Into　a　warmer　air：　a　moment　more；
  Our　feet　were　soft　in　flowers。　There　was　store
  Of　newest　joys　upon　that　alp。　Sometimes
  A　scent　of　violets；　and　blossoming　limes；
  Loiter'd　around　us；　then　of　honey　cells；
  Made　delicate　from　all　white…flower　bells；
  And　once；　above　the　edges　of　our　nest；
  An　arch　face　peep'd；…　an　Oread　as　I　guess'd。
  〃Why　did　I　dream　that　sleep　o'er…power'd　me
  In　midst　of　all　this　heaven？　Why　not　see；
  Far　off；　the　shadows　of　his　pinions　dark；
  And　stare　them　from　me？　But　no；　like　a　spark
  That　needs　must　die；　although　its　little　beam
  Reflects　upon　a　diamond；　my　sweet　dream
  Fell　into　nothing…　into　stupid　sleep。
  And　so　it　was；　until　a　gentle　creep；
  A　careful　moving　caught　my　waking　ears；
  And　up　I　started：　Ah！　my　sighs；　my　tears；
  My　clenched　hands：…　for　lo！　the　poppies　hung
  Dew…dabbled　on　their　stalks；　the　ouzel　sung
  A　heavy　ditty；　and　the　sullen　day
  Had　chidden　herald　Hesperus　away；
  With　leaden　looks：　the　solitary　breeze
  Bluster'd；　and　slept；　and　its　wild　self　did　teaze
  With　wayward　melancholy；　and　I　thought；
  Mark　me；　Peona！　that　sometimes　it　brought
  Faint　fare…thee…wells；　and　sigh…shrilled　adieus！…
  Away　I　wander'd…　all　the　pleasant　hues
  Of　heaven　and　earth　had　faded：　deepest　shades
  Were　deepest　dungeons；　heaths　and　sunny　glades
  Were　full　of　pestilent　light；　our　taintless　rills
  Seem'd　sooty；　and　o'er…spread　with　upturn'd　gills
  Of　dying　fish；　the　vermeil　rose　had　blown
  In　frightful　scarlet；　and　its　thorns　out…grown
  Like　spiked　aloe。　If　an　innocent　bird
  Before　my　heedless　footsteps　stirr'd；　and　stirr'd
  In　little　journeys；　I　beheld　in　it
  A　disguis'd　demon；　missioned　to　knit
  My　soul　with　under　darkness；　to　entice
  My　stumblings　down　some　monstrous　precipice：
  Therefore　I　eager　followed；　and　did　curse
  The　disappointment。　Time；　that　aged　nurse；
  Rock'd　me　to　patience。　Now；　thank　gentle　heaven！
  These　things；　with　all　their　comfortings；　are　given
  To　my　down…sunken　hours；　and　with　thee；
  Sweet　sister；　help　to　stem　the　ebbing　sea
  Of　weary　life。〃
  Thus　ended　he；　and　both
  Sat　silent：　for　the　maid　was　very　loth
  To　answer；　feeling　well　that　breathed　words
  Would　all　be　lost；　unheard；　and　vain　as　swords
  Against　the　enchased　crocodile；　or　leaps
  Of　grasshoppers　against　the　sun。　She　weeps
  And　wonders；　struggles　to　devise　some　blame；
  To　put　on　such　a　look　as　would　say；　Shame
  On　this　poor　weakness！　but；　for　all　her　strife；
  She　could　as　soon　have　crush'd　away　the　life
  From　a　sick　dove。　At　length；　to　break　the　pause；
  She　said　with　trembling　chance：　〃Is　this　the　cause？
  This　all？　Yet　it　is　strange；　and　sad；　alas！
  That　one　who　through　this　middle　earth　should　pass
  Most　like　a　sojourning　demi…god；　and　leave
  His　name　upon　the　harp…string；　should　achieve
  No　higher　bard　than　simple　maidenhood；
  Singing　alone；　and　fearfully；…　how　the　blood
  Left　his　young　cheek；　and　how　he　used　to　stray
  He　knew　not　where；　and　how　he　would　say；　nay；
  If　any　said　'twas　love：　and　yet　'twas　love；
  What　could　it　be　but　love？　How　a　ring…dove
  Let　fall　a　sprig　of　yew　tree　in　his　path；
  And　how　he　died：　and　then；　that　love　doth　scathe
  The　gentle　heart；　as　northern　blasts　do　roses；
  And　then　the　ballad　of　his　sad　life　closes
  With　sighs；　and　an　alas！…　Endymion！
  Be　rather　in　the　trumpet's　mouth；…　anon
  Among　the　winds　at　large…　that　all　may　hearken！
  Although；　before　the　crystal　heavens　darken；
  I　watch　and　dote　upon　the　silver　lakes
  Pictur'd　in　western　cloudiness；　that　takes
  The　semblance　of　gold　rocks　and　bright　gold　sands；
  Islands；　and　creeks；　and　amber…fretted　strands
  With　horses　prancing　o'er　them；　palaces
  And　towers　of　amethyst；…　would　I　so　teaze
  My　pleasant　days；　because　I　could　not　mount
  Into　those　regions？　The　Morphean　fount
  Of　that　fine　element　that　visions；　dreams；
  And　fitful　whims　of　sleep　are　made　of；　streams
  Into　its　airy　channels　with　so　subtle；
