The Poetical Works Of Robert Bridges Part 72

Such toys have not a place in your society; you say n.o.body shall make them, nor made may justly acquire them.

Yet, should a plea be alleged for life's most gracious adornment, For contemplative art's last transcendental achievement, Grief's almighty solace, frolicking Mirth's Purification, 330 For Man's unparagon'd High-poetess, inseparate Muse Companion, the belov'd most dearly among her sisters, Revivifier of age, fairest instructor of all grace, His peacemaker alert with varied sympathy, whose speech Not to arede and love is wholly to miss the celestial Consolatries, the divine interpreting of physical life,-- You wince? make exception? allow things musical? admit So many faked viols, penny trumpets, and amateurish Performers? Nay, nay! stand firm, for concession is vain.

Music is outmeasurably a barefaced luxury, her plea 340 Will cover art, (--almost to atone art's vile imitations--); My j.a.panese paintings, my fair blue Cheney, h.e.l.lenic Statues and Caroline silver, my beautiful Aldines, Prized more highly because so few, so fondly familiar, Need no tongue to defend them against rude hands, that a.s.sail them Only because their name is RARITY; hands insensate, Rending away pitilessly the fair embroideries of life, That close-cl.u.s.t'ring man, his comfort pared to the outskirts Of[v]his discomfort, may share in meanness unenvied But what if I[v]unveil the figure that closely beside you 350 Half hides his h.e.l.l-charred skeleton with mysteries obscene, That foul one, that Moloch of all Utopias, ancient Poisoner & destroyer-elect of innumerous unborn?

Know you the story of our hive-bees, the yellow honey-makers, Whose images from of old have haunted Poetry, settling On the blossoms of man's dream-garden, as on the summer-flow'rs, Pictures of happy toil, sunny glances, gendering always Such sweet thoughts, as be by slumbrous music awaken'd?

How all their outward happiness,--that fairy demeanour Of busy contentment, singing at their work,--is an inborn 360 Empty habit, the relics of a time when considerate joy Truly possest their tiny bodies; when golden abundance Was not a State-kept h.o.a.rd; when feasts were plentiful indulg'd With wine well-fermented, or old-stored spicy metheglin: For they died not then miserably within the second moon Forgotten, unrespected of all; but slept many winters, Saw many springs, liv'd, lov'd like men, consciously rejoicing In Nature's promises, with like hopes and recollections.

Intelligence had brought them Science, Genius enter'd; Seers and sages arose, great Bees, perfecting among them 370 Copious inventions, with man's art worthily compared.

Then was a time when that, which haps not in ages of ages, Strangely befel: they stole from Nature's secresy one key, Found the hidden motive which works to variety of kind; And thus came wondrously possest of pow'r to determine Their children's qualities, habitudes, yea their specialized form Masculine or feminine to produce, or as.e.xual offspring Redow'rd and differenced with such alternative organs As they chose, to whate'er preferential function adapted, Wax-pocket or honey-bag, with an instinct rightly acordant.

We know well the result, but not what causes effected 381 Their decision to prefer so blindly the race to the unit, As to renounce happiness for a problem, a vain abstraction; Making home and kingdom a vast egg-factory, wherein Food and life are stor'd up alike, and strictly proportion'd In loveless labour with mean anxiety. Wondrous Their reason'd motive, their altruistic obedience Unto a self-impos'd life-sentence of prison or toil.

Wonder wisely! then ask if these ingenious insects, (Who made Natur' against her will their activ' acomplice, And, methodizing anew her heartless system, averted 391 From their house the torrent of whelming natural increase,) Are blood-guiltless among their own-born progeny: What skill Keeps their peace, or what price buys it? Alack! 'tis murder, Murder again. No worst Oriental despot, a.s.suring 'Gainst birthright or faction or envy his ill-gotten empire, So decimates his kin, as do these rown-bodied egg-queens Surprise compet.i.tors, and stab their slumbering infants, Into the wax-cradles replunging their double-edged stings.

Or what a deed of blood some high-day, when the summer[v]hath 400 Their clammy cells o'erbrim'd, and already ripening orchards And late flow'rs proclaim that starving winter approacheth, Nor will again any queen lead forth her swarm, dispeopling Their strawbuilt citadel; then watch how these busy workers Cease for awhile from toil; how crowding upon the devoted Drones they fall; those easy fellows gave some provocation; Yet 'tis a foul ma.s.sacre, cold murder of unsuspecting Life-long companions; and done bloodthirstily:--is not Exercise of pow'r a delight? have you not a doctrine That calls duty pleasure? What an if they make merry, saying 'Lazy-livers, runagates, evil beasts, greedy devourers, 411 'Too happy and too long ye've liv'd, unashamed to have outliv'd 'Your breeders, feeders, warmers and toiling attendants; 'Had-ye ever been worthy a public good to accomplish, 'Each had n.o.bly perish'd long-ago. Unneeded, obese ones, 'Impious enc.u.mbrance, whose hope of service is over, 'Who did not, now can not, a.s.sist the community, YE DIE!'

My parable may serve. What wisdom man hath attain'd to Came to him of Nature's goodwill throu' tardy selection: Should her teaching accuse herself and her method impugn, I may share with her the reproach of approving as artist 421 Far other ideals than what seem needful in action.

This difficulty besets our time. If you have an answer, Write me it, as you keep your salt in savour; or if toil Grant you an indulgence, here lies fair country, direct then Your Sabbath excursion westward, and spend a summer-day Preaching among the lilies what you[v]have preached to the chimneys.

3

PEACE ODE

ON CONCLUSION OF THE BOER WAR, JUNE 1902

Now joy in all hearts with happy auguries, And praise on all lips: for sunny June cometh Chasing the thick warcloud, that outspread Sulfurous and sullen over England.

Full thirty moons since unwilling enmity, Since daily suspense for hideous peril Of brethren unrescued, beleaguer'd Plague-stricken in cities unprovided,

Had quencht accustom'd gaiety, from the day When first the Dutchman's implacable folly, The country of Shakspeare def[=y]ing, Thought with a curse to appal the nation:

Whose threat to quell their kinsmen in Africa Anger'd awhile our easy democracy; That, reckless and patient of insult, Will not abide arrogant defiance:

They called to arms; and war began evilly.

From slily forestor'd, well-hidden armouries, And early advantage, the despot Stood for a time prevalent against us:

Till from the coil of slow-gathering battle He rancorous, with full moneybags hurried, Peddling to European envy His traffic of pennyworthy slander.

For since the first keel launch'd upon Ocean Ne'er had before so mighty an armament O'errun the realm of dark Poseidon, So resolutely measur'd the waters,

As soon from our ports in diligent pa.s.sage O'er half the round world plow'd hither & thither The pathless Atlantic, revengeful Soldiery pouring on Esperanza:

Nor shows the Argive story of Ilium, With tale of ancient auxiliar cities, So vast a roll of wide alliance As, rallying to the aid of England,

Came from the swarming counties accoutering, And misty highlands of Caledonia, With Cambria's half-Celtic offspring, And the ever-merry fighting Irish:

Came too the new world's hardy Canadians, And from remote Australia champions Like huntsmen, and from those twin islands Lying off antipodal beyond her,

Under the old flag sailing across the sea: For mighty is blood's empery, where honour And freedom ancestral have upbuilt Inheritance to a lovely glory.

Thee, France, love I, fair lawgiver and scholar: Thy lively grace, thy temper ill.u.s.trious; And thee, in all wisdom Diviner, Germany, deep melodist immortal;

Nor less have envied soft Italy's spirit, In marble unveil'd and eloquent colour: But best love I England, wer' I not Born to her aery should envy also.

Wherefore to-day one gift above every gift Let us beseech, that G.o.d will accord to her Always a right judgement in all things; Ev'n to celestial excellencies;

And grant us in long peace to acc.u.mulate Joy, and to stablish friendliness and commerce, And barter in markets for unpriced Beauty, the pearl of unending empire.

_May, 1902._

4

EVENING

FROM WM. BLAKE[A]

Come, rosy angel, thy coronet donning Of starry j[=ew]els, smile upon ev'ry bed, And grant what each day-weary mortal, Labourer or lover, asketh of thee.

Smile thou on our loves, enveloping the land With dusky curtain: consider each blossom That timely upcloseth, that opens Her treasure of heavy-laden odours.

Now, while the west-wind slumbereth on the lake, Silently dost thou with delicate shimmer O'erbloom the frowning front of awful Night to a glance of unearthly silver.

No hungry wild beast rangeth in our forest, No tiger or wolf prowleth around the fold: Keep thou from our sheepcotes the tainting Invisible peril of the darkness.

5

POVRE AME AMOUREUSE

FROM LOUISE LABE, 1555

(_Sapphics_)

When to my lone soft bed at eve returning Sweet desir'd sleep already stealeth o'er me, My spirit flieth to the fairy-land of her tyrannous love.

Him then I think fondly to kiss, to hold him Frankly then to my bosom; I that all day Have looked for[v]him suffering, repining, yea many long days.

O blessed sleep, with flatteries beguile me; So,[v]if I ne'er may[v]of a surety have[v]him, Grant to my poor soul amorous the dark gift of this illusion.

6

THE FOURTH DIMENSION

(_Hendecasyllables_)

Truest-hearted of early friends, that Eton Long since gave to me,--Ah! 'tis all a life-time,-- With my faithfully festive auspication Of Christmas merriment, this idle item.

Plato truly believ'd his archetypal Ideas to possess the fourth dimension: For since our solid is triple, but always Its shade only double, solids as _umbrae_ Must lack equally one dimension also.

Could Plato[v]have avoided or denied it?

So Saint Paul, when in argument opposing To our earthly bodies bodies celestial, Meant just those pretty Greek aforesaid abstracts Of four Platonical divine dimensions.

If this be not a holy consolation More than plumpudding and a turkey roasted, Whereto you but address a third dimension, Try it, pray, as a pill to aid digestion: I can't find anything better to send you.