While, near the midway cliff, the silvered kite In many a whistling circle wheels her flight; Slant watery lights, from parting clouds, apace Travel along the precipice's base; Cheering its naked waste of scattered stone, 95 By lichens grey, and scanty moss, o'ergrown; Where scarce the foxglove peeps, or [23] thistle's beard; And restless [24] stone-chat, all day long, is heard.

How pleasant, as the sun declines, to view [25]

The s.p.a.cious landscape change in form and hue! 100 Here, vanish, as in mist, before a flood Of bright obscurity, hill, lawn, and wood; There, objects, by the searching beams betrayed, Come forth, and here retire in purple shade; Even the white stems of birch, the cottage white, 105 Soften their glare before the mellow light; The skiffs, at anchor where with umbrage wide Yon chestnuts half the latticed boat-house hide, Shed from their sides, that face the sun's slant beam, Strong flakes of radiance on the tremulous stream: 110 Raised by yon travelling flock, a dusty cloud Mounts from the road, and spreads its moving shroud; The shepherd, all involved in wreaths of fire, Now shows a shadowy speck, and now is lost entire.

Into a gradual calm the breezes [26] sink, [27] 115 A blue rim borders all the lake's still brink; There doth the twinkling aspen's foliage sleep, And insects clothe, like dust, the gla.s.sy deep: [28]

And now, on every side, the surface breaks Into blue spots, and slowly lengthening streaks; 120 Here, plots of sparkling water tremble bright With thousand thousand twinkling points of light; There, waves that, hardly weltering, die away, Tip their smooth ridges with a softer ray; And now the whole wide lake in deep repose 125 Is hushed, and like a burnished mirror glows, [29]

Save where, along the shady western marge, Coasts, with industrious oar, the charcoal barge. [30]

Their panniered train a group of potters goad, Winding from side to side up the steep road; 130 The peasant, from yon cliff of fearful edge Shot, down the headlong path darts with his sledge; [31]

Bright beams the lonely mountain-horse illume Feeding 'mid purple heath, "green rings," [K] and broom; While the sharp slope the slackened team confounds, 135 Downward [L] the ponderous timber-wain resounds; [32] In foamy breaks the rill, with merry song, Dashed o'er [33] the rough rock, lightly leaps along; From lonesome chapel at the mountain's feet, Three humble bells their rustic chime repeat; 140 Sounds from the water-side the hammered boat; And 'blasted' quarry thunders, heard remote!

Even here, amid the sweep of endless woods, Blue pomp of lakes, high cliffs and falling floods, Not undelightful are the simplest charms, 145 Found by the gra.s.sy [34] door of mountain-farms.

Sweetly ferocious, [M] round his native walks, Pride of [35] his sister-wives, the monarch stalks; Spur-clad his nervous feet, and firm his tread; A crest of purple tops the warrior's head. [36] 150 Bright sparks his black and rolling [37] eye-ball hurls Afar, his tail he closes and unfurls; [38] On tiptoe reared, he strains [39] his clarion throat, Threatened by faintly-answering farms remote: Again with his shrill voice the mountain rings, 155 While, flapped with conscious pride, resound his wings! [40]

Where, mixed with graceful birch, the sombrous pine And yew-tree [41] o'er the silver rocks recline; I love to mark the quarry's moving trains, Dwarf panniered steeds, and men, and numerous wains: 160 How busy all [42] the enormous hive within, While Echo dallies with its [43] various din!

Some (hear you not their chisels' clinking sound?) [44]

Toil, small as pigmies in the gulf profound; Some, dim between the lofty [45] cliffs descried, 165 O'erwalk the slender [46] plank from side to side; These, by the pale-blue rocks that ceaseless ring, In airy baskets hanging, work and sing.[47]

Just where a cloud above the mountain rears [48]

An [49] edge all flame, the broadening sun appears; 170 A long blue bar its aegis...o...b..divides, And breaks the spreading of its golden tides; And now that orb has touched the purple steep Whose softened image penetrates the deep.[50]

'Cross the calm lake's blue shades the cliffs aspire, 175 With towers and woods, a "prospect all on fire"; [N]

While [51] coves and secret hollows, through a ray Of fainter gold, a purple gleam betray.