  So　thin　a　breathing；　not　the　spider's　shuttle；
  Circled　a　million　times　within　the　space
  Of　a　swallow's　nest…door；　could　delay　a　trace；
  A　tinting　of　its　quality：　how　light
  Must　dreams　themselves　be；　seeing　they're　more　slight
  Than　the　mere　nothing　that　engenders　them！
  Then　wherefore　sully　the　entrusted　gem
  Of　high　and　noble　life　with　thoughts　so　sick？
  Why　pierce　high…fronted　honour　to　the　quick
  For　nothing　but　a　dream？〃　Hereat　the　youth
  Look'd　up：　a　conflicting　of　shame　and　ruth
  Was　in　his　plaited　brow：　yet；　his　eyelids
  Widened　a　little；　as　when　Zephyr　bids
  A　little　breeze　to　creep　between　the　fans
  Of　careless　butterflies：　amid　his　pains
  He　seem'd　to　taste　a　drop　of　manna…dew；
  Full　palatable；　and　a　colour　grew
  Upon　his　cheek；　while　thus　he　lifeful　spake。
  〃Peona！　ever　have　I　long'd　to　slake
  My　thirst　for　the　world's　praises：　nothing　base；
  No　merely　slumberous　phantasm；　could　unlace
  The　stubborn　canvas　for　my　voyage　prepar'd…
  Though　now　'tis　tatter'd；　leaving　my　bark　bar'd
  And　sullenly　drifting：　yet　my　higher　hope
  Is　of　too　wide；　too　rainbow…large　a　scope；
  To　fret　at　myriads　of　earthly　wrecks。
  Wherein　lies　happiness？　In　that　which　becks
  Our　ready　minds　to　fellowship　divine；
  A　fellowship　with　essence；　till　we　shine；
  Full　alchemiz'd；　and　free　of　space。　Behold
  The　clear　religion　of　heaven！　Fold
  A　rose　leaf　round　thy　finger's　taperness；
  And　soothe　thy　lips：　hist；　when　the　airy　stress
  Of　music's　kiss　impregnates　the　free　winds；
  And　with　a　sympathetic　touch　unbinds
  AEolian　magic　from　their　lucid　wombs：
  Then　old　songs　waken　from　enclouded　tombs；
  Old　ditties　sigh　above　their　father's　grave；
  Ghosts　of　melodious　prophecyings　rave
  Round　every　spot　where　trod　Apollo's　foot；
  Bronze　clarions　awake；　and　faintly　bruit；
  Where　long　ago　a　giant　battle　was；
  And；　from　the　turf；　a　lullaby　doth　pass
  In　every　place　where　infant　Orpheus　slept。
  Feel　we　these　things？…　that　moment　have　we　stept
  Into　a　sort　of　oneness；　and　our　state
  Is　like　a　floating　spirit's。　But　there　are
  Richer　entanglements；　enthralments　far
  More　self…destroying；　leading；　by　degrees；
  To　the　chief　intensity：　the　crown　of　these
  Is　made　of　love　and　friendship；　and　sits　high
  Upon　the　forehead　of　humanity。
  All　its　more　ponderous　and　bulky　worth
  Is　friendship；　whence　there　ever　issues　forth
  A　steady　splendour；　but　at　the　tip…top；
  There　hangs　by　unseen　film；　an　orbed　drop
  Of　light；　and　that　is　love：　its　influence；
  Thrown　in　our　eyes；　genders　a　novel　sense；
  At　which　we　start　and　fret；　till　in　the　end；
  Melting　into　its　radiance；　we　blend；
  Mingle；　and　so　become　a　part　of　it；…
  Nor　with　aught　else　can　our　souls　interknit
  So　wingedly：　when　we　combine　therewith；
  Life's　self　is　nourish'd　by　its　proper　pith；
  And　we　are　nurtured　like　a　pelican　brood。
  Aye；　so　delicious　is　the　unsating　food；
  That　men；　who　might　have　tower'd　in　the　van
  Of　all　the　congregated　world；　to　fan
  And　winnow　from　the　coming　step　of　time
  All　chaff　of　custom；　wipe　away　all　slime
  Left　by　men…slugs　and　human　serpentry；
  Have　been　content　to　let　occasion　die；
  Whilst　they　did　sleep　in　love's　elysium。
  And；　truly；　I　would　rather　be　struck　dumb；
  Than　speak　against　this　ardent　listlessness：
  For　I　have　ever　thought　that　it　might　bless
  The　world　with　benefits　unknowingly；
  As　does　the　nightingale；　upperched　high；
  And　cloister'd　among　cool　and　bunched　leaves…
  She　sings　but　to　her　love；　nor　e'er　conceives
  How　tiptoe　Night　holds　back　her　dark…grey　hood。
  Just　so　may　love；　although　'tis　understood
  The　mere　commingling　of　passionate　breath；
  Produce　more　than　our　searching　witnesseth：
  What　I　know　not：　but　who；　of　men；　can　tell
  That　flowers　would　bloom；　or　that　green　fruit　would　swell
  To　melting　pulp；　that　fish　would　have　bright　mail；
  The　earth　its　dower　of　river；　wood；　and　vale；
  The　meadows　runnels；　runnels