Which did win my heart from me!"

So she droop'd and droop'd before him,

Fading slowly from his side:

Three fair children first she bore him,

Then before her time she died.

Weeping, weeping late and early, Walking up and pacing down, Deeply mourn'd the Lord of Burleigh, Burleigh-house by Stamford-town.

And he came to look upon her,

And he look'd at her and said,

"Bring the dress and put it on her, That she wore when she was wed."

Then her people, softly treading,

Bore to earth her body, drest In the dress that she was wed in,

That her spirit might have rest.

THE VOYAGE.

I.

E left behind the painted buoy

That tosses at the harbour-mouth;

And madly danced our hearts with

joy,

As fast we fleeted to the South:

How fresh was every sight and sound

On open main or winding shore!

We knew the merry world was round,
And we might sail for evermore.

II.

Warm broke the breeze against the brow,
Dry sang the tackle, sang the sail :

The Lady's-head upon the prow

Caught the shrill salt, and sheer'd the gale. The broad seas swell'd to meet the keel,

And swept behind: so quick the run, We felt the good ship shake and reel,

We seem'd to sail into the Sun!

III.

How oft we saw the Sun retire,

And burn the threshold of the night,

Fall from his Ocean-lane of fire,

And sleep beneath his pillar'd light! How oft the purple-skirted robe

Of twilight slowly downward drawn, As thro' the slumber of the globe

Again we dash'd into the dawn!

IV.

New stars all night above the brim
Of waters lighten'd into view;
They climb'd as quickly, for the rim

Changed every moment as we flew.

Far ran the naked moon across

The houseless ocean's heaving field,

Or flying shone, the silver boss

Of her own halo's dusky shield;

V.

The peaky islet shifted shapes,

High towns on hills were dimly seen, We past long lines of Northern capes And dewy Northern meadows green. We came to warmer waves, and deep Across the boundless east we drove, Where those long swells of breaker sweep The nutmeg rocks and isles of clove.

VI.

By peaks that flamed, or, all in shade,

Gloom'd the low coast and quivering brine

With ashy rains, that spreading made

Fantastic plume or sable pine;

By sands and steaming flats, and floods
Of mighty mouth, we scudded fast,
And hills and scarlet-mingled woods
Glow'd for a moment as we past.

VII.

O hundred shores of happy climes,

How swiftly stream'd ye by the bark! At times the whole sea burn'd, at times

With wakes of fire we tore the dark; At times a carven craft would shoot

From havens hid in fairy bowers,

With naked limbs and flowers and fruit, But we nor paused for fruit nor flowers.

VIII.

For one fair Vision ever fled

Down the waste waters day and night,

And still we follow'd where she led,

In hope to gain upon her flight.

Her face was evermore unseen,

And fixt upon the far sea-line; But each man murmur'd, "O my Queen, I follow till I make thee mine."

IX.

And now we lost her, now she gleam'd

Like Fancy made of golden air,