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And, lo! my farther course cut off a river,
Which, toward the left hand, with its little waves,
Bent down the grass that on its margin sprang.

All waters that on earth most limpid are,
Would seem to have within themselves some mixture,
Compared with that, which nothing doth conceal,
Although it moves with a brown, brown current,
Under the shade perpetual, that never

Ray of sun let in, nor of the moon.

Translation of H. W. LONGFELLOW.

DANTE ALIGHIERI, 1265-1821.

NATURE TEACHING IMMORTALITY.

Nature, thy daughter, ever-changing birth

Of thee, the great Immutable, to man
Speaks wisdom; is his oracle supreme;
And he who most consults her is most wise.
Look nature through, 'tis revolution all.

All change, no death. Day follows night, and night
The dying day; stars rise, and set, and rise;
Earth takes th' example. See the summer gay,
With her green chaplet, and ambrosial flow'rs,

Droops into pallid autumn; winter gray,

Horrid with frost, and turbulent with storm,
Blows autumn and his golden fruits away,

Then melts into the spring; soft spring, with breath
Favonian, from warm chambers of the south,

Recalls the first. All to re-flourish fades,

As in a wheel all sinks to reascend;

Emblems of man, who passes, not expires.
With this minute distinction, emblems just,
Nature revolves, but man advances; both
Eternal, that a circle, this a line;

That gravitates, this soars. Th' aspiring soul,
Ardent and tremulous, like flame ascends,
Zeal and humility her wings, to heaven.
The world of matter, with its various forms,
All dies into new life. Life, born from death,
Rolls the vast mass, and shall for ever roll.

No single atom, once in being lost,

With change of counsel charges the Most High.
Matter immortal, and shall spirit die?

Above the nobler shall less noble rise?

Shall man alone, for whom all else revives,

Now resurrection know! shall man alone,
Imperial man! be sown in barren ground,
Less privileg'd than grain on which he feeds?
Is man, in whom alone is power to prize
The bliss of being, or with previous pain
Deplore its period, by the spleen of fate,
Severely doom'd, death's single unredeem'd?

EDWARD YOUNG, 1681-1755

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Hour. In the frolic view of men.
Silvan. Lov'st thou music?

Hour. Oh, 'tis sweet!

Silvan. What's dancing.

Hour. E'en the mirth of feet.

Silvan. Joy you in fairies, or in elves
Hour. We are of that sort ourselves.

But, Silvan, say, why do you love
Only to frequent the grove?

Silvan. Life is fullest of content

When delight is innocent.

Hour. Pleasure must vary, not be long;

Come, then, let's close, and end the song.

DR. THOMAS CAMPION 1607.

TO CYNTHIA.

Queen and huntress, chaste and fair,
Now the sun is laid to sleep;
Seated in thy silver chair,

State in wonted manner keep:

Hesperus entreats thy light,
Goddess excellently bright!

Earth, let not thy envious shade
Dare itself to interpose;
Cynthia's shining orb was made

Heaven to clear when day did close;

Bless us, then with wished sight,
Goddess excellently bright!

Lay thy bow of pearl apart,

And thy crystal-shining quiver;

Give unto the flying hart

Space to breathe, how short soever;
Thou that mak'st a day of night,

Goddess excellently bright!

BEN JONSON 1574-1637.

TO NIGHT.

Mysterious Night! when our first parent knew

Thee from report divine, and heard thy name,

Did he not tremble for this lovely frame,

This glorious canopy of light and blue?

Yet 'neath the curtain of translucent dew,

Bathed in the rays of the great setting flame,
Hesperus with the host of Heaven came,

And lo! creation widened in man's view.

Who could have thought such darkness lay concealed
Within thy beams, O Sun! or who could find,

While fly, and leaf, and insect lay revealed,
That to such countless orbs thou mad'st us blind!
Why do we, then, shun Death with anxious strife?
If Light can thus deceive, wherefore not Life?

BLANCO WHITE.

NIGHT.

When I survey the bright

Celestial sphere,

So rich with jewels hung, that night
Doth like an Ethiop bride appear;

My soul her wings doth spread,

And heavenward flies

The Almighty's mysteries to read

In the large volume of the skies.

For the bright firmament
Shoots forth no flame

So silent, but is eloquent

In speaking the Creator's name.

No unregarded star

Contracts its light

Into so small character,

Remov'd far from our human sight:

But if we steadfast look,

We shall discern

In it, as in some holy book,

How man may heavenly knowledge learn.

It tells the conqueror

That far-stretch'd power,

Which his proud dangers traffic for,

Is but the triumph of an hour.

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