A New Library of Poetry and Song

So far from being proud.

Nathless do ye still loud her praises sing,

The praises of the Lord in lively notes;
The whiles, with hollow throats,

That all the woods may answer, and your echo The choristers the joyous anthem sing, ring.

Tell me, ye merchants' daughters, did ye see
So fair a creature in your town before?
So sweet, so lovely, and so mild as she,
Adorned with beauty's grace, and virtue's store;
Her goodly eyes like sapphires shining bright,
Her forehead ivory white,

Her cheeks like apples which the sun hath
rudded,

Her lips like cherries charming men to bite,
Her breast like to a bowl of cream uncrudded.

Why stand ye still, ye virgins, in amaze,
Upon her so to gaze,

Whiles ye forget your former lay to sing,

That all the woods may answer, and their echo ring.

Behold, while she before the altar stands,
And blesseth her with his two happy hands,
Hearing the holy priest that to her speaks,
How the red roses flush up in her cheeks,
Like crimson dyed in grain ;
And the pure snow with goodly vermeil stain,

That even the angels, which continually
About the sacred altar do remain,

Forget their service and about her fly,
Oft peeping in her face, that seems more fair,
The more they on it stare.

But her sad eyes, still fastened on the ground,
Are governed with goodly modesty,

To which the woods did answer, and your echo That suffers not a look to glance awry,
ring?

But if ye saw that which no eyes can see,
The inward beauty of her lively sprite,
Garnished with heavenly gifts of high degree,
Much more then would ye wonder at that sight,
And stand astonished like to those which red*
Medusa's mazeful head.

There dwells sweet Love, and constant Chastity,
Unspotted Faith, and comely Womanhood,
Regard of Honor, and mild Modesty ;

There Virtue reigns as queen in royal throne,
And giveth laws alone,

The which the base affections do obey,
And yield their services unto her will;
Ne thought of things uncomely ever may
Thereto approach to tempt her mind to ill.
Had ye once seen these her celestial treasures,
And unrevealed pleasures,

Then would ye wonder and her praises sing,
That all the woods should answer, and
ring.

your

Open the temple gates unto my love,
Open them wide that she may enter in,
And all the posts adorn as doth behove,
And all the pillars deck with garlands trim,
For to receive this saint with honor due,
That cometh in to you.

echo

With trembling steps, and humble reverence,
She cometh in, before the Almighty's view:
Of her, ye virgins, learn obedience,
When so ye come into those holy places,
To humble your proud faces:

Bring her up to the high altar, that she may
The sacred ceremonies there partake,
The which do endless matrimony make;
And let the roaring organs loudly play

* Saw.

Which may let in a little thought unsound.
Why blush you, love, to give to me your hand,
The pledge of all our band?

Sing, ye sweet angels, Alleluia sing,

That all the woods may answer, and your echo ring.

EDMUND SPENSER.

LIKE A LAVEROCK IN THE LIFT.

Ir's we two, it's we two for aye,

All the world, and we two, and Heaven be our stay!
Like a laverock in the lift, sing, O bonny bride!
All the world was Adam once, with Eve by his
side.

What's the world, my lass, my love! - what can

it do?

I am thine, and thou art mine; life is sweet and

new.

If the world have missed the mark, let it stand by; For we two have gotten leave, and once more will try.

Like a laverock in the lift, sing, O bonny bride!
It's we two, it's we two, happy side by side.
Take a kiss from me, thy man; now the song
begins:

"All is made afresh for us, and the brave heart
wins."

When the darker days come, and no sun will
shine,

Thou shalt dry my tears, lass, and I'll dry thine.
It's we two, it's we two, while the world's away,
Sitting by the golden sheaves on our wedding day.

JEAN INGELow.

165

CHORUS OF MAIDENS.

Now the jocund song is thine,
Bride of David's kingly line ;
How thy dove-like bosom trembleth,
And thy shrouded eye resembleth
Violets, when the dews of eve
A moist and tremulous glitter leave!

On the bashful sealed lid.
Close within the bride-veil hid,
Motionless thou sitt'st and mute;
Save that at the soft salute
Of each entering maiden friend,
Thou dost rise and softly bend.

Hark! a brisker, merrier glee!
The door unfolds, 't is he! 't is he !
Thus we lift our lamps to meet him,
Thus we touch our lutes to greet him.
Thou shalt give a fonder meeting,
Thou shalt give a tenderer greeting.

HENRY HART MILMAN.

MARRIAGE.

