SONNET.

In the mid garden doth a fountain stand;From font to font its waters fall alway,Freshening the leaves by their continual play:—Such often have I seen in southern land,While every leaf, as though by light winds fanned,Has quivered underneath the dazzling spray,Keeping its greenness all the sultry day,While others pine aloof, a parchèd band.And in the mystic garden of the soulA fountain, nourished from the upper springs,Sends ever its clear waters up on high,Which, while a dewy freshness round it flings,All plants which there acknowledge its controlShow fair and green, else drooping, pale, and dry.

In the mid garden doth a fountain stand;

From font to font its waters fall alway,

Freshening the leaves by their continual play:—

Such often have I seen in southern land,

While every leaf, as though by light winds fanned,

Has quivered underneath the dazzling spray,

Keeping its greenness all the sultry day,

While others pine aloof, a parchèd band.

And in the mystic garden of the soul

A fountain, nourished from the upper springs,

Sends ever its clear waters up on high,

Which, while a dewy freshness round it flings,

All plants which there acknowledge its control

Show fair and green, else drooping, pale, and dry.

THE ETRURIAN KING.[See Mrs. Hamilton Gray’s “Visit to the Sepulchres of Etruria.”]

One only eye beheld him in his pride,The old Etrurian monarch, as he, died;II.And as they laid him on his bier of stone,Shield, spear, and arrows laying at his side;III.In golden armour with his crown of gold,One only eye the kingly warrior spied;IV.Nor that eye long—for in the common airThe wondrous pageant might not now abide,V.Which had in sealèd sepulchre the wrongsOf time for thirty centuries defied.VI.That eye beheld it melt and disappear,As down an hour-glass the last sand-drops glide.VII.A few short moments,—and a shrunken heapOf common dust survived, of all that pride:VIII.And so that gorgeous vision has remainedFor evermore to other eye denied:IX.And he who saw must oftentimes believeThat him his waking senses had belied,X.Since what if all the pageants of the earthMelt soon away, and may not long abide,XI.Yet when did ever doomsoswift beforeEven to the glories of the earth betide?

One only eye beheld him in his pride,The old Etrurian monarch, as he, died;

One only eye beheld him in his pride,

The old Etrurian monarch, as he, died;

II.

And as they laid him on his bier of stone,Shield, spear, and arrows laying at his side;

And as they laid him on his bier of stone,

Shield, spear, and arrows laying at his side;

III.

In golden armour with his crown of gold,One only eye the kingly warrior spied;

In golden armour with his crown of gold,

One only eye the kingly warrior spied;

IV.

Nor that eye long—for in the common airThe wondrous pageant might not now abide,

Nor that eye long—for in the common air

The wondrous pageant might not now abide,

Which had in sealèd sepulchre the wrongsOf time for thirty centuries defied.

Which had in sealèd sepulchre the wrongs

Of time for thirty centuries defied.

VI.

That eye beheld it melt and disappear,As down an hour-glass the last sand-drops glide.

That eye beheld it melt and disappear,

As down an hour-glass the last sand-drops glide.

VII.

A few short moments,—and a shrunken heapOf common dust survived, of all that pride:

A few short moments,—and a shrunken heap

Of common dust survived, of all that pride:

VIII.

And so that gorgeous vision has remainedFor evermore to other eye denied:

And so that gorgeous vision has remained

For evermore to other eye denied:

IX.

And he who saw must oftentimes believeThat him his waking senses had belied,

And he who saw must oftentimes believe

That him his waking senses had belied,

Since what if all the pageants of the earthMelt soon away, and may not long abide,

Since what if all the pageants of the earth

Melt soon away, and may not long abide,

XI.

Yet when did ever doomsoswift beforeEven to the glories of the earth betide?

Yet when did ever doomsoswift before

Even to the glories of the earth betide?

THE FAMINE.

