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384

the meanest floweret of the vale,
the simplest note that swells the gale,
the common sun, the air, the skies,
to him are opening Paradise.

IN

TIME BREEDETH CHANGE

N time we see the silver drops
the craggy stones make soft;
the slowest snail in time we see
doth creep and climb aloft.
With feeble puffs the tallest pine
in tract of time doth fall;

the hardest heart in time doth yield
to Venus' luring call.

Where chilling frost alate did nip,
there flasheth now a fire;

where deep disdain bred noisome hate,
there kindleth now desire.

Time causeth hope to have his hap;
what care in time's not eased?
in time I loathed that now I love
in both content and pleased.

T. GRAY

R. GREENE

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SLEEP,

LEEP, Ambition! Rage, expire!
Vengeance, fold thy wing of fire!

close thy dark and lurid eye,
bid thy torch, forsaken, die;
furl thy banner, waving proud,
dreadful as the thunder-cloud;
shall destruction blast the plain?
shall the falchion rage again?
shall the sword thy bands dissever?
never, sweet Affection! never!

As the halcyon o'er the ocean
lulls the billow's wild commotion,
so we bid dissension cease.
Bloom, O amaranth of peace!
twine the spear with vernal roses;
now the reign of discord closes;
goddess of th' unconquer'd isles,
Freedom! triumph in our smiles.

Blooming youth, and wisdom hoary,
bards of fame, and sons of glory;
Albion pillar of the main,

monarchs, nations, join the strain;
swell to heaven the exulting voice;
mortals, triumph! earth, rejoice.

386

THE FALCON ON THE WARRIOR'S WRIST

387

HE Falcon is a noble bird,

THE

and when his heart of hearts is stirred,

he'll seek the eagle, though he run
into his chamber near the sun.

Ne'er was there brute or bird,

whom the woods or mountains heard,
that could force a fear or care
from him, the Arab of the air!

To-day he sits upon a wrist

whose purple veins a queen has kissed,
and on him falls a sterner eye
than he can face where'er he fly,
though he scale the summit cold
of the Grimsel, vast and old,—
though he search yon sunless stream,
that threads the forest like a dream.

Ah! noble Soldier! noble Bird!
will your name be ever heard,—
ever seen in future story,

crowning it with deathless glory?
Peace, ho!-the master's eye is drawn
away unto the bursting dawn!
arise, thou bird of birds, arise,

and seek thy quarry in the skies!

B. W. PROCTER

INDEPENDENCE

HOSE calm soul in a settled state

WH

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kicks under foot the frowns of Fate,

and in his fortunes bad or good

keeps the same temper in his blood,
not him the flaming clouds above,

nor Ætna's fiery tempests move,

no fretting seas from shore to shore
boiling with indignation o'er,

nor burning thunderbolt that can

a mountain shake, can stir this man.
Dull cowards, then, why should we start
to see these tyrants act their part?
nor hope nor fear what may befall,
and you disarm their malice all.
But who doth faintly fear or wish,
and sets no law to what is his,
hath lost the buckler, and, poor elf!
makes up a chain to bind himself.

H. VAUGHAN

388

389

QVID SIT FVTVRVM CRAS FVGE QVÆRERE

EES not my friend, what a deep snow

SEES not my fountry's woody brow?

the yielding branch his load scarce bears
opprest with snow and frozen tears,
while the dumb rivers slowly float

all bound up in an icy coat.

Let us meet then! and while this world

in wild eccentrics now is hurled,

keep we, like nature, the same key,
and walk in our forefathers' way;
why any more cast we an eye

on what may come, not what is nigh?
why vex ourselves with fear or hope,
and cares beyond our horoscope?
Sorrows and sighs and searches spend
and draw our bottom to an end,
but discreet joys lengthen the lease
without which life were a disease,
and who this age a mourner goes
does with his tears but feed his foes.

THE ECSTACY

H. VAUGHAN

I

LEAVE mortality's low sphere:

ye winds and clouds, come lift me high,

and on your airy pinions bear

swift through the regions of the sky.

390

What lofty mountains downward fly!
and lo, how wide a space of air
extends new prospects to my eye!
the gilded fanes, reflecting light,
and royal palaces, as bright,
(the rich abodes

of heavenly and of earthly gods)
retire apace; whole cities too
decrease beneath my rising view.

And now far off the rolling globe appears;
its scatter'd nations I survey,

and all the mass of earth and sea;

O object well-deserving tears!

capricious state of things below,

that changeful from their birth no fix'd duration know!

Here new-built towns, aspiring high,
ascend with lofty turrets crown'd;
there others fall, and mouldering lie,
obscure, or only by their ruins found.
Here peace would all its joys dispense,
the vines and olives unmolested grow,
but lo a purple pestilence

unpeoples cities, sweeps the plains,
whilst vainly through deserted fields
her unreap'd harvests Ceres yields,

and at the noon of day a midnight silence reigns.
There milder heat the healthful climate warms,

but slaves to arbitrary power,

and pleas'd each other to devour,
the mad possessors rush to arms,
I see, I see them from afar,
I view distinct the mingled war!
I see the charging squadrons prest
hand to hand, and breast to breast.
Destruction, like a vulture, hovers nigh;
lur'd with the hope of human blood,

she hangs upon the wing, uncertain where to fly,
but licks her drowthy jaws, and waits the promised

food.

J. HUGHES

391

IN

THE PRAISE OF A RELIGIOUS LIFE

N the calm spring, when the earth bears, and feeds on April's breath and tears, his eyes accustomed to the skies

find here fresh objects and like spies
or busy bees search the soft flowers,
contemplate the green fields and bowers;
he sadly sighing says, 'O how

these flowers with hasty stretched heads grow,
and strive for heaven, but rooted here
lament the distance with a tear!

The honeysuckles clad in white,
the rose in red, point to the light,
and the lilies hollow and bleak
look, as if they would something speak,
they sigh at night to each soft gale,
and at the day-spring weep it all.
Shall I then only, wretched I!
opprest with earth, on earth still lie?'
Thus speaks he to the neighbouring trees,
and many sad soliloquies

to springs and fountains doth impart,
seeking God with a longing heart.

392 Then feasted, to the flowery groves
or pleasant rivers he removes,

where near some fair oak hung with mast
he shuns the south's infectious blast:
on shady banks sometimes he lies,
sometimes the open current tries,
where with his line and feathered fly
he sports and takes the scaly fry.
Meanwhile each hollow wood and hill
doth ring with lowings long and shrill,
and shady lakes with rivers deep
echo the bleating of the sheep :
the blackbird with the pleasant thrush
and nightingale in every bush
choice music give and shepherds play
unto their flocks some loving lay;
the thirsty reapers in thick throngs
return home from the field with songs,

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