and FANTASIES THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES as*2&a ' ■" aa*«Mii « Ac>£s*> CONTENTS PAGE Preface .....■•••■ 7 Fairy Pastoral 9 Phases of Life 43 Leith Hill, Surrey 88 Whims from a Note Book — On the Death of a Relative . . -97 Monks and Silkworms 99 Superstition ioo Autumn and May ioi Epitaph on a favourite Spaniel .... 102 The Fisherman's Bride 104 An Incident on the Night March to Tel-El-Kebir . 106 JL. S ■ PREFACE The original stanzas of ' A Fairy Pastoral ' were printed for private circulation only. They have since been revised and added to, and are now submitted to the public in a connected form. The poem treats of the thoughts, myths, and super- stitions of a remote past, and ventures into fields but rarely explored. The Author has not hesitated to ascribe to pre- historic man some knowledge of the arrangement of the Solar system, which knowledge, though subse- quently lost in the mists of superstition, is proved by the plan and measurements of the Great Pyramid to have been possessed by the Architects of that stupendous work. 5ffTj)''o' FAIRY PASTORAL — o — 'Wctvt g In silvan glade, bedecked with flowers, Reclining on a rustic throne, Her sweetness lost in vestal bowers, The Queen of Beauty sighed alone. Dismissed there strayed a waiting maiden, With sister nymphs to sport awhile ; Their gentle eyes with grief were laden To mark their mistress' cheerless smile. 12 WHIMS AND FANTASIES Maiden — ' How sad our Queen ! Who now supposes We love in founts to splash and wade, Or graceful garlands weave of roses ? Rather seek the grotto's shade.' The gentle Queen lay sadly musing, A lute unstrung lay by her side, And wafted zephyrs, soft and soothing, Kissed her as they breathed and died. The rippling brook, in rustling by her, Threw bubbling kisses to her feet, The warbling songsters nestled nigh her, Or fluttered past in circlets fleet. FAIRY PASTORAL With eyelids closely sealed by slumber, Oblivion from all care she seeks, The long, dark lashes cast penumbra Upon her peach-like, fairy cheeks. As gently fell her form recumbent, The yielding cushions caught the shape Of undulating curves abundant, Of beauty that great Jove might rape. Her lips of coral— Ocean's wonder, Disclose the teeth of pearly white ; The graceful limbs recline asunder, The upturned breasts reflect the light. 13 14 WHIMS AND FANTASIES The flowing tresses falling round her, Enfold the charms they do not hide, And with a golden light surround her, A peerless nymph ! Arcadia's pride ! But though the frame in sleep reposes, The restless spirit won't be still. A longing soul nor sleeps nor dozes, But roams in dreams unchecked by will. What mean these looks of longing languour, These short faint sighs that come and go, That thrill of pain, or fear, or anger, These heaving breasts of mountain snow ? FAIRY PASTORAL 1 5 She dreams — A fugitive from heaven Appears enwrapped in azure cloud ; His golden pinions rent and riven In battle with the demon crowd. His nut-brown locks, short, crisp, and curling, Are clustered round his broad, white brow ; And dark blue eyes more bright and burning Ne'er beamed on love's false, fickle vow. Around his waist, the golden circle Is decked with gems and rubies bright ; A shortened skirt of royal purple Conceals his limbs from prying sight. 1 6 WHIMS AND FANTASIES And though his youthful form and figure Abound with well-nigh female grace, His nervous frame, and virile vigour Announce him one of warrior race. On high he holds a javelin pointed, His guarded arm supports a shield ; A form he seems, by fate appointed, To venture far in bower and field. His eyes are raised to scan the heaven, As seeking a pursuing host, With glance of proud defiance given To baffled foes, betrayed, and lost. FAIRY PASTORAL T7 Weary from the clouds descending. Exhausted by his rapid flight, It seemed his bright career was ending, That death-drops dimmed his waning sight. Eternal youth needs slight repairing, Immortals vigour soon regain. 