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With pious care perverted;

Grew in the same grim shapes; and still

The lipless dolphin spurted;



Still in his wonted state abode

The broken…nosed Apollo;

And still the cypress…arbor showed

The same umbrageous hollow。



Only; … as fresh young Beauty gleams

From coffee…colored laces;

So peeped from its old…fashioned dreams 

The fresher modern traces;



For idle mallet; hoop; and ball 

Upon the lawn were lying;

A magazine; a tumbled shawl;

Round which the swifts were flying;



And; tossed beside the Guelder rose;

A heap of rainbow knitting;

Where; blinking in her pleased repose;

A Persian cat was sitting。



〃A place to love in; … live; … for aye;

If we too; like Tithonus;

Could find some God to stretch the gray

Scant life the Fates have thrown us;



〃But now by steam we run our race;

With buttoned heart and pocket;

Our Love's a gilded; surplus grace; …

Just like an empty locket!



〃'The time is out of joint。'  Who will;

May strive to make it better;

For me; this warm old window…sill;

And this old dusty letter。〃



II

〃Dear John (the letter ran); it can't; can't be;

For Father's gone to Chorley Fair with Sam;

And Mother's storing Apples; … Prue and Me

Up to our Elbows making Damson Jam:

But we shall meet before a Week is gone; …

''Tis a long Lane that has no Turning;' John!



〃Only till Sunday next; and then you'll wait

Behind the White…Thorn; by the broken Stile …

We can go round and catch them at the Gate;

All to Ourselves; for nearly one long Mile;

Dear Prue won't look; and Father he'll go on;

And Sam's two Eyes are all for Cissy; John!



〃John; she's so smart; … with every Ribbon new;

Flame…colored Sack; and Crimson Padesoy:

As proud as proud; and has the Vapors too;

Just like My Lady; … calls poor Sam a Boy;

And vows no Sweet…heart's worth the Thinking…on

Till he's past Thirty 。 。 。 I know better; John!



〃My Dear; I don't think that I thought of much

Before we knew each other; I and you;

And now; why; John; your least; least Finger…touch;

Gives me enough to think a Summer through。

See; for I send you Something!  There; 'tis gone!

Look in this corner; … mind you find it; John!



III

This was the matter of the note; …

A long…forgot deposit;

Dropped in an Indian dragon's throat

Deep in a fragrant closet;



Piled with a dapper Dresden world; …

Beaux; beauties; prayers; and poses; …

Bonzes with squat legs undercurled;

And great jars filled with roses。



Ah; heart that wrote! Ah; lips that kissed!

You had no thought or presage

Into what keeping you dismissed

Your simple old…world message!



A reverent one。  Though we to…day

Distrust beliefs and powers;

The artless; ageless things you say

Are fresh as May's own flowers。 。 。 。



I need not search too much to find

Whose lot it was to send it;

That feel upon me yet the kind;

Soft hand of her who penned it;



And see; through two…score years of smoke;

In by…gone; quaint apparel;

Shine from yon time…black Norway oak

The face of Patience Caryl; …



The pale; smooth forehead; silver…tressed;

The gray gown; primly flowered;

The spotless; stately coif whose crest

Like Hector's horse…plume towered;



And still the sweet half…solemn look

Where some past thought was clinging;

As when one shuts a serious book

To hear the thrushes singing。



I kneel to you!  Of those you were;

Whose kind old hearts grow mellow; …

Whose fair old faces grow more fair;

As Point and Flanders yellow;



Whom some old store of garnered grief;

Their placid temples shading;

Crowns like a wreath of autumn leaf

With tender tints of fading。



Peace to your soul!  You died unwed …

Despite this loving letter。

And what of John?  The less that's said

Of John; I think; the better。



Austin Dobson '1840…1921'





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 killed thee。  Thou ne'er didst; alive;

Them any harm; alas! nor could

Thy death to them do any good。

I'm sure I never wished them ill;

Nor do I for all this; nor will:

But; if my simple prayers may yet

Prevail with Heaven to forget

Thy murder; I will join my tears

Rather than fail。  But O my fears!

