #agad2 his translation of ,homer's ,iliad in #agae-ah1 and of the ,odyssey in #agbf2 the ,dunciad in #agbh2 the ,essay on ,man in #agcb4 ,a revised and enlarged version of the ,dunciad was published in #agdb4 ,the latter part of ,pope's life was spent at his country-seat of ,twickenham1 which he enlarged and beautified from the proceeds of his translation of ,homer4 ,he died in #agdd4 ,pope is our greatest master in didactic poetry1 says ,stopford ,brooke1 not so much because of the worth of the thoughts as because of the masterly form in which they are put4 ,in two directions1 says ,mark ,pattison1 in that of condensing and pointing his meaning1 and in that of drawing the utmost harmony of sound out of the couplet1 ,pope carried versification far beyond the point at which it was when he took it up4 ,the matter which he worked up into his verse has a permanent value1 and is indeed one of the most precious heirlooms which the eighteenth century has bequeathed us4 ,other ,poems to be ,read3 ,the ,rape of the ,lock2 ,the ,dying ,christian to his ,soul2 ,the ,universal ,prayer2 ,pastorals2 ,windsor ,forest4 ,,references3 ,johnson's ,lives of the ,poets2 ,stephen's ,hours in a ,library2 ,de ,quincey's ,literature of the ,eighteenth ,century2 ,lowell's ,my ,study ,window2 ,pope 7,english ,men of ,letters71 by ,leslie ,stephen4 ,the ,seventeenth ,century4 ,the people of the seventeenth century were weary of liberty1 weary of the unmitigated rage of the dramatists1 cloyed with the roses and the spices and the kisses of the lyrists1 tired of being carried over the universe and up and down the avenues of history at the freak of every irresponsible rhymester4 ,literature had been set open to all the breezes of heaven by the blustering and glittering ,elizabethans1 and in the hands of their less gifted successors it was fast declining into a mere ,cave of the ,winds4 4 4 4 ,we know the poets of the early ,caroline period almost entirely by extracts1 and their ardor1 quaintness1 and sudden flashes of inspiration give them a singular advantage in this form4 ,the sustained elevation which had characterized ,shakespeare and ,spenser1 and even in some degree several of the chief of their contemporaries1 had passed away1 but still the poets were most brilliant1 most delectable in their purple patches4 4 4 4 ,as the last waves of the ,renaissance died away1 a deathly calm settled down upon the pools of thought4 ,man returned from the particular to the general1 from romantic examples to those disquisitions on the norm which were thought to display a classical taste4 ,the seer disappeared1 and the artificer took his place4 ,for a whole century the singer that only sang because he must1 and as the linnets do1 was entirely absent from ,english literature4 ,he came back at the close of the eighteenth century1 with ,burns in ,scotland1 and with ,blake in ,england4--,,edmund ,,gosse4 ,at the same time1 amid the classical coldness which then dried up ,english literature1 and the social excess which then corrupted ,english morals 4 4 4 appeared a mighty and superb mind 7,milton71 prepared by logic and enthusiasm for eloquence and the epic style2 the heir of a poetical age1 the precursor of an austere age1 holding his place between the epoch of unselfish dreaming and the epoch of practical action4--,,taine4 ,poets of the ,seventeenth ,century4 ,ben ,jonson 7#aegc-afcg74 ,see biographical note1 page #bac4 ,william ,drummond of ,hawthornden 7#aehe-afdi74 ,short poems2 ,poems3 ,amorous1 ,funerall1 ,divine1 ,pastorall1 in ,sonnets1 ,songs1 ,sextains1 ,madrigals2 ,floures of ,sion4 ,william ,browne 7#aehh-afdc74 ,britannia's ,pastorals2 ,the ,shepherd's ,pipe2 ,the ,inner ,temple ,masque4 ,george ,wither 7#aehh-affg74 ,short poems2 ,collection of ,emblems2 ,nature of ,man2 ,the ,shepheard's ,hunting2 ,fidelia4 ,phineas ,fletcher 7#aehb-afej74 ,the ,locustes2 ,the ,purple ,island4 ,giles ,fletcher 7#aehh-afbc74 ,christ's ,victory and ,triumph4 ,thomas ,carew 7#aehi-afci74 ,short poems2 ,clum ,britannicum4 ,francis ,quarles 7#aeib-afdd74 ,divine ,poems2 ,emblems1 ,divine and ,moral4 ,robert ,herrick 7#aeid-afgd74 ,see biographical note1 page #bjb4 ,sir ,john ,suckling 7#afjh-afdb74 ,love poems4 ,richard ,lovelace 7#afah-afeh74 ,short poems2 ,lucasta3 ,odes1 ,sonnets1 ,songs1 etc4 ,lord ,herbert of ,cherbury 7#aeha-afdh74 ,odes and short poems4 ,george ,herbert 7#aeib-afcd74 ,the ,temple3 ,sacred ,poems and ,private ,ejaculations2 short poems4 ,george ,sandys 7#aegg-afdc74 ,christ's ,passion4 ,richard ,crashaw 7#afae-afej74 ,steps to the ,altar4 ,henry ,vaughan 7#afba-afie74 ,silex ,scintillans2 ,the ,mount of ,olives4 ,abraham ,cowley 7#afah-affg74 ,poetical ,blossomes2 ,the ,mistress4 ,edmund ,waller 7#afje-afhg74 ,see biographical note1 page #bje4 ,sir ,john ,denham 7#afae-affh74 ,cooper's ,hill4 ,sir ,william ,davenant 7#afje-affh74 ,gondibert2 ,madagascar and ,other ,poems4 ,john ,milton 7#afjh-afgd74 ,see biographical note1 page #aie4 ,andrew ,marvell 7#afba-afgh74 ,lyric and satiric poems4 ,samuel ,butler 7#afab-afhj74 ,hudibras4 ,thomas ,otway 7#afea-afhe74 ,the ,poet's ,complaint of his ,muse2 ,windsor ,castle4 ,john ,dryden 7#afca-agjj74 ,see biographical note1 page #age4 ,john ,dryden4 ,,alexander',s ,,feast2 ,,or1 ,,the ,,power ,,of ,,music3 ,,an ,,ode ,,in ,,honor ,,of ,,st4 ,,cecilia',s ,,day4 ',twas at the royal feast1#a for ,persia won ,by ,philip's warlike son3 ,aloft in awful state ,the godlike hero sate ,on his imperial throne3 ,his valiant peers were placed around2 ,their brows with roses and with myrtles bound3#b 7,so should desert in arms be crowned47 ,the lovely ,thais1#c by his side1 ,sate like a blooming ,eastern bride ,in flower of youth and beauty's pride4 ,happy1 happy1 happy pair6 ,none but the brave1 ,none but the brave1 ,none but the brave deserves the fair4 ,chorus4 ,happy1 happy1 happy pair6 ,none but the brave1 ,none but the brave1 ,none but the brave deserves the fair4 ,timotheus1#d placed on high ,amid the tuneful quire1 ,with flying fingers touched the lyre3 ,the trembling notes ascend the sky1 ,and heavenly joys inspire4 ,the song began from ,jove1#e ,who left his blissful seats above1 7,such is the power of mighty love47 ,a dragon's fiery form belied the god3 ,sublime on radiant spires he rode4 ,the listening crowd admire the lofty sound1 ,a present deity1#f they shout around2 ,a present deity1 the vaulted roofs rebound3 ,with ravish'd ears ,the monarch hears1 ,assumes the god1 ,affects to nod1#g ,and seems to shake the spheres4 ,chorus4 ,with ravish'd ears ,the monarch hears1 ,assumes the god1 ,affects to nod1 ,and seems to shake the spheres4 ,the praise of ,bacchus then1 the sweet musician sung1 ,of ,bacchus ever fair and ever young3 ,the jolly god in triumph comes2 ,sound the trumpets2 beat the drums2 ,flush'd with a purple grace1 ,he shows his honest face3 ,now give the hautboys#h breath2 he comes6 he comes6 ,bacchus1 ever fair and young1 ,drinking joys did first ordain2 ,bacchus' blessings are a treasure1 ,drinking is the soldier's pleasure2 ,rich the treasure1 ,sweet the pleasure2 ,sweet is pleasure after pain4 ,chorus4 ,bacchus' blessings are a treasure1 ,drinking is the soldier's pleasure2 ,rich the treasure1 ,sweet the pleasure2 ,sweet is pleasure after pain4 ,sooth'd with the sound1 the king grew vain2 ,fought all his battles o'er again2 ,and thrice he routed all his foes2 and thrice he slew the slain4#i ,the master saw the madness rise2 ,his glowing cheeks1 his ardent eyes2 ,and1 while he ,heaven and ,earth defied1 ,changed his hand1 and check'd his pride4 ,he chose a mournful muse1 ,soft pity to infuse3 ,he sung ,darius#aj great and good1 ,by too severe a fate1 ,fallen1 fallen1 fallen1 fallen1 ,fallen from his high estate1 ,and welt'ring in his blood2 ,deserted at his utmost need1 ,by those his former bounty fed3 ,on the bare earth expos'd he lies1#aa ,with not a friend to close his eyes4#ab ,with downcast looks the joyless victor sate1 ,revolving in his alter'd soul ,the various turns of chance below2 ,and1 now and then1 a sigh he stole1#ac ,and tears began to flow4 ,chorus4 ,revolving in his alter'd soul ,the various turns of chance below2 ,and1 now and then1 a sigh he stole1 ,and tears began to flow4 ,the mighty master smil'd to see ,that love was in the next degree3 ',twas but a kindred sound to move1 ,for pity melts the mind to love4#ad ,softly sweet1 in ,lydian#ae measures1 ,soon he sooth'd his soul to pleasures4 ,war1 he sung1 is toil and trouble2 ,honor1 but an empty bubble2#af ,never ending1 still beginning1 ,fighting still1 and still destroying2 ,if the world be worth thy winning1 ,think1 oh think it worth enjoying6 ,lovely ,thais sits beside thee1 ,take the good the gods provide thee4 ,the many#ag rend the air with loud applause2 ,so ,love was crown'd1 but ,music won the cause4 ,the prince1 unable to conceal his pain1 ,gaz'd on the fair ,who caus'd his care1 ,and sigh'd and look'd1#ah sigh'd and look'd1 ,sigh'd and look'd1 and sigh'd again2 ,at length1 with love and wine at once oppress'd1 ,the vanquish'd victor sunk upon her breast4 ,chorus4 ,the prince1 unable to conceal his pain1 ,gaz'd on the fair ,who caus'd his care1 ,and sigh'd and look'd1 sigh'd and look'd1 ,sigh'd and look'd1 and sigh'd again2 ,at length1 with love and wine at once oppress'd1 ,the vanquish'd victor sunk upon her breast4 ,now strike the golden lyre again2 ,a louder yet1 and yet a louder strain4 ,break his bands of sleep#ai asunder1 ,and rouse him1 like a rattling peal of thunder4 ,hark1 hark1 the horrid sound ,has raised up his head6 ,as awaked from the dead1 ,and amaz'd he stares around4 ,revenge6 revenge6 ,timotheus cries1 ,see the ,furies#bj arise3 ,see the snakes that they rear1 ,how they hiss in their hair1 ,and the sparkles that flash from their eyes6 ,behold a ghastly band1 ,each a torch in his hand6 ,those are ,grecian ghosts1#ba that in battle were slain1 ,and unburied remain ,inglorious on the plain3 ,give the vengeance due ,to the valiant crew4#bb ,behold how they toss their torches on high1 ,how they point to the ,persian abodes1 ,and glittering temples of their hostile gods6 ,the princes applaud with a furious joy2 ,and the king seiz'd a flambeau with zeal to destroy2 ,thais led the way1#bc ,to light him to his prey1 ,and like another ,helen1 fired another ,troy4 ,chorus4 ,and the king seiz'd a flambeau with zeal to destroy2 ,thais led the way1 ,to light him to his prey1 ,and like another ,helen1 fired another ,troy4 ,thus1 long ago1 ,ere heaving bellows learn'd to blow1 ,while organs#bd yet were mute2 ,timotheus to his breathing flute1 ,and sounding lyre1 ,could swell the soul to rage1 or kindle soft desire4 ,at last divine ,cecilia came1 ,inventress of the vocal frame2#be ,the sweet enthusiast1 from her sacred store1 ,enlarged the former narrow bounds1 ,and added length to solemn sounds1 ,with ,nature's mother-wit1 and arts unknown before4 ,let old ,timotheus yield the prize1 ,or both divide the crown3 ,he rais'd a mortal to the skies2 ,she drew an angel down4#bf ,grand ,chorus4 ,at last divine ,cecilia came1 ,inventress of the vocal frame2 ,the sweet enthusiast1 from her sacred store1 ,enlarged the former narrow bounds1 ,and added length to solemn sounds1 ,with ,nature's mother-wit1 and arts unknown before4 ,let old ,timotheus yield the prize1 ,or both divide the crown3 ,he rais'd a mortal to the skies ,she drew an angel down4 ,,notes4 ,this song was written in #afig4 ,lord ,bolingbroke relates that1 calling upon the poet one morning1 ,dryden said to him3 ,i have been up all night2 my musical friends made me promise to write them an ode for their ,feast of ,st4 ,cecilia1 and ,i was so struck with the subject which occurred to me that ,i could not leave it till ,i had completed it3 here it is1 finished at one sitting4 ,the poem was first set to music by one ,jeremiah ,clarke1 a steward of the ,musical ,society1 whose members had solicited ,dryden to write it4 ,in #agcf it was rearranged by the great composer ,handel1 and again presented at a public performance4 ,m4 ,taine says1 ,his ',alexander's ,feast' is an admirable trumpet-blast1 in which metre and sound impress upon the nerves the emotions of the mind1 a master-piece of rapture and of art1 which ,victor ,hugo alone has come up to4 ,as a piece of poetical mechanism to be set to music1 or recited in alternate strophe and anti-strophe1 says ,hazlitt1 nothing can be better4 ,this ode is ,dryden's greatest and best work4--,macaulay4 #a4 royal feast4 ,about the year ,b4,c4 #cca1 ,alexander the ,great1 having overthrown the ,persian ,empire1 held a great feast at ,persepolis in celebration of his victories4 ,at the close of the revelries1 instigated1 it is said1 by ,thais1 his ,athenian mistress1 he set fire with his own hand to the great palace of ,persepolis2 and a general massacre of the inhabitants ensued4 ,the ruins of the city and palace are still to be seen in a beautiful valley watered by the river ,araxes--now called ,bendemir--not far from the border of the ,carmanian ,desert4 #b4 with roses and with myrtles4 ,at the banquets of the ,greeks it was the custom of the guests to wear garlands of roses and myrtles4 #c4 ,thais4 ,her name is best known from the story of her having stimulated the ,conqueror1 during a great festival at ,persepolis1 to set fire to the palace of the ,persian kings2 but this anecdote1 immortalized as it has been by ,dryden's famous ode1 appears to rest on the sole authority of ,cleitarchus1 one of the least trustworthy of the historians of ,alexander1 and is in all probability a mere fable4 ,after the death of ,alexander1 ,thais became the wife of ,ptolemy ,lagus4 #d4 ,timotheus4 ,a famous flute-player from ,thebes4 ,another and more celebrated ,timotheus1 the poet of the later ,athenian dithyramb1 was a native of ,miletus and died about the time of ,alexander's birth4 #e4 ,alexander claimed to be the son of ,jupiter ,ammon2 and when he visited the temple of that god1 in the ,libyan ,desert1 he was received by the priests and honored as such4 ,see ,plutarch's ,life of ,alexander4 #f4 present deity4 ,see ,psalm xlvi4 #a4 #g4 affects to nod4 ,see ,homer's ,iliad4 ,i1 #ebh-ecj3 ,jove spake1 and nodded his dark brow1 and the ambrosial locks waved from his immortal head2 and he made great ,olympus quake4 #h4 hautboys4 ,oboes4 ,french hautbois4 ,wind instruments resembling the clarionet4 ,bacchus4 ,compare ,shakespeare3 ,come1 thou monarch of the vine1 ,plumpy ,bacchus with pink eyne4 --,antony and ,cleopatra1 ,act ii1 sc4 #g4 #i4 thrice he slew the slain4 ,how could he slay the slain8 #aj4 ,darius4 ,at the time of this feast at ,persepolis1 ,darius1 the vanquished king of ,persia1 was still living1 although a fugitive4 ,in the following year ,alexander pursued him into the ,parthian ,desert1 where he was murdered by the satrap of ,bactria4 ,by order of ,alexander1 the body of the unfortunate king was sent to ,persepolis1 to be buried in the tombs of the kings4 #aa4 expos'd he lies4 ,dryden seems to have written this under the impression that ,darius had been killed before the time of the great feast at ,persepolis4 #ab4 close his eyes4 ,compare this with the lines from ,pope 7,elegy on an ,unfortunate ,lady73 ,by foreign hands thy dying eyes were closed2 ,by foreign hands thy decent limbs composed4 #ac4 a sigh he stole4 ,sighed silently4 ,his sighs when the result of pity were not very distinctly uttered4 ,compare ,shakespeare3 ,and then the lover1 ,sighing like a furnace4 --,as ,you ,like ,it1 ,act ii1 sc4 #g4 ,and then read1 in the next stanza1 how ,alexander sighed when moved by love4 #ad4 pity melts the mind to love4 ,compare3 ,pity swells the tide of love4 --,young's ,night ,thoughts1 ,,iii1 #ajf4 ,pity's akin to love4 --,southern's ,oroonoko1 ,,ii1 #a4 #ae4 ,lydian measures4 ,the people of ,lydia were noted for the effeminacy of their manners4 ,and ,lydian music was peculiarly soft and voluptuous4 ,and ever against eating cares1 ,lap me in soft ,lydian airs4 --,milton's ,l',allegro1 #ace4 ,and all the while sweet ,musicke did divide ,her looser notes with ,lydian harmony4 --,spenser's ,faerie ,queene1 ,,iii1 #a4 ,observe the change in metre in the ten lines beginning ,softly sweet4 ,what does the word sweet modify8 #af4 ,honor1 but an empty bubble4 ,so ,shakespeare3 ,honor is a mere scutcheon4 --#a ,henry ,,iv41 ,act v1 sc4 #a4 #ag4 ,the many4 ,the multitude4 #ah4 sigh'd and look'd4 ,he no longer steals a sigh1 as he did when pitying ,darius4 ,see note #ac1 above4 #ai4 ,break his bands of sleep4 ,the music now is very different from the ,lydian measures which soothed his soul to pleasures4 ,suidas1 says ,dr4 ,warton1 mentions the ,orthian style in music1 in which ,timotheus is said to have played to ,alexander2 and one ,antigenidas inflamed this prince still more by striking into what were called ,harmatian measures4 ,quintus ,curtius gives a minute description of the burning of the palace at ,persepolis1 when ,alexander was accompanied by ,thais4 ,but it does not appear in the accurate ,arrian that ,thais had any share in this transaction4 ,arrian1 but more so ,aristobulus1 endeavored to exculpate ,alexander from the charge of frequent ebriety2 but ,menander plainly mentions the drunkenness of ,alexander as proverbial4 #bj4 ,furies4 ,the ,eumenides1 or avengers of evil4 ,they are variously represented by the poets4 schylus describes them as having black bodies1 hair composed of twining snakes1 and eyes dripping with blood4 #ba4 ,grecian ghosts4 ,the spirits of the ,greek warriors in ,alexander's army who had been slain by the ,persians4 #bb4 crew4 ,this word was formerly used to designate any associated multitude or assemblage of persons4 ,it is now restricted to a ship's company1 except when occasionally used in a bad sense4 ,from ,a4-,s4 cread or cruth1 a crowd4 #bc4 ,thais led the way1 etc4 ,see note #ai1 above4 ,neither ,thais nor ,helen actually fired any city4 ,what the poet means to say is that1 as ,helen was the cause of the destruction of ,troy1 so ,thais instigated the burning of ,persepolis4 #bd4 organs4 ,the word organ originally denoted but a single pipe1 and hence the older ,english writers1 when referring to the complete instrument1 generally used the word in the plural number4 ,father ,schmidt and other famous organ-builders flourished in the latter part of the seventeenth century4 ,the organ in ,temple ,church1 ,london1 was built by ,schmidt in ,charles ,,ii4's time4 #be4 vocal frame4 ,the organ--the grand instrument of church music--so perfect that it may literally be said to speak4 ,see introductory note to ,pope's ,ode on ,st4 ,cecilia's ,day1 page #aec4 #bf4 ,st4 ,cecilia1 according to the story in the ,golden ,legend1 was under the immediate protection of an angel4 ,but it was not her sweet playing1 but her spotless purity1 that brought the angel to earth1 not to listen1 but to be a heavenly guard4 ,compare these last four lines with those at the close of ,pope's ,ode4 ,dr4 ,warton says of ,alexander's ,feast3 ,if ,dryden had never written anything but this ode1 his name would have been immortal1 as would that of ,gray1 if he had never written anything but his ',bard4' ,it is difficult to find new terms to express our admiration of the variety1 richness1 and melody of its numbers2 the force1 beauty1 and distinctness of its images2 the succession of so many different passions and feelings2 and the matchless perspicuity of its diction4 ,no particle of it can be wished away1 but the epigrammatic turn of the four concluding lines4 ,hallam says3 ,this ode has a few lines mingled with a far greater number ill conceived and ill expressed2 the whole composition has that spirit which ,dryden hardly ever wanted1 but it is too faulty for high praise4 ,it used to pass for the best work of ,dryden and the best ode in the language4 ,but few lines are highly poetical1 and some sink to the level of a common drinking song4 ,it has the defects as well as the merits of that poetry which is written for musical accompaniment4 ,,the ,,fire ,,of ,,london4 ,,from ,,annus ,,mirabilis4 ,such was the rise of this prodigious fire1#a ,which1 in mean buildings first obscurely bred1 ,from thence did soon to open streets aspire1 ,and straight to palaces and temples spread4 ,the diligence of trades1 and noiseful gain1 ,and luxury1 more late1 asleep were laid2 ,all was the ,night's1 and in her silent reign ,no sound the rest of ,nature did invade4 ,in this deep quiet1 from what source unknown1#b ,those seeds of fire their fatal birth disclose2 ,and first few scattering sparks about were blown1 ,big with the flames that to our ruin rose4 ,then in some close-pent room it crept along1 ,and1 smouldering as it went1 in silence fed2 ,till the infant monster1 with devouring strong1 ,walk'd boldly upright with exalted head4 ,now1 like some rich or mighty murderer1 ,too great for prison which he breaks with gold1 ,who fresher for new mischiefs does appear1 ,and dares the world to tax him with the old1 ,so scapes the insulting fire his narrow jail1 ,and makes small outlets into open air2 ,there the fierce winds his tender force assail1 ,and beat him downward to his first repair4 ,the winds1 like crafty courtesans1 withheld ,his flames from burning but to blow them more3 ,and1 every fresh attempt1 he is repell'd ,with faint denials1 weaker than before4 ,and now1 no longer letted#c of his prey1 ,he leaps up at it with enraged desire1 ,o'erlooks the neighbors with a wide survey1 ,and nods at every house his threatening fire4 ,the ghosts of traitors from the ,bridge#d descend1 ,with bold fanatic spectres to rejoice2 ,about the fire into a dance they bend1 ,and sing their sabbath notes with feeble voice4 ,our guardian angel saw them where they sate1 ,above the palace of our slumbering ,king2 ,he sighed1 abandoning his charge to ,fate1 ,and drooping oft look'd back upon the wing4 ,at length the crackling noise and dreadful blaze ,call'd up some waking lover to the sight2 ,and long it was ere he the rest could raise1 ,whose heavy eyelids yet were full of night4 ,the next to danger1 hot pursued by fate1 ,half-clothed1 half-naked1 hastily retire2 ,and frighted mothers strike their breasts too late ,for helpless infants left amidst the fire4 ,their cries soon waken all the dwellers near2 ,now murmuring noises rise in every street2 ,the more remote run stumbling with their fear1 ,and in the dark men justle as they meet4 ,so weary bees in little cells repose2 ,but if night-robbers lift the well-stored hive1 ,an humming through their waxen city grows1 ,and out upon each other's wings they drive4#e ,now streets grow throng'd and busy as by day2 ,some run for buckets to the hallow'd quire2 ,some cut the pipes1 and some the engines play1 ,and some more bold mount ladders to the fire4 ,in vain2 for from the east a ,belgian wind ,his hostile breath through the dry rafters sent2 ,the flames impell'd soon left their foes behind1 ,and forward with a wanton fury went4 ,a key#f of fire ran all along the shore1 ,and lighten'd all the river with a blaze2 ,the waken'd tides began again to roar1 ,and wondering fish in shining waters gaze4 ,old ,father ,thames rais'd up his reverend head1 ,but fear'd the fate of ,simois#g would return2 ,deep in his ooze he sought his sedgy bed1 ,and shrank his waters back into his urn4 ,the fire meantime walks in a broader gross2#h ,to either hand his wings he opens wide2 ,he wades the streets1 and straight he reaches cross1 ,and plays his longing flames on the other side4 ,at first they warm1 then scorch1 and then they take2 ,now with long necks from side to side they feed2 ,at length1 grown strong1 their mother-fire forsake1 ,and a new colony of flames succeed4 ,to every nobler portion of the town ,the curling billows roll their restless tide2 ,in parties now they straggle up and down1 ,as armies unopposed for prey divide4 ,one mighty squadron1 with a sidewind sped1 ,through narrow lanes his cumber'd fire does haste1 ,by powerful charms of gold and silver led ,the ,lombard bankers and the ,change to waste4 ,another backward to the ,tower would go1 ,and slowly eats his way against the wind2 ,but the main body of the marching foe ,against the imperial palace is design'd4 ,now day appears2 and with the day the ,king1 ,whose early care had robb'd him of his rest2 ,far off the cracks of falling houses ring1 ,and shrieks of subjects pierce his tender breast4 ,near as he draws1 thick harbingers of smoke ,with gloomy pillars cover all the place2 ,whose little intervals of night are broke ,by sparks that drive against his sacred face4 ,more than his guards his sorrows made him known1 ,and pious tears which down his cheeks did shower2 ,the wretched in his grief forgot their own2 ,so much the pity of a king has power4 ,he wept the flames of what he lov'd so well1 ,and what so well had merited his love2 ,for never prince in grace did more excel1 ,or royal city more in duty strove4 ,,notes4 ,this selection from ,dryden's long and very tedious poem1 ,annus ,mirabilis1 the year of ,wonders1 #afff1 is given here as a specimen of that kind of mechanical versification so popular in the latter half of the seventeenth century4 ,that part of my poem which describes the ,fire1 says ,dryden1 ,i owe first to the piety and fatherly affection of our monarch to his suffering subjects2 and1 in the second place1 to the courage1 loyalty1 and magnanimity of the city2 both of which were so conspicuous that ,i have wanted words to celebrate them as they deserve4 ,and ,i have chosen to write my poem in quatrains or stanzas of four in alternate rhyme1 because ,i have ever judged them more noble1 and of greater dignity1 both for the sound and number1 than any other verse in use amongst us4 ,this opinion1 however1 was certainly not long maintained by the poet1 for he never afterward practised that form of versification which he has here praised4 #a4 this prodigious fire4 ,a half sheet published immediately after the ,great ,fire contains this account of the catastrophe which ,dryden describes in his verses3 ,on ,sunday1 the second of ,september1 this present year #afff1 about one o'clock in the morning1 there happened a sad and deplorable fire in ,pudding-lane near ,new ,fish-street2 which1 falling out in a part of the city so close built with wooden houses 4 4 4 in a short time became too big to be mastered by any engines or working near it4 4 4 4 ,it continued all ,monday and ,tuesday with such impetuosity1 that it consumed houses and churches all the way to ,st4 ,dunstan's ,church1 in ,fleet-street2 at which time1 by the favour of ,god1 the wind slackened2 and that night1 by the vigilancy1 industry1 and indefatigable pains of his ,majesty and his ,royal ,highness1 calling upon all people1 and encouraging them by their personal assistances1 a stop was put to the fire in ,fleet-street1 etc4 ,but on ,wednesday night it