Oh, time it was of famine sore,That ever sorer grew;And many hungered that beforeRich plenty only knew!II.For year by year the labouring hindBewailed his fruitless toil,And ever seemed some spell to bindThe hard, unthankful soil.III.His seed-corn rotted in the ground,And did no more appear;Or if in blade and stalk was found,It withered in the ear.IV.And now unseasonable rains,And now untimely drought,With blight and mildew, all his painsAnd hopes to nothing brought.V.And ever did that keen distressIn wider circles spread;Who once with alms did others bless,Now lacked their daily bread,VI.—One only, who was never knownTo bless another’s board—In all that Suabian land aloneThis cruel, impious lord,VII.Did all the while exempt appearFrom this wide-reaching ill;With largest bounties of the year,His broad fields laughing still.VIII.The Autumn duly had outpouredFor him its plenteous horn,And safe in ample granaries storedHe saw his golden corn;IX.And high he reared new granaries vast,Of hewn stone builded strong,And made with bars of iron fast,And fenced from every wrong.X.Till safe, as seemed, from every foe,He now, as if the sightOf others’ want, and others’ woeEnhanced his own delight,XI.Sate high, and with his minions stillDid keep continual feast;Long nights with waste and wassail fillWhich not with morning ceased;XII.Till ofttimes they who wandered nearThose halls at early day,Culling wild herbs and roots in fear,Their hunger to allay,XIII.Heard sounds of fierce and reckless mirthBorne from those halls of pride,While famine’s feeble wail went forthFrom all the land beside;XIV.And strange thoughts rose in many a breast,Why God’s true servants pined,And largest means this man unblestDid still for riot find;XV.Which stranger grew, as more and moreHe did his coffers fillWith gold and every precious store,Wrung from men’s cruel ill;XVI.As he each poor man’s field was fainTo add unto his own—To the wide space of his domain,Now daily wider grown.XVII.For some, their lives awhile to save,Had sold him house and lands;And some to bonds their children gave,As grew his stern demands:XVIII.Yet not a whit for poor man’s curseThis evil churl did care;He said,—it passed, nor left him worse—That words were only air.XIX.He, if they cried “For Jesu’s sake,That so may light on theeGod’s blessing!” answer proud would make,“What will that profit me?”XX.“I ask no blessing—yet my fieldsHave store of spiky grain:The earth to me its fatness yields,The sky its sun and rain.XXI.“And high my granaries stand, and strong,Huge-vaulted, ribbed with stone:What need I fear? from any wrongI can defend mine own.”—XXII.Thus ever fierce, and fiercer roseHis words of scorn and pride;And more he mocked at mortal woes,And earth and heaven defied.XXIII.And thus it chanced upon a day,As oft had been before,That from his gates he spurned awayA widow, old and poor;XXIV.When to his presence entered inA servant, pale with fear,And did with trembling words begin:—“Oh, dread my Lord, give ear!XXV.“As me perchance my business drewThy storehouse vast beside,I heard unwonted sounds, and throughThe iron grating spied.XXVI.“The thing I saw, if like it seemedTo any thing on earth,I might some huge black bull have deemedThat hellish monstrous birth.XXVII.“Yet how should beast have entrance foundInto that guarded place,Which strangely now it wandered round,With wild, unresting pace?XXVIII.“Oh, here must be some warning meant,Which do not now deride:Oh, yet have pity, and relent,Nor speak such words of pride!”XXIX.Slight heed his tale of fear might find,Slight heed his counsel true;That utterance of his faithful mindHe now had learned to rue,XXX.But that, even then, another came,Worse terror in his mien:—“Three monstrous creatures, breathing flame,These eyes but now have seen;XXXI.“They toss about the hoarded store,And greedily they eat,Consuming thus a part, but moreThey stamp beneath their feet.XXXII.“Oh, Sir! full often God doth takeWhat we refuse to give;But yet to him large offering make,And all our souls may live.”XXXIII.—“Fool!—Let another hasten now,But if he shall not seeThe self-same vision, fellow, thouShalt hang on yonder tree.”XXXIV.He said—when, lo! inrushed a thirdWithin the briefest space:——“Of horses wild and bulls an herdIs filling all the place.XXXV.“The numbers of that furious routWax ever high and higher;And from their mouths smoke issues out,And from their nostrils fire.XXXVI.“From side to side they leap and bound,The hoarded corn they eat,They toss and scatter on the ground,And stamp beneath their feet.XXXVII.“My Lord, these portents do not scorn;Thy granary doors throw wide,And poor men’s prayers even yet may turnThe threatened wrath aside.”XXXVIII.—“What, all conspiring in one tale!Or fooled by one deceit!Yet think not ye shall so prevail,Or me so lightly cheat.XXXIX.“Come with me;—fling the portals back;—I too this sight would see:What! one and all this courage lack?Givemethe ponderous key.”XL.In fear the vassal multitudeFell back on either side:Before the doors he singly stood—He singly—in his pride.XLI.But them, or ere he touched, asunderSome hand unbidden threw;With lightning flash, with sound like thunderThe gates wide open flew.XLII.How shook then underneath the treadOf thousand feet the earth!Day darkened into night with dread!So wild a troop rushed forth.XLIII.And all who saw like dead men stood,As swept that wild troop by,Till lost within a neighbouring woodFor aye from mortal eye.XLIV.But when that hurricane was pastOf hideous sight and sound,And when they breathed anew, they castTheir fearful glances round:XLV.They lifted up a blackened corse,Where scorched and crushed it lay,And scarred with hooves of fiery force,—Then bore in awe away;XLVI.They bore away, but not to hideIn any holy ground;Who in his height of sin had diedNo hallowed burial found.

