how much more are we indebted to the best! Like the fabled fountain of the Azores, but with a more various power, the magic of this Art can confer on each period of life its appropriate blessing: on early years Experience, on maturity Calm, on age Youthfulness. Poetry gives treasures more golden than gold,' leading us in higher and healthier ways than those of the world, and interpreting to us the lessons of Nature. But she speaks best for herself. Her true accents, if the plan has been executed with success, may be heard throughout the following pages :- wherever the Poets of England are honoured, wherever the dominant language of the world is spoken, it is hoped that they will find fit audience. F. T. P. NOTE 6 Samuel Rogers, who died in 1855, was the last poet included in The Golden Treasury. In this reprint additional poems are given representing the latter half of the nineteenth century. None but Mr. Palgrave could have grouped the newer poems in the most poetically-effective order,' as he conceived it, so they have been added in the chronological order of their authors. A few dates in the original selection have been corrected. With regard to copyright poems, Messrs. William Blackwood & Sons have kindly permitted the inclusion of George Eliot's 'O may I join the choir invisible'; Messrs. George Bell & Sons, Mr. Coventry Patmore's 'The Toys'; Messrs. Chatto & Windus, Mr. Arthur O'Shaughnessy's ode; and Mrs. Henley and Mr. Nutt, Mr. W. E. Henley's 'Out of the night that covers me.' Advantage has been taken of a new impression to include four of Mr. Swinburne's poems, by the kind permission of Mr. Theodore Watts-Dunton. THE GOLDEN TREASURY BOOK FIRST 1 SPRING Spring, the sweet Spring, is the year's pleasant king; Then blooms each thing, then maids dance in a ring, Cold doth not sting, the pretty birds do sing, Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo! 5 The palm and may make country houses gay, 10 The fields breathe sweet, the daisies kiss our feet, 2 SUMMONS TO LOVE Phoebus, arise ! And paint the sable skies With azure, white, and red : T. NASH. Rouse Memnon's mother from her Tithon's bed That she thy career may with roses spread: The nightingales thy coming each-where sing: 5 Make an eternal spring, Give life to this dark world which lieth dead; In larger locks than thou wast wont before, With diadem of pearl thy temples fair : Chase hence the ugly night 10 Which serves but to make dear thy glorious light. This is that happy morn, That day, long-wished day Of all my life so dark, (If cruel stars have not my ruin sworn And fates my hopes betray), An everlasting diamond should it mark. This is the morn should bring unto this grove My Love, to hear and recompense my love. But show thy blushing beams, Shalt see than those which by Peneüs' streams Now, Flora, deck thyself in fairest guise : A voice surpassing far Amphion's lyre, Makes vanish every star : Beyond the hills, to shun his flaming wheels: And nothing wanting is, save She, alas! W. DRUMMOND OF HAWTHORNDEN. 15 20 25 30 35 40 3 TIME AND LOVE I When I have seen by Time's fell hand defaced 5 10 That Time will come and take my Love away : —This thought is as a death, which cannot choose But weep to have that which it fears to lose. W. SHAKESPEARE. 4 II Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea, Nor gates of steel so strong, but time decays? O fearful meditation! where, alack! 5 9 Shall Time's best jewel from Time's chest lie hid? Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back, Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid ? O! none, unless this miracle have might, |