It cannot die so。  Heaven's King

Keeps register of everything;

And nothing may we use in vain;

Even 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 deer!〃

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 seemed to bless

Itself in me。  How could I less

Than love it?  Oh; I cannot be

Unkind to 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。

But 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 waxed more white and sweet than they。

It had so sweet a breath! and oft

I blushed to see its foot more soft;

And white; shall I say? than my hand …

Nay; any lady's of the land!



It was a wondrous thing how fleet

'Twas on those little silver feet。

With what a pretty skipping grace

It oft would challenge me the race;

And when't had left me far away;

'Twould stay; and run again; and stay;

For it was nimbler much than hinds;

And trod as if on the four winds。



I have a garden of my own;

But so with roses overgrown;

And lilies; that you would it guess

To be a little wilderness;

And all the spring…time of the year

It loved only to be there。

Among the beds of lilies I

Have sought it oft; where it should lie;

Yet could not; till itself would rise;

Find it; although before mine eyes;

For in the flaxen lilies' shade;

It like a bank of lilies laid。

Upon the roses it would feed;

Until its lips e'en seemed to bleed;

And then to me 'twould boldly trip;

And print those roses on my lip。

But all its chief delight was still

On roses thus itself to fill;

And its pure virgin lips to fold

In whitest sheets of lilies cold。

Had it lived long; it would have been

Lilies without; roses within。



O help!  O help! I see it faint

And die as calmly as a saint!

See how it weeps! the tears do come

Sad; slowly; dropping like a gum。

So weeps the wounded balsam; so

The holy frankincense doth flow;

The brotherless Heliades

Melt in such amber tears as these。



I in a golden vial will

Keep these two crystal tears; and fill

It; till it doth overflow; with mine;

Then place it in Diana's shrine。



Now my sweet fawn is vanished to

Whither the swans and turtles go;

In fair Elysium to endure

With milk…white lambs and ermines pure。

O; do not run too fast; for I

Will but bespeak thy grave; and die。




First my unhappy statue shall

Be cut in marble; and withal

Let it be weeping too; but there

The engraver sure his art may spare;

For I so truly thee bemoan

That I shall weep though I be stone;

Until my tears; still dropping; wear

My breast; themselves engraving there;

Then at my feet shalt thou be laid;

Of purest alabaster made;

For I would have thine image be

White as I can; though not as thee。



Andrew Marvell '1621…1678'





ON THE DEATH OF A FAVORITE CAT; DROWNED IN A TUB OF GOLD FISHES



'Twas on a lofty vase's side;

Where China's gayest art had dyed

The azure flowers that blow;

Demurest of the tabby kind;

The pensive Selima; reclined;

Gazed on the lake below。



Her conscious tail her joy declared;

The fair round face; the snowy beard;

The velvet of her paws;

Her coat; that with the tortoise vies;

Her ears of jet; and emerald eyes;

She saw; and purred applause。



Still had she gazed; but 'midst the tide

Two angel forms were seen to glide;

The Genii of the stream:

Their scaly armor's Tyrian hue

Through richest purple to the view

Betrayed a golden gleam。



The hapless Nymph with wonder saw:

A whisker first and then a claw;

With many an ardent wish;

She stretched; in vain; to reach the prize。

What female heart can gold despise?

What Cat's averse to fish?



Presumptous Maid! with looks intent

Again she stretched; again she bent;

Nor knew the gulf between。

(Malignant Fate sat by; and smiled。)

The slippery verge her feet beguiled;

She tumbled headlong in。



Eight times emerging from the flood

She mewed to every watery god;

Some speedy aid to send。

No Dolphin came; no Nereid stirred:

Nor cruel Tom nor Susan heard; …

A Favorite has no friend!



From hence; ye Beauties; undeceived;

Know; one false step is ne'er retrieved;

And be with caution bold。

Not all that tempts your wandering eyes

And heedless hearts; is lawful prize;

Nor all that glisters; gold。



Thomas Gray '1716…1771'





VERSES ON A CAT



Clubby! thou surely art; I ween

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