For they knaws what I beän to Squoire sin fust a

comed to the 'All; I done my duty by Squoire an' I done my duty

by all.

XV.

Squoire's in Lunnon, an' summun I reckons 'ull 'a

to wroite, For who's to howd the lond ater meä thot muddles

ma quoit; Sartin-sewer I beä, thot a weänt niver give it to

Joänes, Noither a moänt to Robins a niver rembles the

stoäns.

XVI.

But summun 'ull come ater meä mayhap wi' 'is

kittle o' steäm Huzzin' an'maäzin' the blessed feälds wi' the Divil's

oän team. Gin I mun doy I mun doy, an' loife they says is

sweet, But gin I mun doy I mun doy, for I couldn abear

to see it.

XVII.

What atta stannin' theer for, an' doesn bring ma

the yaäle ? Doctor's a 'tottler, lass, an a's hallus i’ the owd

taäle; I weänt breäk rules for Doctor, a knaws naw moor

nor a floy; Git ma my yaäle I tell tha, an' gin I mun doy I

mun doy.

THE VOYAGE.

I.

We left behind the painted buoy

That tosses at the harbour-mouth; And madly danced our hearts with joy,

As fast we fleeted to the South : How fresh was every sight and sound

On open main or winding shore ! We knew the merry world was round,

And we might sail for evermore.

II.

Warm broke the breeze against the brow,

Dry sang the tackle, sang the sail : The Lady's-head upon

the

prow Caught the shrill salt, and sheer'd the gale. The broad seas swellid to meet the keel,

And swept behind : so quick the run, We felt the good ship shake and reel,

We seem'd to sail into the Sun !

III.

How oft we saw the Sun retire,

And burn the threshold of the night, Fall from his Ocean-lane of fire,

And sleep beneath his pillar'd light! How oft the purple-skirted robe

Of twilight slowly downward drawn As thro' the slumber of the globe

Again we dash'd into the dawn!

IV.

New stars all night above the brim

Of waters lighten'd into view;

They climb'd as quickly, for the rim

Changed every moment as we flew. Far ran the naked moon across

The houseless ocean's heaving field, Or flying shone, the silver boss

Of her own balo's dusky shield;

V.

The peaky islet shifted shapes,

High towns on hills were dimly seen, We past long lines of Northern capes

And dewy Northern meadows green. We came to warmer waves, and deep

Across the boundless east we drove, Where those long swells of breaker sweep

The nutmeg rocks and isles of clove.

VI.

By peaks that flamed, or, all in shade,

Gloom'd the low coast and quivering brine With ashy rains, that spreading made

Fantastic plume or sable pine;
By sands and steaming filats, and floods

Of mighty mouth, we scudded fast,
And hills and scarlet-mingled woods

Glowd for a moment as we past.

VII.
O hundred shores of happy climes,

How swiftly stream'd ye by the bark !
At times the whole sea burn'd, at times

With wakes of fire we tore the dark; At times a carven craft would shoot

From havens hid in fairy bowers, With naked limbs and flowers and fruit,

But we nor paused for fruit nor flowers.

VIII. For one fair Vision ever fled

Down the waste waters day and night, And still we follow'd where she led,

In hope to gain upon her flight.
Her face was evermore unseen,

And fixt upon the far sea-line;
But each man murmur'd “O my Queen,

I follow till I make thee mine.”

IX.

And now we lost her, now she gleam'd

Like Fancy made of golden air, Now nearer to the prow she seem'd

Like Virtue firm, like Knowledge fair, Now high on waves

that idly burst Like Heavenly Hope she crown'd 'the sea, And now, the bloodless point reversed,

She bore the blade of Liberty.

X.

And only one among us — him

We pleased not — he was seldom pleased : He saw not far: his eyes were dim:

But ours he swore were all diseased. “A ship of fools” he shriek'd in spite,

“ A ship of fools” he sneer'd and wept. And overboard one stormy night

He cast his body, and on we swept.

XI.
And never sail of ours was furl'd,

Nor anchor dropt at eve or morn;
We loved the glories of the world,

But laws of nature were our scorn ;
For blasts would rise and rave and cease,

But whence were those that drove the sail Across the whirlwind's heart of peace,

And to and thro' the counter-gale ?

XII.

Again to colder climes we came,

For still we follow'd where she led :
Now mate is blind and captain lame,

And half the crew are sick or dead.
But blind or lame or sick or sound

We follow that which flies before:
We know the merry world is round,

And we may sail for evermore.

IN THE VALLEY OF CAUTERETZ.

ALL along the valley, stream that flashest white,
Deepening thy voice with the deepening of the night,
All along the valley, where thy waters flow,
I walk'd with one I loved two and thirty years ago.
All along the valley while I walk'd to-day,
The two and thirty years were a mist that rolls away;
For all along the valley, down thy rocky
Thy living voice to me was as the voice of the dead,
And all along the valley, by rock and cave and tree,
The voice of the dead was a living voice to me.

THE FLOWER.

ONCE in a golden hour

I cast to earth a seed.
Up there came a flower,

The people said, a weed.
To and fro they went

Thro' my garden-bower,
And muttering discontent

Cursed me and my flower.

VOL.

24