'Tis man alone who lives death fearing, To sprites its stroke brings life again. One moment prostrate and expiring, A moment more he sprang upright, As from his startled gaze retiring, He spied the lovely queen of light 1 8 WHIMS AND FANTASIES Aroused by the unwonted vision, She veiled her form in quick alarm, From the couch her bust had risen, Supported on a round, white arm. He, startled, dropped his shield and weapon, And raised aloft his out-spread arms, 'Twas thus fair Chloe met her Strephon, And gave to love her rustic charms. Amazement swept his troubled spirits, Surprise and wonder checked his speech. Sweet fairy scene, his gaze it rivets : A paradise, within his reach ! ~>$elieve that Jonah by a whale, Was swallowed in a furious gale, And thrown* up on the shore awake Of the Son of Man a typef to make. * 'And it vomited up Jonah upon dry ground.' Jon. ii, 10. t Matt, xii, 40. PHASES OF LIFE 5 I Don't doubt the power of Samson's jaw, Or speech of Baalam's ass deplore ; • The passing glory don't deride Who showed to Moses his backside.* Perplexing puzzles later come To falsify the rule of thumb, And leave the mind in gloomy doubt, Whate'er we're all on earth about ; To smile at vice, at virtue sneer, Ask whence we come, and why we're here. Let youth engage in rural sports, And curb the froward, rambling thoughts; * And thou shall see my back parts Ex. xxxiii, 23. WHIMS AND FANTASIES Follow the chase with horse and hound, Or seek the wild bird's heathery ground ; Or roam in torrid climes afar To face the fierce carnivora : For sport with danger and fatigue Unspiced, with slaughter is in league. Horse and hound, and rod, and gun, Cricket match, and football's fun, The chase that war to mimic seems, The bicycle and rival teams, Advance the young, if kept in place, In mental power, and virile grace. Thus rising, manhood's zenith star Shall shine in council and in war. MANHOOD Till boyhood ends its thoughtless race, And early manhood takes its place, Authority has been your guide ; Credulity been deified. Now, reason must neglect repair : Begin to question, doubt, compare. The concrete from the abstract learn, And into skill your knowledge turn. 54 WHIMS AND FANTASIES To memory store was scholar's task ; Now the store for use unmask ; And, shunning dilettante ways, A speciality upraise. Whate'er the path in life you take, Support the weak and aid the State. Unless you're born with silver spoon 'Twill not be wise to marry soon. Two birds together build their nest, But man must house his bridal guest. And when you woo, pray don't adore A pretty face, and nothing more. Prefer the bonny, buxom style, A lithesome form, and sunny smile, PHASES OF LIFE 55 Am instep arched, and ample chest, A well-poised head, and all the rest ; Melodious voice that seems to wane And falter, at a tale of pain, And eyes that flash in anger strong, Indignant at a deed of wrong. When you've children at your knee, Be satisfied with two or three. Don't make your wife a breeding drudge, And prove your boasted love a fudge. That love is lust some say is true ; Tis not so, — separate the two : If led by lust from love astray, In haste retrace the dangerous way. 56 WHIMS AND FANTASIES If house you build to be your pride, Forget not you must dwell inside. Despite all rules and artists' jargon, Get space and light, or rue your bargain. Fitness true good taste I deem ; Without it, beauty is a dream. Observe that soldier passing by, With lustre-lacking, beery eye, A metal spike upon his head For what? God knows, — to butt 'tis said, Or bore a hole in canvas fly, Or outward poke a comrade's eye. Some strut in bearskin's grim array, Like the wild Ojibbeway. PIIASES OF LIFE 57 When horsed, a woman's muff they wag, With shaving-brush, and pudding bag. With clothes so tight they cannot shoot, Draw off or on the galling boot. Then funeral plumes, and bagpipe wails Announce the stalwart, warrior Gaels. For fitness little can be said, And Folly rules a foolish trade. If adverse luck should lead to law, For pitfalls look and treacherous flaw. Justitian's or Napoleon's code Won't help you on the tortuous road. Nor sense, nor logic gives a clue To guide you to your certain due ; 58 WHIMS AND FANTASIES And lawyers revel in the bog, Like linkboys in a London fog. In times long past, men gave their doles In masses for the good of souls ; Now, charities hold out the bait Of usury in future state : Rapacious church no longer stows The riches passed to medicos. Of every guinea to be found, They use the shilling, waste the pound. The dumb, the