When I shall voice aloud how good
He is, how great should be,
Enlarged winds, that curl the flood,
Know no such liberty.

Stone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage;
Minds innocent and quiet take
That for an hermitage:

If I have freedom in my love
And in my soul am free,
Angels alone, that soar above,
Enjoy such liberty.

- COLONEL RICHARD LOVELACE.

30.

HER GOLDEN HAIR.

AMARANTHA, sweet and fair,
O braid no more that shining hair!
Let it fly, as unconfined

As its calm ravisher, the wind
Who hath left his darling east
To wanton o'er that spicy nest.
Ev'ry tress must be confest,
But neatly tangled at the best
Like a clew of golden thread
Most excellently ravelled;

Do not, then, wind up that light
In ribbons, and o'ercloud in night,
Like the sun's in early ray;

But shake your head, and scatter day!

COLONEL RICHARD LOVELACE.

31.

TO LUCASTA (ON GOING TO THE WARS).

TELL me not, sweet, I am unkind,
That from the nunnery

Of thy chaste breast and quiet mind
To war and arms I fly.

True, a new mistress now I chase,
The first foe in the field;

And with a stronger faith embrace
A sword, a horse, a shield.

Yet this inconstancy is such
As you, too, shall adore;

I could not love thee, dear, so much,
Loved I not Honor more.

"COME out and hear the waters shoot, the owlet hoot, the owlet hoot;

Yon crescent moon, a golden boat, hangs dim behind the tree, O!

The dropping thorn makes white the grass, O sweetest lass, and sweetest lass;

Come out and smell the ricks of hay adown the croft

with me, O!"

"My granny nods before her wheel, and drops her reel, and drops her reel;

My father with his crony talks as gay as gay can be, O! But all the milk is yet to skim, ere light wax dim, ere light wax dim ;

How can I step adown the croft, my 'prentice lad, with thee, O?"

"And must ye bide, yet waiting's long, and love is strong, and love is strong;

And O! had I but served the time that takes so long to flee, O!

And thou, my lass, by morning's light, wast all in white, wast all in white;

And parson stood within the rails, a-marrying me and thee, O!"

— JEAN INGELOW.

33.

THE LONG WHITE SEAM.

As I came round the harbor buoy,
The lights began to gleam,

No wave the land-locked harbor stirred,
The crags were white as cream;
And I marked my love by candlelight

Sewing her long white seam.

It's aye sewing ashore, my dear,
Watch and steer at sea,

It's reef and furl, and haul the line,
Set sail and think of thee.

I climbed to reach her cottage door;

Oh sweetly my love sings!

Like a shaft of light her voice breaks forth,
My soul to meet it springs,

As the shining water leaped of old

When stirred by angel wings.

Aye longing to list anew,

Awake and in my dream,

But never a song she sang like this,
Sewing her long white seam.

Fair fall the lights, the harbor lights,
That brought me in to thee,

And peace drop down on that low roof,
For the sight that I did see,

And the voice, my dear, that rang so clear,
All for the love of me.

For O, for O, with brows bent low,
By the flickering candle's gleam,
Her wedding gown it was she wrought,
Sewing the long white seam.

-JEAN INGELOW.

34.

A BRIDAL SONG.

ROSES, their sharp spines being gone,

Not royal in their smells alone,

But in their hue;
Maiden-pinks, of odor faint;

Daisies smell-less, yet most quaint,
And sweet thyme true;

Primrose, first-born child of Ver,
Merry spring-time's harbinger,
With her bells dim;

Oxlips in their cradles growing,
Marigolds on death-beds blowing,
Lark-heels trim;

All, dear Nature's children sweet,
Lie 'fore bride and bridegroom's feet,
Blessing their sense!

Not an angel of the air,

Bird melodious, or bird fair,

Be absent hence!

The crow, the slanderous cuckoo, nor
The boding raven, nor chough hoar,
Nor chattering pie,

May on our bride-house perch or sing,
Or with them any discord bring,

But from it fly!

- BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER.

35.

CONSTANCY.

OUT upon it, I have loved

Three whole days together;

And am like to love three more,
If it prove fair weather.