And　speaking　not；　but　leaning　over　him
  I　took　his　brush　and　blotted　out　the　bird；
  And　made　a　Gardener　putting　in　a　graff；
  With　this　for　motto；　〃Rather　use　than　fame。〃
  You　should　have　seen　him　blush；　but　afterwards
  He　made　a　stalwart　knight。　　O　Vivien；
  For　you；　methinks　you　think　you　love　me　well；
  For　me；　I　love　you　somewhat；　rest：　　and　Love
  Should　have　some　rest　and　pleasure　in　himself；
  Not　ever　be　too　curious　for　a　boon；
  Too　prurient　for　a　proof　against　the　grain
  Of　him　ye　say　ye　love：　　but　Fame　with　men；
  Being　but　ampler　means　to　serve　mankind；
  Should　have　small　rest　or　pleasure　in　herself；
  But　work　as　vassal　to　the　larger　love；
  That　dwarfs　the　petty　love　of　one　to　one。
  Use　gave　me　Fame　at　first；　and　Fame　again
  Increasing　gave　me　use。　　Lo；　there　my　boon！
  What　other？　for　men　sought　to　prove　me　vile；
  Because　I　fain　had　given　them　greater　wits：
  And　then　did　Envy　call　me　Devil's　son：
  The　sick　weak　beast　seeking　to　help　herself
  By　striking　at　her　better；　missed；　and　brought
  Her　own　claw　back；　and　wounded　her　own　heart。
  Sweet　were　the　days　when　I　was　all　unknown；
  But　when　my　name　was　lifted　up；　the　storm
  Brake　on　the　mountain　and　I　cared　not　for　it。
  Right　well　know　I　that　Fame　is　half…disfame；
  Yet　needs　must　work　my　work。　　That　other　fame；
  To　one　at　least；　who　hath　not　children；　vague；
  The　cackle　of　the　unborn　about　the　grave；
  I　cared　not　for　it：　　a　single　misty　star；
  Which　is　the　second　in　a　line　of　stars
  That　seem　a　sword　beneath　a　belt　of　three；
  I　never　gazed　upon　it　but　I　dreamt
  Of　some　vast　charm　concluded　in　that　star
  To　make　fame　nothing。　　Wherefore；　if　I　fear；
  Giving　you　power　upon　me　through　this　charm；
  That　you　might　play　me　falsely；　having　power；
  However　well　ye　think　ye　love　me　now
  （As　sons　of　kings　loving　in　pupilage
  Have　turned　to　tyrants　when　they　came　to　power）
  I　rather　dread　the　loss　of　use　than　fame；
  If　youand　not　so　much　from　wickedness；
  As　some　wild　turn　of　anger；　or　a　mood
  Of　overstrained　affection；　it　may　be；
  To　keep　me　all　to　your　own　self；or　else
  A　sudden　spurt　of　woman's　jealousy；
  Should　try　this　charm　on　whom　ye　say　ye　love。'
  And　Vivien　answered　smiling　as　in　wrath：
  'Have　I　not　sworn？　　I　am　not　trusted。　　Good！
  Well；　hide　it；　hide　it；　I　shall　find　it　out；
  And　being　found　take　heed　of　Vivien。
  A　woman　and　not　trusted；　doubtless　I
  Might　feel　some　sudden　turn　of　anger　born
  Of　your　misfaith；　and　your　fine　epithet
  Is　accurate　too；　for　this　full　love　of　mine
  Without　the　full　heart　back　may　merit　well
  Your　term　of　overstrained。　　So　used　as　I；
  My　daily　wonder　is；　I　love　at　all。
  And　as　to　woman's　jealousy；　O　why　not？
  O　to　what　end；　except　a　jealous　one；
  And　one　to　make　me　jealous　if　I　love；
  Was　this　fair　charm　invented　by　yourself？
  I　well　believe　that　all　about　this　world
  Ye　cage　a　buxom　captive　here　and　there；
  Closed　in　the　four　walls　of　a　hollow　tower
  From　which　is　no　escape　for　evermore。'
  Then　the　great　Master　merrily　answered　her：
  'Full　many　a　love　in　loving　youth　was　mine；
  I　needed　then　no　charm　to　keep　them　mine
  But　youth　and　love；　and　that　full　heart　of　yours