blind, the waifs of fate Should be the children of the State. Still, give your aid at suffering's call, No system's worse than none at all : PHASES OF LIFE 59 Give while you live, not when you die, For self to rob posterity. In striving manhood's busy hour, Work hard for fame, and wealth, and power : 'Tis time for labour, not for ease, When tide's at flood the occasion seize ; With measured work your time employ, But all the gifts of life enjoy. Mistrust strong drinks, and heavy feeds, They cloud the mind and palsy deeds. Let moderation be your aim ; Ascetics play a losing game. In vain they try with groans to tame us, We cry ' Dum vivimus, vivamus.' 60 WHIMS AND FANTASIES Abhor all shams, but do not say so. Tis not, to-day, your game you play so : You may, to-morrow, at your ease, Think, write, and say, just what you please. When strenuous toil, and constant care Have streaked with grey your thinning hair, The waning body to the mind Transfers the power not yet resigned. Your sprightly sons grown up apace Should now be fit to take your place ; From lightening your daily toil, Their filial love will not recoil. To them assign all petty care, Direct them from your easy chair. PHASES OF LIFE 6 1 You've made a figure in the state, In war have shaped a nation's fate, Or in the busy haunts of trade Repute have gained, and fortune made ; Perhaps in humbler walk of late, Made savings safe and adequate ; In silent science made your mark, In letters taken a leading part ; Invention may have made to dawn A beacon light to men unborn. Whate'er you've done, on land or seas, You well have worked and earned your ease. Enjoy it as it suits you best ; Strive on, brave heart, or take your rest. AGE Released from strife's absorbing cares, Temptations strong and worldly tares, The restless mind in wonder tries To solve the problems of the skies ; To lay the plan of nature bare, And social grievances repair. The worth of man you won't decry; His innate wickedness denv. PHASES OF LIFE 63 Hast ever saved the stricken brave, Or rescued from the angry wave, Or aided in malignant pest, Or sought and succoured the distressed ? Then hast thou felt the generous glow Self sacrifice alone can know— A proof, by priests misunderstood— That humanity exults in good. In politics from taking part, Most earnest minds with loathing start. You must not shirk the unseemly strife Where lust of place ends but with life. Contending statesmen cry, For shame, And mutual tricks and ruses blame. 64 WHIMS AND FANTASIES The jingo leaves to wordy prate The tiller of the helpless State. Then aimless folly bloods the sand Of Nubian and Egyptian land ; And makes Britannia blush for shame, And weep at sainted Gordon's name. When beaten by the sturdy Boer, Cant preached about the guilt of war, And fearing to prolong the fight, Sued for peace in piteous plight. The Nek we lost from 'Juba ran But little recked the mad Old Man. Our ill-trained soldiers from afar Their powder burnt, and thought it war. PHASES OP LIFE 65 Some Dutchmen scaled the mountain's crown To pistol range, and shot them down. Ignominy's sickening reign May we never see again. And thou, poor Erin, hapless Isle, A prey to scheming factions vile ; The shuttle of conflicting claims Of priests, and agitators' games ; Of party shifts, and nostrums vain, Of tightened cords cast loose again ; What devil tempts thy reckless sons To right with blood their fancied wrongs ; To murder in mad rage conspire, Miscalling frenzy patriot's fire ; 66 WHIMS AND FANTASIES To rake up wrongs, with others shared, And due to errors long repaired ; To noble, chivalrous war defame By calling outrage by its name ; And to howl amidst mankind's disdain, When justly doomed to miscreant's shame ? And wouldst thou then in freedom stray, Released from Britain's hateful sway ? Agreed, if thou couldst move in space, But fate has fixed thy destined place. Wouldst thou be free ? then loose the grip Of priests — their tyrant fetters slip. But Britain's couples thou must wear, Dragged forward like a sulky cur : PHASES OF LIFE 67 Stern discipline applied to thee Would help thee on amazingly. Force is no remedy ; they say : Prevention's good though, anyway. Indulgence cannot quite be right When favours lead to dynamite : Irreconcil'bles to