God out of knowledge and good out of infinite pain And sight out of blindness and purity out of a stain. 70

As the marsh-hen secretly builds on the watery sod, Behold I will build me a nest on the greatness of God:

I will fly in the greatness of God as the marsh-hen flies

In the freedom that fills all the space 'twixt the marsh and the skies:

By so many roots as the marsh-grass sends in the

sod

I will heartily lay me a-hold on the greatness of

God:

Oh, like to the greatness of God is the greatness

within

The range of the marshes, the liberal marshes of Glynn.

And the sea lends large, as the marsh: lo, out of his plenty the sea

Pours fast: full soon the time of the flood-tide must

be:

Look how the grace of the sea doth go

About and about through the intricate channels that flow

Here and there,

Everywhere,

Till his waters have flooded the uttermost creeks and the low-lying lanes,

And the marsh is meshed with a million veins,

That like as with rosy and silvery essences flow.
In the rose-and-silver evening glow.

Farewell, my lord Sun!

90 The creeks overflow: a thousand rivulets run "Twixt the roots of the sod; the blades of the marsh

grass stir;

Passeth a hurrying sound of wings that westward whirr;

Passeth, and all is still; and the currents cease to run;

And the sea and the marsh are one.

95 How still the plains of the waters be! The tide is in his ecstasy.

The tide is at his highest height:

And it is night.

And now from the Vast of the Lord will the waters

of sleep

100 Roll in on the souls of men,

But who will reveal to our waking ken

The forms that swim and the shapes that creep

Under the waters of sleep?

And I would I could know what swimmeth below when the tide comes in

105 On the length and the breadth of the marvellous

marshes of Glynn.

BALTIMORE, 1878.

10

HOW LOVE LOOKED FOR HELL

"To heal his heart of long-time pain

One day Prince Love for to travel was fain
With Ministers Mind and Sense.

'Now what to thee most strange may be?'
Quoth Mind and Sense. 'All things above,
One curious thing I first would see-

Hell,' quoth Love.

"Then Mind rode in and Sense rode out: They searched the ways of man about.

First frightfully groaneth Sense.

"'Tis here, 'tis here,' and spurreth in fear
To the top of the hill that hangeth above
And plucketh the Prince: 'Come, come, 'tis here—,
'Where?' quoth Love-

"Not far, not far,' said shivering Sense As they rode on. 'A short way hence,

-But seventy paces hence:

Look, King, dost see where suddenly

This road doth dip from the height above?
Cold blew a mouldy wind by me'

('Cold?' quoth Love)

"As I rode down, and the River was black, And yon-side, lo! an endless wrack

And rabble of souls,' sighed Sense,

"Their eyes upturned and begged and burned In brimstone lakes, and a Hand above

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Beat back the hands that upward yearned—
'Nay!' quoth Love-

"Yea, yea, sweet Prince; thyself shalt see,
Wilt thou but down this slope with me;

'Tis palpable,' whispered Sense.

-At the foot of the hill a living rill

Shone, and the lilies shone white above;
'But now 'twas black, 'twas a river, this rill,'
('Black?' quoth Love)

"Ay, black, but lo! the lilies grow,
And yon-side where was woe, was woe,

-Where the rabble of souls,' cried Sense,
'Did shrivel and turn and beg and burn,
Thrust back in the brimstone from above-
Is banked of violet, rose, and fern:'

'How?' quoth Love:

"For lakes of pain, yon pleasant plain
Of woods and grass and yellow grain

Doth ravish the soul and sense:

And never a sigh beneath the sky,

And folk that smile and gaze above-'
'But saw'st thou here, with thine own eye,

Hell?' quoth Love.

50 "I saw true hell with mine own eye,

True hell, or light hath told a lie,

True, verily,' quoth stout Sense.

Then Love rode round and searched the ground,
The caves below, the hills above;

'But I cannot find where thou hast found Hell,' quoth Love.

"There, while they stood in a green wood And marvelled still on Ill and Good,

Came suddenly Minister Mind. 'In the heart of sin doth hell begin: 'Tis not below, 'tis not above, It lieth within, it lieth within:' ('Where?' quoth Love.)

"I saw a man sit by a corse;

Hell's in the murderer's breast: remorse!
Thus clamored his mind to his mind:

Not fleshly dole is the sinner's goal,
Hell's not below, nor yet above,
"Tis fixed in the ever-damnèd soul—'
'Fixed?' quoth Love-

"Fixed: follow me, would'st thou but see:
He weepeth under yon willow tree,

Fast chained to his corse,' quoth Mind.
Full soon they passed, for they rode fast,
Where the piteous willow bent above.
'Now shall I see at last, at last,

Hell,' quoth Love.

"There when they came Mind suffered shame: "These be the same and not the same,'

A-wondering whispered Mind.

Lo, face by face two spirits pace

Where the blissful willow waves above:

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