  Whereof　ye　prattle；　may　now　assure　you　mine；
  So　live　uncharmed。　　For　those　who　wrought　it　first；
  The　wrist　is　parted　from　the　hand　that　waved；
  The　feet　unmortised　from　their　ankle…bones
  Who　paced　it；　ages　back：　　but　will　ye　hear
  The　legend　as　in　guerdon　for　your　rhyme？
  'There　lived　a　king　in　the　most　Eastern　East；
  Less　old　than　I；　yet　older；　for　my　blood
  Hath　earnest　in　it　of　far　springs　to　be。
  A　tawny　pirate　anchored　in　his　port；
  Whose　bark　had　plundered　twenty　nameless　isles；
  And　passing　one；　at　the　high　peep　of　dawn；
  He　saw　two　cities　in　a　thousand　boats
  All　fighting　for　a　woman　on　the　sea。
  And　pushing　his　black　craft　among　them　all；
  He　lightly　scattered　theirs　and　brought　her　off；
  With　loss　of　half　his　people　arrow…slain；
  A　maid　so　smooth；　so　white；　so　wonderful；
  They　said　a　light　came　from　her　when　she　moved：
  And　since　the　pirate　would　not　yield　her　up；
  The　King　impaled　him　for　his　piracy；
  Then　made　her　Queen：　　but　those　isle…nurtured　eyes
  Waged　such　unwilling　though　successful　war
  On　all　the　youth；　they　sickened；　councils　thinned；
  And　armies　waned；　for　magnet…like　she　drew
  The　rustiest　iron　of　old　fighters'　hearts；
  And　beasts　themselves　would　worship；　camels　knelt
  Unbidden；　and　the　brutes　of　mountain　back
  That　carry　kings　in　castles；　bowed　black　knees
  Of　homage；　ringing　with　their　serpent　hands；
  To　make　her　smile；　her　golden　ankle…bells。
  What　wonder；　being　jealous；　that　he　sent
  His　horns　of　proclamation　out　through　all
  The　hundred　under…kingdoms　that　he　swayed
  To　find　a　wizard　who　might　teach　the　King
  Some　charm；　which　being　wrought　upon　the　Queen
  Might　keep　her　all　his　own：　　to　such　a　one
  He　promised　more　than　ever　king　has　given；
  A　league　of　mountain　full　of　golden　mines；
  A　province　with　a　hundred　miles　of　coast；
  A　palace　and　a　princess；　all　for　him：
  But　on　all　those　who　tried　and　failed；　the　King
  Pronounced　a　dismal　sentence；　meaning　by　it
  To　keep　the　list　low　and　pretenders　back；
  Or　like　a　king；　not　to　be　trifled　with
  Their　heads　should　moulder　on　the　city　gates。
  And　many　tried　and　failed；　because　the　charm
  Of　nature　in　her　overbore　their　own：
  And　many　a　wizard　brow　bleached　on　the　walls：
  And　many　weeks　a　troop　of　carrion　crows
  Hung　like　a　cloud　above　the　gateway　towers。'
  And　Vivien　breaking　in　upon　him；　said：
  'I　sit　and　gather　honey；　yet；　methinks；
  Thy　tongue　has　tript　a　little：　　ask　thyself。
  The　lady　never　made　unwilling　war
  With　those　fine　eyes：　　she　had　her　pleasure　in　it；
  And　made　her　good　man　jealous　with　good　cause。
  And　lived　there　neither　dame　nor　damsel　then
  Wroth　at　a　lover's　loss？　were　all　as　tame；
  I　mean；　as　noble；　as　the　Queen　was　fair？
  Not　one　to　flirt　a　venom　at　her　eyes；
  Or　pinch　a　murderous　dust　into　her　drink；
  Or　make　her　paler　with　a　poisoned　rose？
  Well；　those　were　not　our　days：　　but　did　they　find
  A　wizard？　　Tell　me；　was　he　like　to　thee？
  She　ceased；　and　made　her　lithe　arm　round　his　neck
  Tighten；　and　then　drew　back；　and　let　her　eyes
  Speak　for　her；　glowing　on　him；　like　a　bride's
  On　her　new　lord；　her　own；　the　first　of　men。