Oh, time it was of famine sore,That ever sorer grew;And many hungered that beforeRich plenty only knew!

Oh, time it was of famine sore,

That ever sorer grew;

And many hungered that before

Rich plenty only knew!

II.

For year by year the labouring hindBewailed his fruitless toil,And ever seemed some spell to bindThe hard, unthankful soil.

For year by year the labouring hind

Bewailed his fruitless toil,

And ever seemed some spell to bind

The hard, unthankful soil.

III.

His seed-corn rotted in the ground,And did no more appear;Or if in blade and stalk was found,It withered in the ear.

His seed-corn rotted in the ground,

And did no more appear;

Or if in blade and stalk was found,

It withered in the ear.

IV.

And now unseasonable rains,And now untimely drought,With blight and mildew, all his painsAnd hopes to nothing brought.

And now unseasonable rains,

And now untimely drought,

With blight and mildew, all his pains

And hopes to nothing brought.

And ever did that keen distressIn wider circles spread;Who once with alms did others bless,Now lacked their daily bread,

And ever did that keen distress

In wider circles spread;

Who once with alms did others bless,

Now lacked their daily bread,

VI.

—One only, who was never knownTo bless another’s board—In all that Suabian land aloneThis cruel, impious lord,

—One only, who was never known

To bless another’s board—

In all that Suabian land alone

This cruel, impious lord,

VII.

Did all the while exempt appearFrom this wide-reaching ill;With largest bounties of the year,His broad fields laughing still.

Did all the while exempt appear

From this wide-reaching ill;

With largest bounties of the year,

His broad fields laughing still.

VIII.

The Autumn duly had outpouredFor him its plenteous horn,And safe in ample granaries storedHe saw his golden corn;

The Autumn duly had outpoured

For him its plenteous horn,

And safe in ample granaries stored

He saw his golden corn;

IX.

And high he reared new granaries vast,Of hewn stone builded strong,And made with bars of iron fast,And fenced from every wrong.

And high he reared new granaries vast,

Of hewn stone builded strong,

And made with bars of iron fast,

And fenced from every wrong.

Till safe, as seemed, from every foe,He now, as if the sightOf others’ want, and others’ woeEnhanced his own delight,

Till safe, as seemed, from every foe,

He now, as if the sight

Of others’ want, and others’ woe

Enhanced his own delight,

XI.

Sate high, and with his minions stillDid keep continual feast;Long nights with waste and wassail fillWhich not with morning ceased;

Sate high, and with his minions still

Did keep continual feast;

Long nights with waste and wassail fill

Which not with morning ceased;

XII.

Till ofttimes they who wandered nearThose halls at early day,Culling wild herbs and roots in fear,Their hunger to allay,

Till ofttimes they who wandered near

Those halls at early day,

Culling wild herbs and roots in fear,

Their hunger to allay,

XIII.

Heard sounds of fierce and reckless mirthBorne from those halls of pride,While famine’s feeble wail went forthFrom all the land beside;

Heard sounds of fierce and reckless mirth

Borne from those halls of pride,

While famine’s feeble wail went forth

From all the land beside;

XIV.