suddenly broke out afresh in the ,inner ,temple4 ,his ,royal ,highness in person fortunately watching there that night1 by his care1 diligence1 great labour1 and seasonable commands for the blowing up1 with gunpowder1 some of the said buildings1 it was most happily before day extinguished4 #b4 source unknown4 ,it was ascribed by the rage of the people either to the ,republicans or the ,catholics1 especially the latter4 ,an inscription on the monument1 intended to perpetuate this groundless suspicion1 was erased by ,james ,,ii41 but restored at the ,revolution4--,warton4 #c4 letted4 ,hindered4 ,this use of the word let is now obsolete1 except in the phrase1 ,without let or hindrance4 ,it was frequently employed by the older writers4 ,what lets but one may enter8--,shakespeare4 #d4 the ,bridge4 ,the heads of traitors were displayed on ,london ,bridge4 ,how inferior is this passage1 says ,dr4 ,dodd1 to ,milton's animated description of the wild ceremonies of ,moloch1 which ,dryden1 however1 seems to have here had in mind4 ,see ,ode on the ,nativity1 stanza xxiii4 #e4 ,the simile in this stanza was doubtless intended to be very effective4 #f4 key4 ,quay4 ,a bank1 or ledge4 #g4 ,simois4 ,see ,homer's ,iliad1 ,bk4 ,,xxi4 #h4 gross4 ,bulk4 ,,reason ,,and ,,religion4 ,,from ,,religio ,,laici4 ,dim as the borrow'd beams of moon and stars ,to lonely1 weary1 wand'ring travellers1 ,is ,reason to the soul3 and as on high1 ,those rolling fires discover but the sky1 ,not light us here2 so ,reason's glimmering ray ,was lent1 not to assure our doubtful way1 ,but guide us upward to a better day4 ,and as those nightly tapers disappear1 ,when day's bright lord ascends our hemisphere2 ,so pale grows ,reason at ,religion's sight2 ,so dies1 and so dissolves in supernatural light4 ,some few whose light shone brighter1 have been led ,from cause to cause1 to nature's secret head2 ,and found that one first principle must be1 ,but what1 or who1 that ,universal ,,he2 ,whether some soul incompassing this ball1 ,unmade1 unmov'd1 yet making1 moving all1 ,or various atoms' interfering dance ,leap'd into form1 the noble work of chance1 ,or this great ,all was from eternity-- ,not even the ,stagirite himself could see1 ,and ,epicurus guess'd as well as he2 ,as blindly groped they for a future state1 ,as rashly judged of providence and fate4 ,in this wild maze their vain endeavors end3 ,how can the less the greater comprehend8 ,or finite ,reason reach ,infinity8 ,for what could fathom ,god were more than ,he4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,john ,,dryden was born on the #ith of ,august1 #afca1 at ,aldwincle ,all ,saints1 near ,oundle in ,northamptonshire4 ,he was educated at ,westminster ,school1 under the famous ,dr4 ,busby1 and at ,trinity ,college1 ,cambridge4 ,at the age of twenty-six he went up to ,london with the intention of devoting himself to literature and politics4 ,during the brief remaining years of the ,commonwealth 7#afeg-affj7 he was nominally a friend to the ,puritan party2 and one of the first poems written by him was a series of ,heroic ,stanzas on the ,death of ,oliver ,cromwell4 ,at the ,restoration he at once espoused the cause of the ,royalists2 and his recent panegyric on the ,protector did not prevent him from writing a poem1 ,astra ,redux1 in honor of the return of ,charles the ,second4 ,in #affc he married the ,lady ,elizabeth ,howard1 a daughter of the ,earl of ,berkshire1 a ,royalist nobleman4 ,for several years he devoted himself chiefly to the writing of plays1--comedies1 tragedies1 and tragi-comedies4 ,the comedies he wrote in prose2 the earliest tragedies in blank verse1 followed by several in rhyme1 and1 after these1 others in blank verse4 ,in #afgj he was appointed ,poet-,laureate4 ,in #afha1 when nearly fifty years old1 by the publication of ,absalom and ,achitophel1 he suddenly became famous as a satirical poet4 ,he soon afterwards wrote ,the ,medal1 another satire1 directed against the ,earl of ,shaftesbury1 and ,mac ,flecknoe1 aimed at ,shadwell1 the chief poet of the ,opposition4 ,at about the same time he produced ,religio ,laici1 a didactic poem explaining his religious opinions and defending the ,church of ,england against dissenters1 atheists1 and ,catholics4 ,not long after the accession of ,james ,,ii41 ,dryden1 true to his policy of being always on the side of the ruling party1 became a ,catholic1 and wrote ,the ,hind and the ,panther1 in which he eulogized many things that1 in the former poem1 he had ridiculed4 ,his political career ended with the overthrow of ,james ,,ii41 in #afhh2 but his literary activity continued unabated4 ,the last years of his life were occupied in translating the works of ,persius and ,juvenal and the neid of ,virgil4 ,in #afig he wrote ,alexander's ,feast2 and his modernizations of some of ,chaucer's poems appeared in #agjj1 the year of his death4 ,if there is grandeur in the pomp of kings and the march of hosts1 says ,a4 ,w4 ,ward1 in the 'trumpet's loud clangor' and in tapestries and carpetings of velvet and gold1 ,dryden is to be ranked with the grandest of ,english poets4 ,the irresistible impetus of an invective which never falls short or flat1 and the savor of a satire which never seems dull or stale1 give him an undisputed place among the most glorious of ,english wits4 ,his descriptive power was of the highest1 says ,hales4 ,our literature has in it no more vigorous portrait-gallery than that he has bequeathed it4 ,his power of expression is beyond praise4 ,there is always a singular fitness in his language3 he uses always the right word4 ,he is one of our greatest masters of metre3 metre was1 in fact1 no restraint to him1 but rather it seems to have given him freedom4 ,it has been observed that he argues better in verse than in prose2 verse was the natural costume of his thoughts4 ,professor ,masson says3 ,not only is ,dryden the largest figure in one era of our literature3 he is a very considerable figure also in our literature as a whole4 ,of all that he wrote1 however1 there is but a comparatively small portion that has won for itself a permanent place in our literature4 ,other ,poems to be ,read3 ,absalom and ,achitophel2 ,mac ,flecknoe2 ,religio ,laici2 ,threnodia ,augustalis4 ,,references3 ,johnson's ,lives of the ,poets2 ,hazlitt's ,english ,poets2 ,lowell's ,among ,my ,books2 ,macaulay's ,essay on ,john ,dryden2 ,taine's ,english ,literature2 ,masson's ,three ,devils and ,other ,essays2 ,thackeray's ,english ,humorists4 ,john ,milton4 ,,on ,,the ,,morning ,,of ,,christ',s ,,nativity4 ,i4 ,this is the month1 and this the happy morn1 ,wherein the ,son of ,heav'ns eternal ,king1 ,of wedded ,maid and ,virgin mother born1 ,our great redemption from above did bring3 ,for so the holy ,sages once did sing3 ,that he our deadly forfeit should release1#a ,and with his ,father work us a perpetual peace4 ,,ii4 ,the glorious form1 that light unsufferable1 ,and that far-beaming blaze of majesty1 ,wherewith he wont#b at ,heav'ns high council-table ,to sit the midst of ,trinal ,unity1 ,he laid aside2 and1 here with us to be1 ,forsook the courts of everlasting day1 ,and chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay4#c ,,iii4 ,say1 heav'nly muse1 shall not thy sacred vein ,afford a present to the ,infant ,god8 ,hast thou no vers1 no hymn1 or solemn strein ,to welcome him to this his new abode ,now while the ,heav'n by the suns team untrod ,hath took no print of the approaching light1 ,and all the spangled host keep watch in squadrons bright8 ,,iv4 ,see how from far upon the eastern rode ,the star-led ,wisards#d haste with odours sweet2 ,o run1 prevent#e them with thy humble ode1 ,and lay it lowly at his blessed feet2 ,have thou the honour first thy ,lord to greet1 ,and join thy voice unto the angel quire1#f ,from out his secret altar toucht with hallow'd fire4 ,,the ,,hymn4 ,i4 ,it was the winter wilde ,while the ,heav'n-born childe ,all meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies2 ,nature in aw of him ,had doff't her gaudy trim1 ,with her great ,master so to sympathize3 ,it was no season then for her ,to wanton with the sun her lusty paramour4#g ,,ii4 ,onely with speeches fair ,she woo's the gentle air ,to hide her guilty front with innocent snow1 ,and on her naked shame1 ,pollute with sinfull blame1 ,the saintly veil of maiden#h white to throw3 ,confounded that her ,makers eyes ,should look so near upon her foul deformities4 ,,iii4 ,but he1 her fears to cease1 ,sent down the meek-eyed ,peace1 ,she1 crown'd with olive green1 came softly sliding ,down through the turning sphear1#i ,his ready harbinger1#aj ,with turtle#aa wing the amorous clouds dividing1 ,and1 waving wide her mirtle wand1 ,she strikes a universall peace#ab through sea and land4 ,,iv4 ,no war1 or battails sound1 ,was heard the world around2 ,the idle spear and shield were high up hung2 ,the hooked chariot#ac stood ,unstain'd with hostile blood2 ,the trumpet spake not to the armed throng2 ,and kings sate still with awfull eye1#ad ,as if they surely knew their sovran ,lord was by4 ,v4 ,but peacefull was the night ,wherein the ,prince of ,light ,his raign of peace upon the earth began2 ,the windes1 with wonder whist1#ae ,smoothly the waters kist1 ,whispering new joyes to the milde ocean1 ,who now hath quite forgot to rave1 ,while birds of calm sit brooding on the charmed wave4 ,,vi4 ,the stars1 with deep amaze1 ,stand fixt in stedfast gaze1 ,bending one way their precious influence1#af ,and will not take their flight ,for#ag all the morning light ,or ,lucifer#ah that often warn'd them thence2 ,but in their glimmering orbs did glow1 ,untill their ,lord himself bespake1 and bid them go4 ,,vii4 ,and1 though the shady ,gloom ,had given day her room1 ,the sun himself withheld his wonted speed1 ,and hid his head for shame1 ,as his inferiour flame ,the new-enlightn'd world no more should need2 ,he saw a greater sun appear ,than his bright throne or burning axle-tree#ai could bear4 ,,viii4 ,the shepherds on the lawn#bj ,or ere#ba the point of dawn ,sate simply chatting in a rustick row2 ,full little thought they than ,that the mighty ,pan#bb ,was kindly com to live with them below2 ,perhaps their loves1 or else their sheep1 ,was all that did their silly#bc thoughts so busie keep4 ,,ix4 ,when such musick sweet ,their hearts and ears did greet ,as never was by mortall finger strook1#bd ,divinely warbled voice ,answering the stringed noise#be ,as all their souls in blissfull rapture took2 ,the air1 such pleasure loth to lose1 ,with thousand echo's still prolongs each heav'nly close4#bf ,x4 ,nature that heard such sound ,beneath the hollow round#bg ,of ,cynthia's seat the airy region thrilling1 ,now was almost won ,to think her part was don1 ,and that her raign had here its#bh last fulfilling2 ,she knew such harmony alone ,could hold all ,heav'n and ,earth in happier union4 ,,xi4 ,at last surrounds their sight ,a globe of circular light1 ,that with long beams the shame-fac't ,night array'd2 ,the helmed ,cherubim1#bi ,the sworded ,seraphim ,are seen in glittering ranks with wings displaied1 ,harping in loud and solemn quire ,with unexpressive#cj notes to ,heav'n's new-born ,heir4 ,,xii4 ,such musick 7as 'tis said7 ,before was never made ,but when of old the sons of ,morning sung1#ca ,while the ,creator great ,his constellation set1 ,and the well-ballanc't world on hinges#cb hung1 ,and cast the dark foundations deep1 ,and bid the weltring#cc waves their oozy channel keep4 ,,xiii4 ,ring out1 ye crystall sphears2#cd ,once bless our humane ears 7,if ye have power to touch our senses so71 ,and let your silver chime ,move in melodious time1 ,and let the base of ,heav'ns deep organ blow1 ,and with your ninefold harmony ,make up full consort#ce to th' angelike symphony4 ,,xiv4 ,for1 if such holy song ,enwrap our fancy long1 ,time will run back and fetch the age of ,gold2#cf ,and speckl'd ,vanity ,will sicken soon and die1 ,and leprous sin will melt from earthly mould2#cg ,and ,hell itself will pass away1 ,and leave her#ch dolorous mansions to the peering day4 ,,xv4 ,yea1 ,truth and ,justice then ,will down return to men1 ,orb'd in a rainbow2 and1 like glories wearing1 ,mercy will set between1 ,thron'd in celestiall sheen1 ,with radiant feet the tissued clouds down stearing2 ,and ,heav'n1 as at som festivall1 ,will open wide the gates of her high palace hall4#ci ,,xvi4 ,but wisest ,fate sayes no2 ,this must not yet be so2 ,the ,babe lies yet in smiling infancy1 ,that on the bitter cross#dj ,must redeem our loss1 ,so both himself and us to glorifie2 ,yet first to those ychain'd#da in sleep ,the wakefull trump#db of doom must thunder through the deep4 ,,xvii4 ,with such a horrid clang ,as on ,mount ,sinai rang1#dc ,while the red fire and smould'ring clouds out brake2 ,the aged ,earth1 agast1 ,with terrour of that blast1 ,shall from the surface to the center shake2 ,when at the worlds last session#dd ,the dreadfull ,judge in middle air shall spread his throne4 ,,xviii4 ,and then at last our bliss ,full and perfect is1 ,but now begins2 for from this happy day1 ,th' old ,dragon#de under ground1 ,in straiter limits bound1 ,not half so far casts his usurped sway2 ,and1 wroth to see his kingdom fail1 ,swindges#df the scaly horrour of his foulded tail4 ,,xix4 ,the oracles are dumm2#dg ,no voice or hideous humm ,runs through the arched roof in words deceiving4 ,apollo from his shrine ,can no more divine1 ,with hollow shreik the steep of ,delphos#dh leaving4 ,no nightly trance1 or breathed spell1 ,inspires the pale-ey'd ,priest from the prophetic cell4 ,,xx4 ,the lonely mountains o'er ,and the resounding shore ,a voice of weeping#di heard and loud lament2 ,from haunted spring and dale ,edged with poplar pale ,the parting#ej ,genius is with sighing sent2 ,with floure-inwov'n tresses torn ,the nimphs in twilight shade of tangled thickets mourn4 ,,xxi4 ,in consecrated earth1 ,and on the holy hearth#ea ,the ,lars and ,lemures moan with midnight plaint ,in urns and altars round1 ,a drear and dying sound ,affrights the ,flamins#eb at their service quaint ,and the chill marble seems to sweat1 ,while each peculiar power forgoes#ec his wonted seat4 ,,xxii4 ,peor and ,balim#ed ,forsake their temples dim1 ,with that twise batter'd god#ee of ,palestine2 ,and mooned ,ashtaroth1 ,heav'ns queen and mother both1 ,now sits not girt with tapers holy shine2 ,the ,lybic ,hammon shrinks his horn2 ,in vain the ,tyrian maids their wounded ,thammuz mourn2#ef ,,xxiii4 ,and sullen ,moloch1 fled1 ,hath left in shadows dred#eg ,his burning idol all of blackest hue2 ,in vain with cymbals ring ,they call the grisly#eh ,king ,in dismall dance about the furnace blue2 ,the brutish#ei gods of ,nile as fast1 ,isis1 and ,orus1 and the dog ,anubis last4 ,,xxiv4 ,nor is ,osiris seen ,in ,memphian grove or green ,trampling the unshowr'd grass#fj with lowings loud1 ,nor can he be at rest ,within his sacred chest2 ,naught but profoundest hell can be his shroud2 ,in vain with timbrel'd anthems dark ,the sable-stoled sorcerers bear his worshipt ark4 ,,xxv4 ,he feels from ,judas land ,the dredded ,infants hand2 ,the rayes of ,bethlehem blind his dusky eyn2#fa ,nor all the gods beside ,longer dare abide1 ,not ,typhon huge ending in snaky twine3 ,our ,babe1 to show his ,godhead true1 ,can in his swaddling bands controul the damned crew4 ,,xxvi4 ,so1 when the ,sun in bed1#fb ,curtain'd with cloudy red ,pillows his chin upon an orient wave1 ,the flocking shadows pale ,troop to th' infernal jail2 ,each fetter'd ghost slips to his severall grave2 ,and the yellow-skirted ,fayes ,fly after the night-steeds1 leaving their moon-lov'd maze4 ,,xxvii4 ,but see the ,virgin blest ,hath laid her ,babe to rest2 ,time is our tedious song should here have ending2 ,heav'ns youngest teemed#fc star ,hath fixt her polish'd car1 ,her sleeping ,lord with handmaid lamp attending2 ,and all about the courtly stable ,bright-harness'd angels sit in order serviceable4#fd ,,notes4 ,this poem was begun by ,milton on ,christmas day1 #afbi4 ,he had then just completed his twenty-first year1 and was still an undergraduate at ,christ's ,college1 ,cambridge4 ,from certain fragments and other evidence1 it is believed that he contemplated writing a series of poems on great ,christian events in a similar way4 ,this is the first poem of importance which he wrote4 ,hallam speaks of it as perhaps the finest lyric of its kind in the ,english language4 ,a grandeur1 a simplicity1 a breadth of manner1 an imagination at once elevated and restrained by the subject1 reign throughout it4 ,if ,pindar is a model of lyric poetry1 it would be hard to name any other ode so truly ,pindaric2 but more has naturally been derived from the ,scriptures4 #a4 our deadly forfeit should release4 ,should remit the penalty of death pronounced against us4 ,shakespeare has a similar use of the word forfeit4 ,thy slanders ,i forgive1 and therewithal ,remit thy other forfeits4 --,measure for ,measure1 ,act v1 sc4 #a4 #b4 wont4 ,the past tense of the ,a4-,s4 verb wunian1 to persist1 to continue1 to be accustomed4 ,now used only in connection with some form of the auxiliary verb be4 #c4 ,explain the meaning of each word in this line1 and of the whole line4 ,the next two stanzas comprise an invocation to the ,muse of ,poetry4 ,see note #a1 page #aec4 #d4 ,wisards4 ,wizards4 ,wise men4 ,the word was originally used in this sense1 and not with the depreciatory meaning of magician1 as at present4 ,spenser says3 ,therefore the antique wizards well invented ,that ,venus of the fomy sea was bred1 meaning by antique wizards ancient philosophers4 #e4 prevent4 ,go before2 the original meaning of the word1 from ,lat4 pr1 before1 and venio1 to go or come4 ,i prevented the dawning of the morning4--,psalm cxix4 #adg4 ,i will have nothing to hinder me in the morning1 for ,i will prevent the sun rising4--,izaak ,walton1 ,compleat ,angler4 #f4 angel quire4 ,and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising ,god4--,luke ii1 #ac4 #g4 paramour4 ,see note #i1 page #hj4 #h4 maiden4 ,pure1 innocent1 unpolluted4 ,compare ,when ,i am dead1 strew me o'er ,with maiden flowers4 --,shakespeare1 ,henry ,,viii1 ,act iv1 sc4 #b4 #i4 turning sphear4 ,the ,ptolemaic system of astronomy taught that the earth was the centre of the universe1 and that all the heavenly bodies revolved about it1 being fixed in a complicated framework1 or series of hollow crystalline spheres moving one within the other4 ,the turning sphear is here this entire system of revolving spheres4 ,see note #cd1 below4 #aj4 harbinger4 ,one who provides a resting-place for a superior person4 ,it was the duty of the king's harbinger1 when the court removed from one place to another1 to provide lodgings for the king's retinue4 ,derived from harbor1 harborage4 ,the word harbor is from ,a4-,s4 here1 army1 and beorg1 a refuge4 ,others derive the word from har1 a message1 and bringer--hence1 one who brings a message1 a herald4 ,parkes's ,topography of ,hampstead1 #ahah1 contains the following3 ,the office of harbinger still exists in the ,royal ,household1 the nominal duty of the officer being to ride one stage onward before the king on his progress1 to provide lodging and provision for the court4 ,the last knight-harbinger was ,sir ,henry ,rycroft 7appointed in #ahaf1 died ,october1 #ahdf1 aged eighty74 ,the office became extinct at his death4 #aa4 turtle4 ,commonly turtle-dove4 ,for history of the word as now applied to the tortoise1 see ,worcester's ,dictionary4 #ab4 universall peace4 ,about the time of the birth of ,christ there was peace throughout the ,roman ,empire1 and the temple of ,janus was shut4 #ac4 hooked chariot4 ,the war-chariot armed with scythes1 a ,celtic invention adopted by the ,romans4 #ad4 awfull eye4 ,we would say1 awe-filled eyes4 sovran4 ,old ,french souverain4 ,some derive it from ,lat4 supra1 above1 and regno1 to reign4 #ae4 whist4 ,hushed4 ,this word1 now used as a sort of interjection commanding silence1 seems to have had in earlier ,english more of a verbal meaning1 as ,spenser in ,the ,faerie ,queene1 ,,vii1 vii1 #ei3 ,so was the ,titaness put downe and whist4 ,it also meant to keep silent1 as in ,surrey's ,virgil3 ,they whisted all1 with fixed face intent4 ,a game of cards in which the players are supposed to keep silent is called whist4 birds of calm4 ,halcyons4 ,see note #a1 page #gh4 #af4 influence4 ,from ,lat4 in1 into1 and fluo1 to flow4 ,this word1 until a comparatively modern date1 was always used with respect to the supposed mysterious rays or aspects flowing from the stars to the earth1 and thus having a strange power over the fortunes of men4 ,canst thou bind the sweet influences of the ,pleiades8--,job xxviii4 #ca4 ,happy constellations on that hour ,shed their selectest influences4 --,paradise ,lost1 ,,viii1 #eab4 #ag4 ,for4 ,notwithstanding4 #ah4 ,lucifer4 ,the morning star4 ,the idea of ,lucifer appearing to warn the stars of the approach of the sun is a happy figure4 ,see note #g1 page #hj4 #ai4 axle-tree4 ,axis4 ,tree in ,o4 ,e4 is used to signify beam4 ,we still have single-tree1 double-tree1 whiffle-tree1 etc4 ,compare ,comus1 #ie3 ,the gilded car of day ,his glowing axle doth allay4 #bj4 lawn4 ,used in its original sense of a pasture1 or open1 grassy space4 ,formerly laund4 ,similarly we have lane1 an open passage between houses or fields4 #ba4 ,or ere4 ,or is here used in its old sense1 meaning before1 from ,a4-,s4 r4 ,ere e'er1 ever4 ,compare ,ecclesiastes xii4 #f3 ,or ever the silver cord be loosed4 ,also ,king ,lear1 ,act ii1 sc4 #d3 ,but this heart ,shall break into a hundred thousand flaws ,or ere ,i'll weep4 #bb4 ,pan4 ,see note1 page #gb4 ,the application of the name ,pan to ,christ is evidently derived from ,spenser4 ,see ,shepheards ,calendar1 ,july3 ,and such1 ,i ween1 the brethren were ,that came from ,canan1 ,the brethren ,twelve1 that kept yfere ,the flocks of mightie ,pan4 ,in the ,glosse to the ,calendar for ,may it is said that ,great ,pan is ,christ1 the very ,god of all shepheards1 which calleth himselfe the great and good shepheard4 ,the name is most rightly 7methinks7 applied to him2 for ,pan signifieth all1 or omnipotent1 which is only the ,lord ,iesus4 ,and by that name 7as ,i remember7 he is called of ,eusebius in his fifth booke1 ,de ,preparat4 ,evange4 #bc4 silly4 ,from ,a4-,s4 saelig1 blessed1 happy4 ,spenser uses the word in the sense of innocent1 as in ,faerie ,queene1 ,,iii1 viii1 #bg3 ,the silly virgin strove him to withstand4 ,chaucer1 in the ,reves ,tale1 uses it in the more modern sense of simple1 or foolish3 ,these sely clerkes han ful fast yronne4 ,but in the ,legend of ,good ,women it has another meaning3 ,o sely woman1 full of innocence4 ,the meaning of this word has completely changed4 #bd4 strook4 ,caused to sound as on a stringed instrument4 ,compare ,dryden in ,alexander's ,feast3 ,now strike the golden lyre again4 #be4 noise4 ,a company of musicians under a leader4 ,used in this sense by both ,shakespeare and ,ben ,jonson4 #bf4 close4 ,cadence4 ,see ,dryden1 ,fables3 ,at every close she made1 th' attending throng ,replied1 and bore the burden of the song4 #bg4 hollow round4 ,the sphere in which the moon has its motion4 ,see notes #i and #cd4 ,cynthia4 ,the moon4 ,in the ancient mythology applied to ,artemis1 from ,mount ,cynthus in the island of ,delos1 her birthplace4 #bh4 its4 ,in all his poetry1 ,milton uses this word only three times4 ,the other examples are in ,paradise ,lost1 ,i1 #bed1 and ,,iv1 #had4 ,this possessive form of the pronoun it was never used until the time of ,shakespeare1 who employs it five times in ,a ,winter's ,tale1 and once in ,measure for ,measure2 it does not occur anywhere in the authorized version of the ,bible4 #bi4 ,why are the ,cherubim helmed1 while the ,seraphim are sworded8 ,addison says1 ,some of the rabbins tell us that the cherubims are a set of angels who know most1 and the seraphims a set of angels who love most4 ,observe that the plural of cherub or of seraph may be formed in three ways3 viz4 cherubs1 cherubim1 cherubims2 seraphs1 seraphim1 seraphims4 #cj4 unexpressive4 ,inexpressible4 ,see ,shakespeare1 ,as ,you ,like ,it3 ,the fair1 the chaste1 the unexpressive she4 ,also ,milton1 ,lycidas1 #agf3 ,and hears the unexpressive nuptiall song4 #ca4 the sons of ,morning sung4 ,see ,job xxxviii4 #d-g1 the oldest reference to the music of the spheres4 ,see note #cd1 below4 #cb4 hinges4 ,literally1 a hinge is anything for hanging something upon4 ,from ,a4-,s4 hangian4 #cc4 weltring4 ,rolling1 wallowing4 ,see ,lycidas1 #ac4 #cd4 ,ring out4 ,an allusion to the music of the spheres4 ,see note #bg1 above4 ,the theory of ,pythagoras was that the distances between the heavenly bodies were determined by the laws of musical concord4 ,these orbs in their motion could not but produce a certain sound or note1 depending upon their distances and velocities2 and as these were regulated by harmonic laws1 they necessarily formed as a whole a complete musical scale4 ,in the whorl of the distaff of necessity there are eight concentric whorls4 ,these whorls represent respectively the sun and moon1 the five planets1 and the fixed stars4 ,on each whorl sits a siren singing4 ,their eight tones make one exquisite harmony4 ,milton added a ninth whorl1--that swift nocturnal and diurnal rhomb1--and then spoke of the ninefold harmony1 as just below4 ,this was a favorite idea with the poets4 ,sure she was nigher to heaven's spheres1 ,listening the lordly music flowing from ,the illimitable years4 --,tennyson1 ,ode to ,memory4 ,the music of the spheres6 list1 my ,mariana6 --,shakespeare1 ,pericles1 ,act v1 sc4 #a4 ,there's not the smallest orb which thou behold'st ,but in his motion like an angel sings ,still quiring to the young-eyed cherubims4 --,shakespeare1 ,merchant of ,venice1 ,act v1 sc4 #a4 ,if ,nature thunder'd in his opening ears1 ,and stunn'd him with the music of the spheres1 ,how would he wish that ,heaven had left him still ,the whispering zephyr and the purling rill6 --,pope1 ,essay on ,man1 ,i4 ,her voice1 the music of the spheres1 ,so loud1 it deafens mortals' ears1 ,as wise philosophers have thought1 ,and that's the cause we hear it not4 --,butler's ,hudibras1 ,,ii1 i1 #fag4 ,see1 also1 ,montaigne1 ,essays1 ,i1 xxii2 ,sir ,thomas ,browne's ,religio ,medici1 ,,ii1 #i2 ,plato's ,republic1 ,,vi2 ,dryden's ,ode to ,mrs4 ,anne ,killigrew1 etc4 #ce4 consort4 ,accompaniment4 ,this word1 so written until ,milton's time1 has now given place to concert1 whenever used as here4 #cf4 age of ,gold4 ,the fabled primeval age of universal happiness4 ,a blisful lyfe1 a peseable1 and so swete1 ,ledde the peplis in the former age4--,chaucer4 #cg4 mould4 ,matter1 substance4 ,the word is used in the old ,romances to denote the earth itself4 ,milton elsewhere says3 ,can any mortal mixture of earth's mould ,breathe such divine1 enchanting