Of colour dawned upon the Damsel's cheek; And her lips, quickening with uncertain red, Seemed from each other a faint warmth to borrow. Deep was the awe, the rapture high, Of love emboldened, hope with dread entwining, When, to the mouth, relenting Death Allowed a soft and flower-like breath, Precursor to a timid sigh, To lifted eyelids, and a doubtful shining. In silence did King Arthur gaze Upon the signs that pass away or tarry; In silence watched the gentle strife Of Nature leading back to life; Then eased his soul at length by praise Of God, and Heaven's pure Queen-the blissful Mary. Not long the Nuptials were delayed; 350 And sage tradition still rehearses Who shrinks not from alliance By magic domination, The Heaven-permitted vent 355 360 365 330 335 The tempest overcame her, And she was seen no more; But gently, gently blame herShe cast a Pearl ashore. The Maid to Jesu hearkened, 340 375 And kept to Him her faith, THE RIVER DUDDON. A SERIES OF SONNETS 1. [Composed between 1806-1820.-Published 1820.] The River Duddon rises upon Wrynose Fell, on the confines of Westmoreland, Cumberland, and Lancashire; and, having served as a boundary to the two last Counties for the space of about twentyfive miles, enters the Irish Sea, between the Isle of Walney and the Lordship of Millum. How touching, when, at midnight, sweep To hear-and sink again to sleep! 10 Through hill and valley every breeze O Brother! I revere the choice Or, at an earlier call, to mark, 35 40 15 20 With ambient streams more pure and bright 50 Glittering before the Thunderer's sight, Is to my heart of hearts endeared The ground where we were born and reared! 1 These Sonnets (No. XXVII. excepted) appeared early in 1820, in a volume entitled The River Duddon, A Series of Sonnets: Vaudracour and Julia: and other Poems. To which is annexed A Topographical Description of the Country of the Lakes, in the North of England. They were written at various intervals between 1806 and 1820. Sonnet No. XIV. (O Mountain Stream!) was written before April, 1807, when it first appeared amongst the Miscellaneous Sonnets of Poems in Two Volumes; and Sonnet No. XXVII. (Fallen, and diffused) was published in 1819, along with The Waggoner; included, in the collective (4 vol.) ed. of 1820, amongst the Miscellaneous Sonnets; and, in ed. 1827, transferred to its present place in this Series.-ED. SOLE listener, Duddon! to the breeze that played With thy clear voice, I caught the fitful sound Wafted o'er sullen moss and craggy mound Unfruitful solitudes, that seemed to upbraid The sun in heaven!-but now, to form a shade 5 For Thee, green alders have together wound Their foliage; ashes flung their arms around; And birch-trees risen in silver colonnade. And thou hast also tempted here to rise, 'Mid sheltering pines, this Cottage rude and grey; 10 Whose ruddy children, by the mother's eyes Carelessly watched, sport through the summer day, Thy pleased associates:-light as endless May On infant bosoms lonely Nature lies. FLOWERS. ERE yet our course was graced with social trees It lacked not old remains of hawthorn Where small birds warbled to their parabowers, mours; And, earlier still, was heard the hum of bees; I saw them ply their harmless robberies, And caught the fragrance which the Fed by the stream with soft perpetual sundry flowers, 6 Plenteously yielded to the vagrant breeze. showers, There bloomed the strawberry of the wilderness; The trembling eyebright showed her sapphire blue, ΙΟ The thyme her purple, like the blush of Even ; And if the breath of some to no caress Invited, forth they peeped so fair to view, All kinds alike seemed favourites of Heaven. And Thou, blue Streamlet, murmuring Both feel, when he renews the wished-for No fiction was it of the antique age: Dancing with all their brilliant equipage 5 For the distracted Mother to assuage Succeeding-still succeeding! Here the Her grief with, as she might!-But, where, Child |