Each slip of lawn the broken rocks between Shines in the light with more than earthly green: [52] 180 Deep yellow beams the scattered stems [53] illume, Far in the level forest's central gloom: Waving his hat, the shepherd, from [54] the vale, Directs his winding dog the cliffs to scale,-- The dog, loud barking, 'mid the glittering rocks, 185 Hunts, where his master points, the intercepted flocks. [55]

Where oaks o'erhang the road the radiance shoots On tawny earth, wild weeds, and twisted roots; The druid-stones a brightened ring unfold; [56]

And all the babbling brooks are liquid gold; 190 Sunk to a curve, the day-star lessens still, Gives one bright glance, and drops [57] behind the hill. [P]

In these secluded vales, if village fame, Confirmed by h.o.a.ry hairs, belief may claim; When up the hills, as now, retired the light, 195 Strange apparitions mocked the shepherd's sight. [58]

The form appears of one that spurs his steed Midway along the hill with desperate speed; [59]

Unhurt pursues his lengthened flight, while all Attend, at every stretch, his headlong fall. 200 Anon, appears a brave, a gorgeous show Of hors.e.m.e.n-shadows moving to and fro; [60]

At intervals imperial banners stream, [61]

And now the van reflects the solar beam; [62]

The rear through iron brown betrays a sullen gleam. 205 While silent stands the admiring crowd below, Silent the visionary warriors go, Winding in ordered pomp their upward way [Q]

Till the last banner of their [63] long array Has disappeared, and every trace is fled 210 Of splendour--save the beacon's spiry head Tipt with eve's latest gleam of burning red. [64]

Now, while the solemn evening shadows sail, On slowly-waving pinions, [65] down the vale; And, fronting the bright west, yon oak entwines 215 Its darkening boughs and leaves, in stronger lines; [66]

'Tis pleasant near the tranquil lake to stray [67]

Where, winding on along some secret bay, [68]

The swan uplifts his chest, and backward flings His neck, a varying arch, between his towering wings: 220 The eye that marks the gliding creature sees How graceful, pride can be, and how majestic, ease. [69]

While tender cares and mild domestic loves With furtive watch pursue her as she moves, The female with a meeker charm succeeds, 225 And her brown little-ones around her leads, Nibbling the water lilies as they pa.s.s, Or playing wanton with the floating gra.s.s.

She, in a mother's care, her beauty's pride Forgetting, calls the wearied to her side; [70] 230 Alternately they mount her back, and rest Close by her mantling wings' embraces prest. [R]

Long may they float upon this flood serene; Theirs be these holms untrodden, still, and green, Where leafy shades fence off the bl.u.s.tering gale, 235 And breathes in peace the lily of the vale![71]

Yon isle, which feels not even the milk-maid's feet, Yet hears her song, "by distance made more sweet," [72] [S]

Yon isle conceals their home, their hut-like bower; Green water-rushes overspread the floor; [73] 240 Long gra.s.s and willows form the woven wall, And swings above the roof the poplar tall.

Thence issuing often with unwieldy stalk, They crush with broad black feet their flowery walk; [74]

Or, from the neighbouring water, hear at morn [75] 245 The hound, the horse's tread, and mellow horn; Involve their serpent-necks in changeful rings, Rolled wantonly between their slippery wings, Or, starting up with noise and rude delight, Force half upon the wave their c.u.mbrous flight. [76] 250

Fair Swan! by all a mother's joys caressed, Haply some wretch has eyed, and called thee blessed; When with her infants, from some shady seat By the lake's edge, she rose--to face the noontide heat; Or taught their limbs along the dusty road 255 A few short steps to totter with their load. [77]

I see her now, denied to lay her head, On cold blue nights, in hut or straw-built shed, Turn to a silent smile their sleepy cry, By pointing to the gliding moon [78] on high. 260

--[79] When low-hung clouds each star of summer hide, And fireless are the valleys far and wide, Where the brook brawls along the public [80] road Dark with bat-haunted ashes stretching broad, [81] Oft has she taught them on her lap to lay 265 The shining glow-worm; or, in heedless play, Toss it from hand to hand, disquieted; While others, not unseen, are free to shed Green unmolested light upon their mossy bed. [82]

Oh! when the sleety showers her path a.s.sail, 270 And like a torrent roars the headstrong gale; [83]

No more her breath can thaw their fingers cold, Their frozen arms her neck no more can fold; [84] Weak roof a cowering form two babes to shield, And faint the fire a dying heart can yield! 275 Press the sad kiss, fond mother! vainly fears Thy flooded cheek to wet them with its tears; [85] No tears can chill them, and no bosom warms, Thy breast their death-bed, coffined in thine arms!

