A MIDSUMMER HOLIDAY

_AND OTHER POEMS_

BY

ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE

_THIRD EDITION_

London CHATTO & WINDUS, PICCADILLY 1889

CONTENTS.

A MIDSUMMER HOLIDAY:--

I. THE SEABOARD 3 II. A HAVEN 6 III. ON A COUNTRY ROAD 9 IV. THE MILL GARDEN 12 V. A SEA-MARK 16 VI. THE CLIFFSIDE PATH 19 VII. IN THE WATER 22 VIII. THE SUNBOWS 27 IX. ON THE VERGE 31

A NEW-YEAR ODE 39

LINES ON THE MONUMENT OF GIUSEPPE MAZZINI 66

LES CASQUETS 70

A BALLAD OF SARK 84

NINE YEARS OLD 87

AFTER A READING 94

MAYTIME IN MIDWINTER 100

A DOUBLE BALLAD OF AUGUST 105

HEARTSEASE COUNTRY 109

A BALLAD OF APPEAL 112

CRADLE SONGS 115

PELAGIUS 122

LOUIS BLANC 125

VOS DEOS LAUDAMUS 128

ON THE BICENTENARY OF CORNEILLE 132

IN SEPULCRETIS 134

LOVE AND SCORN 139

ON THE DEATH OF RICHARD DOYLE 142

IN MEMORY OF HENRY A. BRIGHT 143

A SOLITUDE 144

VICTOR HUGO: L'ARCHIPEL DE LA MANCHE 145

THE TWILIGHT OF THE LORDS 147

CLEAR THE WAY! 153

A WORD FOR THE COUNTRY 156

A WORD FOR THE NATION 167

A WORD FROM THE PSALMIST 176

A BALLAD AT PARTING 185

_A MIDSUMMER HOLIDAY_

TO THEODORE WATTS

THE SEABOARD.

The sea is at ebb, and the sound of her utmost word Is soft as the least wave's lapse in a still small reach. From bay into bay, on quest of a goal deferred, From headland ever to headland and breach to breach Where earth gives ear to the message that all days preach With changes of gladness and sadness that cheer and chide, The lone way lures me along by a chance untried That haply, if hope dissolve not and faith be whole, Not all for nought shall I seek, with a dream for guide. The goal that is not, and ever again the goal.

Table of contents (by pages)

• 1: A Midsummer Holiday and Other Poems by Swinburne
• 2: But show for a glimpse and hide The goal that is not
• 3: Till hoar decay begrime Names once beloved
• 4: Her kisses to bless as of yore
• 5: Spray of song that springs in April
• 6: If perchance the dawn may quicken
• 7: And bid strong death for judgment rise
• 8: Scarred not yet with temporal scars
• 9: Ere the splendour shrink and set
• 10: Full fledged with plumes of tawny fire and hoar grey light
• 11: Lay On downs and moorlands wan with day's defeat
• 12: La Chanson des Aventuriers de la Mer
• 13: White plumed with foam if the wind wake
• 14: These loose linked rivets of rock
• 15: These she knew from afar beholden
• 16: On the wrathful woful marge of earth and sea
• 17: Who heeds not aught of all beholden
• 18: All else may be sweeter than aught is on earth
• 19: Life yearns for solace toward the sea
• 20: Sweet thought's heart easing flowers
• 21: Errs in age and youth Babies know the truth
• 22: Beheld in heaven the sun by saints reviled
• 23: But its loftier laurel green as in living eyes it clomb
• 24: And praise that stings like shame
• 25: Oldworld grief had strewn them round his bier of yore
• 26: Down in meadows bland and tame
• 27: Shall their heritage not also turn again to dust
• 28: Shall the sons not exult in their sire
• 29: Has the past from the sepulchres beckoned
• 30: That love may be prouder to love her
• 31: Who know not whereof your choice is
• 32: Here the limitless north eastern