Rare broidry of the purple clover.
Let them rave.

Kings have no such couch as thine,
As the green that folds thy grave.
Let them rave.

VII.

Wild words wander here and there;
God's great gift of speech abused
Makes thy memory confused-
But let them rave.
The balm-cricket carols clear
In the green that folds thy grave.
Let them rave.

LOVE AND DEATH.

WHAT time the mighty moon was gathering light,
Love paced the thymy plots of Paradise,
And all about him rolled his lustrous eyes;
When, turning round a cassia, full in view
Death, walking all alone beneath a yew,
And talking to himself, first met his sight:
"You must begone,” said Death; "these walks are
mine."

Love wept and spread his sheeny vans for flight;
Yet ere he parted said, "This hour is thine;
Thou art the shadow of life, and as the tree
Stands in the sun and shadows all beneath,
So in the light of great eternity

Life eminent creates the shade of death;
The shadow passeth when the tree shall fall,
But I shall reign forever over all.”

THE BALLAD OF ORIANA.

My heart is wasted with my woe,
Oriana.

There is no rest for me below,

Oriana.

When the long dun wolds are ribbed with snow, And loud the Norland whirlwinds blow,

Oriana,

Alone I wander to and fro,

Oriana.

Ere the light on dark was growing,
Oriana,

At midnight the cock was crowing,
Oriana:

Winds were blowing, waters flowing,
We heard the steeds to battle going,
Oriana;

Aloud the hollow bugle blowing,
Oriana.

In the yew-wood, black as night,
Oriana,

Ere I rode into the fight,

Oriana,

While blissful tears blinded my sight,
By star-shine and by moonlight,

Oriana,

I to thee my troth did plight,
Oriana.

She stood upon the castle wall,
Oriana:

She watched my crest among them all,
Oriana:

She saw me fight, she heard me call,
When forth there stept a foeman tall,
Oriana,

Atween me and the castle wall,
Oriana.

The bitter arrow went aside,
Oriana:

The false, false arrow went aside,
Oriana:

The damned arrow glanced aside,

And pierced thy heart, my love, my bride, Oriana!

Thy heart, my life, my love, my bride,
Oriana!

O! narrow, narrow was the space,
Oriana.

Loud, loud rung out the bugle's brays,
Oriana.

O! deathful stabs were dealt apace,
The battle deepened in its place,
Oriana;

But I was down upon my face,
Oriana.

They should have stabbed me where I lay Oriana!

How could I rise and come away,
Oriana ?

How could I look upon the day?.

They should have stabbed me where I lay, Oriana

They should have trod me into clay,
Oriana.

O! breaking heart that will not break,
Oriana;

O! pale, pale face so sweet and meek,
Oriana.

Thou smilest, but thou dost not speak,

And then the tears run down my cheek,

Oriana :

What wantest thou? whom dost thou seek, Oriana ?

I cry aloud: none hear my cries,
Oriana.

Thou comest atween me and the skies,
Oriana.

I feel the tears of blood arise

Up from my heart unto my eyes,
Oriana.

Within thy heart my arrow lies,
Oriana.

O cursed hand! oh cursed blow!
Oriana!

O happy thou that liest low,
Oriana!

All night the silence seems to flow
Beside me in my utter woe,

Oriana.

A weary, weary way I go,
Oriana.

When Norland winds pipe down the sea, Oriana,

I walk, I dare not think of thee,

Oriana.

Thou liest beneath the greenwood tree,
I dare not die and come to thee,

Oriana.

I hear the roaring of the sea,
Oriana.

CIRCUMSTANCE.

Two children in two neighbor villages
Playing mad pranks along the heathy leas;
Two strangers meeting at a festival;

Two lovers whispering by an orchard wall,
Two lives bound fast in one with golden ease,
Two graves grass-green beside a gray church-tower,
Washed with still rains and daisy-blossomed ;
Two children in one hamlet born and bred;
So runs the round of life from hour to hour.

THE MERMAN.

WHO would be

A merman bold

Sitting alone,
Singing alone
Under the sea,
With a crown of gold,
On a throne ?

I would be a merman bold;

I would sit and sing the whole of the day;
I would fill the sea-halls with a voice of power,
But at night I would roam abroad, and play
With the mermaids in and out of the rocks,
Dressing their hair with the white sea-flower;
And holding them back by their flowing locks,
I would kiss them often under the sea,
And kiss them again till they kissed me
Laughingly, laughingly;

And then we would wander away, away
To the pale-green sea-groves straight and high,
Chasing each other merrily.