V. JUMNOTREE. SHARP, clear, and crystalline, cleaving the sky Save that about its feet the tall hills lie, Like slaves around some mighty despot's throne; The short-lived centuries have come and flown, The eagles shun it in their highest flight; The clouds lie basking 'neath its eminence; Nor not a sound forever cometh thence, Save of some avalanche from its summit riven, Or thunder-tempest on its breakers driven. -a descent; a peak in *From Jumna, - the river, and aotar, the Himalayas, twenty-five thousand feet above the level of the sea. GEORGE JAMES DE WILDE. I. THE WATER-MILL. THERE; it may serve perhaps some future day, Over the useful stream, with one hot ray From Autumn's cloudless sky touched, like a star; The feathery greenery sheltering everywhere; The one bright strip of greensward seen afar Between the mossy trunks. May never care Come to the Mill, its clattering glee to mar, Making all foul within, while all around is fair. II. WHEATHAMSTEAD. To thy fresh slopes and hazel-shadowed lanes, And village homes, long years gone by I came, Lured by the magic of a mighty name, A glad enthusiast. I come once more, Not with the exulting heart which then I bore, Shall fail to shadow what bright hour soever, And feel the poet's truth is written here, – See Charles Lamb's exquisite paper in the "Essays of Elia," entitled "Mackery End, in Hertfordshire." III. EYDON HALL. (The Seat of the Rev. C. F. Annesley.) "Era il detto luogo sopra una piccola montagnetta, da ogni parte lontano alquanto alle nostre strade, di varj albuscelli e piante tutte di verde fronde ripieno, piacevoli a riguardare: in sul colmo della quale era un palagio. . . . con pratelli dattorno, e con giardini maravigliosi.". BOCCACCIO. - VERT alleys with trim trees arching o'erhead, And ending in a vista of blue hills, Statue, or vase, or nook where grottoed rills, Trickling from stone to stone, clear coolness shed; Elsewhere a pleasaunce, with quaint patterns spread Of rarest flowers; an orangery that fills The air with that sweet odor which distils From Lisbon or the Azores, seaward led. There needs but laughter from the shrubberies coming, IV. ON THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING. Now is the young Spring with us: her blue eyes And sunny smile come flushing through the tears Rude March hath startled from her; for she hears The gentle footfall and the wooing sighs Of coming April, nor to him denies (Sweet task!) the soothing of her virgin fears. More balmy and more balmy, as he nears, Her breath becomes; more sunny bright her eyes. And now to live! - now to arouse and shake The wintry torpor from the spirit, now To see the early Sun from slumber wake, And bathe in moonshine the uplifted brow; To shame dull Winter, time for work, — yet take Much holiday for art's and friendship's sake. |