No More Learning

But the child's sob in the silence curses deeper
Than the strong man in his wrath. "

FOOTNOTES:

[6] A fact rendered pathetically historical by Mr. Horne's report of
his Commission. The name of the poet of "Orion" and "Cosmo de' Medici"
has, however, a change of associations, and comes in time to remind me
that we have some noble poetic heat of literature still,--however open
to the reproach of being somewhat gelid in our humanity--1844.




_A CHILD ASLEEP. _


I.

How he sleepeth, having drunken
Weary childhood's mandragore!
From its pretty eyes have sunken
Pleasures to make room for more;
Sleeping near the withered nosegay which he pulled the day before.

II.

Nosegays! leave them for the waking;
Throw them earthward where they grew;
Dim are such beside the breaking
Amaranths he looks unto:
Folded eyes see brighter colours than the open ever do.

III.

Heaven-flowers, rayed by shadows golden
From the palms they sprang beneath,
Now perhaps divinely holden,
Swing against him in a wreath:
We may think so from the quickening of his bloom and of his breath.

IV.

Vision unto vision calleth
While the young child dreameth on:
Fair, O dreamer, thee befalleth
With the glory thou hast won!
Darker wast thou in the garden yestermorn by summer sun.

V.

We should see the spirits ringing
Round thee, were the clouds away:
'T is the child-heart draws them, singing
In the silent-seeming clay--
Singing! stars that seem the mutest go in music all the way.

VI.

As the moths around a taper,
As the bees around a rose,
As the gnats around a vapour,
So the spirits group and close
Round about a holy childhood as if drinking its repose.

VII.

Shapes of brightness overlean thee,
Flash their diadems of youth
On the ringlets which half screen thee,
While thou smilest . . . not in sooth
_Thy_ smile, but the overfair one, dropt from some etherial mouth.

VIII.

Haply it is angels' duty,
During slumber, shade by shade
To fine down this childish beauty
To the thing it must be made
Ere the world shall bring it praises, or the tomb shall see it fade.

IX.

Softly, softly! make no noises!