There was Ixion turned on a wheele, for daring tempt the queene of heaven to sin; and Sisyphus an huge round stone did reele against an hill, ne might from labour lin; there thirsty Tantalus hong by the chin; and Tityus fed a vultur on his maw; Typhoeus ioynts were stretched on a gin; Theseus condemnd to endlesse slouth by law: and fifty sisters water in leke vessels draw. E. SPENSER 1292 THE redcross kNIGHT AND THE DRAGON Y By this, the dreadful Beast drew nigh to hand, halfe flying and half footing in his haste, that with his largenesse measured much land, his body monstrous, horrible, and vaste; which, to increase his wondrous greatnes more, was swoln with wrath and poyson, and with bloody gore; and over all with brasen scales was armd, that nought mote perce; ne might his corse be harmd which, as an eagle, seeing pray appeare, his aery plumes doth rouze full rudely dight; for, as the clashing of an armor bright, such noyse his rouzed scales did send unto the Knight. His flaggy winges, when forth he did display, were like two sayles, in which the hollow wynd is gathered full, and worketh speedy way: and eke the pennes, that did his pinions bynd, were like mayne-yardes with flying canvas lynd; with which whenas him lift the ayre to beat, and there by force unwonted passage fynd, the cloudes before him fledd for terror great, and all the hevens stood still amazed with his threat. E. SPENSER 1293 ADDRESS TO LIGHT HAIL, holy light, offspring of Heaven first-born, or of the Eternal co-eternal beam may I express thee unblamed? since God is light, escaped the Stygian pool, though long detained through utter and through middle darkness borne, I sung of Chaos and eternal Night; taught by the heavenly Muse to venture down the dark descent, and up to re-ascend, though hard and rare:-thee I revisit safe, and feel thy sovran vital lamp; but thou revisitest not these eyes, that roll in vain to find thy piercing ray, and find no dawn; so thick a drop serene hath quenched their orbs, 1294 or dim suffusion veiled. Yet not the more cease I to wander where the Muses haunt clear spring, or shady grove, or sunny hill, smit with the love of sacred song; but chief thee, Sion, and the flowery brooks beneath, that wash thy hallowed feet, and warbling flow, nightly I visit: nor sometimes forget those other two equalled with me in fate, so were I equalled with them in renown, blind Thamyris and blind Mæonides, and Tiresias and Phineus, prophets old: then feed on thoughts, that voluntary move harmonious numbers: as the wakeful bird sings darkling, and in shadiest covert hid tunes her nocturnal note. Thus with the year seasons return; but not to me returns 1295 day or the sweet approach of even or morn, of Nature's works to me expunged and rased, So much the rather thou, celestial Light, shine inward, and the mind through all her powers irradiate, there plant eyes, all mist from thence purge and disperse, that I may see and tell of things invisible to mortal sight. ULYSSES T little profits that an idle king, IT J. MILTON by this still hearth, among these barren crags, matched with an agéd wife, I mete and dole unequal laws unto a savage race, that hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me. life to the lees: all times I have enjoyed gleams that untravell'd world, whose margin fades How dull it is to pause, to make an end, to rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use! as tho' to breathe were life. Life piled on life were all too little, and of one to me little remains: but every hour is saved from that eternal silence, something more, to follow knowledge, like a sinking star, beyond the utmost bound of human thought. 1296 There lies the port: the vessel puffs her sail : there gloom the dark broad seas. My mariners, souls that have toil'd and wrought, and thought with me that ever with a frolic welcome took the thunder and the sunshine, and opposed the long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep Push off, and sitting well in order smite It may be that the gulfs will wash us down: made weak by time and fate, but strong in will 1297 EVEN as a flower, A. TENNYSON poppy or hyacinth, on its broken stem, 1298 even at that moment from the dark wood came I' the Eastern wars as under his broad tower HERMES H. H. MILMAN ALL night he worked in the serene moonshine— but when the light of day was spread abroad he sought again Cyllene's peaks divine. On his long wandering, neither man nor God had met him, since he killed Apollo's kine, nor housedog had barked at him on his road: now he obliquely through the keyhole passed, like a thin mist or an autumnal blast. Right through the temple of the spacious cave he went with soft light feet-as if his tread fell not on Earth; no sound their falling gave; then to his cradle he crept quick, and spread the swaddling-clothes about him; and the knave |