1220 1221 H THE SYLVAN HUNTRESS ER yellow lockes, crispéd like golden wyre, in her rude heares sweet flowres themselves did lap, No UNA AND THE LION E. SPENSER OW when broad day the world discovered has, up Una rose, up rose the lyon eke; and on their former journey forward pass, in ways unknowne, her wandring knight to seek, with paines far passing that long-wandring Greek that for his love refused deitye: such were the labours of this lady meeke, still seeking him, that from her still did flye, then furthest from her hope, when most she weenéd nye. E. SPENSER 1222 1223 THE OCEAN OLL on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean, roll; ROLL ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain; man marks the earth with ruin: his control stops with the shore; upon the watery plain the wrecks are all thy deed: nor doth remain a shadow of man's ravage, save his own, when, for a moment, like a drop of rain, he sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan, without a grave, unknelled, uncoffined, and unknown. LORD BYRON EFFECTS OF MAMMON'S SPEECH ON THE ASSEMBLY H E scarce had finished, when such murmur filled the assembly, as when hollow rocks retain 1224 the sound of blustering winds, which all night long after the tempest: such applause was heard THE CLOANTHUS TO IARBAS J. MILTON 'HERE is a place, Hesperia termed by us, and fertile in fair Ceres' furrowed wealth, that in such peace long time did rule the same. when, suddenly, gloomy Orion rose, and led our ships into the shallow sands, 12251 C. MARLOWE LOOKED and hovering o'er the flowery turf the tainted earth trailed loose, or borne on wings 1226 BEAUT, EAUTIFUL, why wilt thou die? Is the light of the sun, then, so worthless, worthless to sport with thy fellows in flowery glades of the forest, 1227 1228 under the broad green oaks, where never again shall I wander, tossing the ball with my maidens, or wreathing the altar in garlands, careless, with dances and songs, till the glens rang loud to our laughter? Too full of death the great earth is already: the halls full of weepers; quarried by tombs all cliffs; and the bones gleam white on the sea-floor, numberless, gnawn by the herds who attend on the pitiless sea-gods, even as mine will be soon: and yet noble it seems to me, dying, giving my life for a people, to save to the arms of their lovers maidens and youths for awhile: thee, fairest of all, shall I slay thee? AH SIR BEDIVERE C. KINGSLEY H! my Lord Arthur, whither shall I go? Where shall I hide my forehead and my eyes? For now I see the true old times are dead, when every morning brought a noble chance, and every chance brought out a noble Knight. Such times have not been since the light that led the holy elders with the gift of myrrh. But now the whole Round Table is dissolved, which was an image of the mighty world; and I, the last, go forth companionless, and the days darken round me, and the years, among new men, strange faces, other minds. A I A. TENNYSON CHRIST ON THE MOUNTAIN T was a mountain at whose verdant feet a spacious plain, outstretched in circuit wide, the one winding, the other straight, and left between with herds the pastures thronged, with flocks the hills; huge cities and high-towered, that well might seem the prospect was, that here and there was room 1229 He looked, and saw what numbers numberless in mail their horses clad, yet fleet and strong, He saw them in their forms of battle ranged, J. MILTON 1230 O the Eagle, THE EAGLE that bears the thunder of our grandsire Jove, with joy beholds his hardy youthful offspring forsake the nest, to try his tender pinions in the wide untracked air: till, bolder grown, now, like a whirlwind, on a shepherd's fold he darts precipitate and gripes the prey; or fixing on some dragon's scaly hide, eager of combat and his future feast, bears him aloft reluctant and in vain wreathing his spiry tail. 1231 LYCIDAS J. ROWE YET ET once more, O ye laurels, and once more I come to pluck your berries harsh and crude; shatter your leaves before the mellowing year: young Lycidas, and hath not left his peer. Who would not sing for Lycidas? He knew himself to sing, and build the lofty rime. He must not float upon his watery bier unwept, and welter to the parching wind, without the meed of some melodious tear. 1232 For we were nursed upon the self-same hill, fed the same flock by fountain, shade and rill; together both, ere the high lawns appeared under the opening eyelids of the morn, we drove a-field, and both together heard what time the gray-fly winds her sultry horn, battening our flocks with the fresh dews of night, oft till the star that rose at evening, bright, toward heaven's descent had sloped his westering wheel. Meanwhile the rural ditties were not mute, tempered to the oaten flute; rough Satyrs danced, and Fauns with cloven heel from the glad sound would not be absent long, and old Damotas loved to hear our song. 1233 But O the heavy change, now thou art gone, the willows, and the hazel-copses green, fanning their joyous leaves to thy soft lays. As killing as the canker to the rose, or taint-worm to the weanling herds that graze, or frost to flowers, that their gay wardrobe wear, when first the white-thorn blows; such, Lycidas, thy loss to shepherds' ear. 1234 Where were ye, Nymphs, when the remorseless deep closed o'er the head of your loved Lycidas? for neither were ye playing on the steep, nor yet where Deva spreads her wizard stream. had ye been there...for what could that have done? whom universal Nature did lament, |