Part 9

Could some spell, or sung or said, Could some kindly witch and wise, Lull for aye this dreaming head In a mist of memories, I would lie like him who lies Where the lights on Latmos gleam,— Wake not, find not Paradise Following darkness like a dream!

ENVOY.

Sleep, that giv’st what Life denies, Shadowy bounties and supreme, Bring the dearest face that flies Following darkness like a dream!

BALLADE OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS.

Fair islands of the silver fleece, Hoards of unsunned, uncounted gold, Whose havens are the haunts of Peace, Whose boys are in our quarrel bold; Our bolt is shot, our tale is told, Our ship of state in storms may toss, But ye are young if we are old, Ye Islands of the Southern Cross!

Ay, we must dwindle and decrease, Such fates the ruthless years unfold; And yet we shall not wholly cease, We shall not perish unconsoled; Nay, still shall Freedom keep her hold Within the sea’s inviolate fosse, And boast her sons of English mould, Ye Islands of the Southern Cross!

All empires tumble—Rome and Greece— Their swords are rust, their altars cold! For us, the Children of the Seas, Who ruled where’er the waves have rolled, For us, in Fortune’s books enscrolled, I read no runes of hopeless loss; Nor—while ye last—our knell is tolled, Ye Islands of the Southern Cross!

ENVOY.

Britannia, when thy hearth’s a-cold, When o’er thy grave has grown the moss, Still Rule Australia shall be trolled In Islands of the Southern Cross!

BALLADE OF AUCASSIN

Where smooth the southern waters run By rustling leagues of poplars grey, Beneath a veiled soft southern sun, We wandered out of yesterday, Went maying through that ancient May Whose fallen flowers are fragrant yet, And loitered by the fountain spray With Aucassin and Nicolette.

The grass-grown paths are trod of none Where through the woods they went astray. The spider’s traceries are spun Across the darkling forest way. There come no knights that ride to slay, No pilgrims through the grasses wet, No shepherd lads that sang their say With Aucassin and Nicolette!

’Twas here by Nicolette begun Her bower of boughs and grasses gay; ’Scaped from the cell of marble dun ’Twas here the lover found the fay, Ah, lovers fond! ah, foolish play! How hard we find it to forget Who fain would dwell with them as they, With Aucassin and Nicolette.

ENVOY.

Prince, ’tis a melancholy lay! For youth, for love we both regret. How fair they seem, how far away, With Aucassin and Nicolette!

BALLADE AMOUREUSE.

AFTER FROISSART.

Not Jason nor Medea wise, I crave to see, nor win much lore, Nor list to Orpheus’ minstrelsies; Nor Her’cles would I see, that o’er The wide world roamed from shore to shore; Nor, by St. James, Penelope,— Nor pure Lucrece, such wrong that bore: To see my Love suffices me!

Virgil and Cato, no man vies With them in wealth of clerkly store; I would not see them with mine eyes; Nor him that sailed, sans sail nor oar, Across the barren sea and hoar, And all for love of his ladye; Nor pearl nor sapphire takes me more: To see my Love suffices me!

I heed not Pegasus, that flies As swift as shafts the bowmen pour; Nor famed Pygmalion’s artifice, Whereof the like was ne’er before; Nor Oléus, that drank of yore The salt wave of the whole great sea: Why? dost thou ask? ’Tis as I swore— To see my Love suffices me!

BALLADE OF QUEEN ANNE.

The modish Airs, The Tansey Brew, The Swains and Fairs In curtained Pew; Nymphs KNELLER drew, Books BENTLEY read,— Who knows them, who? QUEEN ANNE is dead!

We buy her Chairs, Her China blue, Her red-brick Squares We build anew; But ah! we rue, When all is said, The tale o’er-true, QUEEN ANNE is dead!

Now Bulls and Bears, A ruffling Crew, With Stocks and Shares, With Turk and Jew, Go bubbling through The Town ill-bred: The World’s askew, QUEEN ANNE is dead!

ENVOY.

Friend, praise the new; The old is fled: Vivat FROU-FROU! QUEEN ANNE is dead!

BALLADE OF BLIND LOVE.

(AFTER LYONNET DE COISMES.)