own men

way

mine;

us

a

The axe-edge to bite so sweet a throat in She caught men's eyes to turn them where twain

she would, With bitter iron, should not it turn soft And with the strong sound of her name of As lip is soft to lip?

queen Queen.

I am quite sure Made their necks bend ; that even of God's I shall die sadly some day, Chastelard ; I am quite certain.

There were that bade refuse her not her Chast. Do not think such things; will, Lest all my next world's memories of you Deny not her, fair woman and great queen, be

Her natural freedom born, to give God As heavy as this thought.

praise Queen. I will not grieve you;

What she would, and pray what Forgive me that my thoughts were sick prayers ; though these with grief.

Be as they were, to God abominable What can I do to give you ease at heart ? And venomous to men's souls. So came Shall I kiss now? I pray you have no

there back fear

The cursed thing cast forth of us, and so But that I love you.

Out of her fair face and imperious eyes Chast.

Turn
your
face to me ;

Lighten'd the light whereby men walk in I do not grudge your face this death of hell.

And I that sole stood out and bade not let It is too fair — by God, you are too fair. The lightning of this curse come down on What noise is that?

Queen. Can the hour be through so soon ? And fly with feet as fire on all winds blown I bade them give me but a little hour. To burn men's eyes out that beheld God's Ah! I do love you ! such brief space for

face, love!

That being long blind but now gat sight, I am yours all through, do all your will

And prais'd him seeing - I that then spake What if we lay and let them take us fast,

and said, Lips grasping lips. I dare do anything. Ten thousand men here landed of our foes Chast. "Show better cheer : let no man Were not so fearful to me on her side see you maz'd ;

As one mass said in Scotland - that withMake haste and kiss me ; cover up your

stood throat,

The man to his face I lov’d, her father's Lest one see tumbled lace and prate of it.

son, Enter the guard.

Then master'd by the pity of her, and

made

Through that good mind not good — who FROM “BOTHWELL"

then but I JOHN KNOX'S INDICTMENT OF THE

Was tax'd of wrongful will, and for hard

heart QUEEN

Miscall'd of men ? And now, sirs, if her GoD ye hear not, how shall ye hear me ?

prayer Or if your eyes be seal’d to know not her, Were just and reasonable, and unjust I If she be fit to live or no, can I

That bade shut ears against it — if the mass With words unseal them ? None so young Hath brought forth innocent fruit, and in

this land But hath long life enough to understand Wherein she came to stablish it again And reason to record what he hath seen Hath stablish'd peace with honor — if in Of hers and of God's dealings mutually,

her Since she came in. Then was her spirit It hath been found no seed of shame, and made soft,

she Her words as oil, and with her amorous That lov'd and serv'd it seem now in men's face

sight

and saw

with me;

of you

of me,

No hateful thing nor fearful - if she To bring it in your mind if God ere now stand

Have borne me witness ; in that dreary Such a queen proven as should prove hon

day orable

When men's hearts fail'd them for pure The rule of women, and in her that thing

grief and fear Be shown forth good that was call'd evil To see the tyranny that was, and rule

Of this queen's mother, where was no light Blest and not curst - then have I sinn'd,

left and they

But of the fires wherein his servants died, That would have cross'd me would have I bade those lords that clave in heart to cross'd not God :

God Whereof now judge ye. Hath she brought And were perplex'd with trembling and with her

with tears Peace, or a sword ? and since her incoming Lift up their hearts, and fear not; and Hath the land sat in quiet, and the men

they heard Seen rest but for one year ? or came not in What some now hear no more, the word I Behind her feet, right at her back, and spake shone

Who have been with them, as their own Above her crown'd head as a fierier crown,

souls know, Death, and about her as a raiment wrapt In their most extreme danger ; Cowper Ruin ? and where her foot was ever turn'd

Moor, Or her right hand was pointed, hath there Saint Johnston, and the Crags of Edinfallen

burgh, No fire, no cry burst forth of war, no sound Are recent in my heart ; yea, let these As of a blast blown of an host of men

know, For summons of destruction ? Hath God That dark and dolorous night wherein all shown

they For sign she had found grace in his sight, With shame and fear were driven forth of and we

this town For her sake favor, while she hath reign’d Is yet within my mind ; and God forbid

That ever I forget it. What, I say, One hour of good, one week of rest, one Was then my exhortation, and what word day?

Of all God ever promis'd by my mouth Or hath he sent not for an opposite sign Is fallen in vain, they live to testify Dissensions, wars, rumors of wars, and Of whom not one that then was doom'd to change,

death Flight and return of men, terror with Is perish'd in that danger ; and their foes, power,

How many of these hath God before their Triumph with trembling?

eyes

Plague-stricken with destruction! lo the God is not mock'd ; and ye shall surely ;

thanks know

They render him, now to betray his cause What men were these, and what man he Put in their hands to stablish ; even that that spake

God's The things I speak now prophesying, and That kept them all the darkness through said

to see That if ye spare to shed her blood for Light, and the way that some now see no shame,

more, For fear or pity of her great name or face, But are gone after light of the fen's fire God shall require of you the innocent blood And walk askant in slippery ways; but ye Shed for her fair face' sake, and from your Know if God's hand have ever when I hands

spake Wring the price forth of her bloodguilti- Writ liar upon me, or with adverse proof