the state Concessions can't conciliate. Estamboul skirts the currents fleet, Where Asia and where Europe meet, — The cradle and the school of man, She's Asia's child and Europe's ban. Now lying, dying on the ground With hungry mastiffs growling round ; 68 WHIMS AND FANTASIES Each would seize the tempting bait, But holds, restrained by rival hate. I left thy shores with fond regrets, City of domes and minarets, Where gloomily the Cyprus waves O'er monuments of countless graves, And where, of endless strife the source, The Crescent dominates the Cross. The question vexed will soon arise, Who's to gain the glittering prize ? This question held in cob-nut shell May raise on earth a storm of hell. To aid to solve it e'er you die Unerring principles apply. PHASES OF LIFE 69 Take not ambition for a guide ; Others have rights with ours allied. The jingo, studying self alone, Obstructs all aims, and wrecks his own. If nature by a passage wide Gives access to the ocean's tide, The nations on the neighbouring shore May through the pass their commerce pour, And send their merchantmen afar, Escorted by their ships of war. What claim has Europe then to say, To Russia shall be barred the way ? Or why should angry Russia shout, In quick reply, 'remain without;' 70 WHIMS AND FANTASIES Or feeble Turkey join the fray With ' no admittance either way ? ' Better she would be advised To let the road be neutralised, And Bosphorus and Hellespont, Be free to war ships as they want. The common right of passing freely. Let Britains guard at Mitylene. Tis not for England strong and free To fear a fleet in inland sea, But rather welcome friend or foe, Extend the hand or strike the blow. Among these foreign questions roam, But don't forget your ancient home. PHASES OF LIFE 7 1 Enlarge the franchise, perhaps you'll say. For fewer members rather pray. Loquacity within the house, With blatant bombast and abuse, With rhetoric and rigmarole, And eloquence without control. Obstruct, impose, and oft impair Its labours and defy the chair. Besides all this I'll tell you straight, Our leading men are not first rate. Don't stir the dregs, apply the riddle, Blow off the froth, and drink the middle. The House of Lords reformed retain ; Preserve the great historic name, 72 WHIMS AND FANTASIES Yes, in spite of Rads' abuse ! A second chamber is of use. You've heard of tyrant kings and lords, Rapacious bishops, blood-stained swords ; Your fathers heard great Pitt denounce The tyrants of the Lower House, — Heard Cromwell say, at Britain's helm, When Lord Protector of the realm, 'A single house would be absurd, As much so as a one-winged bird,' When patriots midst misplaced applause Make hasty resolutions laws. Their ill-timed acts revision need, Or straightway to reaction lead. PHASES OF LIFE 73 Life peerages would be a fair Reward for future merit rare. Are we based firm ? just stamp the ground : To me, it gives a hollow sound. Shams are like the drifting sand, Whirling, eddying, o'er the land, And raising, in constructions fickle, Drifts, and dunes, and ridge, and ripple. The truth alone bears sudden shock, Is our house built upon that rock ? If certainty you can't attain, In doubt 'tis better to remain : Deep mysteries are not exposed By adding others superposed. 74 WHIMS AND FANTASIES Presumptions strong will guide you right, As lantern serves you in the night. Pooh-pooh for good the parson's song ; Believe, and you cannot go wrong : Say, lacking proof, we cannot know, And that it's false to say we do ; Convictions firmly held reveal, A fatal blow to dogma deal. But if you vent these thoughts, I bet To parliament you'll never get : Constituency you'd hardly find With light enough to share your mind. Within dimensions man's at ease, The infinite he cannot seize ; PHASES OF LIFE 75 Probe finite, sure realities, Shun mixed impossibilities : Nor is it always quite the same A cause to know, a cause to name. If the first parents of our race To Paradise we backward trace, We find the fatal curse arose By seeking knowledge undisclosed By calm research— this proved the cause Of murderous hate, of maddening wars. The face of nature, fresh and srreen. Might studied be, and felt and seen ; Each pretty flower, each creature kind Yields secrets to th' enquiring mind. 76 