And strange thoughts rose in many a breast,Why God’s true servants pined,And largest means this man unblestDid still for riot find;

And strange thoughts rose in many a breast,

Why God’s true servants pined,

And largest means this man unblest

Did still for riot find;

XV.

Which stranger grew, as more and moreHe did his coffers fillWith gold and every precious store,Wrung from men’s cruel ill;

Which stranger grew, as more and more

He did his coffers fill

With gold and every precious store,

Wrung from men’s cruel ill;

XVI.

As he each poor man’s field was fainTo add unto his own—To the wide space of his domain,Now daily wider grown.

As he each poor man’s field was fain

To add unto his own—

To the wide space of his domain,

Now daily wider grown.

XVII.

For some, their lives awhile to save,Had sold him house and lands;And some to bonds their children gave,As grew his stern demands:

For some, their lives awhile to save,

Had sold him house and lands;

And some to bonds their children gave,

As grew his stern demands:

XVIII.

Yet not a whit for poor man’s curseThis evil churl did care;He said,—it passed, nor left him worse—That words were only air.

Yet not a whit for poor man’s curse

This evil churl did care;

He said,—it passed, nor left him worse—

That words were only air.

XIX.

He, if they cried “For Jesu’s sake,That so may light on theeGod’s blessing!” answer proud would make,“What will that profit me?”

He, if they cried “For Jesu’s sake,

That so may light on thee

God’s blessing!” answer proud would make,

“What will that profit me?”

XX.

“I ask no blessing—yet my fieldsHave store of spiky grain:The earth to me its fatness yields,The sky its sun and rain.

“I ask no blessing—yet my fields

Have store of spiky grain:

The earth to me its fatness yields,

The sky its sun and rain.

XXI.

“And high my granaries stand, and strong,Huge-vaulted, ribbed with stone:What need I fear? from any wrongI can defend mine own.”—

“And high my granaries stand, and strong,

Huge-vaulted, ribbed with stone:

What need I fear? from any wrong

I can defend mine own.”—

XXII.

Thus ever fierce, and fiercer roseHis words of scorn and pride;And more he mocked at mortal woes,And earth and heaven defied.

Thus ever fierce, and fiercer rose

His words of scorn and pride;

And more he mocked at mortal woes,

And earth and heaven defied.

XXIII.

And thus it chanced upon a day,As oft had been before,That from his gates he spurned awayA widow, old and poor;

And thus it chanced upon a day,

As oft had been before,

That from his gates he spurned away

A widow, old and poor;

XXIV.

When to his presence entered inA servant, pale with fear,And did with trembling words begin:—“Oh, dread my Lord, give ear!

When to his presence entered in

A servant, pale with fear,

And did with trembling words begin:—

“Oh, dread my Lord, give ear!

XXV.

“As me perchance my business drewThy storehouse vast beside,I heard unwonted sounds, and throughThe iron grating spied.

“As me perchance my business drew

Thy storehouse vast beside,

I heard unwonted sounds, and through

The iron grating spied.

XXVI.

“The thing I saw, if like it seemedTo any thing on earth,I might some huge black bull have deemedThat hellish monstrous birth.

“The thing I saw, if like it seemed

To any thing on earth,

I might some huge black bull have deemed

That hellish monstrous birth.

XXVII.

“Yet how should beast have entrance foundInto that guarded place,Which strangely now it wandered round,With wild, unresting pace?

“Yet how should beast have entrance found

Into that guarded place,

Which strangely now it wandered round,

With wild, unresting pace?

XXVIII.

“Oh, here must be some warning meant,Which do not now deride:Oh, yet have pity, and relent,Nor speak such words of pride!”

“Oh, here must be some warning meant,

Which do not now deride:

Oh, yet have pity, and relent,

Nor speak such words of pride!”

XXIX.

Slight heed his tale of fear might find,Slight heed his counsel true;That utterance of his faithful mindHe now had learned to rue,

Slight heed his tale of fear might find,

Slight heed his counsel true;

That utterance of his faithful mind

He now had learned to rue,

XXX.

But that, even then, another came,Worse terror in his mien:—“Three monstrous creatures, breathing flame,These eyes but now have seen;

But that, even then, another came,

Worse terror in his mien:

—“Three monstrous creatures, breathing flame,

These eyes but now have seen;

XXXI.