Turn'd my free speech to shame ; for in Nay, for ye know it, nor have I need again my lips

on us,

99

God's name,

He put a word, and knowledge in my

SAPPHO heart, When I was fast bound of his enemies'

FROM “ON THE CLIFFS hands An oarsman on their galleys, and beheld LOVE's priestess, mad with pain and joy of From off the sea whereon I sat in chains

song, The walls wherein I knew that I there Song's priestess, mad with joy and pain of bound

love, Should one day witness of him ; and this Name above all names that are lights pledge

above, Hath God redeem'd not ? Nay then, in We have lov'd, prais’d, pitied, crown'd,

and done thee wrong, If that false word fell unfulfill'd of mine, O thou past praise and pity ; thou the sole Heed ye not now nor hear me when I Utterly deathless, perfect only and whole say

Immortal, body and soul. That for this woman's sake shall God cut For over all whom time hath overpast off

The shadow of sleep inexorable is cast, The hand that spares her as the hand that The implacable sweet shadow of perfect shields,

sleep And make their memory who take part That gives not back what life gives death with her

to keep ; As theirs who stood for Baal against the Yea, all that liv'd and lov'd and sang and Lord

sinn'd With Ahab's daughter; for her reign and Are all borne down death's cold, sweet, end

soundless wind Shall be like Athaliah's, as her birth That blows all night and knows not whom Was from the womb of Jezebel, that slew

its breath, The prophets, and made foul with blood Darkling, may touch to death : and fire

But one that wind hath touch'd and changed The same land's face that now her seed

not, makes foul

Whose body and soul are parcel of the With whoredoms and with witchcrafts; yet

sun; they say

One that earth's fire could burn not, nor Peace, where is no peace, while the adul

the sea terous blood

Quench ; nor might human doom take hold Feeds yet with life and sin the murderous

on thee ; heart

All praise, all pity, all dreams have done That bath brought forth a wonder to the world

All love, with eyes love-blinded from And to all time a terror ; and this blood

above; The hands are clean that shed, and they Song's priestess, mad with joy and pain of

love, In God's just sight spotted as foul as Love's priestess, mad with pain and joy of Cain's.

song If then this guilt shall cleave to you or no, And to your children's children, for her Hast thou none other answer then for me sake,

Than the air may have of thee, Choose ye ; for God needs no man that is Or the earth's warm woodlands girdling loth

with green girth To serve him, and no word but his own Thy secret, sleepless, burning life on earth, work

Or even the sea that once, being woman To bind and loose their hearts who hear

crown'd

And girt with fire and glory of anguish Such things as speak what I lack words to round, say.

Thou wert so fain to seek to, fain to crave

one

thee wrong,

that spare

and see

grave ?

If she would hear thee and save

Till youth at last, ere yet youth be not, And give thee comfort of thy great green

learn

The kind wise word that falls from years Because I have known thee always who

that fall thou art,

“Hope thou not much, and fear thou not Thou knowest, have known thee to thy

at all." heart's own heart, Nor ever have given light ear to storied song

ON THE DEATHS OF THOMAS That did thy sweet name sweet unwitting CARLYLE AND GEORGE ELIOT

wrong, Nor ever have call'd thee nor would call Two souls diverse out of our human sight for shame,

Pass, follow'd one with love and each with Thou knowest, but inly by thine only name,

wonder: Sappho — because I have known thee and The stormy sophist with his mouth of thunlov'd, hast thou

der, None other answer now?

Cloth'd with loud words and mantled in As brother and sister were we, child and

the might bird,

Of darkness and magnificence of night; Since thy first Lesbian word

And one whose eye could smite the night Flam’d on me, and I knew not whence I in sunder, knew,

Searching if light or no light were thereThis was the song that struck my whole under, soul through,

And found in love of loving - kindness Pierced my keen spirit of sense with edge light. more keen,

Duty divine and Thought with eyes of fire Even when I knew not,

even ere sooth Still following Righteousness with deep was seen,

desire When thou wast but the tawny sweet wing'd | Shone sole and stern before her and thing

above, Whose cry was but of spring.

Sure stars and sole to steer by ; but more

sweet

Shone lower the loveliest lamp for earthly HOPE AND FEAR

feet,

The light of little children, and their love. BENEATH the shadow of dawn's aerial

cope, With eyes enkindled as the sun's own sphere,

HERTHA Hope from the front of youth in godlike cheer

I am that which began ; Looks Godward, past the shades where

Out of me the years roll ; blind men grope

Out of me God and man; Round the dark door that prayers nor

I am equal and Whole ; dreams can ope,

God changes, and man, and the form of And makes for joy the very darkness dear them bodily ; I am the soul. That gives her wide wings play; nor dreams that fear

Before ever land was, At noon may rise and pierce the heart of

Before ever the sea, hope.

Or soft hair of the grass, Then, when the soul leaves off to dream

Or fair limbs of the tree, and yearn,

Or the flesh-color'd fruit of my branches, May truth first purge her eyesight to dis- I was, and thy soul was in me. What once being known leaves time no First life on my sources power to appal ;

First drifted and swam ;

cern