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in reading。 Lucasta Paying her Obsequies is a poem that makes a
kind of dainty confusion between the two vestalsthe living and
the dead； they are 〃equal virgins；〃 and you must assign the
pronouns carefully to either as you read。 This； read twice； must
surely be placed amongst the loveliest of his lovely writings。 It
is a joy to meet such a phrase as 〃her brave eyes。〃
TO ALTHEA； FROM PRISON
This is a poem that takes the winds with an answering flight。
Should they be 〃birds〃 or 〃gods〃 that wanton in the air in the
first of these gallant stanzas？ Bishop Percy shied at 〃gods；〃 and
with admirable judgment suggested 〃birds；〃 an amendment adopted by
the greater number of succeeding editors； until one or two wished
for the other phrase again； as an audacity fit for Lovelace。 But
the Bishop's misgiving was after all justified by one of the Mss。
of the poem； in which the 〃gods〃 proved to be 〃birds〃 long before
he changed them。 The reader may ask； what is there to choose
between birds so divine and gods so light？ But to begin with
〃gods〃 would be to make an anticlimax of the close。 Lovelace led
from birds and fishes to winds； and from winds to angels。
〃When linnet…like confined〃 is another modern reading。 〃When； like
committed linnets；〃 daunted the eighteenth century。 Nevertheless；
it is right seventeenth century； and is now happily restored；
happily； because Lovelace would not have the word 〃confined〃 twice
in this little poem。
A HORATIAN ODE
〃He earned the glorious name；〃 says a biographer of Andrew Marvell
（editing an issue of that poet's works which certainly has its
faults）； 〃of the British Aristides。〃 The portly dulness of the
mind that could make such a phrase； and having made； award it； is
not； in fairness； to affect a reader's thought of Marvell himself
nor even of his time。 Under correction； I should think that the
award was not made in his own age； he did but live on the eve of
the day that cumbered its mouth with phrases of such foolish burden
and made literature stiff with them。 Andrew Marvell's political
rectitude； it is true； seems to have been of a robustious kind； but
his poetry； at its rare best； has a 〃wild civility；〃 which might
puzzle the triumph of him； whoever he was； who made a success of
this phrase of the 〃British Aristides。〃 Nay； it is difficult not
to think that Marvell too； who was 〃of middling stature； roundish…
faced； cherry…cheeked；〃 a healthy and active rather than a
spiritual Aristides； might himself have been somewhat taken by
surprise at the encounters of so subtle a muse。 He； as a garden…
poet； expected the accustomed Muse to lurk about the fountain…
heads； within the caves； and by the walks and the statues of the
gods； keeping the tryst of a seventeenth century convention in
which there were certainly no surprises。 And for fear of the
commonplaces of those visits； Marvell sometimes outdoes the whole
company of garden…poets in the difficult labours of the fancy。 The
reader treads with him a 〃maze〃 most resolutely intricate； and is
more than once obliged to turn back； having been too much puzzled
on the way to a small； visible； plain； and obvious goal of thought。
And yet this poet two or three times did meet a Muse he had hardly
looked for among the trodden paths； a spiritual creature had been
waiting behind a laurel or an apple…tree。 You find him coming away
from such a divine ambush a wilder and a simpler man。 All his
garden had been made ready for poetry； and poetry was indeed there；
but in unexpected hiding and in a strange form； looking rather like
a fugitive； shy of the poet who was conscious of having her rules
by heart； yet sweetly willing to be seen； for all her haste。
The political poems； needless to say； have an excellence of a
different character and a higher degree。 They have so much
authentic dignity that 〃the glorious name of the British Aristides〃
really seems duller when it is conferred as the earnings of the
Horatian Ode upon Cromwell's Return from Ireland than when it
inappropriately clings to Andrew Marvell； cherry…cheeked； caught in
the tendrils of his vines and melons。 He shall be； therefore； the
British Aristides in those moments of midsummer solitude； at least；
the heavy phrase shall then have the smile it never sought。
The Satires are； of course； out of reach for their inordinate
length。 The celebrated Satire on Holland certainly makes the
utmost of the fun to be easily found in the physical facts of the
country whose people 〃with mad labour fished the land to shore。〃