WHIMS AND FANTASIES The earth, the air, the fire, the sea, Disclosed their wonders readily ; The fatal tree among them placed, Dispensed its knowledge falsely based. Thus e'en in Eden's mythic vale, Whose uncursed snake hopped on its tail, Whose tigers never lambkins rent, But wore their fangs for ornament ; Where in the spring-time of our race, Man's form to clothe in dire disgrace, Jehovah fashioned hairy coats,* (The puzzle is who skinned the goats). The truth embalmed in old folklore, Unwrapped, reveals its sacred store. * Gen. iii, 21. PHASES OF LIFE 77 By long-continued observation Of facts and self in true relation, And not by supernatural tree, The human mind informed should be. You have, if e'er to mass you've been, A heathen rite's reflection seen ; Victims by the priests were slain, That gods and men might food obtain. 'Tis said, whatever may be meant, Dogma's good for government : When helots 'gainst their task rebel, We scare them with the whip of hell ; So nurse to children under ten, Of bogie talks, and big black men ; 7 8 WHIMS AXD FANTASIES But wisdom's growth and mental light Deprive these bugbears of their bite : When men discard their moral crutches, God help quack doctors in their clutches. In the calm hours of closing night, The lengthening shades of falling light Disperse o'er scenes by memory made Alternate streaks of light and shade. Then twilight soft the light effaces, And colour from the view erases ; Tempering scenes in dimness fading, To quiet, tintless, pencil shading. Dislike, disdain, revenge, and hate Are chastened by approaching fate : PHASES OF LIFE 79 We pardon foes to purge us sent, Repair the past, of faults repent ; Compare th' opinions held in youth With progress made towards the truth ; Consider if we've stamped this firm In letters, or instilled its germ In children's minds, whose well-tilled ground With future crops must needs abound. All else we deem a minor thing Which can but petty trials bring : Events must pass in sequence due, But marching mind is history true. About to lose what man holds dear, You've much to hope, but naught to fear : 8o WHIMS AND FANTASIES Cold death at worst can only mean A safe return to what we've been ; When life is gone, and ere it came, May be, alas ! about the same : Uncertainty perhaps is bad, But knowledge cannot yet be had. 'Twere worse by far in self to dwell, And meekly doom all else to hell ; So grovel not in desert sand, Nor chase a mirage fairyland. Imagine not a curious bend — A mere beginning, with no end ; The Eternal's no lop-sided thing, And winter is foretold by spring : PHASES OF LIFE 8 1 What comes from nought must nought remain, And be resolved to nought again : — Creation's womb, an empty pod ! ( ) Mystery ! thy name is God ! In dream-like ecstasy arise, But don't presume to dogmatise. Let fervent hope her fancies lend, And yearning souls in bliss ascend To realms of love and poesy, Of rapture and of rhapsody. There may be life beyond the grave, The immortal state for which we crave : Perhaps hereafter we may ken The souls of palaeolithic men, 82 WHIMS AXD FANTASIES Voraceous anthropophagi Revived to dwell in harmony ; The eaters and the eaten met, The dainty marrow bones reset. What's just for one to all assign ; If man is man, where draw the line ? Great intellects pervade the globes, Spangling space with bright abodes : Far greater they may be than man — An earth-worm in the mighty plan. A blind man knows not what is light ; A deaf one hearing puzzles quite. Dost think that nature cannot bless With other gifts than men possess ; PHASES OF LIFE 83 That beings must restricted be To senses five, dimensions three ? Yet, limited in time and space, They cannot fill the Eternal's place. One God alone can view the whole Grand universe from pole to pole : The mind can but its parts unroll. Its cause, its aim, we can't descry : We may learn how ? but never why I Yet had I but the epic power To stay the mental meteor shower, And fix in words like gifted seer The thoughts which flash and disappear, 84 WHIMS AND FANTASIES I'd conjure up a scene of woe, Of pallid horrors here below ; And picture forth the Christian scheme, More hideous than a demon's dream — A scheme which cultured men receive And as truth's sacred word believe ! I