ravishment8 #ch4 her4 ,observe what has already been said 7note #bh1 above7 about the pronoun its4 ,hell1 in the ,anglo-,saxon language1 is feminine4 ,but1 just above1 observe the expression it self4 ,see1 in the last line of stanza xv1 the pronoun her with heaven as its antecedent4 ,heofon1 in the ,anglo-,saxon1 is also feminine4 #ci4 ,this stanza is a fine example of word-painting4 ,what idea is conveyed to your mind by the expressions1 orb'd in a rainbow1 like glories wearing1 thron'd in celestiall sheen1 the tissued clouds down stearing1 etc48 ,what kind of glories will ,mercy wear8 ,where will she sit8 ,how will she be enthroned8 ,what are radiant feet8 ,why are ,mercy's feet radiant8 ,does she steer the tissued clouds with radiant feet1 or does she steer herself down the tissued clouds8 ,why will the opening of ,heaven's high palace wall be as at some festivall8 #dj4 bitter cross4 ,compare ,shakespeare1 #a ,henry ,,iv1 ,act i1 sc4 #a1 #bg3 ,those blessed feet ,which fourteen hundred years ago were nail'd ,for our advantage1 on the bitter cross4 #da4 ychain'd4 ,the y is a corruption of the prefix ge1 anciently used in connection with the past participle1 and still retained in many ,german words4 ,often used by ,chaucer and ,spenser1 as in yblessed1 yburied1 ybrent1 yfonden1 ygeten1 yclad1 yfraught1 etc4 #db4 trump4 ,for the ,lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout1 with the voice of the archangel1 and with the trump of ,god3 and the dead in ,christ shall rise first4--#a ,thessalonians iv4 #af4 wakefull4 ,awakening4 #dc4 rang4 ,see ,exodus xix4 #dd4 session4 ,assize4 ,both words were originally from the same root1 ,lat4 sedeo1 sessum4 spread4 ,prepare1 make ready4 ,a similar use of the word survives in the idiom to spread the table4 #de4 ,dragon4 ,see ,revelation xii4 #i4 #df4 ,swindges4 ,swings about violently4 ,this is the only case in which ,milton uses this word4 ,it is used several times by ,shakespeare in the sense of to whip1 to scourge4 #dg4 oracles are dumm4 ,keightly says3 ,this was a frequent assertion of the ,fathers1 who ascribed to the coming of ,christ what was the effect of time4 ,they regarded the ancient oracles as having been the inspiration of the devil4 ,spenser1 quoting the story which ,plutarch relates in his ,booke of the ceasing of miracles1 says1 ,for at that time1 as hee sayth1 all ,oracles surceased1 and enchaunted spirites that were woont to delude the people thenceforth held their peace4--,glosse to ,shepheards ,calendar1 ,may4 #dh4 ,delphos4 ,the medival form of the word ,delphi4 ,the temple where was the chief oracle of ,apollo was at ,delphi1 built at the foot of a precipitous cliff two thousand feet high4 ,this oracle was suppressed by the ,emperor ,theodosius4 #di4 weeping4 ,compare ,matthew ii4 #ai1 and ,jeremiah xxxi4 #ae4 ,spenser1 in the same ,glosse1 quoted from above1 says1 ,about the same time that our ,lorde suffered his most bitter passion for the redemption of man1 certaine persons sailing from ,italie to ,cyprus and passing by certaine iles called ,pax1 heard a voice calling aloud ,thamus1 ,thamus1 7now ,thamus was the name of an ,egyptian which was pylote of the ship71 who1 giving ear to the crie1 was bidden1 when he came to ,palodes to tell that great ,pan was dead3 which hee doubting to doe1 yet for that when hee came to ,palodes1 there suddenly was such a calme of winde that the ship stoode still in the sea unmooved1 he was forced to crie aloude that ,pan was dead3 wherewithall there was heard such piteous outcries1 and dreadfull shriking as hath not beene the like4 #ej4 parting4 ,departing4 ,frequently used in ,old ,english4 ,genius4 ,spirit4 ,see ,lycidas1 #ahb3 ,henceforth thou art the ,genius of the shore4 #ea4 consecrated earth--holy hearth4 ,referring to the places specially haunted by the ,lars and ,lemures4 ,the ,lemures were the spirits of the dead1 and were said to wander about at night1 frightening the living4 ,the ,lares were the household gods1 sometimes referred to as the spirits of good men4 ,the former frequented the graveyards2 the latter1 the hearths4 #eb4 ,flamins4 ,priests4 #ec4 forgoes4 ,goes from1 gives up1 abandons4 #ed4 ,peor and ,balim4 ,compare the proper names which occur in this and the following stanzas with those in ,paradise ,lost1 ,i1 #caf-ceb4 ,peor4 ,the name of a mountain of ,palestine is here used as one of the titles of ,baal1 who was worshipped there4 ,balim4 ,plural of ,baal1 meaning that god in his various modifications4 ,ashtaroth4 ,the ,syrian goddess ,astarte4 ,but her worship was identified rather with the planet ,venus than with the moon4 ,hammon4 ,a ,libyan deity1 represented as a ram or as a man with ram's horns4 #ee4 twise batter'd god4 ,dagon4 ,see #a ,samuel v4 #ef4 mourn4 ,in ,phoenicia1 in the ancient city of ,byblos1 a festival of two days was held every year in honor of ,adonis1 or ,thammuz1 as the ,phoenicians called him4 ,the first day was observed as a day of mourning for the death of the god2 the second1 as a day of rejoicing because of his return to the earth4 ,the principal participants were young women4 ,the prophet ,ezekiel alludes to this subject3 ,then he brought me to the door of the gate of the ,lord's house which was toward the north2 and1 behold1 there sat women weeping for ,tammuz4--,ezekiel viii4 #ad4 ,milton1 in ,paradise ,lost1 says3 ,thammuz came next behind1 ,whose annual wound in ,lebanon allur'd ,the ,syrian damsels to lament his fate ,in amorous ditties all a summer's day4 #eg4 ,compare with ,paradise ,lost1 ,i1 #cib-dje4 ,in ,sandys's ,travels1 published in #afae1 and a popular book in ,milton's time1 the following description is given of the sacrifices made to ,moloch3 ,therein the ,hebrews sacrificed their children to ,moloch1 an idol of brass1 having the head of a calf1 the rest of a kingly figure1 with arms extended to receive the miserable sacrifice seared to death with his burning embracements4 ,for the idol was hollow within and filled with fire4 #eh4 grisly4 ,frightful1 hideous4 ,probably from ,a4-,s4 agrisan1 to dread4 #ei4 brutish4 ,shaped like a brute2 animal4 ,isis4 ,the ,egyptian earth-goddess1 afterwards worshipped as the goddess of the moon4 ,orus4 ,the ,egyptian god of the sun4 the dog ,anubis4 ,juvenal says1 ,whole towns worship the dog4--,sat41 ,,xv1 #h4 #fj4 unshowr'd4 ,a reference to the general1 though erroneous1 idea that it does not rain in ,egypt4 ,osiris1 or ,apis1 one of the chief gods of the ,egyptians1 was represented by a bull4 sacred chest worshipt ark1 below4 #fa4 eyn4 ,the old plural form of eyes4 ,this form of the plural survives in oxen1 children1 brethren1 kine1 swine4 ,typhon4 ,a monster among the gods1 variously described by the poets4 ,he was a terror to all the other deities4 #fb4 in bed4 ,the sun has not yet risen4 #fc4 youngest teemed4 ,referring to the ,star of ,bethlehem4 #fd4 ,compare ,milton's ,sonnet on his ,blindness3 ,they also serve who only stand and wait4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,john ,,milton was born in ,bread ,street1 ,cheapside1 ,london1 in the year #afjh1 eight years before the death of ,shakespeare4 ,from his boyhood he showed the possession of more than ordinary powers of mind4 ,he was educated first under private tutors1 and at ,st4 ,paul's ,school1 and finally at ,christ's ,college1 ,cambridge1 where in #afcb he received the degree of ,master of ,arts4 ,his first considerable work was the ,hymn on the ,morning of the ,nativity1 written in #afbi4 ,within the next seven years he wrote the most noteworthy of his shorter poems3 the masque1 ,comus2 the pastoral piece entitled ,arcades2 the beautiful descriptive poems1 ,l',allegro and ,,ii ,penseroso2 and the elegy1 ,lycidas4 ,in #afci he made a tour upon the ,continent1 visited the famous seats of learning in ,france and ,italy1 and made the acquaintance of many of the great poets and scholars of his time4 ,upon hearing1 however1 that civil war was about to break out in ,england1 he hastened home1 resolved to devote himself to what he regarded as his country's best interests4 ,poetry was abandoned for politics1 and for the next twenty years he wrote little except prose--political tracts and controversial essays4 ,when ,cromwell became ,lord ,protector of ,england1 ,milton was appointed ,latin ,secretary of ,state1 a position which he continued to hold until towards the downfall of the ,commonwealth4 ,but after the ,restoration he quietly withdrew into retirement1 resolved to devote the remainder of his life to the writing of the great poem which he had been contemplating for many years4 ,through unceasing study he had lost his sight2 the friends of his youth had deserted him2 the fortune which he had received from his father was gone4 ,and so it was in darkness1 and disappointment1 and poverty1 that in #affg he gave to the world the great ,english epic1 ,paradise ,lost4 ,it was in that same year that ,dryden published his ,annus ,mirabilis4 ,milton shortly afterward wrote ,paradise ,regained2 and1 in #afga1 he produced ,samson ,agonistes1 a tragedy modelled after the masterpieces of the ,greek drama4 ,on the #hth of ,november1 #afgd1 at the age of sixty-six years1 his strangely eventful life came to a close4 ,,wordsworth',s ,,sonnet ,,to ,,milton4 ,milton6 thou shouldst be living at this hour3 ,england hath need of thee2 she is a fen ,of stagnant waters2 altar1 sword1 and pen1 ,fireside1 the heroic wealth of hall and bower1 ,have forfeited their ancient ,english dower ,of inward happiness4 ,we are selfish men2 ,oh6 raise us up1 return to us again2 ,and give us manners1 virtue1 freedom1 power4 ,thy soul was like a star1 and dwelt apart2 ,thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea2 ,pure as the naked heavens1 majestic1 free1 ,so didst thou travel on life's common way1 ,in cheerful godliness2 and yet thy heart ,the lowliest duties on herself did lay4 ,other ,poems to be ,read3 ,l',allegro2 ,il ,penseroso2 ,comus2 ,lycidas2 selections from ,paradise ,lost4 ,,references3 ,masson's ,life and ,times of ,john ,milton2 ,milton 7,classical ,writers71 by ,stopford ,brooke2 ,milton 7,english ,men of ,letters71 by ,mark ,pattison2 ,macaulay's ,essay on ,milton2 ,de ,quincey1 ,milton vs4 ,southey and ,landor2 ,coleridge's ,literary ,remains2 ,johnson's ,lives of the ,poets2 ,hazlitt's ,english ,poets4 ,robert ,herrick4 ,,to ,,phillis4 ,live1 live with me1 and thou shalt see ,the pleasures ,i'll prepare for thee3 ,what sweets the country can afford ,shall bless thy bed1 and bless thy board4 ,the soft sweet moss shall be thy bed1 ,with crawling woodbine over-spread3 ,by which the silver-shedding streams ,shall gently melt thee into dreams4 ,thy clothing next1 shall be a gown ,made of the fleeces' purest down4 ,the tongue of kids shall be thy meat2 ,their milk thy drink2 and thou shalt eat ,the paste of filberts for thy bread ,with cream of cowslips butterd3 ,thy feasting-table shall be hills ,with daisies spread1 and daffadils2 ,where thou shalt sit1 and ,red-breast by1 ,for meat1 shall give thee melody4 ,i'll give thee chains and carcanets ,of primroses and violets4 ,a bag and bottle thou shalt have1 ,that richly wrought1 and this as brave2 ,so that as either shall express ,the wearer's no mean shepherdess4 ,at shearing-times1 and yearly wakes1 ,when ,themilis his pastime makes1 ,there thou shalt be2 and be the wit1 ,nay more1 the feast1 and grace of it4 ,on holydays1 when virgins meet ,to dance the heys with nimble feet1 ,thou shalt come forth1 and then appear ,the ,queen of ,roses for that year4 ,and having danced 7'bove all the best7 ,carry the garland from the rest4 ,in wicker-baskets maids shall bring ,to thee1 my dearest shepherdling1 ,the blushing apple1 bashful pear1 ,and shame-faced plum1 all simp'ring there4 ,walk in the groves1 and thou shalt find ,the name of ,phillis in the rind ,of every straight and smooth-skin tree2 ,where kissing that1 ,i'll twice kiss thee4 ,to thee a sheep-hook ,i will send1 ,be-prank'd with ribbons1 to this end1 ,this1 this alluring hook might be ,less for to catch a sheep1 than me4 ,thou shalt have possets1 wassails fine1 ,not made of ale1 but spicd wine2 ,to make thy maids and self free mirth1 ,all sitting near the glitt'ring hearth4 ,thou shalt have ribbands1 roses1 rings1 ,gloves1 garters1 stockings1 shoes1 and strings ,of winning colors that shall move ,others to lust1 but me to love4 --,these1 nay1 and more1 thine own shall be1 ,if thou wilt love1 and live with me4 ,,the ,,mad ,,maid',s ,,song4 ,good morrow to the day so fair2 ,good morning1 sir1 to you2 ,good morrow to mine own torn hair1 ,bedabbled with the dew4 ,good morning to this primrose too2 ,good morrow to each maid2 ,that will with flowers the tomb bestrew ,wherein my ,love is laid4 ,ah6 woe is me1 woe1 woe is me1 ,alack and well-a-day6 ,for pity1 sir1 find out that bee1 ,which bore my ,love away4 ,i'll seek him in your bonnet brave2 ,i'll seek him in your eyes2 ,nay1 now ,i think they've made his grave ,i' th' bed of strawberries4 ,i'll seek him there2 ,i know1 ere this1 ,the cold1 cold earth doth shake him2 ,but ,i will go1 or send a kiss ,by you1 sir1 to awake him4 ,pray hurt him not2 though he be dead1 ,he knows well who do love him2 ,and who with green turfs rear his head1 ,and who do rudely move him4 ,he's soft and tender1 pray take heed1 ,with bands of cowslips bind him1 ,and bring him home2--but 'tis decreed ,that ,i shall never find him4 ,a ,,thanksgiving ,,to ,,god4 ,lord1 thou hast given me a cell1 ,wherein to dwell2 ,a little house1 whose humble roof ,is weather proof2 ,under the spars of which ,i lie ,both soft and dry2 ,where thou1 my chamber for to ward1 ,hast set a guard ,of harmless thoughts1 to watch and keep ,me1 while ,i sleep4 ,low is my porch1 as is my fate2 ,both void of state2 ,and yet the threshold of my door ,is worn by th' poor1 ,who thither come1 and freely get ,good words1 or meat4 ,like as my parlor1 so my hall ,and kitchen's small2 ,a little buttery1 and therein ,a little bin1 ,which keeps my little loaf of bread ,unchipt1 unflead2 ,some brittle sticks of thorn or briar ,make me a fire1 ,close by whose living coal ,i sit1 ,and glow like it4 ,lord1 ,i confess too1 when ,i dine1 ,the pulse is thine1 ,and all those other bits that be ,there placed by thee2 ,the worts1 the purslain1 and the mess ,of water-cress1 ,which of thy kindness thou hast sent2 ,and my content ,makes those1 and my belovd beet1 ,to be more sweet4 ',tis thou that crown'st my glittering hearth ,with guiltless mirth1 ,and giv'st me wassail bowls to drink1 ,spiced to the brink4 ,lord1 'tis thy plenty-dropping hand ,that soils my land1 ,and giv'st me1 for my bushel sown1 ,twice ten for one2 ,thou mak'st my teeming hen to lay ,her egg each day2 ,besides1 my healthful ewes to bear ,me twins each year2 ,the while the conduits of my kine ,run cream1 for wine3 ,all these1 and better1 thou dost send ,me1 to this end1-- ,that ,i should render1 for my part1 ,a thankful heart2 ,which1 fired with incense1 ,i resign1 ,as wholly thine2 --,but the acceptance1 that must be1 ,my ,christ1 by ,thee4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,robert ,,herrick was born in ,cheapside1 ,london1 ,august #bj1 #aeia4 ,he was educated at ,cambridge1 and in #afbi1 having taken orders1 was presented to the vicarage of ,dean ,prior in ,devonshire4 ,from this living he was ejected by the ,long ,parliament in #afdh1 and1 going up to ,london1 he united himself with some of his former associates and entered upon a career not altogether creditable to his profession of parson4 ,at the restoration of ,charles ,,ii4 he was returned to his vicarage1 where he remained until his death in #afgd4 ,his best poems are included in the collection entitled ,hesperides1 or ,works ,humane and ,divine1 published in #afdh1 and dedicated to the most illustrious and most hopeful ,prince ,charles4 ,the ,argument prefixed to this collection very prettily describes the character of the pieces which it contains3 ,i sing of brooks1 of blossoms1 birds1 and bowers1 ,of ,april1 ,may1 of ,june1 and ,july-flowers2 ,i sing of ,may-poles1 hock-carts1 wassails1 wakes1 ,of bride-grooms1 brides1 and of their bridal-cakes4 ,i write of ,youth1 of ,love2--and have access ,by these1 to sing of cleanly wantonness2 ,i sing of dews1 of rains1 and1 piece by piece1 ,of balm1 of oil1 of spice1 of ambergris4 ,i sing of times trans-shifting2 and ,i write ,how roses first came red1 and lilies white4 ,i write of groves1 of twilights1 and ,i sing ,the court of ,mab1 and of the ,fairy ,king2 ,i write of ,hell2 ,i sing1 and ever shall ,of ,heaven1--and hope to have it after all4 ,herrick's best things1 says ,robert ,buchanan1 are his poems in praise of the country life1 and his worst things are his epigrams4 ,his gladsome1 mercurial temper had a great deal to do with the composition of his best lyrics2 for the parson of ,dean ,prior was no philosopher1 and his lightest1 airiest verses are the best4 ,his was a happy1 careless nature1 throwing off verses out of the fulness of a joyous heart1 rioting in a pleasant1 sunny element4 ,edmund ,waller4 ,,song4 ,go1 lovely ,rose1 ,tell her that wastes her time and me1 ,that now she knows ,when ,i resemble her to thee ,how sweet and fair she seems to be4 ,tell her that's young1 ,and shuns to have her graces spied1 ,that had'st thou sprung ,in deserts where no men abide1 ,thou must have uncommended died4 ,small is the worth ,of beauty from the light retired2 ,bid her come forth1 ,suffer herself to be desired1 ,and not blush so to be admired4 ,then die1 that she ,the common fate of all things rare ,may read in thee1 ,how small a part of time they share ,who are so wondrous sweet and fair4 ,,of ,,english ,,verse4 ,poets may boast1 as safely vain1 ,their works shall with the world remain3 ,both bound together1 live or die1 ,the verses and the prophecy4 ,but who can hope his line should long ,last1 in a daily-changing tongue8 ,while they are new1 envy prevails2 ,and as that dies our language fails4 ,when architects have done their part1 ,the matter may betray their art3 ,time1 if we use ill-chosen stone1 ,soon brings a well-built palace down4 ,poets1 that lasting marble seek1 ,must carve in ,latin or in ,greek3 ,we write in sand1 our language grows1 ,and1 like the tide1 our work o'erflows4 ,chaucer his sense can only boast1 ,the glory of his numbers lost6 ,years have defac't his matchless strain1 ,and yet he did not sing in vain4 ,the beauties which adorn'd that age1 ,the shining subjects of his rage1 ,hoping they should immortal prove1 ,rewarded with success his love4 ,this was the gen'rous poet's scope1 ,and all an ,english pen can hope2 ,to make the fair approve his flame1 ,that can so far extend their fame4 ,verse thus design'd has no ill fate1 ,if it arrive but at the date ,of fading beauty1 if it prove ,but as long-liv'd as present love4 ,,on ,a ,,girdle4 ,that which her slender waist confin'd ,shall now my joyful temples bind2 ,no monarch but would give his crown ,his arms might do what this has done4 ,it was my heaven's extremest sphere1 ,the pale which held that lovely deer3 ,my joy1 my grief1 my hope1 my love1 ,did all within this circle move6 ,a narrow compass6 and yet there ,dwelt all that's good and all that's fair3 ,give me but what this riband bound1 ,take all the rest the sun goes round4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,edmund ,,waller1 whose poetry is noticeable because he was the first ,english versifier to adopt the ,french fashion of writing in couplets1 was born in ,warwickshire in #afje4 ,he was elected to ,parliament at the age of seventeen1 and was a member of that body during the greater part of his life4 ,at the beginning of the difficulties between the king and the ,parliament1 he gained some notoriety by his opposition to the former1 but when the ,civil ,war broke out he attached himself to the ,royalist cause4 ,in #afdc1 being convicted of complicity in a plot against ,parliament1 he was fined #aj1jjj and imprisoned for twelve months4 ,after his release he went to ,france2 but in #afec he returned to ,england and became reconciled to the new government1 writing1 soon afterward1 ,a ,panegyric to my ,lord ,protector1 of the present ,greatness and joint ,interest of his ,highness and this ,nation4 ,at the ,restoration he eagerly declared allegiance to ,charles ,,ii41 and wrote a congratulatory ode on that monarch's return4 ,he became a court favorite1 noted for his wit1 was made provost of ,eton1 and returned to his old place in ,parliament4 ,he died ,october #ba1 #afhg4 ,the first edition of his poems was published in #afde1 and from that time to the close of the seventeenth century he was quite generally regarded as the greatest of ,english poets4 ,at the present time there are few writers so little considered as he4 ,waller may be regarded as the founder of the classical school of ,english poetry1 in which ,dryden and ,pope excelled1 and which remained in the ascendency for more than a century after his death4 ,the excellence and dignity of rhyme1 says ,dryden1 were never fully known till ,mr4 ,waller taught it2 he first made writing easily an art1 first showed us to conclude the sense1 most commonly1 in distichs1 which in the verse of those before him runs on for so many lines together1 that the reader is out of breath to overtake it4 ,and ,dr4 ,johnson says3 ,he certainly very much excelled in smoothness most of the writers who were living when his poetry commenced4 ,but he was rather smooth than strong3 of the 'full resounding line' which ,pope attributes to ,dryden1 he has given very few examples4 ,the general character of his poetry is elegance and gaiety4 ,he seems neither to have had a mind much elevated by nature1 nor amplified by learning4 ,his thoughts are such as a liberal conversation and large acquaintance with life would easily supply4 ,ben ,jonson4 ,,an ,,ode ,,to ,,himself4 ,where dost ,thou careless lie ,buried in ease and sloth8 ,knowledge that sleeps1 doth die2 ,and this security1 ,it is the common moth ,that eats on wits and arts1 and so destroys them both4 ,are all the ,aonian#a springs ,dried up8 lies ,thespia waste8 ,doth ,clarius'#b harp want strings1 ,that not a nymph now sings2 ,or droop they as disgrac'd1 ,to see their seats and bowers by chattering pies#c defac'd8 ,if hence#d thy silence be1 ,as 'tis too just a cause1 ,let this thought quicken thee3 ,minds that are great and free ,should not on fortune pause2 ',tis crown enough to virtue#e still1 her own applause4 ,what though the greedy fry ,be taken with false baits ,of worded balladry1 ,and think it poesy8 ,they die with their conceits1 ,and only piteous scorn upon their folly waits4 ,then take in hand thy lyre2 ,strike in thy proper strain2 ,with ,japhet's line1#f aspire ,sol's chariot for new fire1 ,to give the world again3 ,who aided him1 will thee1 the issue of ,jove's brain4#g ,and1 since our dainty age ,cannot endure reproof1 ,make not thyself a page ,to that strumpet the stage2 ,but sing high and aloof1 ,safe from the wolf's black jaw1 and the dull ass's hoof4#h ,,notes4 ,this poem is found in the collection of miscellaneous pieces1 by ,ben ,jonson1 entitled ,underwoods4 ,the poet reproaches himself for his own indolence4 #a4 ,aonian springs4 ,the fountain ,aganippe1 situated in ,aonia1 was much frequented by the ,muses1 who were therefore sometimes called ,aonides4 ,they were also called ,thespiades1 because ,mount ,helicon1 one of their favored resorts1 was in the vicinity of ,thespia1 and was itself named ,thespia rupes4 #b4 ,clarius4 ,the name applied to the celebrated oracle of ,apollo at ,clarus1 on the ,ionian coast4 #c4 pies4 ,magpies1 who make sound without sense4 #d4 hence4 ,for this reason4 #e4 virtue 4 4 4 her own applause4 ,compare3 ,virtue is her own reward4--,dryden1 ,tyrannic ,love4 ,virtue1 a reward to itself4--,walton1 ,compleat ,angler4 ,virtue is its own reward4--,prior1 ,imitations of ,horace4 #f4 ,japhet's line4 ,the line of ,iapetus1 the father of ,prometheus1 who stole fire from the chariot of the sun4 #g4 issue of ,jove's brain4 ,athene1 or ,minerva4 #h4 ,safe from the slanderer and the fool4 ,,to ,,cynthia4 ,queen and huntress1 chaste and fair1 ,now the sun is laid to sleep2 ,seated in thy silver chair1 ,state in wonted manner keep2 ,hesperus entreats thy light1 ,goddess excellently bright4 ,earth1 let not thy envious shade ,dare itself to interpose2 ,cynthia's shining orb was made ,heaven to clear1 when day did close2 ,bless us then with wished sight1 ,goddess excellently bright4 ,lay thy bow of pearl apart1 ,and thy crystal-shining quiver2 ,give unto the flying heart ,space to breathe1 how short soever2 ,thou that mak'st a day of night1 ,goddess excellently bright4 ,,to ,,the ,,memory ,,of ,,my ,,beloved ,,master ,,william ,,shakespeare1 ,,and ,,what ,,he ,,hath ,,left ,,us4 ,to draw no envy1 ,shakespeare1 on thy name1 ,am ,i thus ample to thy book and fame2#a ,while ,i confess thy writings to be such1 ,as neither ,man nor ,muse can praise too much4 ',tis true1 and all men's suffrage4 ,but these ways ,were not the paths ,i meant unto thy praise2 ,for seeliest#b ignorance on these may light1 ,which1 when it sounds at best1 but echoes right2 ,or blind affection1 which doth ne'er advance ,the truth1 but gropes1 and urgeth all by chance2 ,or crafty malice might pretend this praise1 ,and think to ruin where it seemed to praise4 ,but thou art proof against them and1 indeed1 ,above the ill fortune of them1 or the need4 ,i therefore will begin3 ,soul of the age6 ,the applause1 delight1 the wonder of our stage6 ,my ,,shakespeare rise6 ,i will not lodge thee by ,chaucer1 or ,spenser1 or bid ,beaumont lie ,a little further1 to make thee a room3#c ,thou art a monument without a tomb1 ,and art alive still while thy book doth live1 ,and we have wits to read1 and praise to give4 ,that ,i not mix thee so my brain excuses1-- ,i mean with great1 but disproportioned ,muses2 ,for if ,i thought my judgment were of years1 ,i should commit thee surely with thy peers1 ,and tell how far thou didst our ,lyly#d outshine1 ,or sporting ,kyd1 or ,marlowe's mighty line4 ,and though thou hadst small ,latin and less ,greek1 ,from thence to honor thee ,i would not seek ,for names1 but call forth thund'ring schylus1#e ,euripides1 and ,sophocles to us1 ,pacuvius1 ,accius1#f him of ,cordova dead1 ,to life again1 to hear thy buskin tread1 ,and shake a stage2 or when thy socks#g were on1 ,leave thee alone for a comparison ,of all that insolent ,greece or haughty ,rome ,sent forth1 or since did from their ashes come4 ,triumph1 my ,britain1 thou hast one to show1 ,to whom all scenes of ,europe homage owe4 ,he was not of an age1 but for all time6 ,and all the ,muses still were in their prime1 ,when1 like ,apollo1 he came forth to warm ,our ears1 or like a ,mercury to charm6 ,nature herself was proud of his designs1 ,and joyed to wear the dressing of his lines1 ,which were so richly spun1 and woven so fit1 ,as1 since1 she will vouchsafe no other wit4 ,the merry ,greek1 tart ,aristophanes1 ,neat ,terence1 witty ,plautus1#h now not please2 ,but antiquated and deserted lie1 ,as they were not of ,nature's family4 ,yet must ,i not give ,nature all2 thy ,art1 ,my gentle ,shakespeare1 must enjoy a part4 ,for though the poet's matter nature be1 ,his art doth give the fashion2 and that he#i ,who casts to write a living line1 must sweat 7,such as thine are7 and strike the second heat ,upon the ,muses' anvil1 turn the same1 ,and himself with it1 that he thinks to frame2 ,or for the laurel he may gain to scorn2 ,for a good poet's made1 as well as born4 ,and such wert thou6 ,look1 how the father's face ,lives in his issue1 even so the race ,of ,shakespeare's mind and manners brightly shines ,in his well-turnd and true fild lines1 ,in each of which he seems to shake a lance1 ,as brandished at the eyes of ignorance4 ,sweet ,swan of ,avon6#aj what a sight it were ,to see thee in our waters yet appear1 ,and make those flights upon the banks of ,thames1 ,that so did take ,eliza and our ,james6 ,but stay1 ,i see thee in the hemisphere#aa ,advanced1 and made a constellation there6 ,shine forth1 thou ,star of ,poets1 and with rage ,or influence chide or cheer the drooping stage1 ,which1 since thy flight from hence1 hath mourned like night1 ,and despairs day but for thy volume's light4 ,,notes4 ,this poem was prefixed to the first folio edition of ,shakespeare1 #afbc1 and is also printed in ,ben ,jonson's ,underwoods4 #a4 ,the meaning of these two lines would seem to be3 ,to show that ,i am not envious1 ,shakespeare1 of thy name1 ,i thus write fully of thy works and fame4 #b4 seeliest4 ,silliest1 simplest4 ,from ,a4-,s4 saelig1 foolish4 ,see note #bc1 page #aij4 #c4 ,in allusion to ,w4 ,basse's elegy on ,shakespeare1 beginning3 ,renownd ,spenser1 lie a thought more nigh ,to learned ,chaucer2 and rare ,beaumont1 lie ,a little nearer ,spenser1 to make room ,for ,shakespear in your threefold1 fourfold tomb4 #d4 ,lyly1 ,kyd1 ,marlowe4 ,contemporaries of ,shakespeare4 ,see ,biographical ,dictionary4 #e4 schylus1 ,euripides1 and ,sophocles4 ,the founders of the ,greek tragical drama4 #f4 ,pacuvius1 ,accius4 ,celebrated ,roman tragic poets4 him of ,cordova4 ,seneca1 the great rhetorician1 was born at ,cordova1 in ,spain1 ,b4,c4 #fa4 #g4 socks were on4 ,the socks indicated comedy1 and the buskins tragedy4 ,compare ,milton's ,l',allegro1 #aca3 ,then to the well-trod stage anon1 ,if ,jonson's learned sock be on1 ,or sweetest ,shakespeare1 ,fancy's child1 ,warble his native wood-note wild4 ,also1 ,il ,penseroso1 #ig4 ,see note on buskin1 page #aci4 #h4 ,aristophanes1 ,terence1 ,plautus4 ,ancient writers of comedy4 #i4 that he4 ,that man4 #aj4 ,swan of ,avon4 ,so ,cowper calls ,virgil the ,mantuan swan4 #aa4 hemisphere4 ,the celestial hemisphere4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,ben ,,jonson was born in ,westminster1 in #aegc4 ,his early life was full of hard and varied experiences4 ,he was educated at ,westminster ,school1 and entered ,st4 ,john's ,college1 ,cambridge4 ,being obliged to leave his university course unfinished1 he worked for a time with his step-father as a brick-layer4 ,at the age of eighteen he enlisted as a volunteer in the ,low ,countries2 but in #aeif he settled in ,london1 as a playwright4 ,his first comedy1 ,every ,man in his ,humour1 did not meet with immediate success4 ,it was remodelled1 at ,shakespeare's suggestion1 and when afterwards presented was received with marked favor4 ,his first tragedy1 ,sejanus1 was acted in #afjc4 ,his masques1 of which there are thirty-six1 were written during the reign of ,james ,i4 ,his miscellaneous works1 embracing a variety of odes1 elegies1 epigrams1 and other lyrics and epistles1 are included in two collections1 the first of which1 called ,the ,forest1 was published in #afaf1 and the second posthumously1 in #afda4 ,he died in ,london1 ,august #f1 #afcg4 ,one of the last and most beautiful of ,jonson's dramas is the unfinished pastoral comedy1 ,the ,sad ,shepherd4 ,it was written while in the sick-chamber1 with a keen sense and remembrance of the disappointments which had followed him through life2 and to these he touchingly refers in the prologue3 ,he that hath feasted you these forty years1 ,and fitted fables for your finer ears1 ,although at first he scarce could hit the bore2 ,yet you1 with patience1 hearkening more and more1 ,at length have grown up to him1 and made known ,the working of his pen is now your own3 ,he prays you would vouchsafe1 for your own sake1 ,to hear him this once more1 but sit awake4 ,and though he now present you with such wool ,as from mere ,english flocks his muse can pull1 ,he hopes when it is made up into cloth1 ,not the most curious head here will be loth ,to wear a hood of it1 it being a fleece1 ,to match or those of ,sicily or ,greece4 ,his scene is ,sherwood1 and his play a tale ,of ,robin ,hood's inviting from the vale ,of ,belvoir1 all the shepherds to a feast2 ,where1 by the casual absence of one guest1 ,the mirth is troubled much1 and in one man ,as much of sadness shown as passion can4 ,robert ,herrick wrote of him thus3 ,ah ,ben6 ,say how or when ,shall we1 thy guests1 ,meet at those lyric feasts1 ,made at the ,sun1 ,the ,dog1 the ,triple ,tun2 ,where we such clusters had1 ,as made us nobly wild1 not mad8 ,and yet each verse of thine ,out-did the meat1 out-did the frolic wine4 ,my ,ben6 ,or come again1 ,or send to us ,thy wit's great overplus2 ,but teach us yet ,wisely to husband it1 ,lest we that talent spend2 ,and having once brought to an end ,that precious stock1--the store ,of such a wit the world should have no more4 ,the ,sixteenth ,century4 ,in fifty-two years1 without counting the drama1 two hundred and thirty-three poets are enumerated1 of whom forty have genius or talent4 4 4 4 ,what is this condition which gives rise to so universal a taste for poetry8 ,what is it breathes life into their books8 ,how happens it1 that amongst the least1 in spite of pedantrie1 awkwardnesses1 we meet with brilliant pictures and genuine love-cries8 ,how happens it1 that when this generation was exhausted1 true poetry ended in ,england1 as true painting in ,italy and ,flanders8 ,it was because an epoch of the mind came and passed away1--that1 namely1 of instinctive and creative conception4 ,these men had new senses1 and no theories in their heads4 4 4 4 ,they are happy in contemplating beautiful things1 and wish only that they should be the most beautiful possible4 ,they do not excite themselves to express moral or philosophical ideas4 ,they wish to enjoy through the imagination1 through the eyes1 like those ,italian nobles1 who1 at the same time1 were so captivated by fine colors and forms1 that they covered with paintings not only their rooms and their churches1 but the lids of their chests and the saddles of their horses4 4 4 4 ,think what poetry was likely to spring from them1 how superior to common events1 how free from literal imitation1 how smitten with ideal beauty1 how capable of creating a world beyond our sad world4--,,taine4 ,poets of the ,sixteenth ,century4 ,sir ,thomas ,wyatt 7#aejc-aedb74 ,see biographical note1 page #beb4 ,henry ,howard1 ,earl of ,surrey 7#aeag-aedg74 ,see biographical note1 page #beb4 ,george ,gascoigne 7#aecf-aegg74 ,the ,steel ,glass2 ,the ,tragedy of ,iocaste4 ,thomas ,sackville1 ,lord ,buckhurst 7#aecf-afjh74 ,the ,induction to the ,mirror for ,magistrates2 ,the ,tragedy of ,gorboduc4 ,edmund ,spenser 7#aeeb-aeih74 ,see biographical note1 page #bde4 ,sir ,philip ,sidney 7#aeed-aehf74 ,astrophel and ,stella2 sonnets and short poems4 ,thomas ,watson 7#aeeg-aeib74 ,the ,hecatompathia or ,passionate ,century of ,love2 ,meliboeus2 ,the ,tears of ,fancie4 ,john ,lyly 7#aeed-afjf74 ,lyrical poems2 ,alexander and ,campaspe2 ,love's ,metamorphosis4 ,robert ,greene 7#aefj-aeib74 ,dramas and lyrical poems4 ,christopher ,marlowe 7#aefd-aeic74 ,dramas and lyrical poems4 ,thomas ,lodge 7#aeef-afbe74 ,dramas and lyrical poems4 ,william ,warner 7#aeej-afji74 ,albion's ,england2 ,pan1 his ,syrinx or ,pipe4 ,william ,shakespeare 7#aefd-afaf74 ,see note1 page #bba4 ,samuel ,daniel 7#aefb-afai74 ,history of the ,civil ,wars between the two ,houses of ,york and ,lancaster4 ,sir ,walter ,raleigh 7#aeeb-afah74 ,short poems4 ,george ,chapman 7#aeei-afcd74 ,translations of ,homer's ,iliad and ,homer's ,odyssey4 ,michael ,drayton 7#aefc-afca74 ,polyolbion2 ,the ,barons' ,wars2 ,the ,battle of ,agincourt4 ,joseph ,hall 7#aegd-afef74 ,virgidemiarum2 satires4 ,sir ,john ,davies 7 -#afbf74 ,nosce ,teipsum4 ,john ,donne 7#aegc-afca74 ,short poems4 ,william ,shakespeare4 ,,venus',s ,,advice ,,to ,,adonis ,,on ,,hunting4 ,,from ,,venus ,,and ,,adonis4 ,thou hadst been gone1 quoth she1 sweet boy1 ere this1 ,but that thou told'st me thou wouldst hunt the boar4 ,o1 be advised6 thou know'st not what it is ,with javelin's point a churlish swine to gore1 ,whose tushes never sheathed he whetteth still1 ,like to a mortal butcher bent to kill4 ,on his bow-back he hath a battle set ,of bristly pikes1 that ever threat his foes2 ,his eyes1 like glow-worms1 shine when he doth fret2 ,his snout digs sepulchres where'er he goes2 ,being moved1 he strikes whate'er is in his way1 ,and when he strikes his crooked tushes slay4 ,his brawny sides1 with hairy bristles arm'd1 ,are better proof than thy spear's point can enter2 ,his short thick neck cannot be easily harm'd2 ,being ireful1 on the lion he will venture3 ,the thorny brambles and embracing bushes1 ,as fearful of him1 part1 through whom he rushes4 ,alas1 he nought esteems that face of thine1 ,to which ,love's eyes pay tributary gazes2 ,nor thy soft hands1 sweet lips and crystal eyne1 ,whose full perfection all the world amazes2 ,but having thee at vantage1--wondrous dread6 ,would root these beauties as he roots the mead4 ,o1 let him keep his loathsome cabin still2 ,beauty hath nought to do with such foul fiends3 ,come not within his danger by thy will2 ,they that thrive well take counsel of their friends4 ,when thou didst name the boar1 not to dissemble1 ,i fear'd thy fortune1 and my joints did tremble4 ,but if thou needs wilt hunt1 be ruled by me2 ,uncouple at the timorous flying hare1 ,or at the fox which lives by subtlety1 ,or at the roe which no encounter dare3 ,pursue these fearful creatures o'er the downs1 ,and on thy well-breathed horse keep with thy hounds4 ,and when thou hast on foot the purblind hare1 ,mark the poor wretch1 to overshoot his troubles ,how he outruns the wind and with what care ,he cranks and crosses with a thousand doubles3 ,the many musets through the which he goes ,are like a labyrinth to amaze his foes4 ,sometime he runs among a flock of sheep1 ,to make the cunning hounds mistake their smell1 ,and sometime where earth-delving conies keep1 ,to stop the loud pursuers in their yell1 ,and sometime sorteth with a herd of deer3 ,danger deviseth shifts2 wit waits on fear3 ,for there his smell with others being mingled1 ,the hot scent-snuffing hounds are driven to doubt1 ,ceasing their clamorous cry till they have singled ,with much ado the cold fault cleanly out2 ,then do they spend their mouths3 ,echo replies1 ,as if another chase were in the skies4 ,by this1 poor ,wat1 far off upon a hill1 ,stands on his hinder legs with listening ear1 ,to hearken if his foes pursue him still3 ,anon their loud alarums he doth hear2 ,and now his grief may be compared well ,to one sore sick that hears the passing-bell4 ,then shalt thou see the dew-bedabbled wretch ,turn1 and return1 indenting with the way2 ,each envious brier his weary legs doth scratch1 ,each shadow makes him stop1 each murmur stay3 ,for misery is trodden on by many1 ,and being low never relieved by any4 ,a ,,morning ,,song ,,for ,,imogen4 ,,from ,,cymbeline4 ,hark1 hark6 the lark at heaven's gate sings1 ,and ,phoebus 'gins arise1 ,his steeds to water at those springs ,on chaliced flowers that lies2 ,and winking ,mary-buds begin ,to ope their golden eyes3 ,with everything that pretty is1 ,my lady sweet1 arise3 ,arise1 arise4 ,,sigh ,,no ,,more1 ,,ladies4 ,,from ,,much ,,ado ,,about ,,nothing4 ,sigh no more1 ladies1 sigh no more1 ,men were deceivers ever1 ,one foot in sea and one on shore1 ,to one thing constant never3 ,then sigh not so1 but let them go1 ,and be you blithe and bonny1 ,converting all your sounds of woe ,into ,hey nonny1 nonny4 ,sing no more ditties1 sing no moe1 ,of dumps so dull and heavy2 ,the fraud of men was ever so1 ,since summer first was leafy3 ,then sigh not so1 but let them go1 ,and be you blithe and bonny1 ,converting all your sounds of woe ,into ,hey nonny1 nonny4 ,,sunshine ,,and ,,cloud4 ,,sonnet ,,xxxiii4 ,full many a glorious morning have ,i seen ,flatter the mountain-tops with sovereign eye1 ,kissing with golden face the meadows green1 ,gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy2 ,anon permit the basest clouds to ride ,with ugly rack on his celestial face1 ,and from the forlorn world his visage hide1 ,stealing unseen to west with this disgrace3 ,even so my sun one early morn did shine ,with all-triumphant splendor on my brow2 ,but out1 alack6 he was but one hour mine2 ,the region cloud hath mask'd him from me now4 ,yet him for this my love no whit disdaineth2 ,suns of the world may stain1 when heaven's sun staineth4 ,,the ,,world',s ,,way4 ,,sonnet ,,lxvi4 ,tired with all these1 for restful death ,i cry1-- ,as1 to behold desert a beggar born1 ,and needy nothing trimm'd in jollity1 ,and purest faith unhappily forsworn1 ,and gilded honor shamefully misplaced1 ,and maiden virtue rudely strumpeted1 ,and right perfection wrongfully disgraced1 ,and strength by limping sway disabled1 ,and art made tongue-tied by authority1 ,and folly1 doctor-like1 controlling skill1 ,and simple truth miscall'd simplicity1 ,and captive ,good attending captain ,ill3 ,tired with all these1 from these would ,i be gone1-- ,save that1 to die1 ,i leave my ,love alone4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,william ,,shakespeare was born at ,stratford-on-,avon in ,april1 #aefd1 and died there ,april #bc1 #afaf4 ,his fame rests chiefly upon his dramatic compositions4 ,his two narrative poems1 ,venus and ,adonis and ,the ,rape of ,lucrece1 were published in #aeic and #aeid1 before any of his plays had been printed4 ,they may be regarded as companion pieces1 written in the same style and distinguished by similar characteristics4 ,a couple of ice-houses1 says ,dowden1 these two poems of ,shakespeare have been called by ,hazlitt2 'they are1' he says1 'as hard1 as glittering1 as cold4' ,cold indeed they will seem to any one who listens to hear in them the natural cry of human passion4 ,but the paradox is true1 that for a young poet of ,elizabeth's age to be natural1 direct1 simple1 would have been indeed unnatural4 ,he was most happy when most fantastical2 he spun a shining web to catch conceits inevitably as a spider casts his thread2 the quick-building wit was itself warm while erecting its ice-houses4 ,coleridge says of the ,venus and ,adonis that its most obvious excellence is the perfect sweetness of the versification2 its adaptation to the subject2 and the power displayed in varying the march of the words without passing into a loftier and more majestic rhythm than was demanded by the thoughts1 or permitted by the propriety of preserving a sense of melody predominant4 ,shakespeare's ,sonnets were published in #afji4 ,concerning the origin1 purpose1 and interpretation of these poems1 many widely different theories have been proposed1 ,some have looked on them as one poem4 says ,fleay2 some as several poems--of groups of sonnets2 some as containing a separate poem in each sonnet4 ,they have been supposed to be written in ,shakespeare's own person1 or in the character of another1 or of several others2 to be autobiographical or heterobiographical or allegorical2 to have been addressed to ,lord ,southampton1 to ,sir ,william ,herbert1 to his own wife1 to ,lady ,rich1 to his child1 to himself1 to his ,muse4 ,the safest and wisest course seems to be1 first to regard each of the one hundred and fifty-four sonnets as a poem complete in itself1 and after studying whatever it may contain of art1 or beauty1 or truth1 then to discover1 if possible1 its relationship to those which precede or follow it in the series4 ,of the other poems written by ,shakespeare1 mention should be made of ,the ,passionate ,pilgrim 7#aeei71 ,the ,phoenix and the ,turtle 7#afja71 ,a ,lover's ,complaint1 published in the same volume with the ,sonnets1 and the few exquisite little songs scattered through his plays4 ,edmund ,spenser4 ,,the ,,cave ,,of ,,mammon4 ,guyon findes ,mammon in a delve#a ,sunning his threasure hore#b2 ,is by him tempted1 and led downe ,to see his secrete store4 ,as ,pilot well expert in perilous wave1 ,that to a stedfast starre#c his course hath bent1 ,when foggy mistes or cloudy tempests have ,the faithfull light of that faire lampe yblent1#d ,and cover'd heaven with hideous dreriment1#e ,upon his card and compas firmes#f his eye1 ,the maysters of his long experiment1 ,and to them does the steddy helme apply1 ,bidding his winged vessell fairely forward fly3 ,so ,guyon having lost his trustie guyde1 ,late left beyond that ,ydle lake1 proceedes ,yet on his way1 of none accompanyde2 ,and evermore himselfe with comfort feedes ,of his own vertues and praise-worthie deedes4 ,so1 long he yode1#g yet no adventure found1 ,which fame of her shrill trumpet worthy reedes#h2 ,for still he traveild through wide wastfull ground1 ,that nought but desert wildernesse shewed all around4 ,at last he came unto a gloomy glade1 ,cover'd with boughes and shrubs from heavens light1 ,whereas he sitting found in secret shade ,an uncouth1 salvage1#i and uncivile wight1 ,of griesly hew and fowle ill-favour'd sight2 ,his face with smoke was tand1 and eies were bleard1 ,his head and beard with sout were ill bedight1#aj ,his cole-blacke hands did seeme to have been seard ,in smythes fire-spitting#aa forge1 and nayles like clawes appear4 ,his yron cote1 all overgrowne with rust1 ,was underneath enveloped with gold2 ,whose glistring glosse1 darkned with filthy dust1 ,well yet appeared to have beene of old ,a worke of rich entayle#ab and curious mould1 ,woven with antickes#ac and wyld ymagery2 ,and in his lap a masse of coyne he told1 ,and turned upside downe1 to feede his eye ,and covetous desire with his huge threasury4 ,and round about him lay on every side ,great heapes of gold that never could be spent2 ,of which some were rude owre1 not purifide ,of ,mulcibers#ad devouring element2 ,some others were new driven1 and distent ,into great ,ingowes and to wedges square2 ,some in round plates withouten moniment#ae2 ,but most were stampt1 and in their metal bare ,the antique shapes of kings and kesars straunge and rare4 ,soone as he ,guyon saw1 in great affright ,and haste he rose for to remove aside ,those pretious hils from straungers envious sight1 ,and downe them poured through an hole full wide ,into the hollow earth1 them there to hide4 ,but ,guyon1 lightly to him leaping1 stayd ,his hand that trembled as one terrifyde2 ,and though himselfe were at the sight dismayd1 ,yet him perforce restraynd1 and to him doubtfull sayd3 ,what art thou1 man1 7if man at all thou art7 ,that here in desert hast thine habitaunce1 ,and these rich hils of welth doest hide apart ,from the worldes eye1 and from her right usaunce8 ,thereat1 with staring eyes fixed askaunce1 ,in great disdaine he answerd3 ,hardy ,elfe1 ,that darest view my direfull countenaunce1 ,i read thee rash and heedlesse of thy selfe1 ,to trouble my still seate1 and heapes of pretious pelfe4 ,god of the world and worldlings ,i me call1 ,great ,mammon1 greatest god below the skye1 ,that of my plenty poure out unto all1 ,and unto none my graces do envye3 ,riches1 renowme1 and principality1 ,honour1 estate1 and all this worldes good1 ,for which men swinck#af and sweat incessantly1 ,fro me do flow into an ample flood1 ,and in the hollow earth have their eternall brood4 ,wherefore1 if me thou deigne to serve and sew1#ag ,at thy commaund lo6 all these mountaines bee3 ,or if to thy great mind1 or greedy vew1 ,all these may not suffise1 there shall to thee ,ten times so much be nombred francke and free4 ,mammon1 7said he7 thy godheads vaunt is vaine1 ,and idle offers of thy golden fee2 ,to them that covet such eye-glutting gaine ,proffer thy giftes1 and fitter servaunts entertaine4 ,me ill besits1#ah that in derdoing1 armes ,and honours suit my vowd daies do spend1 ,unto thy bounteous baytes and pleasing charmes1 ,with which weake men thou witchest1 to attend2 ,regard of worldly mucke#ai doth fowly blend1 ,and low abase the high heroicke spright1#bj ,that joyes for crownes and kingdomes to contend3 ,faire shields1 gay steedes1 bright armes be my delight2 ,those be the riches fit for an advent'rous knight4 ,vaine glorious ,elfe1 7saide he7 doest not thou weet1#ba ,that money can thy wantes at will supply8 ,sheilds1 steeds1 and armes1 and all things for thee meet1 ,it can purvay in twinckling of an eye2 ,and crownes and kingdomes to thee multiply4 ,do not ,i kings create1 and throw the crowne ,sometimes to him that low in dust doth ly1 ,and him that raignd into his rowme thrust downe1 ,and whom ,i lust do heape with glory and renowne8 ,all otherwise 7saide he7 ,i riches read1 ,and deeme them roote of all disquietnesse2 ,first got with guile1 and then preserv'd with dread1 ,and after spent with pride and lavishnesse1 ,leaving behind them griefe and heavinesse3 ,infinite mischiefes of them doe arize1 ,strife and debate1 bloodshed and bitternesse1 ,outrageous wrong1 and hellish covetize1 ,that noble heart as great dishonour doth despize4 ,ne thine be kingdomes1 ne the scepters thine2 ,but realmes and rulers thou doest both confound1 ,and loyall truth to treason doest incline3 ,witnesse the guiltlesse blood pourd oft on ground1 ,the crowned often slaine1 the slayer cround2 ,the sacred ,diademe in peeces rent1 ,and purple robe gored with many a wound1 ,castles surprizd1 great cities sackt and brent2 ,so mak'st thou kings1 and gaynest wrongfull government4 ,long were to tell the troublous stormes that tosse ,the private state1 and make the life unsweet3 ,who swelling sayles in ,caspian sea doth crosse1 ,and in frayle wood on ,adrian gulf doth fleet1 ,doth not1 ,i weene1 so many evils meet4 ,then ,mammon wexing wroth3 ,and why then1 sayd1 ,are mortall men so fond#bb and undiscreet ,so evill thing to seeke unto their ayd1 ,and having not complaine1 and having it upbrayd8 ,indeede1 7quoth he7 through fowle intemperaunce ,frayle men are oft captiv'd to covetise2 ,but would they thinke with how small allowaunce ,untroubled ,nature doth herselfe suffise1 ,such superfluities they would despise1 ,which with sad cares empeach#bc our native joyes4 ,at the well-head the purest streames arise2 ,but mucky filth his braunching armes annoyes1 ,and with uncomely weedes the gentle wave accloyes4#bd ,the antique world1 in his first flowring youth1 ,fownd no defect in his ,creators grace2 ,but with glad thankes1 and unreproved truth1#be ,the gifts of soveraine bounty did embrace3 ,like ,angels life was then mens happy cace2 ,but later ages pride1 like corn-fed steed1 ,abusd her plenty and fat swolne encreace ,to all licentious lust1 and gan exceed ,the measure of her meane and naturall first need4 ,then gan a cursed hand the quiet wombe ,of his great ,grandmother#bf with steele to wound1 ,and the hid treasures in her sacred tombe ,with ,sacriledge to dig4 ,therein he fownd ,fountaines of gold and silver to abownd1 ,of which the matter of his huge desire ,and pompous pride eftsoones he did compownd2 ,then avarice gan through his veines inspire ,his greedy flames1 and kindled life-devouring fire4 ,sonne1 7said he then7 lett be#bg thy bitter scorne1 ,and leave the rudenesse of that antique age ,to them that liv'd therein1 in state forlorne3 ,thou1 that doest live in later times1 must wage#bh ,thy workes for wealth1 and life for gold engage4 ,if then thee list my offred grace to use1 ,take what thou please of all this surplusage2 ,if thee list not1 leave have thou to refuse3 ,but refused doe not afterward accuse4 ,me list#bi not 7said the ,elfin knight7 receave ,thing offred1 till ,i know it well be gott2 ,ne wote but thou didst these goods bereave ,from rightfull owner by unrighteous lott1 ,or that bloodguiltinesse or guile them blott4 ,perdy1#cj 7quoth he7 yet never eie did vew1 ,ne tong did tell1 ne hand these handled not2 ,but safe ,i have them kept in secret mew ,from hevens sight1 and powre of al which them poursew4 ,what secret place 7quoth he7 can safely hold ,so huge a masse1 and hide from heaven's eie8 ,or where hast thou thy wonne1#ca that so much gold ,thou canst preserve from wrong and robbery8 ,come thou1 7quoth he7 and see4 ,so by and by ,through that thick covert he him led1 and fownd ,a darkesome way1 which no man could descry1 ,that deep descended through the hollow grownd1 ,and was with dread and horror compassed arownd4 ,at length they came into a larger space1 ,that stretcht itselfe into an ample playne2 ,through which a beaten broad high way did trace1 ,that streight did lead to ,plutoes griesly rayne4#cb ,by that wayes side there sate internall ,payne1 ,and fast beside him sat tumultuous ,strife3 ,the one in hand an yron whip did strayne1 ,the other brandished a bloody knife2 ,and both did gnash their teeth1 and both did threten life4 ,on thother side in one consort there sate ,cruell ,revenge1 and rancorous ,despight1 ,disloyall ,treason1 and hart-burning ,hate2 ,but gnawing ,gealousy1 out of their sight ,sitting alone1 his bitter lips did bight2 ,and trembling ,feare still to and fro did fly1 ,and found no place wher safe he shroud him might3 ,lamenting ,sorrow did in darknes lye1 ,and ,shame his ugly face did hide from living eye4 ,and over them sad ,horror with grim hew ,did alwaies sore1 beating his yron wings2 ,and after him ,owles and ,night-ravens flew1 ,the hatefull messengers of heavy things1 ,of death and dolor telling sad tidings1 ,whiles sad ,celeno1 sitting on a clifte1 ,a song of bale and bitter sorrow sings1 ,that hart of flint asonder could have rifte2 ,which having ended after him she flyeth swifte4 ,all these before the gates of ,pluto lay1 ,by whom they passing spake unto them nought2 ,but th' ,elfin knight with wonder all the way ,did feed his eyes1 and fild his inner thought4 ,at last him to a little dore he brought1 ,that to the gate of ,hell1 which gaped wide1 ,was next adjoyning1 ne them parted ought3 ,betwixt them both was but a little stride1 ,that did the house of ,richesse from hell-mouth divide4 ,before the dore sat selfe-consuming ,care1 ,day and