"They are fierce and keen, But they fall anon, On the sword that lean, -They are dead and gone!"
ENVOY.
Through the mad world's scene, We are drifting on, To this tune, I ween, "They are dead and gone!"BALLADE OF BLUE CHINA.
There's a joy without canker or cark, There's a pleasure eternally new, 'Tis to gloat on the glaze and the mark Of china that's ancient and blue;Unchipp'd all the centuries through It has pass'd, since the chime of it rang, And they fashion'd it, figure and hue, In the reign of the Emperor Hwang.
These dragons (their tails, you remark, Into bunches of gillyflowers grew), -When Noah came out of the ark, Did these lie in wait for his crew?
They snorted, they snapp'd, and they slew, They were mighty of fin and of fang, And their portraits Celestials drew In the reign of the Emperor Hwang.
Here's a pot with a cot in a park, In a park where the peach-blossoms blew, Where the lovers eloped in the dark, Lived, died, and were changed into two Bright birds that eternally flew Through the boughs of the may, as they sang:
'Tis a tale was undoubtedly true In the reign of the Emperor Hwang.
ENVOY.
Come, snarl at my ecstasies, do, Kind critic, your "tongue has a tang"But--a sage never heeded a shrew In the reign of the Emperor Hwang.
BALLADE OF DEAD LADIES.
(AFTER VILLON.)
Nay, tell me now in what strange air The Roman Flora dwells to-day.
Where Archippiada hides, and where Beautiful Thais has passed away?
Whence answers Echo, afield, astray, By mere or stream,--around, below?
Lovelier she than a woman of clay;
Nay, but where is the last year's snow?
Where is wise Heloise, that care Brought on Abeilard, and dismay?
All for her love he found a snare, A maimed poor monk in orders grey;And where's the Queen who willed to slay Buridan, that in a sack must go Afloat down Seine,--a perilous way -Nay, but where is the last year's snow?
Where's that White Queen, a lily rare, With her sweet song, the Siren's lay?
Where's Bertha Broad-foot, Beatrice fair?
Alys and Ermengarde, where are they?
Good Joan, whom English did betray In Rouen town, and burned her? No, Maiden and Queen, no man may say;Nay, but where is the last year's snow?
ENVOY.
Prince, all this week thou need'st not pray, Nor yet this year the thing to know.
One burden answers, ever and aye, "Nay, but where is the last year's snow?"VILLON'S BALLADE
OF GOOD COUNSEL, TO HIS FRIENDS OF EVIL LIFE.
Nay, be you pardoner or cheat, Or cogger keen, or mumper shy, You'll burn your fingers at the feat, And howl like other folks that fry.
All evil folks that love a lie!
And where goes gain that greed amasses, By wile, and trick, and thievery?
'Tis all to taverns and to lasses!
Rhyme, rail, dance, play the cymbals sweet, With game, and shame, and jollity, Go jigging through the field and street, With MYST'RY and MORALITY;Win gold at GLEEK,--and that will fly, Where all you gain at PASSAGE passes, -And that's? You know as well as I, 'Tis all to taverns and to lasses!
Nay, forth from all such filth retreat, Go delve and ditch, in wet or dry, Turn groom, give horse and mule their meat, If you've no clerkly skill to ply;You'll gain enough, with husbandry, But--sow hempseed and such wild grasses, And where goes all you take thereby? -'Tis all to taverns and to lasses!
ENVOY.
Your clothes, your hose, your broidery, Your linen that the snow surpasses, Or ere they're worn, off, off they fly, 'Tis all to taverns and to lasses!
BALLADE OF THE BOOKWORM.
Far in the Past I peer, and see A Child upon the Nursery floor, A Child with books upon his knee, Who asks, like Oliver, for more!
The number of his years is IV, And yet in Letters hath he skill, How deep he dives in Fairy-lore!
The Books I loved, I love them still!
One gift the Fairies gave me: (Three They commonly bestowed of yore)The Love of Books, the Golden Key That opens the Enchanted Door;Behind it BLUEBEARD lurks, and o'er And o'er doth JACK his Giants kill, And there is all ALADDIN'S store, -The Books I loved, I love them still!
Take all, but leave my Books to me!
These heavy creels of old we bore We fill not now, nor wander free, Nor wear the heart that once we wore;Not now each River seems to pour His waters from the Muses' hill;Though something's gone from stream and shore, The Books I loved, I love them still!
ENVOY.
Fate, that art Queen by shore and sea, We bow submissive to thy will, Ah grant, by some benign decree, The Books I loved--to love them still.
VALENTINE IN FORM OF BALLADE.
The soft wind from the south land sped, He set his strength to blow, From forests where Adonis bled, And lily flowers a-row:
He crossed the straits like streams that flow, The ocean dark as wine, To my true love to whisper low, To be your Valentine.
The Spring half-raised her drowsy head, Besprent with drifted snow, "I'll send an April day," she said, "To lands of wintry woe."He came,--the winter's overthrow With showers that sing and shine, Pied daisies round your path to strow, To be your Valentine.
Where sands of Egypt, swart and red, 'Neath suns Egyptian glow, In places of the princely dead, By the Nile's overflow, The swallow preened her wings to go, And for the North did pine, And fain would brave the frost her foe, To be your Valentine.
ENVOY.
Spring, Swallow, South Wind, even so, Their various voice combine;But that they crave on ME bestow, To be your Valentine.
BALLADE OF OLD PLAYS.
(Les OEuvres de Monsieur Moliere. A Paris, chez Louys Billaine, a la Palme. M.D.C. LXVI.)LA COUR.
When these Old Plays were new, the King, Beside the Cardinal's chair, Applauded, 'mid the courtly ring, The verses of Moliere;Point-lace was then the only wear, Old Corneille came to woo, And bright Du Parc was young and fair, When these Old Plays were new!
LA COMEDIE.
How shrill the butcher's cat-calls ring, How loud the lackeys swear!
Black pipe-bowls on the stage they fling, At Brecourt, fuming there!
The Porter's stabbed! a Mousquetaire Breaks in with noisy crew -'Twas all a commonplace affair When these Old Plays were new!
LA VILLE.
When these Old Plays were new! They bring A host of phantoms rare:
