THE ARRIVAL. 1. ALL precious things, discover'd late, And draws the veil from hidden worth He travels far from other skies His mantle glitters on the rocks— 2. The bodies and the bones of those "They perish'd in their daring deeds." This proverb flashes thro' his head, "The many fail the one succeeds." 3. He comes, scarce knowing what he seeks : He breaks the hedge: he enters there : The colour flies into his cheeks : He trusts to light on something fair; For all his life the charm did talk About his path, and hover near With words of promise in his walk, And whisper'd voices at his ear. 1. More close and close his footsteps wind: His spirit flutters like a lark, He stoops-to kiss her-on his knee. Love, if thy tresses be so dark, How dark those hidden eyes must be!" THE REVIVAL. 1. A TOUCH, a kiss! the charm was snapt. There rose a noise of striking clocks, And feet that ran, and doors that clapt, And barking dogs, and crowing cocks; A fuller light illumined all, A breeze thro' all the garden swept, A sudden hubbub shook the hall, And sixty feet the fountain leapt. 2. The hedge broke in, the banner blow, The parrot scream'd, the peacock squall'd, The maid and page renew'd their strife, The palace bang'd, and buzz'd and clackt, And all the long-pent stream of life Dash'd downward in a cataract. 3. And last with these the king awoke, And yawn'd, and rubb'd his face, and spoke, "By holy rood, a royal beard! How say you? we have slept, my lords. The barons swore, with many words, 4. "Pardy," return'd the king, "but still My lord, and shall we pass the bill The chancellor, sedate and vain, And, smiling, put the question bv. THE DEPARTURE. 1. AND on her lover's arm she leant, In that new world which is the old : 2. "I'd sleep another hundred years, O love, for such another kiss ;' "O wake for ever, love," she hears, “O love, 'twas such as this and this." And o'er them many a sliding star, And many a merry wind was borne, And, stream'd thro' many a golden bar, The twilight melted into morn. 3. "O eyes long laid in happy sleep! "O happy sleep, that lightly fled!” "O happy kiss, that woke thy sleep!" "O love, thy kiss would wake the dead!" And o'er them many a flowing range Of vapour buoy'd the crescent-bark, And, rapt thro' many a rosy change, The twilight died into the dark. 4. "A hundred summers! can it be? And whither goest thou, tell me where ?" "O seek my father's court with me, For there are greater wonders there." And o'er the hills, and far away Beyond their utmost purple rim, Beyond the night, across the day, MORAL 1. So, Lady Flora, take my lay, Go, look in any glass and say, The wildweed-flower that simply blows? And is there any moral shut Within the bosom of the rose? Y |