night keeping wary watch and ward1 ,for feare least ,force or ,fraud should unaware ,breake in1 and spoile the treasure there in gard3 ,ne would he suffer ,sleepe once thither-ward ,approch1 albe his drowsy den were next2 ,for next to ,death is ,sleepe to be compard2#cc ,therefore his house is unto his annext3 ,here ,sleep1 ther ,richesse1 and ,hel-gate them both betwext4 ,so soon as ,mammon there arrivd1 the dore ,to him did open and affoorded way3 ,him followed eke ,sir ,guyon evermore1 ,ne darknesse him1 ne daunger might dismay4 ,soone as he entred was1 the dore streight way ,did shutt1 and from behind it forth there lept ,an ugly feend1 more fowle then dismall day1 ,the which with monstrous stalke behind him stept1 ,and ever as he went dew watch upon him kept4 ,well hoped hee1 ere long that hardy guest1 ,if ever covetous hand1 or lustfull eye1 ,or lips he layd on thing that likte him best1 ,or ever sleepe his eie-strings did untye1 ,should be his pray4 ,and therefore still on hye ,he over him did hold his cruell clawes1 ,threatning with greedy gripe to doe him dye1 ,and rend in peeces with his ravenous pawes1 ,if ever he transgrest the fatal ,stygian lawes4 ,that houses forme within was rude and strong1 ,lyke an huge cave hewne out of rocky clifte1 ,from whose rough vaut the ragged breaches hong ,embossed with massy gold of glorious guifte1 ,and with rich metall loaded every rifte1 ,that heavy ruine they did seeme to threatt2 ,and over them ,arachne high did lifte ,her cunning web1 and spred her subtile nett1 ,enwrapped in fowle smoke and clouds more black than ,jett4 ,both roofe1 and floore1 and walls1 were all of gold1 ,but overgrowne with dust and old decay1 ,and hid in darkenes1 that none could behold ,the hew thereof2 for vew of cherefull day ,did never in that house it selfe display1 ,but a faint shadow of uncertain light3 ,such as a lamp1 whose life does fade away1 ,or as the ,moone1 cloathed with clowdy night1 ,does show to him that walkes in feare and sad affright4 ,in all that rowme was nothing to be seene ,but huge great yron chests1 and coffers strong1 ,all bard with double bends1 that none could weene ,them to efforce by violence or wrong3 ,on every side they placed were along2 ,but all the grownd with sculs was scattered1 ,and dead mens bones1 which round about were flong2 ,whose lives1 it seemed1 whilome#cd there were shed1 ,and their vile carcases now left unburied4 ,,notes4 ,this is a selection from ,spenser's great poem1 ,the ,faerie ,queene1 being a part of the seventh canto of book second4 ,the ,faerie ,queene was published in #aeij1 and comprises six books of twelve cantos each4 ,the first book is the ,legend of the ,red ,cross ,knight1 or ,holiness2 the second1 of ,sir ,guyon1 or ,temperance2 the third1 of ,britomartis1 or ,chastity2 the fourth1 of ,cambel and ,triamond1 or ,friendship2 the fifth1 of ,artegall1 or ,justice2 the sixth1 of ,sir ,calidore1 or ,courtesy4 ,it was ,spenser's design that the complete work should contain twelve books1 but of the remaining part only a fragment of one book1 the ,legend of ,constance1 is in existence4 ,the versification of the ,faerie ,queene is based upon the ottava rima1 made so popular in ,italian poetry by ,tasso and ,ariosto4 ,instead of eight lines to a stanza1 however1 there are nine4 ,the first eight lines are iambic pentameters1 and the ninth a hexameter1 the stanza thus closing with a lingering cadence which adds greatly to the melody of the verse4 ,this is the ,spenserian stanza1 a form of versification very popular with many of our later poets4 ,if you love poetry well enough to enjoy it for its own sake1 says ,leigh ,hunt1 let no evil reports of his allegory deter you from an acquaintance with ,spenser1 for great will be your loss4 ,his allegory itself is but one part allegory and nine parts beauty and enjoyment2 sometimes an excess of flesh and blood4 ,his wholesale poetical belief1 mixing up all creeds and mythologies1 but with less violence1 resembles that of ,dante and ,boccaccio4 ,his versification is almost perpetual honey4 #a4 delve4 ,dell4 ,from ,a4-,s4 delfan1 delve1 to dig4 ,each canto of the ,faerie ,queene is introduced by a four-line doggerel like this1 containing the argument1 or a brief summary of the narrative1--in imitation1 probably1 of ,ariosto's ,orlando ,furioso4 #b4 hore4 ,sordid1 miserly4 ,probably from ,a4-,s4 harian1 to become mouldy or musty4 ,the word hoard may be traced to a similar root4 #c4 stedfast starre4 ,the pole-star4 ,see ,faerie ,queene1 ,i1 ii1 #a3 ,by this the northerne wagoner had set ,his sevenfold teme behind the stedfast starre ,that was in ocean waves yet never wet1 ,but firme is fixt1 and sendeth light from farre ,to all that in the wide deepe wandring arre4 #d4 yblent4 ,blinded4 #e4 dreriment4 ,darkness4 #f4 firmes4 ,fixes1 makes firm4 #g4 yode4 ,went4 ,the past participle of the old verb yede1 from ,a4-,s4 gangead1 to go1 to proceed4 #h4 reedes4 ,considers4 ,from ,a4-,s4 rd1 counsel1 advice2 ,o4 ,e4 rede4 #i4 salvage4 ,savage1 wild4 ,fr4 sauvage4 ,from ,lat4 silva1 forest4 ,see ,faerie ,queene1 ,,iv1 v1 #ai3 ,for all his armour was like salvage weed ,with woody mosse bedight1 and all his steed ,with oaken leaves attrapt1 that seemed fit ,for salvage wight1 and thereto well agreed ,his word1 which on his ragged shield was writ1 ,salvagesse sans finesse1#bcc3a shewing secret wit4 wight4 ,person4 ,from ,a4-,s4 wiht4 ,for every wight that loved chevalrie4 --,chaucer1 ,canterbury ,tales1 #baje4 griesly4 ,dreadful4 ,from ,a4-,s4 grislic2 agrisan1 to dread4 ,grisly4 #aj4 bedight4 ,covered4 ,from dight1 to dress1 to deck4 ,a4-,s4 dihtan4 #aa4 fire-spitting4 ,spett seems anciently to have more simply signified disperse1 without the low idea which we at present affix to it4--,warton4 #ab4 entayle4 ,sculpture1 carving4 ,compare intaglio4 #ac4 antickes4 ,odd1 or fantastic1 forms4 ,from ,lat1 antiquus1 ancient4 #ad4 of ,mulcibers devouring element4 ,by fire4 ,mulciber is a surname of ,vulcan1 which seems to have been given him as an euphemism1 that he might not consume the habitations and property of men1 but kindly aid them in their pursuits4 #ae4 withouten moniment4 ,without superscription4 #af4 swinck4 ,labor1 drudge4 ,a4-,s4 swincan1 to toil4 #ag4 sew4 ,follow4 ,from ,fr4 suivre4 deigne4 ,from ,fr4 daigner1 to consider worthy4 ,opposed to disdain4 #ah4 ,me ill besits4 ,it ill becomes me4 derdoing4 ,dare-doing2 doing daring deeds4 #ai4 worldly mucke4 ,filthy lucre4 #bj4 spright4 ,spirit4 #ba4 weet4 ,understand4 ,from ,a4-,s4 witan1 to know4 #bb4 fond4 ,foolish4 #bc4 empeach4 ,hinder4 ,fr4 empcher4 #bd4 accloyes4 ,chokes or clogs up4 ,observe how the poet carries out his metaphor of the well-head1 the purest streames1 his braunching armes1 and the gentle wave4 #be4 unreproved truth4 ,sincerity4 #bf4 great ,grandmother4 ,mother ,earth4 #bg4 lett be4 ,leave off2 make an end of4 #bh4 wage4 ,pledge4 ,observe the relationship between this word and both wager and wages4 #bi4 ,me list4 ,i wish4 ,compare methinks1 meseems4 ,from ,a4-,s4 lystan1 to choose4 ,the wind bloweth where it listeth4--,john iii4 #h4 wote4 ,understood4 ,see note #ba above4 #cj4 ,perdy4 ,an old oath used to give emphasis to an assertion4 ,from ,fr4 par dieu4 #ca4 wonne4 ,habitation4 ,from ,a4-,s4 wunian1 to dwell4 #cb4 rayne4 ,reign4 ,the word is frequently used in the older poets for realm1 or region4 #cc4 next to ,death is ,sleepe4 ,how wonderful is ,death6 ,death and his brother ,sleep6 --,shelley1 ,queen ,mab1 ,i4 #cd4 whilome4 ,at some time4 ,,footnotes3 #bcc3a ,wildness without art4 ,,prothalamion2 ,,or1 ,a ,,spousall ,,verse4 ,,in ,,honour ,,of ,,the ,,double ,,marriage ,,of ,,the ,,two ,,honorable ,,and ,,vertuous ,,ladies1 ,,the ,,lady ,,elizabeth ,,and ,,the ,,lady ,,katherine ,,somerset1 ,,daughters ,,to ,,the ,,right ,,honorable ,,the ,,earle ,,of ,,worcester1 ,,and ,,espoused ,,to ,,the ,,two ,,worthie ,,gentlemen1 ,m4 ,,henry ,,gilford ,,and ,m4 ,,william ,,peter1 ,,esquyers4 ,calme was the day1 and through the trembling ayre ,sweete-breathing ,zephyrus did softly play ,a gentle spirit1 that lightly did delay ,hot ,titans#a beames1 which then did glyster fayre2 ,when ,i1 7whom sullein care1 ,through discontent of my long fruitlesse stay ,in princes court1#b and expectation vayne ,of idle hopes1 which still doe fly away ,like empty shadows1 did afflict my brayne17 ,walkt forth to ease my payne ,along the shoare of silver streaming ,themmes#c2 ,whose rutty#d bank1 the which his river hemmes1 ,was paynted all with variable flowers1 ,and all the meades adorned with dainty gemmes ,fit to decke maydens bowres1 ,and crown their paramours ,against#e the brydale-day1 which is not long2 ,sweet ,themmes6 runne softly1 till ,i end my song4 ,there1 in a meadow1 by the rivers side1 ,a flocke of ,nymphes ,i chaunced to espy1 ,all lovely daughters of the ,flood#f thereby1 ,with goodly greenish locks1 all loose untyde1#g ,as each had been a bryde2 ,and each one had a little wicker basket1 ,made of fine twigs1 entrayled#h curiously1 ,in which they gathered flowers to fill their flasket1#i ,and with fine fingers cropt#aj full feateously ,the tender stalkes on hye4#aa ,of every sort which in that meadow grew1 ,they gathered some2 the violet1 pallid#ab blew1 ,the little dazie that at evening closes1 ,the virgin lillie1 and the primrose trew1#ac ,with store#ad of vermeil roses1 ,to deck their bridegroomes posies#ae ,against the brydale-day1 which was not long3 ,sweet ,themmes6 runne softly till ,i end my song4 ,with that#af ,i saw two ,swannes of goodly hewe ,come softly swimming downe along the lee#ag2 ,two fairer birds ,i yet did never see2 ,the snow which doth the top of ,pindus strew1 ,did never whiter shew1 ,nor ,jove himselfe1 when he a swan would be ,for love of ,leda1 whiter did appeare4 ,yet ,leda was 7they say7 as white as he1 ,yet not so white as these1 nor nothing near#ah3 ,so purely white they were1 ,that even the gentle stream1 the which them bare1 ,seem'd foule to them1 and bad his billowes spare ,to wet their silken feathers1 least they might ,soyle their fayre plumes with water not so fayre1 ,and marre their beauties bright1 ,that shone as heavens light1 ,against their brydale day which was not long3 ,sweet ,themmes6 runne softly1 till ,i end my song4 ,eftsoones#ai the ,nymphes1 which now had flowers their fill1 ,ran all in haste to see that silver brood1 ,as they came floating on the cristal flood2 ,whom when they sawe1 they stood amazed1 still1 ,their wondring eyes to fill2 ,them seem'd they never saw a sight so fayre1 ,of fowles1 so lovely1 that they sure did deeme ,them heavenly borne1 or to be that same payre ,which through the skie draw ,venus silver teeme2 ,for sure they did not seeme ,to be begot of any earthly seede1 ,but rather angels1 or of angels breede2 ,yet were they bred of ,somers-heat1#bj they say1 ,in sweetest season1 when each flower and weede ,the earth did fresh array2 ,so fresh they seem'd as day1 ,even as their brydale day1 which was not long3 ,sweet ,themmes6 runne softly till ,i end my song4 ,then forth they all out of their baskets drew ,great store of flowers1 the honour of the field1 ,that to the sense did fragrant odours yeild1 ,all which upon those goodly birds they threw1 ,and all the waves did strew1 ,that like old ,peneus#ba waters they did seeme1 ,when downe along by pleasant ,tempes shore1 ,scattred with flowres1 through ,thessaly they streeme1 ,that they appeare1 through lillies plenteous store1 ,like a brydes chambre flore4 ,two of those ,nymphes1 meane while1 two garlands bound ,of freshest flowres which in that mead they found1 ,the which presenting all in trim array1 ,their snowie foreheads therewithall they crownd ,whilst one did sing this lay1 ,prepar'd against that day1 ,against their brydale day1 which was not long3 ,sweet ,themmes6 runne softly1 till ,i end my song4 ,ye gentle ,birdes6 the worlds faire ornament ,and heavens glorie1 whom this happie hower ,doth leade unto your lovers blissfull bower1 ,ioy may you have1 and gentle hearts content ,of your loves couplement2#bb ,and let faire ,venus1 that is ,queene of ,love1 ,with her heart-quelling ,sonne#bc upon you smile1 ,whose smile1 they say1 hath vertue to remove ,all loves dislike1 and friendships faultie guile ,forever to assoile4#bd ,let endlesse peace your steadfast hearts accord1 ,and blessed plentie wait upon your bord#be2 ,and let your bed with pleasures chast abound1 ,that fruitfull issue may to you afford1 ,which may your foes confound ,and make your ioyes redound ,upon your brydale day1 which is not long4 ,sweet ,themmes6 runne softly1 till ,i end my song4 ,so ended she2 and all the rest around ,to her redoubled#bf that her undersong1 ,which said1 their brydale day should not be long3 ,and gentle ,eccho from the neighbour#bg ground ,their accents did resound4 ,so forth those joyous ,birdes did passe along ,adowne the lee1 that to them murmurde low1 ,as he would speake1 but that he lackt a tong1 ,yet did by signes his glad affection show1 ,making his streame run slow4 ,and all the foule which in his flood did dwell ,gan flock about these twaine1 that did excell ,the rest1 so far as ,cynthia doth shend#bh ,the lesser stars4 ,so they1 enranged well1 ,did on those two attend1 ,and their best service lend ,against their wedding day1 which was not long3 ,sweet ,themmes6 runne softly1 till ,i end my song4 ,at length they all to mery ,london came1 ,to mery ,london1 my most kyndly nurse1#bi ,that to me gave this lifes first native sourse1 ,though from another place ,i take my name1 ,an house of auncient fame2 ,there when they came1 whereas those bricky towres ,the which on ,themmes brode aged backe doe ryde1 ,where now the studious lawyers have their bowers1#cj ,there whylome wont the ,templer ,knights to byde1 ,till they decayd through pride2 ,next whereunto there standes a stately place1#ca ,where oft ,i gayned giftes and goodly grace ,of that great lord1 which therein wont to dwell1 ,whose want too well now feels my freendles case2#cb ,but ah6 here fits not well#cc ,old woes1 but ioyes1 to tell ,against the brydale daye1 which is not long3 ,sweet ,themmes6 runne softly1 till ,i end my song4 ,yet therein now doth lodge a nobler peer1#cd ,great ,englands glory1 and the worlds wide wonder1 ,whose dreadfull name late through all ,spaine#ce did thunder1 ,and ,hercules two ,pillors#cf standing neere ,did make to quake and feare3 ,faire branch of honor1 flower of chevalrie6 ,that fillest ,england with thy triumphs fame1 ,ioy have thou of thy noble victorie1 ,and endlesse happinesse of thine owne name ,that promiseth the same2 ,that through thy prowesse1 and victorious armes1 ,thy country may be freed from forraine harmes1 ,and great ,elisaes glorious name may ring ,through all the world1 fill'd with thy wide alarmes1 ,which some brave muse may sing ,to ages following1 ,upon the brydale day which is not long3 ,sweet ,themmes6 runne softly1 till ,i end my song4 ,from those high towers this noble lord issuing1 ,like radiant ,hesper1#cg when his golden hare ,in th' ocean billows he hath bathed fayre1 ,descended to the rivers open vewing1 ,with a great train ensuing4 ,above the rest were goodly to bee seene ,two gentle ,knights of lovely face and feature1 ,beseeming well the bower of any queene1 ,with gifts of wit and ornaments of nature1 ,fit for so goodly stature1 ,that like the ,twins of ,iove#ch they seem'd in sight1 ,which decke the bauldricke#ci of the heavens bright2 ,they two forth pacing to the rivers side1 ,receiv'd those two faire ,brides1 their loves delight2 ,which1#dj at th' appointed tyde1 ,each one did make his ,bryde ,against their brydale day1 which is not long3 ,sweet ,themmes6 runne softly1 till ,i end my song4 ,,notes4 ,this poem was written and published towards the end of the year #aeie4 ,the word prothalamium is from ,gr4 pro1 for1 and thalamos1 a bride-chamber1 and would more properly be applied to a marriage-song than to a spousall verse4 ,spenser had already written--earlier in the same year--the ,epithalamium in honor of his own marriage4 ,the singing of a hymeneal song in connection with the wedding festivities was a very ancient custom among the ,greeks4 ,homer alludes to it in the ,iliad1 ,,xviii1 #dic3 ,and two fair populous towns were sculptur'd there2 ,in one were marriage pomp and revelry1 ,and brides1 in gay procession1 through the streets ,with blazing torches from their chambers borne1 ,while frequent rose the hymeneal song4 ,see1 also1 ,spenser's ,faerie ,queene1 ,i1 xii1 #ch4 #a4 ,titans4 ,the word is used for ,helios1 the son of the ,titans1 ,hyperion and ,thea4 ,observe that the apostrophe1 as the sign of the possessive case1 is never used by ,spenser4 glyster4 ,glisten1 shine4 ,from ,a4-,s4 glisnian1 glow1 or shine with a soft light4 ,all that glisters is not gold4 --,shakespeare1 ,merchant of ,venice1 ,act ii1 sc4 vii4 ,know one false step is ne'er retrieved 4 4 4 ,nor all that glisters gold4 --,gray1 ,on a ,favourite ,cat1 etc4 fayre4 ,fairly4 ,an old form of the adverb1 sanctioned by very old usage1 but not current in ,spenser's time4 #b4 princes court4 ,spenser had had experience of the many bitter disappointments which befall him who seeks the favor of royalty4 ,in ,mother ,hubbard's ,tale he complains in this wise3 ,full little knowest thou that hast not tride1 ,what hell it is in suing long to bide3 ,to lose good dayes that might be better spent2 ,to wast long nights in pensive discontent2 ,to speed today1 to be put back tomorrow2 ,to feed on hope1 to pine with feare and sorrow2 ,to have thy ,princes grace1 yet want her ,peeres2 ,to have thy asking1 yet waite manie yeeres2 ,to fret thy soule with crosses and with cares2 ,to eate thy heart through comfortlesse dispaires2 ,to fawne1 to crowche1 to waite1 to ride1 to ronne2 ,to spend1 to give1 to want1 to be undonne4 #c4 silver streaming ,themmes4 ,sir ,john ,denham's apostrophe to the ,thames is well known3 ,oh1 could ,i flow like thee1 and make thy stream ,my great example1 as it is my theme6 ,though deep1 yet clear2 though gentle1 yet not dull2 ,strong without rage2 without overflowing full4 --,cooper's ,hill1 #ahi4 ,and ,pope praises the stream in still more extravagant terms3 ,no seas so rich1 so gay no banks appear1 ,no lake so gentle1 and no spring so clear4 --,windsor ,forest1 #bbg4 ,see1 also1 ,spenser's ,faerie ,queene1 ,,iv1 xi4 #d4 rutty4 ,rooty4 #e4 ,against4 ,for1 or in preparation for2 to provide for4 ,compare ,genesis xliii4 #be3 ,and they made ready the present against ,joseph came at noon4 ,and ,shakespeare's ,midsummer ,night's ,dream1 ,act iii1 sc4 ii3 ,i'll charm his eyes against she do appear4 #f4 ,flood4 ,this word was often used1 as here1 to denote simply a river4 ,pope addresses the river ,thames3 ,thou1 too1 great father of the ,british floods6 #g4 all loose untyde4 ,steevens says3 ,brides formerly walked to church with their hair hanging loose behind4 #h4 entrayled4 ,twisted1 interlaced4 #i4 flasket4 ,a long1 shallow basket4 ,not used here as the diminutive of flask4 ,hales says it is the name given by the fishermen of ,cornwall to the vessel in which the fish are transferred from the seine to the tuck-net4 #aj4 cropt4 ,gathered1 ,dutch krappen1 to cut off4 feateously4 ,neatly1 skilfully4 ,compare ,chaucer3 ,and ,french she spake ful fayre and fetisly4 --,canterbury ,tales1 #abd4 ,a chambre had he in that hostelrie ,ful fetisly ydight with herbes sote4 --,ibid41 #cbje4 #aa4 on hye4 ,in haste4 ,probably the same as hie1 haste4 #ab4 pallid4 ,pale4 #ac4 primrose trew4 ,compare ,milton's ,lycidas1 #adb3 ,the rathe primrose that forsaken dies4 ,and ,shakespeare's ,the ,winter's ,tale1 ,act iv1 sc4 iii2 ,pale primroses that die unmarried4 #ad4 store4 ,abundance4 vermeil4 ,vermilion4 ,commonly used as a noun4 #ae4 posies4 ,posy originally meant verses presented with a nosegay or a bunch of flowers1 and hence the term came to be applied to the flowers themselves4 #af4 ,with that4 ,at the same time4 ,swannes4 ,paulus ,jovius1 who died in #aeeb1 describing the ,thames1 says3 ',this river abounds in swans1 swimming in flocks2 the sight of whom and their noise are vastly agreeable to the fleets that meet them in their course4'--,knight's ,cyclopedia of ,london4 #ag4 lee4 ,water1 or river4 ,see ,faerie ,queene1 ,v1 ii1 #ai3 ,his corps was carried downe along the lee1 ,whose waters with his filthy bloud it stayned4 ,also1 ,ibid41 ,,iv1 ii1 #af3 ,as when two warlike brigandines at sea1 ,with murdrous weapons arm'd to cruell fight1 ,do meete together on the watry lea4 ,the word is of ,celtic origin1 and is very common as a river-name in ,england1 ,ireland1 ,france1 and other parts of ,western ,europe4 #ah4 nor nothing near4 ,in early ,english two negatives did not destroy each other1 as now1 but made the negation more emphatic4 #ai4 ,eftsoones4 ,soon after4 ,from ,a4-,s4 eft1 after1 and sona1 soon4 #bj4 ,somers-heat4 ,the two ladies celebrated in this poem1 it will be remembered1 were ,lady ,elizabeth and ,lady ,katherine ,somerset4 #ba4 ,the ,peneus river1 the most important stream in ,thessaly1 forces its way through the ,vale of ,tempe1 between ,mounts ,ossa and ,olympus1 into the sea4 #bb4 loves couplement4 ,marriage4 #bc4 heart-quelling ,sonne4 ,cupid4 #bd4 assoile4 ,free from1 put off4 ,through long watch1 and late daies weary toile1 ,she soundly slept1 and carefull thoughts did quite assoile4 --,faerie ,queene1 ,,iii1 i1 #eh4 #be4 bord4 ,bed and board are two associated terms1 very frequently so used1 which imply the performance of the two acts necessary for the maintenance of life--sleeping and eating4 ,see ,shakespeare's ,comedy of ,errors1 ,act v1 sc4 i3 ,in bed he slept not for my urging it1 ,at board he fed not for my urging it4 ,also1 ,as ,you ,like ,it1 ,act v1 sc4 iv3 ,wedding is great ,juno's crown-- ,o blessed bond of board and bed6 #bf4 redoubled4 ,repeated4 undersong4 ,refrain1 burden4 #bg4 neighbour4 ,see note #aj1 on ,burns's ,cotter's ,saturday ,night4 #bh4 shend4 ,outshine1 shame1 disgrace4 ,from ,a4-,s4 scendan4 #bi4 my most kyndly nurse4 ,although born in ,london1 the poet was descended from the ancient and honourable family of ,spencer1 of ,althorpe in ,northamptonshire4 #cj4 ,when the order of the ,knights ,templar was suppressed in ,edward the ,second's reign1 their ,london estate on the bank of the ,thames was given over to the ,knights of ,st4 ,john2 by these it was leased to the students of the ,common ,law1 who1 not finding a home at ,cambridge or ,oxford1 were at that time in want of a habitation4--,hales4 #ca4 stately place4 ,this stood in the gardens where the ,outer ,temple should have been4 ,in #aehj it was occupied by the ,earl of ,leicester1 and here ,spenser was for a time entertained1 as he asserts in the following line4 ,the great lord whom he mentions was ,leicester4 #cb4 ,the want of whom ,i feel too well in my present friendless condition4 #cc4 fits not well4 ,it is not proper4 #cd4 nobler peer4 ,the ,earl of ,essex4 #ce4 ,macaulay says of ,lord ,essex's expedition against ,spain1 in #aeif1 that it was the most brilliant military exploit that was achieved on the ,continent by ,english arms during the long interval which elapsed between the battle of ,agincourt and that of ,blenheim4 #cf4 ,hercules two ,pillors4 ,the rocky capes on either side of the ,strait of ,gibraltar4 ,it was said that ,hercules erected them to mark the western limit of his wanderings4 #cg4 ,hesper4 ,hesperus was the evening star1 also sometimes regarded as the morning star1 and hence called by ,homer the bringer of light4 ,see note on ,lucifer1 page #hj and page #ahi4 #ch4 ,twins of ,iove4 ,castor and ,pollux4 ,two heroic brothers who as a reward of their devotion to each other were placed among the stars in the constellation ,gemini4 #ci4 bauldricke4 ,belt1 girdle1 or sash4 ,the bauldricke of the heavens is the zodiac4 #dj4 ,which4 ,in early ,english this pronoun was very commonly used instead of who when referring to persons4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,edmund ,,spenser was born in ,london about the year #aeeb4 ,he was educated at ,merchant ,taylor's school1 and in #aefi went to ,cambridge ,university1 where he entered ,pembroke ,hall as a sizar4 ,in the same year his first poetical performances--translations from ,petrarch and ,du ,bellay--were published in a miscellaneous collection without the name of the author4 ,at the ,university he was zealously devoted to the study of ,latin and ,greek literature1 and there he made the acquaintance of several students who afterwards became men of note4 ,in #aegi he visited ,sir ,philip ,sidney at ,penshurst1 with whom he afterwards spent some time in ,london at the house of ,sidney's uncle1 the ,earl of ,leicester4 ,in #aehj was published1 but without his name1 his first considerable poem1 ,the ,shepheards ,calendar2 and in the autumn of the same year he went to ,ireland as secretary to ,lord ,grey of ,wilton1 the new ,lord ,lieutenant4 ,with the exception of a few brief visits made to ,england1 the remainder of his life was spent partly in ,dublin and partly at ,kilcolman ,castle on a grant of forfeited land in the county of ,cork4 ,between #aehj and #aehi he wrote the first three books of ,the ,faerie ,queene1 and in #aeij they were published in ,london1 through the influence of ,sir ,walter ,raleigh1 who had recently visited the poet in ,ireland4 ,in the summer of #aeid he married a lady named ,elizabeth1 probably the daughter of some ,english settler in ,ireland2 and in the following year he carried to ,london and published the second three books of ,the ,faerie ,queene4 ,at about the same time were published his ,colin ,clout's ,come ,home ,again1 and his ,amoretti ,sonnets1 and an ,epithalamium relating to his courtship and marriage4 ,returning to ,ireland1 he resumed his labor upon the half-completed ,faerie ,queene1 but it was rudely interrupted by the breaking out of an insurrection among the ,irish4 ,in #aeih ,spenser's house was sacked and burned by the rebels1 and it was with the greatest difficulty that he and his family escaped with their lives4 ,indeed1 it is stated1 on the authority of ,ben ,jonson1 that one little child perished in the flames4 ,spenser returned to ,london in poverty and great distress1 and on the #afth of ,january1 #aeii1 he died in ,king ,street1 ,westminster4 ,he was buried in the ,abbey4 ,spenser has been very appropriately named the poets' poet4 ,for1 says ,leigh ,hunt1 he has had more idolatry and imitation from his brethren than all the rest put together4 ,the old undramatic poets1 ,drayton1 ,browne1 ,drummond1 and ,giles and ,phineas ,fletcher1 were as full of him as the dramatic were of ,shakespeare4 ,milton studied and used him1 calling him 'sage and serious ,spenser'2 and adding that he 'dared be known to think him a better teacher than ,scotus and ,aquinas4' ,cowley