“They toss about the hoarded store,And greedily they eat,Consuming thus a part, but moreThey stamp beneath their feet.

“They toss about the hoarded store,

And greedily they eat,

Consuming thus a part, but more

They stamp beneath their feet.

XXXII.

“Oh, Sir! full often God doth takeWhat we refuse to give;But yet to him large offering make,And all our souls may live.”

“Oh, Sir! full often God doth take

What we refuse to give;

But yet to him large offering make,

And all our souls may live.”

XXXIII.

—“Fool!—Let another hasten now,But if he shall not seeThe self-same vision, fellow, thouShalt hang on yonder tree.”

—“Fool!—Let another hasten now,

But if he shall not see

The self-same vision, fellow, thou

Shalt hang on yonder tree.”

XXXIV.

He said—when, lo! inrushed a thirdWithin the briefest space:——“Of horses wild and bulls an herdIs filling all the place.

He said—when, lo! inrushed a third

Within the briefest space:—

—“Of horses wild and bulls an herd

Is filling all the place.

XXXV.

“The numbers of that furious routWax ever high and higher;And from their mouths smoke issues out,And from their nostrils fire.

“The numbers of that furious rout

Wax ever high and higher;

And from their mouths smoke issues out,

And from their nostrils fire.

XXXVI.

“From side to side they leap and bound,The hoarded corn they eat,They toss and scatter on the ground,And stamp beneath their feet.

“From side to side they leap and bound,

The hoarded corn they eat,

They toss and scatter on the ground,

And stamp beneath their feet.

XXXVII.

“My Lord, these portents do not scorn;Thy granary doors throw wide,And poor men’s prayers even yet may turnThe threatened wrath aside.”

“My Lord, these portents do not scorn;

Thy granary doors throw wide,

And poor men’s prayers even yet may turn

The threatened wrath aside.”

XXXVIII.

—“What, all conspiring in one tale!Or fooled by one deceit!Yet think not ye shall so prevail,Or me so lightly cheat.

—“What, all conspiring in one tale!

Or fooled by one deceit!

Yet think not ye shall so prevail,

Or me so lightly cheat.

XXXIX.

“Come with me;—fling the portals back;—I too this sight would see:What! one and all this courage lack?Givemethe ponderous key.”

“Come with me;—fling the portals back;—

I too this sight would see:

What! one and all this courage lack?

Givemethe ponderous key.”

XL.

In fear the vassal multitudeFell back on either side:Before the doors he singly stood—He singly—in his pride.

In fear the vassal multitude

Fell back on either side:

Before the doors he singly stood—

He singly—in his pride.

XLI.

But them, or ere he touched, asunderSome hand unbidden threw;With lightning flash, with sound like thunderThe gates wide open flew.

But them, or ere he touched, asunder

Some hand unbidden threw;

With lightning flash, with sound like thunder

The gates wide open flew.

XLII.

How shook then underneath the treadOf thousand feet the earth!Day darkened into night with dread!So wild a troop rushed forth.

How shook then underneath the tread

Of thousand feet the earth!

Day darkened into night with dread!

So wild a troop rushed forth.

XLIII.

And all who saw like dead men stood,As swept that wild troop by,Till lost within a neighbouring woodFor aye from mortal eye.

And all who saw like dead men stood,

As swept that wild troop by,

Till lost within a neighbouring wood

For aye from mortal eye.

XLIV.

But when that hurricane was pastOf hideous sight and sound,And when they breathed anew, they castTheir fearful glances round:

But when that hurricane was past

Of hideous sight and sound,

And when they breathed anew, they cast

Their fearful glances round:

XLV.

They lifted up a blackened corse,Where scorched and crushed it lay,And scarred with hooves of fiery force,—Then bore in awe away;

They lifted up a blackened corse,

Where scorched and crushed it lay,

And scarred with hooves of fiery force,—

Then bore in awe away;

XLVI.

They bore away, but not to hideIn any holy ground;Who in his height of sin had diedNo hallowed burial found.

They bore away, but not to hide

In any holy ground;

Who in his height of sin had died

No hallowed burial found.

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