Sweet are the sounds that mingle from afar, 280 Heard by calm lakes, as peeps the folding star, Where the duck dabbles 'mid the rustling sedge, And feeding pike starts from the water's edge, Or the swan stirs the reeds, his neck and bill Wetting, that drip upon the water still; 285 And heron, as resounds the trodden sh.o.r.e, Shoots upward, darting his long neck before.

[86]

Now, with religious awe, the farewell light Blends with the solemn colouring of night; [87]

'Mid groves of clouds that crest the mountain's brow, 290 And round the west's proud lodge their shadows throw, Like Una [T] shining on her gloomy way, The half-seen form of Twilight roams astray; Shedding, through paly loop-holes mild and small, Gleams that upon the lake's still bosom fall; [88] 295 [89] Soft o'er the surface creep those l.u.s.tres pale Tracking the motions of the fitful gale. [90]

With restless interchange at once the bright Wins on the shade, the shade upon the light.

No favoured eye was e'er allowed to gaze 300 On lovelier spectacle in faery days; When gentle Spirits urged a sportive chase, Brushing with lucid wands the water's face; While music, stealing round the glimmering deeps, Charmed the tall circle of the enchanted steeps. 305 --The lights are vanished from the watery plains: No wreck of all the pageantry remains.

Unheeded night has overcome the vales: On the dark earth the wearied vision fails; The latest lingerer of the forest train, 310 The lone black fir, forsakes the faded plain; Last evening sight, the cottage smoke, no more, Lost in the thickened darkness, glimmers h.o.a.r; And, towering from the sullen dark-brown mere, Like a black wall, the mountain-steeps appear. [91] 315

--Now o'er the soothed accordant heart we feel A sympathetic twilight slowly steal, And ever, as we fondly muse, we find The soft gloom deepening on the tranquil mind.

Stay! pensive, sadly-pleasing visions, stay! 320 Ah no! as fades the vale, they fade away: Yet still the tender, vacant gloom remains; Still the cold cheek its shuddering tear retains.

The bird, who ceased, with fading light, to thread Silent the hedge or steamy rivulet's bed, [92] 325 From his grey re-appearing tower shall soon Salute with gladsome note the rising moon, While with a h.o.a.ry light she frosts the ground, And pours a deeper blue to Aether's bound; Pleased, as she moves, her pomp of clouds to fold 330 In robes of azure, fleecy-white, and gold. [93]

Above yon eastern hill, [94] where darkness broods O'er all its vanished dells, and lawns, and woods; Where but a ma.s.s of shade the sight can trace, Even now she shows, half-veiled, her lovely face: [95] 335 Across [96] the gloomy valley flings her light, Far to the western slopes with hamlets white; And gives, where woods the chequered upland strew, To the green corn of summer, autumn's hue.

Thus Hope, first pouring from her blessed horn 340 Her dawn, far lovelier than the moon's own morn, 'Till higher mounted, strives in vain to cheer The weary hills, impervious, blackening near; Yet does she still, undaunted, throw the while On darling spots remote her tempting smile. 345

Even now she decks for me a distant scene, (For dark and broad the gulf of time between) Gilding that cottage with her fondest ray, (Sole bourn, sole wish, sole object of my way; 350 How fair its lawns and sheltering [97] woods appear!

How sweet its streamlet murmurs in mine ear!) Where we, my Friend, to happy [98] days shall rise, 'Till our small share of hardly-paining sighs (For sighs will ever trouble human breath) 355 Creep hushed into the tranquil breast of death.

But now the clear bright Moon her zenith gains, And, rimy without speck, extend the plains: The deepest cleft the mountain's front displays [99]

Scarce hides a shadow from her searching rays; 360 From the dark-blue faint silvery threads divide The hills, while gleams below the azure tide; Time softly treads; throughout the landscape breathes A peace enlivened, not disturbed, by wreaths Of charcoal-smoke, that o'er the fallen wood, 365 Steal down the hill, and spread along the flood.[100]

The song of mountain-streams, unheard by day, Now hardly heard, beguiles my homeward way. [U]

Air listens, like the sleeping water, still, To catch the spiritual music of the hill, [101] 370 Broke only by the slow clock tolling deep, Or shout that wakes the ferry-man from sleep, The echoed hoof nearing the distant sh.o.r.e, The boat's first motion--made with dashing oar; [102]

Sound of closed gate, across the water borne, 375 Hurrying the timid [103] hare through rustling corn; The sportive outcry of the mocking owl; [104]

And at long intervals the mill-dog's howl; The distant forge's swinging thump profound; Or yell, in the deep woods, of lonely hound. 380

VARIANTS ON THE ABOVE POEM:

[Variant 1: