Bear on your wings and in your notes his praise. Ye that in waters glide, and ye that walk The earth, and stately tread, or lowly creep; Witness if I be silent, morn or even,
To hill or valley, fountain or fresh shade, Made vocal by my song, and taught his praise. Hail! universal Lord, be bounteous still To give us only good; and if the night Have gather'd aught of evil, or conceal'd, Disperse it, as now light dispels the dark.
WESTWARD, much nearer by southwest, behold Where on the Ægean shore a city stands Built nobly, pure the air, and light the soil, Athens, the eye of Greece, mother of arts And eloquence, native to famous wits, Or hospitable, in her sweet recess,
City or suburban, studious walks and shades; See there the olive grove of Academe,
Plato's retirement, where the Attic bird Trills her thick-warbled notes the summer long; There flowery hill Hymettus, with the sound Of bees' industrious murmur oft invites
To studious musing; there Ilissus rolls
His whisp'ring stream: within the walls then view The schools of ancient sages; his who bred Great Alexander to subdue the world, Lyceum there, and painted Stoa next :
There shalt thou hear and learn the secret power Of harmony in tones and numbers hit
By voice or hand, and various-measured verse, Eolian charms and Dorian lyric odes,
And his who gave them breath, but higher sung, Blind Melesigenes, thence Homer call'd, Whose poem Phœbus challenged for his own.
Thence what the lofty grave tragedians taught In Chorus or Iambic, teachers best
Of moral prudence, with delight received
In brief sententious precepts, while they treat Of fate, and chance, and change in human life; High actions and high passions best describing: Thence to the famous orators repair,
Those ancient, whose resistless eloquence Wielded at will that fierce democratie, Shook th' arsenal, and fulmined over Greece, To Macedon and Artaxerxes' throne: To sage philosophy next lend thine ear, From heav'n descended to the low-roof'd house Of Socrates; see there his tenement,
Whom well inspired the oracle pronounced Wisest of men; from whose mouth issued forth Mellifluous streams that water'd all the schools Of Academics old and new, with those Surnamed Peripatetics, and the sect Epicurean, and the Stoic severe;
These here revolve, or, as thou lik'st, at home, Till time mature thee to a kingdom's weight; These rules will render thee a king complete Within thyself, much more with empire join'd. VOL. I.-O
ANDREW MARVELL. 1620-1678.
WHERE the remote Bermudas ride, In the ocean's bosom unespied; From a small boat, that row'd along, The list'ning winds received this song. What should we do but sing his praise, That led us through the wat❜ry maze, Unto an isle so long unknown,
And yet far kinder than our own? Where he the huge sea-monsters wracks, That lift the deep upon their backs. He lands us on a grassy stage,
Safe from the storms and tempest's rage. He gave us this eternal spring, Which here enamels everything; And sends the fowls to us in care, On daily visits through the air. He hangs in shades the orange bright, Like golden lamps in a green night; And does in the pomegranates close Jewels more rich than Ormus shows. He makes the figs our mouths to meet: And throws the melons at our feet. But apples plants of such a price, No tree could ever bear them twice. With cedars, chosen by his hand, From Lebanon, he stores the land; And makes the hollow seas, that roar, Proclaim the ambergris on shore. He cast (of which we rather boast) The gospel's pearl upon our coast; And in these rocks for us did frame A temple, where to sound his name. Oh! let our voice his praise exalt, Till it arrive at heaven's vault :
Which, thence (perhaps) rebounding, may, Echo beyond the Mexique Bay.
Thus sung they, in the English boat, An holy and a cheerful note;
And all the way, to guide their chime, With falling oars they kept the time.
THE NYMPH COMPLAINING FOR THE DEATH OF HER FAWN.
THE wanton troopers riding by, Have shot my fawn, and it will die. Ungentle men! they cannot thrive Who kill'd thee. Thou ne'er didst alive Them any harm: alas! nor could Thy death yet do them any good. I'm sure I never wish'd them ill; Nor do I for all this; nor will: But, if my simple pray'rs may yet Prevail with Heaven to forget Thy murder, I will join my tears Rather than fail.
But, oh my fears! Heaven's King
Keeps register of everything;
And nothing may we use in vain,
Ev'n beasts must be with justice slain; Else men are made their deodands.
Though they should wash their guilty hands In this warm life-blood, which doth part From thine, and wound me to the heart, Yet could they not be clean: their stain Is dyed in such a purple grain.
There is not such another in The world to offer for their sin. Inconstant Sylvio, when yet I had not found him counterfeit, One morning (I remember well) Tied in this silver chain and bell,
Gave it to me: nay, and I know What he said then-I'm sure I do. Said he, "Look how your huntsman here Hath taught a fawn to hunt his dear." But Sylvio soon had me beguiled: This waxed tame while he grew wild, And quite regardless of my smart, Left me his fawn, but took his heart. Thenceforth I set myself to play My solitary time away,
With this and, very well content, Could so mine idle life have spent. For it was full of sport, and light Of foot and heart, and did invite Me to its game: it seem'd to bless Itself in me. How could I less Than love it? Oh, I cannot be Unkind t'a beast that loveth me.
Had it lived long, I do not know Whether it too might have done so As Sylvio did his gifts might be Perhaps as false, or more, than he. For I am sure, for aught that I Could in so short a time espy, Thy love was far more better than The love of false and cruel man. With sweetest milk and sugar first I it at mine own fingers nursed; And as it grew, so every day
It wax'd more white and sweet than they. It had so sweet a breath!
I blush'd to see its foot more soft,
And white, shall I say than my hand? Nay, any lady's of the land.
It is a wondrous thing how fleet "Twas on those little silver feet. With what a pretty, skipping grace, It oft would challenge me the race :
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