the flower of the mind(脑之花)-第2节
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the old stanza is immeasurably finer than his work in his own new stanzas
following； and it would be less than impiety to part the two。
I have obeyed a profound conviction which I have reason to hope will
be more commended in the future than perhaps it can be now； in leaving
aside a multitude of composite songsanachronisms； and worse than mere
anachronisms； as I think them to be； for they patch wild feeling with
sentiment of the sentimentalist。 There are some exceptions。 The one fine
stanza of a song which both Sir Walter Scott and Burns restored is given
with the restorations of both； those restorations being severally beautiful；
and the burden； 〃Hame； hame； hame；〃 is printed with the Jacobite song
that carries it； this song seems so mingled and various in date and origin
that no apology is needed for placing it amongst the bundle of Scottish
ballads of days before the Jacobites。 Sir Patrick Spens is treated here as an
ancient song。 It is to be noted that the modern； or comparatively modern；
additions to old songs full of quantitative metre〃Hame； hame； hame；〃 is
one of thesefull of long notes； rests； and interlinear pauses； are almost
always written in anapaests。 The later writer has slipped away from the
fine； various； and subtle metre of the older。 Assuredly the popularity of the
metre which； for want of a term suiting the English rules of verse； must be
called anapaestic； has done more than any other thing to vulgarise the
national sense of rhythm and to silence the finer rhythms。 Anapaests came
quite suddenly into English poetry and brought coarseness； glibness；
volubility； dapper and fatuous effects。 A master may use it well； but as a
popular measure it has been disastrous。 I would be bound to find the
modern stanzas in an old song by this very habit of anapaests and this very
misunderstanding of the long words and interlinear pauses of the older
stanzas。 This； for instance； is the old metre：
〃Hame； hame； hame！ O hame fain wad I be！〃
and this the lamentable anapaestic line （from the same song）：
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〃Yet the sun through the mirk seems to promise to me …。〃
It has been difficult to refuse myself the delight of including A Divine
Love of Carew； but it seemed too bold to leave out four stanzas of a poem
of seven； and the last four are of the poorest argument。 This passage at
least shall speak for the first three：
〃Thou didst appear A glorious mystery； so dark； so clear； As Nature
did intend All should confess； but none might comprehend。〃
From Christ's Victory in Heaven of Giles Fletcher （out of reach for its
length） it is a happiness to extract here at least the passage upon 〃Justice；〃
who looks 〃as the eagle
〃that hath so oft compared Her eye with heaven's〃；
from Marlowe's poem； also unmanageable； that in which Love ran to
the priestess
〃And laid his childish head upon her breast〃；
with that which tells how Night；
〃deep…drenched in misty Acheron； Heaved up her head； and half the
world upon Breathed darkness forth〃；
from Robert Greene two lines of a lovely passage：
〃Cupid abroad was lated in the night； His wings were wet with
ranging in the rain〃；
from Ben Jonson's Hue and Cry （not throughout fine） the stanza：
〃Beauties； have ye seen a toy； Called Love； a little boy； Almost naked；
wanton； blind； Cruel now； and then as kind？ If he be amongst ye； say； He
is Venus' run…away〃；
from Francis Davison：
〃Her angry eyes are great with tears〃；
from George Wither：
〃I can go rest On her sweet breast That is the pride of Cynthia's
train〃；
from Cowley：
〃Return； return； gay planet of mine east〃！
The poems in which these are cannot make part of the volume； but
the citation of the fragments is a relieving act of love。
At the very beginning； Skelton's song to 〃Mistress Margery
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Wentworth〃 had almost taken a place； but its charm is hardly fine enough。
If it is necessary to answer the inevitable question in regard to Byron；
let me say that in another Anthology； a secondary Anthology； the one in
which Gray's Elegy would have an honourable place； some more of
Byron's lyrics would certainly be found； and except this there is no
apology。 If the last stanza of the 〃Dying Gladiator〃 passage； or the last
stanza on the cascade rainbow at Terni；
〃Love watching madness with unalterable mien；〃
had been separate poems instead of parts of Childe Harold； they would
have been amongst the poems that are here collected in no spirit of
arrogance； or of caprice； of diffidence or doubt。
The volume closes some time before the middle of the century and the
death of Wordsworth。
A。 M。
＇As there would be considerable overlap between the poems in this
book and those already released by Project Gutenberg the text of the
poems is not included in this eText。 The poems that Alice selected are
shown below and are followed by her comments on them。… …DP＇
Anonymous。 The first carol Sir Walter Raleigh （1552…1618） Verses
before death Edmund Spenser （1553…1599） Easter Fresh spring Like as a
ship Epithalamion John Lyly （1554？…1606） The Spring Sir Philip Sidney
（1554…1586） True love The moon Kiss Sweet judge Sleep Wat'red was my
wine Thomas Lodge （1556…1625） Rosalynd's madrigal Rosaline The
solitary shepherd's song Anonymous I saw my lady weep George Peele
（1558？…1597） Farewell to arms Robert Greene （1560？…1592） Fawnia
Sephestia's song to her child Christopher Marlowe （1562…1593） The
passionate shepherd to his love Samuel Daniel （1562…1619） Sleep My
spotless love Michael Drayton （1563…1631） Since there's no help Joshua
Sylvester （1563…1618） Were I as base William Shakespeare （1564…1616）
Poor soul； the centre of my sinful earth O me！ What eyes hath love put in
my head Shall I compare thee to a summer's day？ When in the chronicle of
wasted time That time of year thou may'st in me behold How like a winter
hath my absence been Being your slave； what should I do but tend When
in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes They that have power to hurt； and
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will do Farewell！ thou art too dear for my possessing When to the sessions
of sweet silent thought Did not the heavenly rhetoric of thine eye The
forward violet thus did I chide O lest the world should task you to recite
Let me not to the marriage of true minds How oft； when thou； my music；
music play'st Full many a glorious morning have I seen The expense of
spirit in a waste of shame Fancy Fairies Come away Full fathom five
Dirge （Fear no more the heat o' the sun） Song （Take； O take those lips
away） Song （How should I your true love know） Anonymous Tom o'
Bedlam Thomas Campion （circa 1567…1620） Kind are her answers Laura
Her sacred bower Follow When thou must home Western wind Follow
your saint Cherry…ripe Thomas Nash （1567…1601？） Spring John Donne
（1573…1631） This happy dream Death Hymn to God the father The funeral
Richard Barnefield （1574？…？） The nightingale Ben Jonson （1574…1637）
Charis' triumph Jealousy Epitaph on Elizabeth L。 H。 Hymn to Diana On
my first daughter Echo's lament for Narcissus An epitaph on Salathiel
Pavy； a child of Queen Elizabeth's Chapel John Fletcher （1579…1625）
Invocation to sleep； from Valentinian To Bacchus John Webster （…？1625）
Song from the Duchess of Malfi Song from the Devil's Law…case In Earth；
dirge from Vittoria Corombona William Drummond of Hawthornden
（1585…1649） Song （Phoebus； arise！） Sleep； Silence' child To the
nightingale Madrigal I Madrigal II Beaumont and Fletcher （1586…1616）…
（1579…1625） I died true Francis Beaumont （1586…16