The Satire on 〃Flecno〃 makes the utmost of another joke we know of…
…that of famine。 Flecno； it will be remembered； was a poet； and
poor； but the joke of his bad verses was hardly needed； so fine
does Marvell find that of his hunger。 Perhaps there is no age of
English satire that does not give forth the sound of that laughter
unknown to savagesthat craven laughter。
THE PICTURE OF T。 C。 IN A PROSPECT OF FLOWERS
The presence of a furtive irony of the sweetest kind is the sure
sign of the visit of that unlooked…for muse。 With all spirit and
subtlety does Marvell pretend to offer the little girl T。 C。 （the
future 〃virtuous enemy of man〃） the prophetic homage of the
habitual poets。 The poem closes with an impassioned tenderness not
to be found elsewhere in Marvell。
THE DEFINITION OF LOVE
The noble phrase of the Horatian Ode is not recovered again； high
or low； throughout Marvell's book； it we except one single splendid
and surpassing passage from The Definition of Love …
〃Magnanimous despair alone
Could show me so divine a thing。〃
CHILDHOOD
One of our true poets； and the first who looked at nature with the
full spiritual intellect； Henry Vaughan was known to few but
students until Mr。 E。 K。 Chambers gave us his excellent edition。
The tender wit and grave play of Herbert； Crashaw's lovely rapture；
are all unlike this meditation of a soul condemned and banished
into life。 Vaughan's imagination suddenly opens a new window
towards the east。 The age seems to change with him； and it is one
of the most incredible of all facts that there should be more than
a centuryand such a century！from him to Wordsworth。 The
passing of time between them is strange enough； but the passing of
Pope； Prior； and Grayof the world； the world； whether reasonable
or flippant or rhetoricalis more strange。 Vaughan's phrase and
diction seem to carry the light。 Il vous semble que cette femme
degage de la lumiere en marchant？ Vous l'aimez！ says Marius in Les
Miserables （I quote from memory）； and it seems to be by a sense of
light that we know the muse we are to love。
SCOTTISH BALLADS
It was no easy matter to choose a group of representative ballads
from among so many almost equally fine and equally damaged with
thin places。 Finally； it seemed best to take； from among the
finest； those that had passages of geniusa line here and there of
surpassing imagination and poetryrare in even the best folk…
songs。 Such passages do not occur but in ballads that are
throughout on the level of the highest of their kind。 〃None but my
foe to be my guide〃 so distinguishes Helen of Kirconnell； the
exquisite stanza about the hats of birk； The Wife of Usher's Well；
its varied refrain； The Dowie Dens of Yarrow； the stanza spoken by
Margaret asking for room in the grave； Sweet William and Margaret；
and a number of passages； Sir Patrick Spens； such as that
beginning； 〃I saw the new moon late yestreen；〃 the stanza beginning
〃O laith； laith were our gude Scots lords；〃 and almost all the
stanzas following。 A Lyke Wake Dirge is of surpassing quality
throughout。 I am sorry to have no room for Jamieson's version of
Fair Annie； for Edom o' Gordon； for The Daemon Lover； for Edward；
Edward； and for the Scottish edition of The Battle of Otterbourne。
MRS。 ANNE KILLIGREW
This most majestic odeone of the few greatest of its kindis a
model of noble rhythm and especially of cadence。 To print it whole
would be impossible； and one of the very few excisions in this book
is made in the midst of it。 Dryden； so adult and so far from
simplicity； bears himself like a child who； having said something
fine； caps it with something foolish。 The suppressed part of the
ode is silly with a silliness which Dryden's age chose to dodder in
when it would。 The deplorable 〃rattling bones〃 of the closing
section has a touch of it。
SONG； FROM ABDELAZAR
It is a futile thingand the cause of a train of futilitiesto
hail 〃style〃 as though it were a separable quality in literature；
and it is not in that illusion that the style of the opening of
Aphra Behn's resounding song is to be praised。 But it IS the
styleimplying the reckless and majestic heartthat first takes
the reader of these great verses。
HYMN （The spacious firmament on high）
Whether Addison wrote the whole of this or not；and it seems that
the inspired passages are none of hisit is to me a poem of
genius； magical in spite of the limited diction。
ELEGY TO THE MEMORY OF AN UNFORTUNATE LADY
Also in spite of limited dictionthe sign of thought closing in；
as it did fast close in during those yearsar