  He　answered　laughing；　'Nay；　not　like　to　me。
  At　last　they　foundhis　foragers　for　charms
  A　little　glassy…headed　hairless　man；
  Who　lived　alone　in　a　great　wild　on　grass；
  Read　but　one　book；　and　ever　reading　grew
  So　grated　down　and　filed　away　with　thought；
  So　lean　his　eyes　were　monstrous；　while　the　skin
  Clung　but　to　crate　and　basket；　ribs　and　spine。
  And　since　he　kept　his　mind　on　one　sole　aim；
  Nor　ever　touched　fierce　wine；　nor　tasted　flesh；
  Nor　owned　a　sensual　wish；　to　him　the　wall
  That　sunders　ghosts　and　shadow…casting　men
  Became　a　crystal；　and　he　saw　them　through　it；
  And　heard　their　voices　talk　behind　the　wall；
  And　learnt　their　elemental　secrets；　powers
  And　forces；　often　o'er　the　sun's　bright　eye
  Drew　the　vast　eyelid　of　an　inky　cloud；
  And　lashed　it　at　the　base　with　slanting　storm；
  Or　in　the　noon　of　mist　and　driving　rain；
  When　the　lake　whitened　and　the　pinewood　roared；
  And　the　cairned　mountain　was　a　shadow；　sunned
  The　world　to　peace　again：　　here　was　the　man。
  And　so　by　force　they　dragged　him　to　the　King。
  And　then　he　taught　the　King　to　charm　the　Queen
  In　such…wise；　that　no　man　could　see　her　more；
  Nor　saw　she　save　the　King；　who　wrought　the　charm；
  Coming　and　going；　and　she　lay　as　dead；
  And　lost　all　use　of　life：　　but　when　the　King
  Made　proffer　of　the　league　of　golden　mines；
  The　province　with　a　hundred　miles　of　coast；
  The　palace　and　the　princess；　that　old　man
  Went　back　to　his　old　wild；　and　lived　on　grass；
  And　vanished；　and　his　book　came　down　to　me。'
  And　Vivien　answered　smiling　saucily：
  'Ye　have　the　book：　　the　charm　is　written　in　it：
  Good：　　take　my　counsel：　　let　me　know　it　at　once：
  For　keep　it　like　a　puzzle　chest　in　chest；
  With　each　chest　locked　and　padlocked　thirty…fold；
  And　whelm　all　this　beneath　as　vast　a　mound
  As　after　furious　battle　turfs　the　slain
  On　some　wild　down　above　the　windy　deep；
  I　yet　should　strike　upon　a　sudden　means
  To　dig；　pick；　open；　find　and　read　the　charm：
  Then；　if　I　tried　it；　who　should　blame　me　then？'
  And　smiling　as　a　master　smiles　at　one
  That　is　not　of　his　school；　nor　any　school
  But　that　where　blind　and　naked　Ignorance
  Delivers　brawling　judgments；　unashamed；
  On　all　things　all　day　long；　he　answered　her：
  'Thou　read　the　book；　my　pretty　Vivien！
  O　ay；　it　is　but　twenty　pages　long；
  But　every　page　having　an　ample　marge；
  And　every　marge　enclosing　in　the　midst
  A　square　of　text　that　looks　a　little　blot；
  The　text　no　larger　than　the　limbs　of　fleas；
  And　every　square　of　text　an　awful　charm；
  Writ　in　a　language　that　has　long　gone　by。
  So　long；　that　mountains　have　arisen　since
  With　cities　on　their　flanksthou　read　the　book！
  And　ever　margin　scribbled；　crost；　and　crammed
  With　comment；　densest　condensation；　hard
  To　mind　and　eye；　but　the　long　sleepless　nights
  Of　my　long　life　have　made　it　easy　to　me。
  And　none　can　read　the　text；　not　even　I；
  And　none　can　read　the　comment　but　myself；
  And　in　the　comment　did　I　find　the　charm。
  O；　the　results　are　simple；　a　mere　child
  Might　use　it　to　the　harm　of　anyone；
  And　never　could　undo　it：　　ask　no　more：
  For　though　you　should　not　prove　it　upon　me；
  But　keep