296

HYMN OF APOLLC.

Are filled with my bright presence; and the air Leaves the green earth to my embraces bare.

The sunbeams are my shafts, with which I kill Deceit, that loves the night and fears the day; All men who do or even imagine ill

Fly me, and from the glory of my ray Good minds and open actions take new might, Until diminished by the reign of night.

I feed the clouds, the rainbows, and the flowers With their ethereal colors; the moon's globe, And the pure stars in their eternal bowers,

Are cinctured with my power as with a robe; Whatever lamps on earth or heaven may shine Are portions of one power, which is mine.

I stand at noon upon the peak of heaven,
Then with unwilling steps I wander down
Into the clouds of the Atlantic even;

For grief that I depart, they weep and frown:
What look is more delightful than the smile
With which I soothe them from the western isle ?

I am the eye with which the Universe

Beholds itself, and knows itself divine;
All harmony of instrument or verse,

All prophecy, all medicine, are mine,
All light of art or nature;-to my song
Victory and praise in their own right belong.

A DEWDROP FALLING.

297

A GENIAL MOMENT OFT HAS GIVEN. - Trench.

A GENIAL moment oft has given
What of toil and pain,

years

Of long industrious toil, have striven
To win, and all in vain.

Yet count not, when thine end is won,
That labor merely lost;

Nor say it had been wiser done

To spare the painful cost.

One spark alighting from on high, –
The flames at once aspire.

But those sweet gums and fragrant woods,
Its rich materials rare,

By tedious quest o'er lands and floods
Had first been gathered there.

A DEWDROP FALLING. — Trench.

A DEWDROP, falling on the wild sea wave,
Exclaimed in fear, "I perish in this grave!"
But, in a shell received, that drop of dew
Unto a pearl of marvellous beauty grew;
And, happy now, the grace did magnify

Which thrust it forth, as it had feared, to die ;

298

THE PRIORESS'S TALE.

Until again, "I perish quite," it said,
Torn by rude diver from its ocean bed;
O unbelieving!—so it came to gleam
Chief jewel in a monarch's diadem.

THE SEED MUST DIE. - Trench.

THE seed must die, before the corn appears
Out of the ground, in blade and fruitful ears.
Low must those ears by sickle's edge be lain,
Ere thou canst treasure up the golden grain.
The grain is crushed before the bread is made,
And the bread broke ere life to man conveyed.
O, be content to die, to be laid low,
And to be crushed, and to be broken so;
If thou upon God's table may'st be bread,
Life-giving food for souls an hungerèd!

THE PRIORESS'S TALE. Chaucer.

THERE was in Asia, in a great city,
Amongès Christian folk a Jewery,
Sustained by a lord of that country,

For foul usure and lucre of villainy,
Hateful to Christ and to his company;
And through the street men mighten ride and wend,
For it was free, and open at either end.

A little school of Christian folk there stood

Down at the further end, in which there were Children a heape comen of Christian blood,

THE PRIORESS'S TALE.

That learned in that schoolè year by year
Such manner doctrine as men usèd there;
This is to say, to singen and to read,
As smallè children do in their childhede.

Among these children was a widow's son,
A little clergion, seven years of age,
That day by day to schoolè was his won2;
And eke also, whereas he saw the image
Of Christès mother, had he in usàge,
As him was taught, to kneel adown, and say,
Ave Maria, as he go'th by the way.

Thus hath this widow her little son ytaught
Our blissful Lady, Christès mother dear,
To worship aye, and he forgot it nought;
For sely 3 childè will alway soon lere ; 4
But aye when I remember on this mattère,
Saint Nicholas stant 5 ever in my presènce,
For he so young to Christ did reverence.

This little child his little book learning,
As he sat in the school at his primère,
He Alma Redemptoris heardè sing,

As children learned their antiphonere ; 6
And as he durst, he drew him near and near
And hearkened aye the wordès and the note,
Till he the firstè verse could all by rote.

Nought wist he what this Latin was to say,
For he so young and tender was of age;
But on a day his fellow 'gan to pray

1 Young clerk. Standeth.

7 Knew.

2 Custom.

299

3 Simple. 4 Learn. 6 Chanting alternate verses of the Psalms.

300

THE PRIORESS'S TALE

T'expounden him this song in his anguage, Or tell him why this song was in usage; This pray'd he him to construe and declare, Full often time upon his kneès bare.

His fellow, which that elder was than he,
Answered him thus: "This song, I have heard say,
Was makèd of our blissful Lady free,1

2

Her to salue, and eke her for to pray

To be our help and succour when we dey.3
I can no more expound in this mattère :
I learnè song; I can but small grammère.”

"And is this song makèd in reverence

Of Christès mother?" said this innocent: "Now certès I will do my diligence

To conn 5 it all ere Christèmas be went,
Though that I for my primer shall be shent,
And shall be beaten thriès in an hour,
I will it conn our Lady for t' honòur.”

His fellow taught him homeward privily
From day to day till he could it by rote,
And then he sang it well and boldèly

From word to word according with the note:
Twiès a day it passed through his throat,
To schoolward and homeward when he went;
On Christès mother set was his intent.

As I have said, throughout the Jewèry

This little child, as he came to and fro, Full merrily then would he sing and cry,

1 Bountiful.

4 Know.

2 Praise.

5 Learn.

Punished, the strict meaning is ruined.

3 Die.