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And Ringlet, O Ringlet,

You still are golden-gay,

But Ringlet, O Ringlet,

You should be silver-gray:

For what is this which now I'm told,

I that took you for true gold,

She that gave you 's bought and sold,

Sold, sold.

2.

O Ringlet, O Ringlet,

She blush'd a rosy red,

When Ringlet, O Ringlet,

She clipt you from her head, And Ringlet, O Ringlet,

She gave you me, and said, 'Come, kiss it, love, and put it by:

If this can change, why so can I.'

O fie, you golden nothing, fie

You golden lie.

3.

O Ringlet, O Ringlet,

I count you much to blame,

For Ringlet, O Ringlet,

You put me much to shame,

So Ringlet, O Ringlet,

I doom you to the flame.

For what is this which now I learn,

Has given all my faith a turn?

Burn, you glossy heretic, burn,

Burn, burn.

426

A WELCOME TO ALEXANDRA.

S

A WELCOME TO ALEXANDRA.

MARCH 7, 1863.

EA-KINGS' daughter from over the sea,

Alexandra!

Saxon and Norman and Dane are we,

But all of us Danes in our welcome of thee,

Alexandra!

Welcome her, thunders of fort and of fleet !
Welcome her, thundering cheer of the street !
Welcome her, all things youthful and sweet,
Scatter the blossom under her feet!
Break, happy land, into earlier flowers !
Make music, O bird, in the new-budded bowers!
Blazon your mottos of blessing and prayer!
Welcome her, welcome her, all that is ours !
Warble, O bugle, and trumpet, blare.!
Flags, flutter out upon turrets and towers !
Flames, on the windy headland flare !
Utter your jubilee, steeple and spire !
Clash, ye bells, in the merry March air!
Flash, ye cities, in rivers of fire!
Rush to the roof, sudden rocket, and higher
Melt into the stars for the land's desire!

Roll and rejoice, jubilant voice,

Roll as a ground-swell dash'd on the strand,
Roar as the sea when he welcomes the land,
And welcome her, welcome the land's desire,
The sea-kings' daughter as happy as fair,
Blissful bride of a blissful heir,

Bride of the heir of the kings of the sea

O joy to the people, and joy to the throne,
Come to us, love us, and make us your own:

For Saxon or Dane or Norman we,
Teuton or Celt, or whatever we be,

We are each all Dane in our welcome of thee,

Alexandra!

ODE SUNG AT THE OPENING OF THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION.

PLIFT a

UPLIFT

thousand voices full and sweet,

In this wide hall with earth's invention stored, And praise th' invisible universal Lord, Who lets once more in peace the nations meet, Where Science, Art, and Labor have outpour'd Their myriad horns of plenty at our feet.

O silent father of our Kings to be
Mourn'd in this golden hour of jubilee,
For this, for all, we weep our thanks to thee !

The world-compelling plan was thine,
And, lo! the long laborious miles
Of Palace; lo! the giant aisles,
Rich in model and design;
Harvest-tool and husbandry,
Loom and wheel and engin'ry,
Secrets of the sullen mine,
Steel and gold, and corn and wine,
Fabric rough, or Fairy fine,
Sunny tokens of the Line,

Polar marvels, and a feast
Of wonder, out of West and East,
And shapes and hues of Art divine !
All of beauty, all of use,
That one fair planet can produce.
Brought from under every star,
Blown from over every main,
And mixt, as life is mixt with pain,

The works of peace with works of war.

O ye, the wise who think, the wise who reign,
From growing commerce loose her latest chain,
And let the fair white-winged peacemaker fly
To happy havens under all the sky,
And mix the seasons and the golden hours,
Till each man finds his own in all men's good,
And all men work in noble brotherhood,
Breaking their mailed fleets and armed towers,
And ruling by obeying Nature's powers,
And gathering all the fruits of peace and crown'd

with all her flowers.

A DEDICATIΟΝ.

DEAR, near and true - no truer Time himself

Can prove you, tho' he make you evermore

Dearer and nearer, as the rapid of life
Shoots to the fall - take this, and pray that he,
Who wrote it, honoring your sweet faith in him,
May trust himself; and spite of praise and scorn,
As one who feels the immeasurable world,

Attain the wise indifference of the wise;
And after Autumn past if left to pass
His autumn into seeming-leafless days -
Draw toward the long frost and longest night,
Wearing his wisdom lightly, like the fruit
Which in our winter woodland looks a flower.*

THE CAPTAIN.

A LEGEND OF THE NAVY.

H

E that only rules by terror
Doeth grievous wrong.
Deep as Hell I count his error,
Let him hear my song.
Brave the Captain was: the seamen
Made a gallant crew,
Gallant sons of English freemen,
Sailors bold and true.

But they hated his oppression,
Stern he was and rash;
So for every light transgression
Doom'd them to the lash.
Day by day more harsh and cruel
Seem'd the Captain's mood.
Secret wrath like smother'd fuel
Burnt in each man's blood.
Yet he hoped to purchase glory,
Hoped to make the name

* The fruit of the Spindle-tree (Euonymus Europæus.)

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