66 FROM HUMAN LIFE.'

THEN before All they stand, the holy vow And ring of gold, no fond illusions now, Bind her as his. Across the threshold led, And every tear kissed off as soon as shed, His house she enters, there to be a light, Shining within, when all without is night; A guardian angel o'er his life presiding, Doubling his pleasures and his cares dividing, Winning him back when mingling in the throng, Back from a world we love, alas ! too long, To fireside happiness, to hours of ease, Blest with that charm, the certainty to please. How oft her eyes read his; her gentle mind To all his wishes, all his thoughts inclined; Still subject, ever on the watch to borrow Mirth of his mirth and sorrow of his sorrow! The soul of music slumbers in the shell, Till waked and kindled by the master's spell, And feeling hearts-touch them but rightlypour

A thousand melodies unheard before.

SAMUEL ROGERS.

SEVEN TIMES SIX.

GIVING IN MARRIAGE.

To bear, to nurse, to rear,
To watch, and then to lose :
To see my bright ones disappear,
Drawn up like morning dews
To bear, to nurse, to rear,

To watch, and then to lose :

This have I done when God drew near

Among his own to choose.

To hear, to heed, to wed,

And with thy lord depart

In tears that he, as soon as shed, Will let no longer smart.

To hear, to heed, to wed,

This while thou didst I smiled, For now it was not God who said, "Mother, give ME thy child."

O fond, O fool, and blind,

To God I gave with tears; But when a man like grace would find, My soul put by her fears.

O fond, O fool, and blind,

God guards in happier spheres ; That man will guard where he did bind Is hope for unknown years.

To hear, to heed, to wed,

Fair lot that maidens choose,

Thy mother's tenderest words are said,
Thy face no more she views;
Thy mother's lot, my dear,

She doth in naught accuse;
Her lot to bear, to nurse, to rear,
To love and then to lose.

JEAN INGELOW.

THE BANKS OF THE LEE.

O, THE banks of the Lee, the banks of the Lee,
And love in a cottage for Mary and me!
There's not in the land a lovelier tide,
And I'm sure that there's no one so fair as my bride.
She's modest and meek,
There's a down on her cheek,
And her skin is as sleek

As a butterfly's wing ;
Then her step would scarce show
On the fresh-fallen snow,
And her whisper is low,

But as clear as the spring.

O, the banks of the Lee, the banks of the Lee,
And love in a cottage for Mary and me!
I know not how love is happy elsewhere,
I know not how any but lovers are there.

They are growing so fast;
While the scent of the flowers
Must be hoarded for hours,
'T is poured in such showers
When my Mary goes past.

O, the banks of the Lee, the banks of the Lee,
And love in a cottage for Mary and me!

O, Mary for me, Mary for me,

And 't is little I'd sigh for the banks of the Lee!

THOMAS DAVIS.

HOME.

A piece of nature that can have no flaw,
A new and certain sunrise every day;
But, if thou art to be another ray
About the Sun of Life, and art to live
Free from all of thee that was fugitive,
The debt of Love I will more fully pay,
Not downcast with the thought of thee so high,
But rather raised to be a nobler man,

And more divine in my humanity,

As knowing that the waiting eyes which scan
My life are lighted by a purer being,

And ask meek, calm-browed deeds, with it agree-
ing.

I THOUGHT Our love at full, but I did err;
Joy's wreath drooped o'er mine eyes; I could not

see

That sorrow in our happy world must be
Love's deepest spokesman and interpreter.
But, as a mother feels her child first stir
Under her heart, so felt I instantly
Deep in my soul another bond to thee
Thrill with that life we saw depart from her;
O mother of our angel child! twice dear!
Death knits as well as parts, and still, I wis,

My Love, I have no fear that thou shouldst die; Her tender radiance shall infold us here,
Albeit I ask no fairer life than this,

Whose numbering-clock is still thy gentle kiss,
While Time and Peace with hands unlockèd fly,-
Yet care I not where in Eternity

We live and love, well knowing that there is
No backward step for those who feel the bliss
Of Faith as their most lofty yearnings high :
Love hath so purified my being's core,
Meseems I scarcely should be startled, even,
To find, some morn, that thou hadst gone before;
Since, with thy love, this knowledge too was
given,

Which each calm day doth strengthen more and

more,

That they who love are but one step from Heaven.

I CANNOT think that thou shouldst pass away,
Whose life to mine is an eternal law,

Even as the light, borne up by inward bliss,
Threads the void glooms of space without a fear,
To print on farthest stars her pitying kiss.

JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL.

ADAM TO EVE.

O FAIREST of creation, last and best
Of all God's works, creature in whom excelled
Whatever can to sight or thought be formed,
Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet!
How art thou lost, how on a sudden lost,
Defaced, deflowered, and now to death devote!
Rather, how hast thou yielded to transgress
The strict forbiddance, how to violate
The sacred fruit forbidden ! Some cursed fraud

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A New Library of Poetry and Song, 第 2 卷