said he became a poet by reading him4 ,dryden claimed him for a master4 ,pope said he read him with as much pleasure when he was old as when he was young4 ,collins and ,gray loved him4 ,thomson1 ,shenstone1 and a host of inferior writers expressly imitated him4 ,burns1 ,byron1 ,shelley1 and ,keats made use of his stanza4 ,coleridge eulogized him4 ,hazlitt says1 ,of all the poets1 ,spenser is the most poetical4 ,and ,taine declares that no modern is more like ,homer than he4 ,with reference to the peculiar forms of language--comparatively obsolete even when ,the ,faerie ,queene was composed--which are so marked a characteristic of ,spenser's poetry1 ,hales says3 ,the subject he chose for his great work drew him into the midst of the old times of chivalry1 and the literature that belonged to them4 ,with such a subject the older forms of the language seemed to consort better4 ,to him1 too1 perhaps1 as to ,virgil1 the older words and word-forms seemed to give elevation and dignity4 ,moreover1 an older dialect was probably to some extent his vernacular1 as he had probably passed his youth in ,lancashire4 ,lastly1 the only great poet who had preceded him1 his great model1 the ,tityrus of whom he 'his songs did lere1' was ,chaucer4 ,to him ,chaucer's language may have seemed the one language of ,english poetry4 ,,references3 ,warton's ,history of ,english ,poetry2 ,hazlitt's ,lectures on the ,english ,poets2 ,craik's ,spenser and his ,poetry2 ,morley's ,english ,writers4 ,thomas ,wyatt4 ,a ,,love ,,song4 ,,the ,,lover ,,complaineth ,,of ,,the ,,unkindness ,,of ,,his ,,love4 ,my lute1 awake6 perform the last ,labor that thou and ,i shall waste2 ,and end that ,i have now begun3 ,and when this song is sung and past1 ,my lute6 be still1 for ,i have done4 ,as to be heard where ear is none2 ,as lead to grave in marble stone1 ,my song may pierce her heart as soon2 ,should we then sing1 or sigh1 or moan8 ,no1 no1 my lute6 for ,i have done4 ,the rock doth not so cruelly1 ,repulse the waves continually1 ,as she my suit and affection3 ,so that ,i am past remedy2 ,whereby my lute and ,i have done4 ,proud of the spoil that thou hast got ,of simple hearts thorough ,love's shot1 ,by whom1 unkind1 thou hast them won2 ,think not he hath his bow forgot1 ,although my lute and ,i have done4 ,vengeance shall fall on thy disdain1 ,that makest but game of earnest pain2 ,trow not alone under the sun ,unquit to cause thy lovers plain1 ,although my lute and ,i have done4 ,may chance thee lie withered and old ,in winter nights1 that are so cold1 ,plaining in vain unto the moon2 ,thy wishes then dare not be told3 ,care then who list1 for ,i have done4 ,and then may chance thee to repent ,the time that thou hast lost and spent1 ,to cause thy lovers sigh and swoon3 ,then shalt thou know beauty but lent1 ,and wish and want1 as ,i have done4 ,now cease1 my lute6 ,this is the last ,labor that thou and ,i shall waste2 ,and ended is that we begun3 ,now is thy song both sung and past2 ,my lute1 be still1 for ,i have done4 ,,the ,,courtier',s ,,life4 ,in court to serve1 decked with fresh array1 ,of sugared meats feeling the sweet repast2 ,the life in banquets and sundry kinds of play1 ,amid the press of worldly looks to waste3 ,hath with it joined oft times such bitter taste1 ,that whoso joyes such kind of life to hold1 ,in prison joyes1 fettered with chains of gold4 ,the ,earl of ,surrey4 ,,from ,,the ,,fourth ,,book ,,of ,,virgil',s ,,neid4 --,at the threshold of her chamber door ,the ,carthage lords did on the ,queen attend3 ,the trampling steed1 with gold and purple trapped1 ,chewing the foaming bit there fiercely stood4 ,then issued she1 awaited with great train1 ,clad in a cloak of ,tyre embroidered rich4 ,her quiver hung behind her back1 her tress ,knotted in gold1 her purple vesture eke ,buttoned with gold4 ,the ,trojans of her train ,before her go1 with gladsome ,iulus4 neas eke1 the goodliest of the rout1 ,makes one of them1 and joineth close the throng4 ,like when ,apollo leaveth ,lycia1 ,his wint'ring place1 and ,xanthus1 stood likewise1 ,to visit ,delos his mother's mansion1 ,repairing eft and furnishing her quire4 ,the ,candians and the folk of ,driopes1 ,with painted ,agathyrsi shout and cry1 ,environing the altars round about1 ,when that he walks upon ,mount ,cynthus' top1 ,his sparkled tress repressed with garlands soft ,of tender leaves1 and trussed up in gold1 ,his quiver and darts clattering behind his back-- ,so fresh and lusty did neas seem4 ,but to the hills and wild holts when they came ,from the rock's top the driven savage rose4 ,so1 from the hills above on the other side1 ,through the wide lawns they gan to take their course4 ,the harts likewise1 in troops taking their flight1 ,raising the dust1 the mountain-fast forsake4 ,the child ,iulus1 blithe of his swift steed ,amids the plain1 now pricks by them1 by these2 ,and to the encounter wisheth oft1 in mind1 ,the foaming boar instead of fearful beasts1 ,or lion brown1 might from the hill descend4 ,,note4 ,this short extract is given as a sample of the first blank verse written in the ,english language4 ,the spelling has been modernized4 ,a ,,sonnet4 ,,description ,,and ,,praise ,,of ,,his ,,love ,,geraldine4 ,from ,tuscan' came my lady's worthy race2 ,fair ,florence was some time their ancient seat2 ,the western isle1 whose pleasant shore doth face ,wild ,camber's cliffs1 did give her lively heat3 ,fostered she was with milk of ,irish breast2 ,her sire an earl2 her dame of princes' blood3 ,from tender years1 in ,britain she doth rest ,with king's child1 where she tasteth costly food4 ,hunsdon did first present her to my een3 ,bright is her hue1 and ,geraldine she hight3 ,hampton me taught to wish her first for mine3 ,and ,windsor1 alas1 doth chase me from her sight4 ,her beauty of kind1 her virtues from above2 ,happy is he that can obtain her love4 ,,on ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,sir ,,thomas ,,wyatt4 ,wyatt resteth here that quick could never rest3 ,whose heavenly gifts increased by disdain1 ,and virtue sank the deeper in his breast2 ,such profit he by envy could obtain4 ,a head where wisdom mysteries did frame1 ,whose hammers beat still in that lively brain1 ,as on a stithe where that some work of fame ,was daily wrought1 to turn to ,britain's gain4 ,a hand that taught what might be said in rhyme2 ,that reft ,chaucer the glory of his wit2 ,a mark1 the which 7unperfected for time7 ,some may approach1 but never none shall hit4 ,an eye whose judgment none effect could blind1 ,friends to allure and foes to reconcile1 ,whose piercing look did represent a mind ,with virtue fraught reposed void of guile4 ,a heart where dread was never so imprest ,to hide the thought that might the truth advance2 ,in neither fortune lost1 nor yet represt1 ,to swell in wealth1 or yield unto mischance4 ,a valiant corpse1 where force and beauty met1 ,happy alas1 too happy but for foes1 ,lived1 and ran the race that nature set ,of manhood's shape1 when she the mould did lose4 ,thus for our guilt this jewel have we lost2 ,the earth his bones1 the heavens possess his ghost4 ,,biographical ,,notes4 ,,wyatt and ,,surrey are usually named together as the most illustrious poets of the earlier part of the sixteenth century4 ,j4 ,churton ,collins calls them1 not inaptly1 the ,dioscuri of the ,dawn4 ,they inaugurated1 he says1 that important period in our literature known as the ,era of ,italian ,influence1 or that of the ,company of ,courtly ,makers--the period which immediately preceded and ushered in the age of ,spenser and ,shakespeare4 ,it is to them that we are indebted for the sonnet3 they were indeed the founders of our lyrical poetry4 ,jonson1 ,herrick1 ,waller1 ,cowley1 and ,suckling found inspiration in their ditties4 ,surrey's translation of the second and fourth books of ,virgil's neid 7#aeeb7 is the earliest specimen of blank verse in our language4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,thomas ,,wyatt was born at ,allington ,castle in #aejc1 and in his youth was a prominent and very popular member of the court of ,henry ,,viii4 ,he was knighted in #aecf1 and in #aecg became high sheriff of ,kent4 ,in ,april of the same year he was sent as ambassador to ,spain1 and in #aeci-dj was with the court of ,charles ,v4 in the ,low ,countries4 ,returning to ,england he lived for the next two years in retirement1 and died at ,sherborne in #aedb4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,henry ,,howard1 ,,earl ,,of ,,surrey1 was born about #aeag1 and1 like his friend ,wyatt1 passed his youth at the court of ,henry ,,viii4 ,he served in ,france in #aedj1 and again in #aedd-df4 ,after taking ,boulogne1 he became its governor2 but1 on account of defeat soon afterwards at ,st4 ,etienne1 he was recalled to ,england by ,henry ,,viii4 ,his comments upon this action of the king caused his arrest and imprisonment in the ,tower4 ,a charge of high treason was preferred against him for having quartered the royal arms with his own1 and he was beheaded on ,tower ,hill1 ,january #ba1 #aedg4 ,ballads4 ,,waly1 ,,waly4 ,o waly1#a waly1 up the bank1 ,o waly1 waly1 doun the brae1#b ,and waly1 waly1 yon burn-side1#c ,where ,i and my love were wont to gae6 ,i lean'd my back unto an aik1 ,i thocht it was a trustie tree1 ,but first it bow'd and syne#d it brak'1-- ,sae my true love did lichtlie#e me4 ,o waly1 waly1 but love be bonnie ,a little time while it is new6 ,but when it's auld it waxeth cauld1 ,and fadeth awa' like the morning dew4 ,o wherefore should ,i busk#f my heid1 ,or wherefore should ,i kame my hair8 ,for my true love has me forsook1 ,and says he'll never lo'e me mair4 ,noo ,arthur's ,seat#g sall be my bed1 ,the sheets sall ne'er be press'd by me2 ,saint ,anton's well sall be my drink2 ,since my true love's forsaken me4 ,martinmas wind1 when wilt thou blaw1 ,and shake the green leaves off the tree8 ,o gentle death1 when wilt thou come8 ,for of my life ,i am wearie4 ',tis not the frost that freezes fell1 ,nor blawing snaw's inclemencie1 ',tis not sic cauld that makes me cry2 ,but my love's heart grown cauld to me4 ,when we cam' in by ,glasgow toun1 ,we were a comely sicht to see2 ,my love was clad in the black velvet1 ,and ,i mysel' in cramasie4 ,but had ,i wist before ,i kiss'd ,that love had been so ill to win1 ,i'd lock'd my heart in a case o' goud1 ,and pinn'd it wi' a siller pin4 ,oh1 oh6 if my young babe were born1 ,and set upon the nurse's knee2 ,an' ,i mysel' were dead and gane1 ,and the green grass growing over me6 ,,notes4 ,this is a very ancient song1 says ,bishop ,percy1 but we can only give it from a modern copy4 ,it is often printed as part of a ballad relating to the history of ,lord ,james ,douglas and of the ,laird of ,blackwood4 ,the lament is that of a beautiful lady whose fortunes were connected with those of ,lord ,douglas4 #a4 waly4 ,an interjection denoting grief4 #b4 brae4 ,hillside4 #c4 burn-side4 ,brook-side4 #d4 syne4 ,then4 #e4 lichtlie4 ,slight1 undervalue4 #f4 busk4 ,dress4 #g4 ,arthur's ,seat4 ,a hill near ,edinburgh1 at the foot of which is ,st4 ,anthony's well4 ,,sir ,,patrick ,,spens4 ,a ,,scottish ,,ballad4 ,this ballad is a confused echo of the ,scotch expedition which should have brought the ,maid of ,norway to ,scotland about #abhe4 ,the king sits in ,dunfermline town1 ,drinking the blude-red wine2 ,o whare will ,i get a skeely skipper1 ,to sail this new ship of mine6 ,o up and spake an eldern knight1 ,sat at the king's right knee1-- ,sir ,patrick ,spens is the best sailor1 ,that ever sail'd the sea4 ,our king has written a braid letter1 ,and seal'd it with his hand1 ,and sent it to ,sir ,patrick ,spens1 ,was walking on the strand4 ,to ,noroway1 to ,noroway1 ,to ,noroway o'er the faem2 ,the king's daughter of ,noroway1 ',tis thou maun bring her hame4 ,the first word that ,sir ,patrick read1 ,sae loud1 loud laughed he2 ,the neist word that ,sir ,patrick read1 ,the tear blinded his e'e4 ,o wha is this has done this deed1 ,and tauld the king o' me1 ,to send us out1 at this time of the year1 ,to sail upon the sea8 ,be it wind1 be it weet1 be it hail1 be it sleet1 ,our ship must sail the faem2 ,the king's daughter of ,noroway1 ',tis we must fetch her hame4 ,they hoysed their sails on ,monenday morn1 ,wi' a' the speed they may2 ,they hae landed in ,noroway1 ,upon a ,wodensday4 ,they hadna been a week1 a week1 ,in ,noroway1 but twae1 ,when that the lords o' ,noroway ,began aloud to say1-- ,ye ,scottishmen spend a' our king's goud1 ,and a' our queenis fee4 ,ye lie1 ye lie1 ye liars loud6 ,fu' loud ,i hear ye lie4 ,for ,i brought as much white monie1 ,as gane my men and me1 ,and ,i brought a half-fou o' gude red goud1 ,out o'er the sea wi' me4 ,make ready1 make ready1 my merrymen a'6 ,our gude ship sails the morn4 ,now1 ever alake1 my master dear1 ,i fear a deadly storm6 ,i saw the new moon1 late yestreen1 ,wi' the auld moon in her arm2 ,and1 if we gang to sea1 master1 ,i fear we'll come to harm4 ,they had not sailed a league1 a league1 ,a league but barely three1 ,when the lift grew dark1 and the wind blew loud1 ,and gurly grew the sea4 ,the ankers brak1 and the topmasts lap1 ,it was sic a deadly storm2 ,and the waves cam o'er the broken ship1 ,till a' her sides were torn4 ,o where will ,i get a gude sailor1 ,to take my helm in hand1 ,till ,i get up to the tall top-mast1 ,to see if ,i can spy land8 ,o here am ,i1 a sailor gude1 ,to take the helm in hand1 ,till you go up to the tall top-mast2 ,but ,i fear you'll ne'er spy land4 ,he hadna gane a step1 a step1 ,a step but barely ane1 ,when a bout flew out of our goodly ship1 ,and the salt sea it came in4 ,gae1 fetch a web o' the silken claith1 ,another o' the twine1 ,and wap them into our ship's side1 ,and let na the sea come in4 ,they fetched a web o' the silken claith1 ,another of the twine1 ,and wapped them round that gude ship's side1 ,but still the sea came in4 ,o laith1 laith1 were our gude ,scots lords ,to weet their cork-heel'd shoon6 ,but lang or a' the play was play'd1 ,they wat their hats aboon4 ,and mony was the feather-bed1 ,that flattered on the faem2 ,and mony was the gude lord's son1 ,that never mair cam hame4 ,the ladyes wrang their fingers white1 ,the maidens tore their hair1 ,a' for the sake of their true loves2 ,for them they'll see na mair4 ,o lang1 lang1 may the ladyes sit1 ,wi' their fans into their hand1 ,before they see ,sir ,patrick ,spens ,come sailing to the strand6 ,and lang1 lang1 may the maidens sit1 ,wi' their goud kaims in their hair1 ,a' waiting for their ain dear loves6 ,for them they'll see na mair4 ,o forty miles off ,aberdeen1 ',tis fifty fathoms deep1 ,and there lies gude ,sir ,patrick ,spens1 ,wi' the ,scots lords at his feet4 ,,notes ,,and ,,glossary4 ,this ballad in its original form is a very old one1 and was probably at first a metrical story of the ,scotch expedition which was sent to bring the ,maid of ,norway to ,scotland 7about the year #abhe74 ,in its sixteenth-century form it shows many changes and additions1 some of which are not in harmony with the original tale4 ,the cork-heel'd shoon1 for example1 were unknown until some hundreds of years later than the occurrence of the events here narrated4 skeely1 skilful4 skipper1 captain4 braid1 open1 not private4 goud1 gold4 fee 7see note #ac1 page #aje74 gane1 suffice4 half-fou1 a quart1 dry measure4 alake1 alack4 lift1 sky4 7,still used in ,scotland47 shoon1 shoes4 ,,the ,,bailiff',s ,,daughter ,,of ,,islington4 ,there was a youthe1 and a well-beloved youthe1 ,and he was a squires son2 ,he loved the bayliffes daughter deare1 ,that lived in ,islington4 ,yet she was coye1 and would not believe ,that he did love her soe1 ,noe nor at any time would she ,any countenance to him showe4 ,but when his friendes did understand ,his fond and foolish minde1 ,they sent him up to faire ,london1 ,an apprentice for to binde4 ,and when he had been seven long yeares1 ,and never his love could see1-- ,many a teare have ,i shed for her sake1 ,when she little thought of mee4 ,then all the maids of ,islington ,went forth to sport and playe1 ,all but the bayliffes daughter deare2 ,she secretly stole awaye4 ,she pulled off her gowne of greene1 ,and put on ragged attire1 ,and to faire ,london she would go ,her true love to enquire4 ,and as she went along the high road1 ,the weather being hot and drye1 ,she sat her downe upon a green bank1 ,and her true love came riding bye4 ,she started up1 with a colour soe redd1 ,catching hold of his bridle-reine2 ,one penny1 one penny1 kind sir1 she sayd1 ,will ease me of much paine4 ,before ,i give you one penny1 sweet-heart1 ,praye tell me where you were borne4 ,at ,islington1 kind sir1 sayd shee1 ,where ,i have had many a scorne4 ,i prythee1 sweet-heart1 then tell to mee1 ,o tell me1 whether you knowe ,the bayliffes daughter of ,islington4 ,she is dead1 sir1 long agoe4 ,if she be dead1 then take my horse1 ,my saddle and bridle also2 ,for ,i will into some farr countrye1 ,where noe man shall me knowe4 ,o staye1 ,o staye1 thou goodlye youthe1 ,she standeth by thy side2 ,she is here alive1 she is not dead1 ,and readye to be thy bride4 ,o farewell griefe1 and welcome joye1 ,ten thousand times therefore2 ,for nowe ,i have founde mine owne true love1 ,whom ,i thought ,i should never see more4 ,,robin ,,hood ,,and ,,the ,,widow',s ,,three ,,sons4 ,there are twelve months in all the year1 ,as ,i hear many say1 ,but the merriest month in all the year ,is the merry month of ,may4 ,now ,robin ,hood is to ,nottingham gone1 ,with a link a down1 and a day1 ,and there he met a silly old woman1 ,was weeping on the way4 ,what news8 what news8 thou silly old woman1 ,what news hast thou for me8 ,said she1 ,there's my three sons in ,nottingham town ,to-day condemned to die4 ,o1 have they parishes burnt8 he said1 ,or have they ministers slain8 ,or have they robbed any virgin8 ,or other men's wives have ta'en8 ,they have no parishes burnt1 good sir1 ,nor yet have ministers slain1 ,nor have they robbed any virgin1 ,nor other men's wives have ta'en4 ,o1 what have they done8 said ,robin ,hood1 ,i pray thee tell to me4 ,it's for slaying of the king's fallow deer1 ,bearing their long bows with thee4 ,dost thou not mind1 old woman1 he said1 ,how thou madest me sup and dine8 ,by the truth of my body1 quoth bold ,robin ,hood1 ,you could not tell it in better time4 ,now ,robin ,hood is to ,nottingham gone1 ,with a link a down1 and a day1 ,and there he met with a silly old palmer1 ,was walking along the highway4 ,what news8 what news8 thou silly old man1 ,what news1 ,i do thee pray8 ,said he1 ,three squires in ,nottingham town ,are condemn'd to die this day4 ,come change thy apparel with me1 old man1 ,come change thy apparel for mine2 ,here is ten shillings in good silvr1 ,go drink it in beer or wine4 ,o1 thine apparel is good1 he said1 ,and mine is ragged and torn2 ,wherever you go1 wherever you ride1 ,laugh not an old man to scorn4 ,come change thy apparel with me1 old churl1 ,come change thy apparel with mine2 ,here is a piece of good broad gold1 ,go feast thy brethren with wine4 ,then he put on the old man's hat1 ,it stood full high on the crown3 ,the first bold bargain that ,i come at1 ,it shall make thee come down4 ,then he put on the old man's cloak1 ,was patch'd black1 blue1 and red2 ,he thought it no shame1 all the day long1 ,to wear the bags of bread4 ,then he put on the old man's breeks1 ,was patch'd from leg to side3 ,by the truth of my body1 bold ,robin can say1 ,this man loved little pride4 ,then he put on the old man's hose1 ,were patch'd from knee to wrist3 ,by the truth of my body1 said bold ,robin ,hood1 ,i'd laugh if ,i had any list4 ,then he put on the old man's shoes1 ,were patch'd both beneath and aboon2 ,then ,robin ,hood swore a solemn oath1 ,it's good habit that makes a man4 ,now ,robin ,hood is to ,nottingham gone1 ,with a link a down and a down1 ,and there he met with the proud sheriff1 ,was walking along the town4 ,save you1 save you1 sheriff6 he said2 ,now heaven you save and see6 ,and what will you give to a silly old man ,to-day will your hangman be8 ,some suits1 some suits1 the sheriff he said1 ,some suits ,i'll give to thee2 ,some suits1 some suits1 and pence thirteen1 ,to-day's a hangman's fee4 ,then ,robin he turns him round about1 ,and jumps from stock to stone3 ,by the truth of my body1 the sheriff he said1 ,that's well jumpt1 thou nimble old man4 ,i was ne'er a hangman in all my life1 ,nor yet intends to trade2 ,but curst be he1 said bold ,robin1 ,that first a hangman was made6 ,i've a bag for meal1 and a bag for malt1 ,and a bag for barley and corn2 ,and a bag for bread1 and a bag for beef1 ,and a bag for my little small horn4 ,i have a horn in my pockt1 ,i got it from ,robin ,hood1 ,and still when ,i set it to my mouth1 ,for thee it blows little good4 ,o1 wind thy horn1 thou proud fellw6 ,of thee ,i have no doubt4 ,i wish that thou give such a blast1 ,till both thy eyes fall out4 ,the first loud blast that he did blow1 ,he blew both loud and shrill2 ,a hundred and fifty of ,robin ,hood's men ,came riding over the hill4 ,the next loud blast that he did give1 ,he blew both loud and amain1 ,and quickly sixty of ,robin ,hood's men ,came shining over the plain4 ,o1 who are these1 the sheriff he said1 ,come tripping over the lee8 ,they're my attendants1 brave ,robin did say2 ,they'll pay a visit to thee4 ,they took the gallows from the slack1 ,they set it in the glen1 ,they hanged the proud sherff on that1 ,released their own three men4 ,,notes4 ,among the earliest and most popular of ,english ballads are those relating to ,robin ,hood4 ,this noted1 half-mythical outlaw was the impersonation of popular rights as they were understood by ,englishmen of the lower orders in the days of the ,plantagenets4 ,hence the memory of him and his reputed deeds was preserved in the songs of the people4 ,it is he1 says an old historian1 whom the common people love so dearly to celebrate in games and comedies1 and whose history1 sung by fiddlers1 interests them more than any other4 ,even so late as the reign of ,edward ,,vi41 ,robyn ,hoode's ,daye was very generally observed in the country parishes as a day of feasting and amusement4 ,the ballads were originally the production of wandering minstrels or gleemen1 a class of men very popular in the ,middle ,ages1 who followed the profession of poetry and music4 ,these rude poets were held in the highest esteem and veneration by the people among whom they lived2 they were received and welcomed wherever they went1 and even kings delighted to honor them4 ,in short1 their art was supposed1 by the ,anglo-,saxons1 to be of divine origin1 having been invented by ,odin1 the great ,all-,father1 and perfected by ,bragi1 the musician of the gods4 ,as1 however1 civilization advanced and ,christianity became established1 this admiration for the minstrel and his art became modified in a degree4 ,he was no longer regarded as a poet1 but only as a singer1 a sweet musician4 ,poetry was cultivated by men of leisure and refinement2 but lyrical ballads remained the peculiar inheritance of the minstrel4 ,for a long time after the ,norman conquest1 minstrels continued to gain their livelihood by singing in the houses of the great1 and at festive occasions1 which were never considered complete unless graced by the presence of these honored descendants of ,bragi2 nor did they cease to compose and sing their inimitable pieces until near the close of ,elizabeth's reign4 ,the greater number of the ballads now in existence were probably produced during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries2 and the best of them originated in the ,north ,country1 or the border region between ,england and ,scotland4 ,they were not at first reduced to writing1 but were handed down from one generation to another merely by oral tradition4 ,as regards their metre and versification1 the ballads were commonly composed of iambic hexameters or heptameters rhyming in couplets4 ,these couplets are readily broken into stanzas of four lines1 in which form they are usually printed4 ,the first collection of ,english ballads ever published was probably that of ,john ,dryden1 in #afhd4 ,the collection was included in a volume entitled ,miscellany ,poems4 ,in #agbc a work called ,a ,collection of ,old ,ballads was published anonymously4 ,in #agbd ,allan ,ramsay issued ,the ,evergreen1 being a collection of ,scots ,poems wrote by the ,ingenious before #afjj4 ,this work included many popular songs and ballads4 ,it was reprinted in #ahge4 ,we owe the preservation of a large number of the most interesting and beautiful ballads to ,bishop ,percy1 who1 in #agfe1 published the first really valuable collection of such works in his ,reliques of ,ancient ,english ,poetry4 ,previous to that time most of these songs had existed only in manuscript1 or1 if printed at all1 in the cheapest style of typography1 on sheets designed for circulation among the poor4 ,bishop ,percy's work first called the attention of scholars to the value and beauty of these neglected and half-forgotten relics1 and did much to bring about that revolution in literature which took place in the latter part of the last century4 ,and it is to these old ballads1 thus rescued from oblivion1 that we owe very many of the noblest literary productions of the present century4 ,we know that they were the immediate inspiration of ,sir ,walter ,scott1 and that they exerted a wonderful influence in modifying and directing the taste and style of many other distinguished writers4 ,the ,fifteenth ,century4 ,when we pass from ,chaucer's age1 we have to overleap nearly a hundred and eighty years before we alight upon a period presenting anything like an adequate show of literary continuation4 ,a few smaller names are all that can be cited as poetical representatives of this sterile interval in the literary history of ,england3 whatever of ,chaucer's genius still lingered in the island seeming to have travelled northward and taken refuge in a series of ,scotch poets1 excelling any of their ,english contemporaries4 ,we are driven to suppose that there was something in the social circumstances of ,england during the long period in question which prevented such talent as there was from assuming the particular form of literature4 ,fully to make out what this 'something' was may baffle us2 but1 when we remember that this was the period of the ,civil ,wars of the ,roses1 we have reason to believe that the dearth of pure literature may have been owing1 in part1 to the engrossing nature of the practical questions which then disturbed ,english society4 4 4 4 ,accordingly1 though printing was introduced during this period1 and thus ,englishmen had greater temptations to write1 what they did write was almost exclusively plain grave prose1 intended for practical or polemical occasions1 and making no figure in a historical retrospect4--,,david ,,masson4 ,must we quote all these good people who have nothing to say8 4 4 4 dozens of translators1 importing the poverties of ,french poetry1 rhyming chroniclers1 most commonplace of men2 spinners and spinsters of didactic poems who pile up verses on the training of falcons1 on heraldry1 on chemistry1 4 4 4 invent the same dream over again for the hundredth time1 and get themselves taught universal history by the goddess ,sapience4 4 4 4 ,it is the scholastic phase of poetry4--,,taine4 ,poets of the ,fifteenth ,century4 ,john ,lydgate 7#acgj-addj74 ,see biographical note1 page #bhc4 ,thomas ,occleve 7#acfe-adej74 ,de ,regimine ,principum2 short poems4 ,robert ,henryson 7#adbe-adhj74 ,see biographical note1 page #bhc4 ,william ,dunbar 7#adej-aeac74 ,see biographical note1 page #bhc4 ,gawain ,douglas 7#adgd-aebb74 ,see biographical note1 page #bhd4 ,stephen ,hawes 7 -#aecj71 ,the ,pastime of ,pleasure2 ,graunde ,amour and la ,belle ,pucel4 ,john ,skelton 7#adfj-aebi74 ,see biographical note1 page #bgb4 ,john ,skelton4 ,,to ,,maystress ,,margaret ,,hussey4 ,mirry ,margaret1 ,as mydsomer flowre2 ,jentill as fawcoun ,or hawke of the towre3 ,with solace and gladnes1 ,moche mirthe and no madness1 ,all good and no badness1 ,so joyously1 ,so maydenly1 ,so womanly1 ,her demenyng ,in every thynge1 ,far1 far passynge ,that ,i can endyght1 ,or suffyce to wryghte1 ,of mirry ,margaret1 ,as mydsomer flowre1 ,jentyll as fawcoun ,or hawke of the towre3 ,as pacient and as styll1 ,and as full of good wyll ,as faire ,isaphill2 ,colyaunder1 ,swete pomaunder1 ,goode ,cassaunder2 ,stedfast of thought1 ,wele made1 wele wrought2 ,far may be sought1 ,erst that ye can fynde ,so corteise1 so kynde1 ,as mirry ,margaret1 ,this mydsomer floure1 ,jentyll as fawcoun ,or hawke of the towre4 ,,cardinal ,,wolsey4 ,,from ,,why ,,come ,,ye ,,not ,,to ,,court8 ,he is set so hye ,in his ierarchye ,of frantike frenesy1 ,and folish fantasy1 ,that in chambre of stars#a ,al maters ther he mars1 ,clapping his rod on the borde1 ,no man dare speake a worde3 ,for he hath al the saying ,without any renaying4 ,he rolleth in his ,recordes2 ,he saith1 ,how say ye1 my lordes8 ,is not my reason good8 ,good6--even good--,robin ,hood6-- ,borne up on every syde ,with pompe and with pryde1 ,with trump up alleluya1#b ,for dame ,philargyria#c ,hath so his hart in hold4 ,adew1 ,philosophia6 ,adew1 ,theologia6 ,welcome1 dame ,simonia1#d ,with dame ,castamergia1#e ,to drink and for to eate1 ,sweete ipocras#f and sweete meate4 ,to keep his fleshe chaste ,in ,lente1 for his repaste ,he eateth capons stewed1 ,fesaunt and partriche mewed-- ,spareth neither mayd ne wife-- ,this is a postel's#g life6 ,,notes4 #a4 chambre of stars4 ,the ,star ,chamber1 a court of civil and criminal jurisdiction for the punishment of offences for which the law made no provision4 ,it was so called because the ceiling of the room in which it was held was decorated with gilt stars4 #b4 alleluya4 ,in allusion to the pomp with which ,wolsey celebrated divine service4 #c4 ,philargyria4 ,love of money2 covetousness4 #d4 ,simonia4 ,simony2 buying and selling church livings4 #e4 ,castamergia4 ,gluttony4 ,greek kastrimargia4 ,a not uncommon word among the monks of the ,middle ,ages1 one of whose prayers was1 ,from the spirit of castrimargia1 ,o ,lord1 deliver us6 #f4 ipocras4 ,hippocras1 or spiced wine1 a drink formerly very popular in ,england4 ,it was made by mixing ,canary and ,lisbon wines1 in equal parts1 with various kinds of sweet spices1 and allowing the whole to stand for a few days1 after which the wine was poured off and sweetened with sugar4 #g4 postel4 ,apostle--here ironically applied to ,wolsey4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,john ,,skelton was born about the year #adfj4 ,in his earlier life he was the friend of ,caxton1 the first ,english printer1 and of ,percy1 ,earl of ,northumberland4 ,he was poet-laureate under ,henry ,,vii41 and tutor of the young prince 7afterwards ,henry ,,viii471 and was described by ,erasmus as litterarum ,anglicarum lumen et decus4 ,later in life he was promoted to the rectory of ,diss in ,norfolk1 but was severely censured by his bishop for his buffooneries in the pulpit and his satirical ballads against the mendicants4 ,he finally became a hanger-on about the court of ,henry ,,viii42 and1 daring to write a rhyming libel on ,cardinal ,wolsey1 was driven to take refuge in the sanctuary of ,westminster ,abbey4 ,there he was kindly entertained and protected by ,abbot ,islip until his death in #aebi4 ,some of his poems were printed in #aeab1 and others in #aefh4 ,taine calls ,skelton a virulent pamphleteer1 who jumbles together ,french1 ,english1 ,latin phrases1 with slang and fashionable words1 invented words1 intermingled with short rhymes4 ,style1 metre1 rhyme1 language1 art of every kind1 at an end2 beneath the vain parade of official style there is only a heap of rubbish4 ,yet1 as he says1 ',though my rhyme be ragged1 ,tatter'd and jagged1 ,rudely rain-beaten1 ,rusty1 moth-eaten1 ,yf ye take welle therewithe1 ,it hath in it some pithe4' ,as to the coarseness which characterizes his verses1 it cannot be explained by saying that it is a reflection of the manners of the times in which he lived4 ,for1 as ,warton says1 ,skelton would have been a writer without decorum at any period4 ,yet1 notwithstanding his faults1 he is deserving of our notice1 if for nothing else1 on account of the complete originality of his style--a style unknown and unattempted by any former writer4 ,his bold departure from the accepted rules of versification showed to those who followed him some of the possibilities in ,english poetical composition1 and helped to open the way to the great outburst of song which followed4 ,selections from ,four ,minor ,poets4 ,a ,,visit ,,to ,,london4 ,,by ,,john ,,lydgate4 ,then unto ,london ,i dyd me hye1 ,of all the land it beareth the pryse3 ,hot pescodes1 one began to crye1 ,strabery rype1 and cherryes in the ryse2 ,one bade me come nere and by some spyce1 ,peper and safforne they gan me bede1 ,but for lack of mony ,i myght not spede4 ,then to the ,chepe ,i began me drawne1 ,where mutch people ,i saw for to stand2 ,one ofred me velvet1 sylke1 and lawne1 ,an other he taketh me by the hande1 ,here is ,parys thred1 the fynest in the land2 ,i never was used to such thyngs indede1 ,and wanting mony1 ,i might not spede4 ,then went ,i forth by ,london stone1 ,thoroughout all ,canwyke streete2 ,drapers mutch cloth me offred anone2 ,then comes me one1 cryed1 ,hot shepes feete2 ,one cryde makerell1 ryshes grene1 an other gan greete2 ,one bad me by a hood to cover my head1 ,but for want of mony ,i myght not be sped4 ,then ,i hyed me into ,est-,chepe2 ,one cryes rybbs of befe1 and many a pye3 ,pewter pottes they clattered on a heape2 ,there was harpe1 pype1 and mynstralsye4 ,yea1 by cock6 nay1 by cock6 some began crye2 ,some songe of ,jenken and ,julyan for there mede2 ,but for lack of mony ,i myght not spede4 ,then into ,corn-,hyll anon ,i yode1 ,where was mutch stolen gere amonge2 ,i saw where honge myne owne hoode1 ,that ,i had lost amonge the thronge2 ,to by my own hood ,i thought it wronge1 ,i knew it well as ,i dyd my crede1 ,but for lack of mony ,i could not spede4 ,the taverner tooke me by the sleve1 ,sir1 sayth he1 wyll you our wyne assay8 ,i answered1 ,that can not mutch me greve3 ,a peny can do no more than it may2 ,i drank a pynt1 and for it did paye2 ,yet sone a-hungerd from thence ,i yede1 ,and wantyng mony1 ,i cold not spede4 ,then hyed ,i me to ,belyngsgate2 ,and one cryed1 ,hoo6 go we hence6 ,i prayd a barge-man1 for ,god's sake1 ,that he wold spare me my expence4 ,thou scapst not here1 quod he1 under two pence2 ,i lyst not yet bestow my almes dede4 ,thus1 lackyng mony1 ,i could not spede4 ,then ,i convayd me into ,kent2 ,for of the law wold ,i meddle no more2 ,because no man to me tooke entent1 ,i dyght me to do as ,i dyd before4 ,now ,jesus1 that in ,bethlem was bore1 ,save ,london1 and send trew lawyers there mede6 ,for who so wantes mony with them shall not spede4 --,from ,london ,lickpenny4 ,,glossary4 anone1 at once4 assay1 try4 bede1 offer4 ,chepe1 the market4 ,cheapside1 still a famous street in ,london4 dyght1 disposed4 gere1 apparel4 greete1 cry out4 hyed1 hurried4 lyst1 wish4 mede1 reward1 wages4 pescodes1 pease4 ryse1 bough or twig4 ryshes1 rushes4 spede1 proceed1 do4 yede1 went4 ,,the ,,golden ,,age4 ,rightwisenes chastised al robbours1 ,by egall balaunce of execucion1 ,fraud1 fals mede1 put backward fro jurours1 ,true promes holde1 made no delacioun2 ,forswearing shamed durst enter in no toun1 ,nor lesingmongers1 because ,attemperaunce ,had in that world wholy the governaunce4 ,that golden world could lov ,god and drede1 ,all the seven dedes of mercy for to use1 ,the rich was ready to do alms dede1 ,who asked harbour1 men did him not refuse2 ,no man of malice would other tho accuse1 ,defame his neighbour1 because ,attemperaunce ,had in that world wholy the governaunce4 ,the true marchant by measure bought and sold1 ,deceipt was none in the artificer1 ,making no balkes1 the plough was truely hold1 ,abacke stode ,idlenes1 farre from labourer1 ,discrecion marcial at diner and supper1 ,content with measure1 because ,attemperaunce ,had in that world wholy the governaunce4 ,of wast in clothing was that time none excesse2 ,men might the lord from his subjects know2 ,a difference made twene povertie and richesse1 ,twene a princesse and other stats lowe2 ,of horned boasts no boast was tho blowe1 ,nor counterfeit feining1 because ,attemperaunce ,had in that world wholy the governaunce4 ,this golden world long whyl dyd endure1 ,was none allay in that metall sene1 ,tyll ,saturne ceased1 by record of scripture1 ,jupiter reygned1 put out his father clene1 ,chaunged obrison into silver shene1 ,al up so downe1 because ,attemperaunce ,was set asyde1 and loste her governaunce4 ,,note4 ,the ,falls of ,princes1 from which this is an extract1 was printed in folio in #aeeh4 ,its complete title is1 ,the ,tragedies gathered by ,jhon ,bochas of all such ,princes as fell from theyr ,estates throughe the ,mutability of ,fortune since the creation of ,adam until his time2 wherin may be seen what vices bring menne to destruccion1 wyth notable warninges howe the like may be avoyded4 ,translated into ,english by ,john ,lidgate1 ,monke of ,burye4 ,,the ,,garmond ,,of ,,fair ,,ladies4 ,,by ,,robert ,,henryson4 ,wald my gud lady lufe me best1 ,and wirk eftir my will1 ,i suld ane ,garmond gudliest ,gar mak hir body till4 ,off hie honour suld be hir hud1 ,upoun hir heid to weir1 ,garneist with governance so gud1 ,na demyng suld hir deir4 ,hir sark suld be hir body nixt1 ,of chestetie so quhyt1 ,with schame and dreid togidder mixt1 ,the same suld be perfyt4 ,hir kirtill suld be of clene constance1 ,lasit with lesum lufe1 ,the mailyheis of continuance ,for nevir to remufe4 ,hir gown suld be of gudliness ,weill ribband with renowne1 ,purfillit with plesour in ilk place1 ,furrit with fyne fassoun4 ,hir belt suld be of benignitie1 ,about hir middill meit2 ,hir mantill of humilitie1 ,to tholl bayth wind and weit4 ,hir hat suld be of fair having ,and her tepat of trewth1 ,hir patelet of gude pansing1 ,hir hals-ribbane of rewth4 ,hir slevis suld be of esperance1 ,to keip hir fra dispair2 ,hir gluvis of the gud govirnance1 ,to hyd hir fyngearis fair4 ,hir schone suld be of sickernes1 ,in syne that scho nocht slyd2 ,hir hoiss of honestie1 ,i ges1 ,i suld for hir provyd4 ,wald scho put on this ,garmond gay1 ,i durst sweir by my seill1 ,that scho woir nevir grene nor gray ,that set hir half so weill4 ,,glossary4 esperance1 hope4 fassoun1 manners4 garmond1 garment1 costume4 governance1 discretion4 hals-ribbane1 neck-ribbon4 hoiss1 hose4 hud1 hood4 kirtill1 skirt4 lasit1 fastened4 lesum1 lawful4 lufe1 love4 mailyheis1 eyelet-holes4 pansing1 thought4 patelet1 ruffet4 quhyt1 white4 rewth1 pity4 sark1 shirt1 chemise4 scho1 she4 schone1 shoes4 seill1 knowledge4 set1 suited4 sickernes1 security4 suld1 should4 tepat1 tippet4 tholl1 withstand4 weit1 rain4 ,a ,,may ,,morning4 ,,by ,,william ,,dunbar4 ,quhen ,merche wes with variand windis past ,and ,appryle had1 with her silver schouris1 ,tane leif at ,nature with ane orient blast1 ,and lusty ,may1 that muddir is of flouris1 ,had maid the birdis to begyn thair houris ,amang the tendir odouris reid and quhyt1 ,quhois armony to heir it wes delyt3 ,in bed at morrow1 sleiping as ,i lay1 ,me thocht ,aurora1 with hir cristall ene ,in at the window lukit by the day1 ,and halsit me1 with visage paill and grene2 ,on quhois hand a lark sang fro the splene1 ,awalk1 luvaris1 out of your slomering ,s hou the lusty morrow dois up spring4 ,me thocht fresche ,may befoir my bed up stude1 ,in weid depaynt of mony diverss hew1 ,sobir1 benyng1 and full of mansuetude ,in brycht atteir of flouris forgit new ,hevinly of colour1 quhyt1 reid1 broun and blew1 ,balmit in dew1 and gilt with ,phebus bemys2 ,quhyll all the house illumynit of her lemys4 ,slugird1 scho said1 awalk annone for schame1 ,and in my honour sum thing thou go wryt2 ,the lark hes done the mirry day proclame1 ,to raise up luvaris with comfort and delyt2 ,yit nocht incressis thy curage to indyt1 ,quhois hairt sum tyme hes glaid and blisfull bene1 ,sangis to mak undir the levis grene4 ,then callit scho all flouris that grew on feild ,discirnyng all thair fassionis and effeiris ,upone the awfull ,thrissil scho beheld ,and saw him kepit with a busche of speiris2 ,considering him so able for the weiris ,a radius croun of rubeis scho him gaif1 ,and said1 ,in feild go furth and fend the laif3 ,and sen thou art a ,king1 thou be discreit2 ,herb without vertew thow hald nocht of sic pryce ,as herb of vertew and of odour sueit2 ,and lat no nettill vyle1 and full of vyce1 ,hir fallow to the gudly flour-de-lyce2 ,nor latt no wyld weid1 full of churlicheness1 ,compair hir to the lilleis nobilness4 ,nor hald non udir flour in sic denty ,as the fresche ,rois1 of cullour reid and quhyt3 ,for gife thow dois1 hurt is thyne honesty2 ,considring that no flour is so perfyt1 ,so full of vertew1 pleasans1 and delyt1 ,so full of blisful angeilik bewty1 ,imperiall birth1 honour and dignit4 ,,note4 ,this is a selection from the long allegorical poem1 ,the ,thistle and the ,rose4 ,the thistle represents ,scotland1 of which country that plant is the national emblem4 ,the fleur-de-lis1 or lily1 represents ,france2 and the rose1 ,england4 ,the poem was written in celebration of the marriage of ,james ,,iv4 of ,scotland to the ,princess ,margaret of ,england1 and the friendly relations thus established for a time between those two countries4 ,,glossary4 denty1 favor4 effeiris1 affairs4 ene1 eyes4 fallow1 betroth4 forgit1 made1 created4 gife1 if4 halsit1 hailed4 houris1 morning orisons4 laif1 rest4 lemys1 rays4 lukit1 looked4 mansuetude1 gentleness4 morrow1 morning4 muddir1 mother4 orient1 eastern4 quhen1 when4 quhois1 whose4 quhyll1 while4 rois1 rose4 sic1 such4 speiris1 spears4 splene1 heart4 thrissil1 thistle4 udir1 other4 weid1 garments4 weiris1 wars4 ,,in ,,praise ,,of ,,honour4 ,,by ,,gawain ,,douglas4 ,o hie honour1 sweit heuinlie flour degest1 ,gem verteous1 maist precious1 gudliest4 ,for hie renoun thow art guerdoun conding1 ,of worschip kend the glorious end and rest1 ,but quhome in richt na worthie wicht may lest4 ,thy greit puissance may maist auance all thing1 ,and pouerall to mekill auaill sone bring4 ,i the require sen thow but peir art best1 ,that efter this in thy hie blis we ring4 ,of grace thy face in euerie place sa schynis1 ,that sweit all spreit baith heid and feit inclynis1 ,thy gloir afoir for till imploir remeid4 ,he docht richt nocht1 quhilk out of thocht the tynis2 ,thy name but blame1 and royal fame diuine is2 ,thow port at schort of our comfort and reid1 ,till bring all thing till glaiding efter deid1 ,all wicht but sicht of thy greit micht ay crynis1 ,o schene ,i mene1 nane may sustene thy feid4 ,haill rois maist chois till clois thy fois greit micht1 ,haill stone quhilk schone vpon the throne of licht1 ,vertew1 quhais trew sweit dew ouirthrew al vice1 ,was ay ilk day gar say the way of licht2 ,amend1 offend1 and send our end ay richt4 ,thow stant1 ordant as sanct1 of grant maist wise1 ,till be supplie1 and the high gre of price4 ,delite the tite me quite of site to dicht1 ,for ,i apply schortlie to thy deuise4 --,from ,the ,palice of ,honour4 ,,glossary4 afoir1 before4 auance1 advance4 ay1 ever1 always4 but1 without4 conding1 condign1 worthy4 crynis1 diminishes4 deid1 death4 degest1 grave4 dicht1 relieve4 docht1 avails4 feid1 hatred4 fois1 time4 glaiding1 happiness4 gloir1 glory4 grant1 giving4 gre1 degree4 guerdoun1 reward4 ilk1 any4 mekill1 much1 mickle4 peir1 peer4 poureall1 the poor4 puissance1 power4 quhilk1 who1 which4 quhome1 without whom4 reid1 advice4 rois1 king4 sanct1 saint4 site1 shame4 till1 to4 tite1 quickly4 tynis1 loses4 wicht1 person1 wight4 ,,four ,,poets ,,of ,,this ,,century4 ,,john ,,lydgate was born at the village of ,lydgate1 near ,newmarket1 about #acgj4 ,he was a ,benedictine monk attached to the monastery of ,bury ,st4 ,edmunds1 and is remembered as the author of three poems1 which1 in their time1 attracted much attention4 ,these are ,the ,storie of ,thebes1 written in ten-syllable rhyming couplets1 and founded upon the ,teseide of ,boccaccio2 the ,troye ,book1 finished about #adbj1 and relating the story of the ,trojan war as recounted by ,guido di ,colonna in his ,latin prose history of ,troy2 and ,the ,falls of ,princes1 founded on a ,french version of ,boccaccio's ,de ,casibus ,virorum ,illustrium4 ,in #adcc1 ,lydgate wrote a wearisome but somewhat amusing poem1 ,pur le ,roy1 describing a visit to ,london1 and the pageants1 processions1 and other rejoicings1 on the occasion of the entrance of ,henry ,,vi4 into the city after his coronation4 ,the date of the poet's death is not exactly known1 but it was probably not later than #addj4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,robert ,,henryson1 an accomplished man and a good and genuine poet1 was born about the year #adbe1 and died near the close of the century4 ,he was for a time a schoolmaster and notary public at ,dunfermline1 in ,scotland1 and was connected1 in some capacity1 with the ,university of ,glasgow4 ,he was probably1 like ,lydgate1 a ,benedictine monk4 ,his principal works are ,the ,testament of ,cresseid1 a sequel to ,chaucer's ,troilus and ,cresseide1 and a collection of thirteen fables4 ,he wrote also many shorter poems1 of which the ballad of ,robin and ,makyne 7published in ,percy's ,reliques7 is the best known4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,william ,,dunbar was born in ,east ,lothian1 ,scotland1 about the year #adej4 ,he was educated at the ,university of ,st4 ,andrews1 and in early life travelled somewhat extensively as a novitiate of the order of ,st4 ,francis4 ,he visited ,england in #aeja1 upon the occasion of the marriage of ,james ,,iv4 of ,scotland to the ,princess ,margaret1 daughter of ,henry ,,vii4 ,one of his best poems1 ,the ,thistle and the ,rose1 was written in commemoration of that event4 ,he accompanied the queen to ,aberdeen in #aeaa1 and for some time1 both before and after1 was in attendance and favor at the ,scotch court4 ,nothing is known of his death1 but it has been conjectured that he fell in the battle of ,flodden1 in #aeac4 ,besides the poem just mentioned1 he wrote ,the ,golden ,targe1 ,the ,dance of the ,deadly ,sins1 and many shorter poems1 most of which are allegories4 ,the ,thistle and the ,rose has been pronounced the happiest political allegory in our language4 ,heraldry has never been more skilfully handled1 nor compliments more gracefully paid1 nor fidelity more persuasively preached to a monarch than in this poem4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,gawain ,,douglas was a son of the famous ,earl of ,angus1 and was born in ,brechin1 ,scotland1 about #adgd4 ,he was educated partly at the ,university of ,st4 ,andrews1 and partly in ,paris4 ,his first considerable poem1 ,the ,palice of ,honour1 was published in #aeja1 and dedicated to ,king ,james ,,iv4 ,it is an allegory1 such as was at that time the staple of poetical composition1 and contains but little that is particularly original4 ,another allegory1 printed after his death1 is entitled ,king ,hart1 and has for its subject the heart of man4 ,his greatest work is his translation of ,virgil's neid into ,scottish verse4 ,in #aeji1 ,douglas was appointed provost of ,st4 ,giles1 ,edinburgh1 and after the battle of ,flodden he was made abbot of ,aberbrothwick4 ,in #aeae he was consecrated ,bishop of ,dunkeld1 but was unable to gain possession of the cathedral except by force4 ,becoming involved in the feud between the rival families of ,angus and ,hamilton1 he was obliged to escape into ,england in #aeba1 where towards the end of the same year he died4 ,the ,fourteenth ,century4 ,in the fourteenth century there comes an ,englishman nourished on this the romance poetry1 taught his trade by this poetry1 getting words1 rhyme1 metre from this poetry2 for even of that stanza which the ,italians used1 and which ,chaucer derived immediately from the ,italians1 the basis and suggestion was probably given in ,france4 4 4 4 ,if we ask ourselves wherein consists the immense superiority of ,chaucer's poetry over the earlier romance-poetry1 why it is that in passing from this to ,chaucer we suddenly feel ourselves to be in another world1 we shall find that his superiority is both in the substance of his poetry and in the style of his poetry4 ,his superiority in substance is given by his large1 free1 simple1 clear yet kindly view of human life4 4 4 4 ,we have only to call to mind the ,prologue to ',the ,canterbury ,tales4' ,the right comment upon it is ,dryden's3 ',it is sufficient to say1 according to the proverb1 that here is ,god's plenty4' ,and again3 ',he is a perpetual fountain of good sense4' ,it is by a large1 free1 sound representation of things1 that poetry1 this high criticism of life1 has truth of substance2 and ,chaucer's poetry has truth of substance4 ,if we think of ,chaucer's divine liquidness of diction1 his divine fluidity of movement1 it is difficult to speak temperately4 ,they are irresistible1 and justify all the rapture with which his successors speak of his gold 'dew-drops of speech4' 4 4 4 ,chaucer is the father of our splendid ,english poetry1 he is our 'well of ,english undefiled1' because by the lovely charm of his diction1 the lovely charm of his movement1 he makes an epoch and founds a tradition4 ,in ,spenser1 ,shakespeare1 ,milton1 ,keats1 we can follow the tradition of the liquid diction1 the fluid movement1 of ,chaucer2 at one time it is his liquid diction of which in these poets we feel the virtue1 and at another it is his fluid movement4 ,and the virtue is irresistible4--,,matthew ,,arnold4 ,poets of the ,fourteenth ,century4 ,geoffrey ,chaucer 7#acbh-adjj74 ,see biographical note1 page #cja4 ,william ,langland 7#accb- 74 ,the ,vision of ,william concerning ,piers the ,ploughman4 ,john ,gower 7#accj-adjh74 ,confessio ,amantis4 ,geoffrey ,chaucer4 ,,from ,,the ,,prologue ,,to ,,the ,,canterbury ,,tales4 ,whan that ,aprille with his schowrs swoote ,the drought of ,marche had perced to the roote1 ,and bathed every veyne in swich licour1 ,of which vertue engendred is the flour2 ,whan ,zephirus eek with his swet breethe ,enspired hath in every holte and heethe ,the tendre cropps1 and the yong sonne ,hath in the ,ram#a his half cours i-ronne1#b ,and smal fowls maken melodie1 ,that slepen al the night with open eye1 ,so priketh hem nature in here corages3-- ,than longen folk to gon on pilgrimages1 ,and palmers for to seeken#c straung strondes1 ,to fern halwes1 kouthe in sondry londes2 ,and specially1 from every schirs ende ,of ,engelond1 to ,caunterbury they wende1 ,the holy blisful martir#d for to seeke1 ,that hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke4#e ,byfel that1 in that sesoun on a day1 ,in ,southwerk at the ,tabard#f as ,i lay1 ,redy to wenden on my pilgrimage ,to ,caunterbury with ful devout corage1 ,at night was come into that hostelrye ,wel nyne and twenty in a compainye1 ,of sondry folk1 by aventure i-falle ,in felaweschipe1 and pilgryms were thei alle1 ,that toward ,caunterbury wolden ryde2 ,the chambres and the stables#g weren wyde1 ,and wel we wern esed att beste4 ,and schortly1 whan the sonn was to reste1 ,so hadde ,i spoken with hem everychon1 ,that ,i was of here felaweschipe anon1 ,and mad forward erly for to ryse1 ,to take our wey ther as ,i yow devyse4 ,but nathles1 whil ,i have tyme and space1 ,or#h that ,i forther in this tal pace1 ,me thinketh it acordaunt to resoun1 ,to tell yow al the condicioun#i ,of eche of hem1 so as it semede me1 ,and whiche they weren1 and of what degre2 ,and eek in what array that they were inne3 ,and at a knight than wol ,i first bygynne4 ,a ,,knight ther was1 and that a worthy man1 ,that from the tym that he first bigan ,to ryden out1 he lovede chyvalrye1#aj ,trouthe and honour1 fredom and curteisye4 ,ful worthy was he in his lords werre1 ,and therto hadde he riden1 noman ferre1 ,as wel in ,cristendom as in hethnesse1#aa ,and evere honoured for his worthinesse4 ,at ,alisaundre#ab he was whan it was wonne1 ,ful oft tyme he hadde the bord bygonne#ac ,aboven all naciouns in ,pruce4#ad ,in ,lettowe hadde he reysed and in ,ruce1 ,no cristen man so ofte of his degre4 ,in ,gernade#ae att sieg hadde he be ,of ,algesir1 and riden in ,belmarie4 ,at ,lieys was he1 and at ,satalie1 ,whan they were wonne2 and in the ,greet see#af ,at many a noble arive hadde he be4 ,at mortal batailles hadde he ben fiftene1 ,and foughten for our feith at ,tramassene ,in lysts thris1 and ay slayn his foo4 ,this ilk worthy knight hadde ben also ,somtym with the lord of ,palatye1#ag ,ageyn another hethen in ,turkye3 ,and evermore he hadde a sovereyn prys4 ,and though that he was worthy1 he was wys1 ,and of his port as meke as is a mayde4 ,he nevere yit no vileinye ne sayde ,in al his lyf1 unto no maner wight4#ah ,he was a verray perfight gentil knight4 ,but for to tellen you of his array1 ,his hors was good1 but he ne was nought gay4 ,of fustyan he werede a gepoun ,al bysmotered with his habergeoun4 ,for he was late ycome from his viage1 ,and went for to doon his pilgrimage4 ,with him ther was his sone1 a yong ,,squyer1 ,a lovyere1 and a lusty bacheler1#ai ,with lokks crulle as they were leyd in presse4 ,of twenty yeer of age he was1 ,i gesse4 ,of his stature he was of even lengthe1 ,and wonderly delyver1 and gret of strengthe4 ,and he hadde ben somtyme in chivachye1 ,in ,flaundres1 in ,artoys1 and ,picardye1 ,and born him wel1 as of so litel space1 ,in hope to stonden in his lady grace4 ,embrowded was he1 as it were a mede ,al ful of fressh floures1 white and reede4 ,syngynge he was1 or floytynge1#bj al the day2 ,he was as fressh as is the moneth of ,may4 ,schort was his goune1 with sleevs longe and wyde4 ,wel cowde he sitte on hors1 and fair ryde4 ,he cowd songs make and wel endite1 ,juste and eek daunce1 and wel purtreye and write4 ,so hote he loved1 that by nightertale ,he sleep nomore than doth a nightyngale4 ,curteys he was1 lowly1 and servysable1 ,and carf byforn his fader at the table4 ,a ,,yeman hadde he1#ba and servaunts nomoo ,at that tyme1 for him lust ryd soo2 ,and he was clad in coote and hood of grene4 ,a shef of pocok arws#bb brighte and kene ,under his belte he bar ful thriftily4 ,wel cowde he dresse his takel yemanly2 ,his arwes drowpede nought with fetheres lowe4 ,and in his hond he bar a mighty bowe ,a not-heed hadde he with broun visage4 ,of wood-craft wel cowde he al the usage4 ,upon his arm he bar a gay bracer#bc ,and by his side a swerd and a bokeler1 ,and on that other side a gay daggere1 ,harneysed wel1 and scharp as poynt of spere2 ,a ,cristofre#bd on his brest of silver schene4 ,an horn he bar1 the bawdrik was of grene2 ,a forster was he sothly1 as ,i gesse4 ,ther was also a ,nonne1 a ,,prioresse1 ,that of hire smylyng was ful symple and coy2 ,hire grettest ooth ne was but by seynt ,loy#be2 ,and sche was cleped madame ,eglentyne4 ,ful wel sche sang the servis divyne1 ,entuned in hire nose ful semly2 ,and ,frensch sche spak ful faire and fetysly1 ,after the scole of ,stratford att ,bowe1 ,for ,frensch of ,parys was to hire unknowe4 ,at met wel i-taught was sche withalle2 ,sche leet no morsel from hire lipps falle1 ,ne wette hire fyngres in hire sauc deepe4 ,wel cowde sche carie a morsel1 and wel keepe1 ,that no drop ne fille upon hire breste4 ,in curteisie was set ful moche hire leste4 ,hire overlipp wypede sche so clene1 ,that in hire cupp was no ferthing sene ,of grec1 whan sche dronken hadde hire draughte4 ,ful semly after hir mete sche raughte1 ,and sikerly sche was of gret disport1#bf ,and ful plesaunt1 and amyable of port1 ,and peynede hir to countrefet cheere ,of court1 and ben estatlich of manere1 ,and to ben holden digne of reverence4 ,but for to speken of hir conscience1 ,sche was so charitable and so pitous1 ,sche wold weepe if that sche saw a mous ,caught in a trappe1 if it were deed or bledde4 ,of smal hounds hadde sche1 that sche fedde ,with rosted flessh1 or mylk and wastel breed4 ,but sore weep sche if oon of hem were deed1 ,or if men#bg smot it with a yerd smerte3 ,and al was conscience and tendre herte4 ,ful semly hire wympel i-pynched was2 ,hir nose tretys2 hir eyn greye as glas2 ,hir mouth ful smal1 and therto softe and reed ,but sikerly sche hadde a fair forheed4 ,it was almost a spann brood1 ,i trowe2 ,for hardily sche was not undergrowe4 ,ful fetys was hir cloke1 as ,i was war4 ,of smal coral aboute hir arm sche bar ,a peire of beds gauded al with grene2 ,and theron heng a broch of gold ful schene1 ,on which was first i-write a crownd ,a1 ,and after1 ,amor vincit omnia4#bh ,another ,,nonne with hir hadd sche1 ,that was hir chapeleyne1#bi and ,,prestes thre4 ,a ,,monk ther was1 a fair for the maistry1#cj ,an out-rydere1 that loved venery2 ,a manly man1 to ben an abbot able4 ,ful many a deynt hors hadde he in stable3 ,and whan he rood1 men mighte his bridel heere ,gynglen in a whistlyng wynd as cleere1 ,and eek as lowde as doth the chapel belle4 ,ther as this lord was kepere of the celle1 ,the reule of seynt ,maure or of seint ,beneyt1 ,bycause that it was old and somdel streyt1 ,this ilk monk leet old things pace1 ,and held after the new world the space4 ,he yaf nat of that text a pulld hen1#ca ,that seith1 that hunters been noon holy men2 ,ne that a monk1 whan he is recchles ,is likned to a fissch that is waterles#cb2 ,this is to seyn1 a monk out of his cloystre4 ,but thilk text held he not worth an oystre4 ,and ,i seide his opinioun was good4 ,what#cc schulde he studie1 and make himselven wood1#cd ,upon a book in cloystre alway to powre4 ,or swynk with his hands1 and laboure1 ,as ,austyn bit8 ,how schal the world be servd8 ,lat ,austyn have his swynk to him reservd4 ,therfor he was a pricasour aright2 ,greyhoundes he hadde as swifte as fowel in flight2 ,of prikyng and of huntyng for the hare ,was al his lust1 for no cost wolde he spare4#ce ,i saugh his slevs purfiled att honde ,with grys1 and that the fyneste of a londe4 ,and for to festne his hood under his chynne ,he hadde of gold y-wrought a curious pynne3 ,a love-knot in the grettere ende ther was4 ,his heed was balled1 that schon as eny glas1 ,and eek his face1 as he hadde ben anoynt4 ,he was a lord ful fat and in good poynt2 ,his eyn steepe1 and rollyng in his heede1 ,that stemde as a forneys of a leede2#cf ,his boots souple1 his hors in gret estat4 ,now certeinly he was a fair prelat2 ,he was not pale as a for-pyned goost4 ,a fat swan lovede he best of eny roost4 ,his palfrey was as broun as is a berye4 ,a ,,frere there was1 a wantown and a merye1 ,a lymytour1#cg a ful solempn man4 ,in alle the ordres foure#ch is noon that can ,so moche of daliaunce and fair langage4 ,he hadde i-mad ful many a mariage ,of yong wymmen1 at his own cost4 ,unto his ordre he was a noble post4#ci ,ful wel biloved and famulier was he ,with frankeleyns#dj over-al in his cuntre1 ,and eek with worthy wommen of the toun3 ,for he hadde power of confessioun1 ,as seyde himself1 mor than a curat1 ,for of his ordre he was licentiat4#da ,ful swetly herde he confessioun1 ,and plesaunt was his absolucioun2 ,he was an esy man to yeve penaunce ,ther as he wist han#db a good pitaunce2 ,for unto a poure ordre for to yive ,is sign that a man is wel i-schrive4 ,for if he yaf1 he dorst make avaunt1 ,he wist that a man was repentaunt4 ,for many a man so hard is of his herte1 ,he may not wepe although him sor smerte4 ,therfore in stede of wepyng and preyeres1 ,men#dc moot yive silver to the pour freres4 ,his typet was ay farsd ful of knyfes ,and pynns1 for to yiv fair wyfes4 ,and certeynly he hadde a mery note2 ,wel couthe he synge and pleyen on a rote4 ,of yeddynges he bar utterly the prys4 ,his nekk whit was as the flour-de-lys4 ,therto he strong was as a champioun4 ,he knew the tavernes wel in every toun1 ,and everych hostiler and tappestere1 ,bet then a lazer1 or a beggestere1 ,for unto such a worthy man as he ,acorded not1 as by his facult1 ,to han with sik lazars aqueyntaunce4 ,it is not honest1 it may not avaunce1 ,for to delen with no such poraille1 ,but al with riche1 and sellers of vitaille4#dd ,and overal1 ther as profyt schulde arise1 ,curteys he was1 and lowly of servyse4 ,ther nas no man nowher so vertuous4 ,he was the best beggere in his hous1 ,for though a widewe hadd noght oo schoo1 ,so plesaunt was his ,in principio1#de ,yet wolde he have a ferthing or he wente4 ,his purchas#df was wel better than his rente4 ,and rage he couthe as it were right a whelpe1 ,in lov-days#dg couthe he mochel helpe4 ,for ther he was not lik a cloysterer1 ,with a thredbare cope as is a poure scoler1 ,but he was lik a maister or a pope4 ,of double worsted was his semy-cope1 ,that rounded as a belle out of the presse4 ,somwhat he lipsede1 for his wantownesse1 ,to make his ,englissch swete upon his tunge2 ,and in his harpyng1 whan that he hadde sunge ,his eyn twynkled in his heed aright1 ,as don the sterrs in the frosty night4 ,this worthy lymytour was cleped ,huberd4 ,a ,,marchaunt was ther with a forkd berd1 ,in mottleye1 and hign on hors he sat1 ,upon his heed a ,flaundrisch bevere hat2 ,his bots clapsed faire and fetysly4 ,his resons he spak ful solempnly1 ,sownynge alway the encres of his wynnynge4 ,he wolde the see were kept for#dh eny thinge ,betwix ,middelburgh and ,orwelle4 ,wel couthe he in eschaung scheelds#di selle4 ,this worthi man ful wel his wit bisette2 ,ther wist no wight that he was in dette1 ,so estatly was he of governaunce1 ,with his bargayns1 and with his chevysaunce ,for sothe he was a worthy man withalle1 ,but soth to sayn1 ,i not how men him calle4 ,a ,,clerk ther was of ,oxenford#ej also1 ,that unto logik hadd longe i-go4 ,as len was his hors as is a rake1 ,and he was not right#ea fat1 ,i undertake2 ,but lokde holwe1 and therto soberly4 ,ful thredbar was his overest courtepy4 ,for he hadde geten him yit no benefice1 ,ne was so worldly for to have office4 ,for him was levere have at his bedds heede ,twenty books1 clad in blak or reede1 ,of ,aristotle and his philosophy1 ,then robs riche1 or fithel1 or gay sawtry4#eb ,but al be that he was a philosophre1 ,yet hadd he but litel gold in cofre2 ,but al that he mighte of his frends hente1 ,on books and on lernyng he it spente1 ,and busily gan for the souls preye ,of hem that yaf him wherwith to scoleye2 ,of studie took he most cure and most heede4 ,not oo word spak he mor than was neede1 ,and that was seid in forme and reverence ,and schort and quyk1 and ful of high sentence4 ,sownynge#ec in moral vertu was his speche1 ,and gladly wolde he lerne1 and gladly teche4 ,,glossary4 ageyn1 against4 arive1 disembarkment4 aventure1 chance4 ay1 always4 bar1 bore4 bawdrick1 baldric4 ben1 to be4 bit1 biddeth4 byfel1 it happened4 bysmotered1 smutted4 carf1 carved4 cheere1 manner4 chevysaunce1 loans1 bargains4 chivachye1 military expedition4 clapsed1 clasped4 cleped1 called4 clerk1 a scholar4 corage1 heart4 courtepy1 cloak4 cowde1 knew4 crulle1 curled4 cure1 care4 delyver1 active4 devyse1 speak of4 digne1 worthy4 don1 do4 eek1 also4 embrowded1 embroidered4 encres1 increase4 everychon1 every one1 all4 farsed1 stuffed4 ferne1 distant1 foreign4 ferre1 farther4 ferthing1 small portion4 fetysly1 neatly1 well4 fithel1 fiddle4 ,flaundrische1 ,flemish4 flotynge1 fluting1 playing4 flour-de-lys1 fleur-de-lis4 for-pyned1 much wasted4 forster1 forester4 frere1 friar4 gawded1 having gawds4 gepoun1 short cassock4 goost1 ghost4 grys1 fur4 gynglen1 jingling4 habergeoun1 hawberk4 halwes1 shrines 7holies74 heethe1 heath1 meadow4 hem1 them4 here1 their4 heute1 borrow4 holpen1 helped4 holte1 wood4 i-falle1 fallen4 ilke1 same4 i-ronne1 ran4 juste1 joust4 kouthe1 known4 leede1 cauldron4 leste1 pleasure4 levere1 rather4 lipsede1 lisped4 luste1 pleased4 maistrye1 mastery4 maner1 kind4 mede1 meadow4 mete1 meals1 eating4 motteleye1 mixed colors4 nightertale1 night-time4 noon1 not one1 not at all4 not-heed1 shorn-head4 pace1 pass4 peyned1 took pains4 pitous1 full of pity4 pocok1 peacock4 poraille1 poor folks4 pricasour1 hard rider4 priketh1 incites1 spurs4 prys1 reputation1 worth4 purfiled1 embroidered4 purtreye1 paint4 raughte1 reached4 reccheles1 reckless4 reysed1 ridden4 rote1 a musical instrument4 sawtreye1 psaltery4 schene1 bright4 scoleye1 attend school4 seeke1 sick4 semely1 becomingly4 sikerly1 surely4 somdel1 somewhat4 sondry1 different kinds4 sothly1 truly4 souple1 pliant4 sovereyn1 excellent4 sowning1 boasting4 steepe1 bright4 streit1 strict4 swich1 such4 swynke1 toil4 thilke1 this4 tretys1 slender4 venerye1 hunting4 viage1 journey4 wastel breed1 cake bread4 wenden1 go4 werre1 war4 wight1 person4 wiste1 knew4 wood1 mad1 foolish4 wympel1 wimple4 yaf1 gave4 yeddynges1 gleemen's songs4 yemanly1 yeoman-like4 yerde1 stick4 ,,notes4 #a4 in the ,ram4 ,in the constellation ,aries4 ,there is a difference1 in astronomy1 between the sign ,aries and the constellation ,aries4 ,in ,april the sun is theoretically in the sign ,taurus1 but visibly in the constellation ,aries4--,morris4 #b4 i-ronne4 ,run4 ,the prefix i- or y- is equivalent to the ,a4-,s4 or ,german ge1 and usually denotes the past participle4 #c4 seeken4 ,the infinitive in early ,english ended in n1 usually in en4 #d4 martir4 ,thomas ,becket1 who was slain at ,canterbury in #aagj4 ,he was canonized by ,pope ,alexander ,,iii4 as ,st4 ,thomas of ,canterbury4 #e4 seeke4 ,sick1 ill4 ,at the present time the ,english restrict the use of the word sick to nausea1 and regard it in its original and broader signification as an ,americanism4 #f4 ,tabard4 ,a tabard is a jaquet or slevelesse coat worne in times past by noblemen in the warres1 but now only by heraults4 ,it is the signe of an inne in ,southwarke by ,london1 within the which was the lodging of the ,abbot of ,hyde by ,winchester4 ,this is the hostelrie where ,chaucer and the other pilgrims mett together and accorded about the manner of their journey to ,canterbury4--,speght4 #g4 stables4 ,standing-places 7,lat4 sto1 to stand72 meaning here the public rooms of the inn4 #h4 ,or4 ,before1 ere 7,a4-,s4 aer1 ere74 ,compare ,psalm xc4 #b4 #i4 condicioun4 ,a word of four syllables1 accented on the last4 #aj4 chyvalrye4 ,the profession of a knight4 #aa4 hethnesse4 ,heathen countries4 ,from heath1 the open country4 ,the word heathen acquired its meaning from the fact that1 at the introduction of ,christianity into ,germany1 the wild dwellers on the heaths longest resisted the truth4--,trench4 #ab4 ,alisaundre4 ,alexandria was taken in #acfe by ,pierre de ,lusignan1 king of ,cyprus1 but was very soon abandoned4 #ac4 he hadde the bord bygonne4 ,he had been placed at the head of the table1 the usual compliment to extraordinary merit4--,tyrwhitt4 #ad4 ,pruce4 ,prussia4 ,when our military men wanted employment it was usual for them to go and serve in ,pruce1 or ,prussia1 with the ,knights of the ,teutonic order1 who were in a state of constant warfare with their heathen neighbours in ,lettow 7,lithuania7 and ,ruse 7,russia74--,tyrwhitt4 #ae4 ,gernade4 ,grenada1 probably at the siege of ,algezir1 in that country1 in #acdd4 ,belmarie was probably a ,moorish town in ,africa1 as also was ,tramassene1 mentioned below4 ,lieys was in ,armenia4 ,both it and ,satalie 7,attalia7 were conquered by ,pierre de ,lusignan in #acfg4 #af4 ,greet see4 ,that part of the ,mediterranean which washes the coast of ,palestine4 #ag4 lord of ,palatye4 ,a ,christian knight who kept possession of his lands by paying tribute to the ,turks4 #ah4 no maner wight4 ,no sort of person4 ,in early ,english the preposition was often omitted after manner4 ,observe the double negatives in these two lines4 #ai4 bacheler4 ,a soldier not old or rich enough to lead his relations into battle with a banner4 ,the original sense of the word is little1 small1 young1 from ,welsh bach4--,webster4 #bj4 floytynge4 ,fluting4 ,so1 in ,chaucer's ,house of ,fame1 he says3 ,and many a floyte and litlyng horne1 ,and pipes made of grene corne4 #ba4 he4 ,that is1 the knight4 ,the word yeman1 or yeoman1 is an abbreviation of yeongeman4 ,as used by ,chaucer1 it means a servant of a rank above that of groom1 but below that of squire4 ,the present use of the word to signify a small landholder is of more modern origin4 #bb4 pocok arws4 ,arrows tipped with peacock feathers4 #bc4 bracer4 ,a kind of close sleeve laced upon the arm4 ,a bracer serveth for two causes1 one to save his arme from the strype of the stringe1 and his doublet from wearing2 and the other is1 that the stringe glidinge sharplye and quicklye off the bracer1 maye make the sharper shoote4--,roger ,ascham's ,toxophilus1 page #abi4 #bd4 ,cristofre4 ,an image of ,st4 ,christopher1 which was thought to protect its wearer from hidden danger4 #be4 seynt ,loy4 ,st4 ,eloy1 or ,eligius4 #bf4 of gret disport4 ,fond of gayety4 #bg4 men4 ,this word as here used is an indefinite pronoun equivalent to one1 or any one4 #bh4 ,love conquers all things4 #bi4 chapeleyne4 ,probably assistant4 #cj4 a fair for the maistry4 ,a fair one for the chief place4 #ca4 ,he would not give a pulled hen for that text2 that is1 he cared not a straw for it4 ,pulled pylled pilled plucked4 #cb4 waterles4 ,out of water4 #cc4 what4 ,why1 wherefore4 #cd4 wood4 ,mad4 ,scotch wud1 wild4 ,an' just as wud as wud can be4--,burns4 #ce4 no cost wolde he spare4 ,for this pleasure he spared no expense4 #cf4 ,that shone like the fire under a cauldron4 #cg4 lymytour4 ,one who was licensed to beg within a limited territory4 #ch4 ordres foure4 ,the ,dominicans1 the ,franciscans1 the ,carmelites1 and the ,augustine ,friars4 #ci4 post4 ,pillar1 support4 ,compare with the modern expression1 ,a pillar of the church4 #dj4 frankeleyns4 ,country gentlemen2 wealthy landholders4 #da4 licentiat4 ,he had license from the pope to grant absolution in all cases4 ,a curate's powers did not extend so far4 #db4 ,where he knew he would have4 #dc4 ,see note #bg1 above4 #dd4 sellers of vitaille4 ,givers of food1 or a livelihood4 ,the original meaning of the word sell was to give4 ,from ,a4-,s4 syllan1 to give4 #de4 ,in the beginning4 ,the first words of ,st4 ,john's ,gospel in the ,vulgate4 #df4 purchas4 ,income from begging4 #dg4 lov-days4 ,days appointed for the amicable settlement of differences1 without recourse to law4 #dh4 ,he wished the sea were guarded4 ,middelburgh1 a port in the ,netherlands4 ,orwelle1 a port in ,essex4 #di4 scheelds4 ,french crowns marked with a shield4 ,shillings4 #ej4 ,oxenford4 ,not the ford of the ox1 but the ford of the river4 ,ox1 from ,celtic esk1 ouse1 water4 #ea4 ,the word right used1 as here1 in the sense of very is now considered a vulgarism4 ,a ,southerner would say1 ',it rains right hard4'--,bartlett4 #eb4 sawtry4 ,psaltery1 a ,greek instrument of music4 #ec4 sownynge4 ,sounding2 that is1 in consonance with4 ,sentence sense4 ,so1 also1 construe forme and reverence1 above1 as meaning propriety and modesty4 ,,on ,,reading ,,chaucer4 ',how few there are who can read ,chaucer so as to understand him perfectly1' says ,dryden1 apologizing for 'translating' him4 ,in our day1 with the wider spread of historical study1 with the numerous helps to ,old ,english that the care of scholars has produced for us1 with the purification that ,chaucer's text has undergone1 this saying of ,dryden's ought not to be true4 ,it ought to be not only possible1 but easy1 for an educated reader to learn the few essentials of ,chaucerian grammar1 and for an ear at all trained to poetry to tune itself to the unfamiliar harmonies4 ,for those who make the attempt the reward is certain4 ,they will gain the knowledge1 not only of the great poet and creative genius1 but of the master who uses our language with a power1 a freedom1 a variety1 a rhythmic beauty1 that1 in five centuries1 not ten of his successors have been found able to rival4--,t4 ,h4 ,ward4 ,the peculiarities of diction and grammar which distinguish ,chaucer's poetry seem to make its reading and comprehension difficult and often discourage the student at the outset4 ,a very little study1 however1 will show that the difficulties in the way are not nearly so great as they at first appear1 and1 after a little patient practice in reading1 they will disappear entirely4 ,by observing the following rules you will soon acquire the ability to read with a fluency which will be highly pleasing to you3 #a4 ,final e should be pronounced as a separate syllable whenever the metre demands it4 #b4 ,in all words of ,french origin1 such as visge1 corge1 manir1 the final syllable is accented4 ,the greatest difficulty in reading ,chaucer arises from the antiquated manner in which the words are spelled2 but if the reader will change an occasional y to i1 and drop a final e or a final n1 here and there1 the words which seemed at first so strange will appear more familiar to the eye and the understanding4 ,,biographical ,,note4 ,,geoffrey ,,chaucer1 the morning-star of ,english poetry1 was born in ,london in #acbh1--;according to some authorities1 in #acdj4 ,he was the son of a vintner1 and at an early age became acquainted with many persons of distinction4 ,he was a page in the household of ,prince ,lionel1 and afterwards valet and squire to ,edward ,,iii4 ,in #acgb he was sent abroad as a royal envoy1 and on his return he was made ,controller of the ,customs ,in ,london4 ,in the meantime he had married ,philippa ,rouet1 one of the queen's maids of honor1 a sister to the wife of ,john of ,gaunt4 ,being thus closely related to one of the most powerful members of the royal family1 he was often employed in important and honorable commissions connected with the government4 ,in #achf he was member of ,parliament for ,kent1 and in #achi was appointed ,clerk of the ,king's ,works1 at ,windsor4 ,he died in #adjj1 and was buried in ,westminster ,abbey1--the first of the long line of poets whose ashes make that edifice illustrious4 ,his poetical history has been divided by ,mr4 ,furnivall into four periods3 7#a7 up to #acga1 during which he wrote the ,a ,b ,c the ,compleynte to ,pit1 the ,boke of the ,duchesse1 and the ,compleynte of ,mars2 7#b7 from #acgb to #acha1 which saw the production of ,troylus and ,criseyde1 ,anelida1 and the ,former ,age2 7#c7 from #acha to #achi1 during which his best works appeared1 the ,parlament of ,foules1 the ,house of ,fame1 the ,legende of ,goode ,women1 and some of the ,canterbury ,tales2 7#d7 from #achi to the close of his life1 in which period the remainder of the ,canterbury ,tales and some short poems were written4 ,m4 ,taine says1 ,chaucer is like a jeweller with his hands full2 pearls and glass beads1 sparkling diamonds and common agates1 black jet and ruby roses1 all that history and imagination had been able to gather and fashion during three centuries in the ,east1 in ,france1 in ,wales1 in ,provence1 in ,italy1 all that had rolled his way1 clashed together1 broken or polished by the stream of centuries1 and by the grand jumble of human memory1 he holds in his hand1 arranges it1 composes therefrom a long sparkling ornament1 with twenty pendants1 a thousand facets1 which by its splendor1 variety1 contrasts1 may attract and satisfy the eyes of those most greedy for amusement and novelty4 ,other ,poems to be ,read3 ,the ,knight's ,tale2 ,the ,clerk's ,tale2 ,the ,man of ,law's ,tale2 ,the ,legende of ,goode ,women2 ,the ,parlament of ,foules2 ,the ,house of ,fame2 ,chaucer's ,a ,b ,c4 ,,references3 ,lowell's ,my ,study ,windows2 ,marsh's ,origin and ,history of the ,english ,language2 ,charles ,cowden ,clarke's ,the ,riches of ,chaucer2 ,morley's ,english ,writers1 vol4 v2 ,carpenter's ,english of the ,,xiv ,century2 ,taine's ,english ,literature2 ,lounsbury's ,studies in ,chaucer2 ,hazlitt's ,english ,poets4 ,,index ,,to ,,notes4 accloyes1 #bcd4 afoir1 #bhb4 aft1 #ajf4 ,age of ,gold1 #gi1 #aib4 ,ajax1 #adg4 ,akenside1 ,mark1 #if4 amaist1 #ajf4 ance1 #ajf4 ,annus ,mirabilis1 #agc4 antickes1 #bcd4 ,aonian1 #bjh4 ,apollo1 #gd4 apparelled1 #df4 ,arnold1 ,matthew1 #af4 ,arthur's ,seat1 #bed4 ,arvon1 #acf4 ,ashtaroth1 #aid4 assay1 #bge4 assuasive1 #aed4 awfull1 #ahi4 axle-tree1 #ahi4 ay1 #bhb4 ,aytoun1 ,william ,edmondstoune1 #af4 ,baalim1 #aid4 ,bacchus1 #hg1 #aff4 bairns1 #aje4 baldric1 #be4 ,ballads1 #bfe4 ,beattie1 ,james1 #if4 bede1 #bge4 bedight1 #bcc4 beets1 #aje4 belyve1 #ajf4 ben1 #aje4 bield1 #aji4 birkie1 #aaj4 ,blair1 ,robert1 #if4 ,blake1 ,william1 #if4 blate1 #ajf4 blinkin1 #ajf4 ,boadicea1 #aad4 boding1 #abg4 bonnet1 #aje4 bracer1 #bii4 brae1 #bed4 braw1 #ajf4 bray1 #acg4 ,browne1 ,william1 #aeh4 ,browning1 ,robert1 #af4 ,browning1 ,elizabeth ,barrett1 #af4 brutish1 #aid4 ,bulwer-,lytton1 ,robert1 #af4 burn-side1 #bed4 ,burns1 ,robert1 #aaa4 busk1 #bed4 buskin1 #aci4 ,butler1 ,samuel1 #aeh4 ,byron1 ,lord1 #af4 ca'1 #aje4 ,cambria1 #ace4 ,camelot1 #bd4 ,camilla1 #adg4 ,campbell1 ,thomas1 #af4 cannie1 #ajf4 ,carew1 ,thomas1 #aeh4 carking1 #ajf4 castamergia1 #bga4 cataracts1 #df4 ,chapman1 ,george1 #baf4 ,chatterton1 ,thomas1 #if4 ,chaucer1 ,geoffrey1 #cja4 ,chepe1 #bge4 ,christabel1 #fd4 ,churchill1 ,charles1 #if4 chyvalrye1 #bih4 claes1 #ajf4 ,clarius1 #bjh4 close1 #aij4 ,clough1 ,arthur ,hugh1 #af4 ,coleridge1 ,samuel ,taylor1 #fe4 ,collins1 ,william1 #if4 conceit1 #ade4 concern1 #aai4 consort1 #aib4 convoy1 #ajf4 coof1 #aaj4 coot1 #bg4 coronal1 #dg4 cotter1 #ajd4 ,cowley1 ,abraham1 #aeh4 ,cowper1 ,william1 #abb4 ,crabbe1 ,george1 #if4 cracks1 #ajf4 ,crashaw1 ,richard1 #aeh4 craws1 #ajf4 crew1 #afh4 ,cristofre1 #bii4 crynis1 #bhb4 ,cynthia1 #aij4 ddal1 #gd4 ,daniel1 ,samuel1 #baf4 ,darius1 #aff4 darkling1 #hg4 ,davenant1 ,sir ,william1 #aeh4 ,davies1 ,sir ,john1 #baf4 deid1 #bhb4 ,delphos1 #aic4 demi-gods1 #aed4 ,denham1 ,sir ,john1 #aeh4 denty1 #bha4 deposit1 #aje4 dicht1 #bhb4 docht1 #bhb4 ,donne1 ,john1 #baf4 ,douglas1 ,gawain1 #bhd4 dragon1 #aic4 ,drayton1 ,michael1 #baf4 ,drummond1 ,william1 #aeh4 dryad1 #hf4 ,dryden1 ,john1 #age4 ,dunbar1 ,william1 #bhc4 dusk1 #bd4 ,dyer1 ,john1 #if4 dyght1 #bge4 effeires1 #bha4 ,elysian1 #gi4 ene1 #bha4 ,epipsychidion1 #gi4 ere1 #ahi4 esperance1 #bgh4 eydent1 #ajf4 eyn1 #aie4 fallow1 #bha4 fassoun1 #bgh4 ,fates1 #acg4 ,fauns1 #gc4 feid1 #bhb4 fell1 #ajf4 ,fergusson1 ,robert1 #if4 fit1 #ade4 ,flamins1 #aid4 ,fletcher1 ,giles1 #aeh4 flichterin1 #ajf4 floytynge1 #bii4 fois1 #bhb4 fond1 #aci4 foreland1 #bg4 forgit1 #bha4 forgoes1 #aid4 frankeleyns1 #cjj4 ,fungoso1 #adf4 ,furies1 #afg4 galaxy1 #be4 garmond1 #bgh4 gars1 #ajf4 ,garth1 ,samuel1 #abj4 ,gascoigne1 ,george1 #baf4 gauge1 #abg4 ,gay1 ,john1 #if4 genius1 #aic4 gere1 #bge4 ,gernad1 #bii4 gife1 #bha4 glaiding1 #bhb4 glinted1 #aji4 gloir1 #bhb4 ,gloster1 #acf4 ,glover1 ,richard1 #if4 ,goldsmith1 ,oliver1 #abh4 governance1 #bgh4 gowd1 #aaj4 ,gower1 ,john1 #bhf4 grant1 #bhb4 ,gray1 ,thomas1 #aci4 gree1 #aaj1 #bhb4 ,green1 ,matthew1 #if4 ,greene1 ,robert1 #baf4 greete1 #bge4 griesly1 #acg4 grisly1 #aid4 gross1 #agd4 guerdoun1 #bhb4 ha'-bible1 #aje4 haffets1 #ajf4 hafflins1 #ajf4 halcyons1 #gi4 ,hall1 ,joseph1 #baf4 hals-ribbane1 #bgh4 halsit1 #bha4 ,hammon1 #aid4 harbinger1 #ahh4 hauberk1 #ace4 haut-boys1 #aff4 ,hawes1 ,stephen1 #bfh4 hawkie1 #aje4 ,henryson1 ,robert1 #bhc4 ,herbert1 ,george1 #aeh4 ,herbert1 ,lord1 of ,cherbury1 #aeh4 hern1 #bg4 ,herrick1 ,robert1 #bjb4 ,hesperus1 #hj4 hethenesse1 #bih4 hinges1 #aia4 ,hippocrene1 #hf4 histie1 #aji4 ,hoel1 #acf4 hoiss1 #bgh4 ,hood1 ,thomas1 #af4 ,howard1 ,henry1 #beb4 hud1 #bgh4 ,hunt1 ,leigh1 #af4 hyed1 #bge4 hymeneal1 #ga4 ilk1 #bhb4 influence1 #ahi4 ingle1 #ajf4 ,ionian1 #gi4 ipocras1 #bga4 i-ronne1 #bih4 ,isis1 #aid4 its1 #aij4 ,ixion1 #aed4 ,japhet1 #bji4 ,johnson1 ,samuel1 #if4 jollity1 #df4 ,jonson1 ,ben1 #bac4 ,keats1 ,john1 #ic4 kebbuck1 #ajf4 key1 #agd4 ,kingsley1 ,charles1 #af4 kirtill1 #bgh4 kye1 #aje4 laif1 #bha4 ,lamb1 ,charles1 #af4 ,landor1 ,walter ,savage1 #af4 ,langland1 ,william1 #bhf4 lasit1 #bgh4 lathefu'1 #ajf4 lave1 #ajf4 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ligature in the original3 ,boeotia ,phoenicia ,meliboeus ,phoenicians ,oeagrus ,the following corrections have been made to the text3 ,page #gi3 ,dante's ,vita ,nuova4original has extraneous quotation mark ,page #ha3 full age of man1 he might notoriginal has extraneous comma improbably ,page #abd3 ,near yonder copse1 where once the garden smiled1original has superscripted #a at the end of the line ,page #adf3 ,shakespeare1 ,king ,lear1 ,act ioriginal has ii sc4 i4 ,page #adf3 versification of the ,faerie ,queene1 page #bcboriginal has #bcd ,page #cjc3 chyvalryeoriginal has chyvalyre1 #bih4