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The Poetical Works of Aubrey De Vere

De Vere, Aubrey (1814-1902)

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VOL. I. THE SEARCH AFTER PROSERPINE
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RECOLLECTIONS OF GREECE,
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KING HENRY THE SECOND AT THE TOMB OF KING ARTHUR,
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SONNETS.
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MISCELLANEOUS POEMS.
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SONNETS.
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THE YEAR OF SORROW AND OTHER POEMS.
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SONNETS WRITTEN IN TRAVEL.
 I. 
I. GIOTTO'S CAMPANILE AT FLORENCE.
 II. 
II. OLD PICTURES AT FLORENCE.
 III. 
III. ON A PICTURE BY COREGGIO AT PARMA.
 IV. 
IV. COREGGIO'S CUPOLAS AT PARMA.
 V. 
V. TO ITALY.
 VI. 
VI. GENOA.
 VII. 
VII. A PICTURE BY ANDREA DEL SARTO, IN THE CATHEDRAL OF PISA.
 VIII. 
VIII. THE RENAISSANCE, AND SAVONAROLA.—1.
 IX. 
IX. THE RENAISSANCE, AND SAVONAROLA.—2.
 X. 
X. FRESCOES BY MASACCIO, AT FLORENCE.
 XI. 
XI. SAINTS BY PIETRO PERUGINO.
 XII. 
XII. PICTURE OF A SAINT.
 XIII. 
XIII. A NIGHT ON THE GENOESE RIVIERA.
 XIV. 
XIV. BOCCACCIO AND CERTALDO.
 XV. 
XV. THE CAMPO SANTO AT PISA.—1.
 XVI. 
XVI. THE CAMPO SANTO AT PISA.—2.
 XVII. 
XVII. TASSO'S HOUSE AT SORRENTO.
 XVIII. 
XVIII. CASTELAMARE.
 XIX. 
XIX. A MORNING AT SALERNO.
 XX. 
XX. TO NAPLES.
 XXI. 
XXI. THE SIBYL'S CAVE AT CUMA.
 XXII. 
XXII. THE RUINS OF CORNELIA'S HOUSE AT BAIA.
 XXIII. 
XXIII. VENICE BY DAY.
 XXIV. 
XXIV. VENICE IN THE EVENING.
 XXV. 
XXV. LEONARDO'S ‘LAST SUPPER’ AT MILAN.
 XXVI. 
XXVI. THE CHURCH OF ST. AMBROSE AT MILAN.
 XXVII. 
XXVII. THE STATUE OF ST. CARLO BORROMEO AT ARONA.
 XXVIII. 
XXVIII. THE MILANESE SCHOOL.
 XXIX. 
XXIX. THE CATHEDRAL OF MILAN.
 XXX. 
XXX. BYZANTINE MOSAICS AT RAVENNA.
 XXXI. 
XXXI. TO A MOUNTAIN IN SWITZERLAND.—1.
 XXXII. 
XXXII. TO A MOUNTAIN IN SWITZERLAND.—2.
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII. TO A MOUNTAIN IN SWITZERLAND.—3.
 XXXIV. 
XXXIV. THE CHAPEL OF TELL ON THE LAKE LUCERNE.
 XXXV. 
XXXV. THE LAKE OF LUCERNE.
 XXXVI. 
XXXVI.
 XXXVII. 
XXXVII. THE MOUNTAIN MUSE.
 XXXVIII. 
XXXVIII. THE BLUE GENTIAN.
 XXXIX. 
XXXIX. THE MOUNTAIN LANGUAGE.
 XL. 
XL. A TYROLESE VILLAGE.
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MISCELLANEOUS SONNETS.
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VOL. II.
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VOL. III.
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VOL. IV.
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VOL. V.
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VOL. VI. LEGENDS AND RECORDS OF THE CHURCH AND THE EMPIRE

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147

XXVIII. THE DYING PLATONIST.

Fain would I call that night which spreads so fast
Out of the vault of Death's abysmal skies,
A gentle gloom like that of thy dark eyes:
Fain would I say that we, like children, cast
Our blind-fold faces with a timid haste
Into a mother's lap—ere long to rise
Some little forfeit and some sweet surprise
The playful future of a playful past.
But ah! it is not so. Reality
Makes a dread language of this ebbing breath;
Preaching those awful homilies of Death
Which sound so like each other at their close.
The least of Sins is Infinite: it throws
A shade into the face of the Most High.
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