see the earth its cycles run Dimly lit by dying sun : Degraded mountains valleys fill, Choked seas are struck with icy chill ; Egyptian shrines, archaic fanes, In fragments strew the desert plains ; The soil, forgotten nations' dust, Debris of rocks, and metals' rust. PHASES OP LIFE 85 Vast charnel-house, Nirwana's rest Is paramount from East to West. Who'd break the spell, the clarion blow To wake mankind to endless woe, With jarring clang, ferocious yell, Evolve a new creation — hell ; And reign, accurst by all beneath, Midst shrieking pain, and gnashing teeth ? Th' archfiend evoke, a god could not So dread a doom to man allot. Death was not meant to shadow life, It ends its joys, but ends its strife : Tis neither to be sought nor feared, Neither censured nor revered. 86 WHIMS AND FANTASIES Your wife and children, if they're spared, The children of the ones she reared, And friends who round your death-bed press, Record your words, and hear you bless. How bitter parting from our love, How sweet to hope to meet above ! The burden borne by sinking heart Arms priestcraft with its keenest dart. God shield you from the danger dire : Trust natures's law, with hope aspire. If racked with pangs of mortal pain, The cup of friendly hemlock drain ; But if by death less keen oppressed, Let music lull you to your rest : PHASES OF LIFE 87 May gentle strains, subdued and deep, Soothe your pissage hence to sleep :— God grant some time those strains may be The rouse,* though now your lullaby. In reverence held, your days fulfilled, With hopefulness forebodings stilled, Sink to rest without a sigh, And, whispering ' nunc dimittis] die. And now, my soul, be still, I pray, In rugged rhyme thou'st had thy say. •. bugle sound to awake sleeping soldiers. 88 WHIMS AND FANTASIES LEITH HILL, SURREY Loved Surrey downs, right well I know Thy chalky slopes and wooded crests, Thy clefts wherein Thames' tributes flow, Thy heights whereon no rainfall rests. Beneath, swift brooks, and lakes asleep Are fed by many an affluent rill ; Fair Wotton smiles to see them leap In linked cascades from high Leith Hill. High rears the hill its beacon tower Where sandstones erst by chalk o'errun, Uptilted by Titanic power, Emerge to face the midday sun. LEITH HILL, SURREY 89 Stern its aspect, rough the heath That clothes its brow and worn ravines, But softly smiles the plain beneath, Dimpled with sweet silvan scenes. Reposing in sequestered nook Is perched a gentle lady's bower, Returning the dark mountain's look With smiling grove and blushing flower. The neighbouring hamlet imitates The chalets of Helvetian hills, And speeds its babbling delegates, The shaded dell-descending rills. G 90 WHIMS AND FANTASIES To Ockley, nestled at its feet, From Northern tempest cold and wild The mountain gives protection meet ; Yet casts no shadow on its child. O happy village, what relief, To wearied mind to see thy race Of stalwart sons, thy genial chief His well-loved patriarchal face ! As on a panoramic sheet Surrounding counties you may view ; Beyond, the searching gaze may meet A glimpse of ocean's azure hue. LEITH HILL, SURREY 9 1 A wealth of wood and tillage crowns The southward stretching tract of land, Which meets the distant Sussex downs Beyond the clay and forest sand. What giant rivers once spread o'er This broad and fair alluvial plain ; What continent sufficed to store The floods it carried to the main ? New verdure clothes the wide expanse, The peaceful haunts of rustic men ; Where rippling waves cast sparkling glance O'er Saurian reptiles' miry fen. 92 WHIMS AND FANTASIES For ages rolled that nameless sea, By winds and tides incessant stirred, Ne'er seen by human eye to be, Ne'er visited by ocean bird. Hast thou a spirit, hoary hill 1 Canst thou recall, men's time before, The flying dragon's screeches shrill, The pterodact', and plesiosaur' ? Canst thou tell me when and how Man the infernal game began, Carried on from then till now, Of spite and hate 'gainst fellow man ? LEITH HILL, SURREY 93 Didst mark when on thy summit bold With warriors' toil the vallum rose, When Romans formed their strongest hold, To stop the rush of savage foes ? What hast thou seen of woe and weal, Of bridal troops, and madd'ning war? Rememberst then when Danish steel, And Saxon stained thy slopes with gore ? Now citizens enjoy the air, Where frowned the fort in days of yore ; And on the heath'ry ridges share The picnic basket's ample store. WHIMS FROM A NOTE BOOK WHIMS FROM A NOTE BOOK — o — ON THE DEATH OF A RELATIVE A sable tress I hold to view Dimly through the gathering tear, Relic of one sincere and true — A well-loved sister's raven hair, I trace the threads of silver grey That wander through the wavy lock ; Marks of suffering passed away, Of cares dispelled by death's rude shock. 9& WHIMS PKOM A NOTEBOOK Watching the pale atonement light So sadly burning night and day, That the flown spirit may be dight In angel robes, I hope — I pray. WHIMS FROM A NOTE BOOK 99- MONKS AND SILKWORMS Soft, musing minds, from war-clouds shrank, From lust and rapine turned away, And fled to convents, where they drank Of all the learning of the day. Though superstition shed its blight, It saved them from their ruthless foes ; It gave them time to seek the light, And errors of the Church expose. Like chrysalis in silken shell, Imprisoned in self-spun cocoon, They gathered strength in darkened cell To bear the blaze of brilliant noon. IOO WHIMS FROM A NOTE BOOK SUPERSTITION Bastard child of Paganism, begotten by the Jew, Thy cruel curses Science scorns, thy promises untrue. In stately Athens' pensive groves, on Academic scroll Philosophy led ever on to truth, and virtue's goal, But thou misledst the ethic maid to plunder, slay, and pray; Perverted by thy casuistry she sank to foul decay. Men's minds, intent on calm research, were turned aside by thee : Thou openedst wide Pandora's box, and reardst the Upas tree. WHIMS FROM A NOTE BOOK IOI AUTUMN AND MAY Sear Autumn and young budding May Could never come together : The summer heat between them lay, Before him, wintry weather. The laughing nymph essayed to gain A smile of love and pleasure, Garnished with the golden grain Outpouring from his treasure. ' Too fair thou art, for me, sweet May, Too charming altogether ; Thy love, alas ! would stray away, 'Twould break a golden tether.' t02 WHIMS FROM A NOTE BOOK EPITAPH ON A FAVOURITE RED SPANIEL Killed by a reaping-machine. There lies, as dead as fallen log, My humble friend, my faithful dog : Twelve years of happiness he"d seen When mangled by a damned machine. Dear Shot, in life you had a lease Of watchfulness, of sport, and feast, Free from barking, biting habits, Except in war or hunting rabbits ; But nothing had for you more charm Than rambling with me o'er the farm. AYHIMS FROM A NOTE BOOK 103 I'm old and worn, my dear old Shot, Trust me you'll never be forgot : As long as on the earth I jog, I'll never love another dog. 104 WHIMS FROM A NOTE BOOK THE FISHERMAN'S BRIDE Fondly dwelt my love with me, His breast my happy pillow, Our home a cot by the lonely sea — O wreathe my head with willow. A fortnight scarcely passed away While gently rolled the billow, How calm it looked, our bridal day — O wreathe my head with willow. Then upwards rose the storm tossed wave, And foamed the curling billow; No love my husband's boat could save — O wreathe my head with willow. WHIMS FROM A NOTE BOOK 105 He sunk down in the deep, deep sea ; To a lone and rocky pillow. My lost one's bride I'll always be, So wreathe my head with willow. H 106 WHIMS FROM A NOTE BOOK AN INCIDENT ON THE NIGHT MARCH TO TEL-EL-KEBIR What glare is this now kindling in the East, The hero's summons to death's ghastly feast ? Can sunlight break before the hour of day, To quench the hopes of Britain's proud array ? Comes it thus early to support the foe, As once it tarried at the overthrow Of vanquished, flying, panic-stricken bands, Destroyed by vengeful Israel's thirsty brands ? Is it to guide the storm of iron and lead, That wants but light to strew the sand with dead ? WHIMS FROM A NOTE BOOK I07 But look again, 'tis not the dawn of day Tis but a comet's gentle, mystic ray. O blessed omen ! O most welcome sight ! On, comrades, sheltered by the shades of night. /^ UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY AA 000 391 198 9 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below ^t^W^L 10m.ll,'50(2555)470j &Mm THE L.USKAK1 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES ateaas'^^VK - 2^S?a-£:&a_ 3991 :)■ I •i i 1 i i I i I 'V 1