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The Poetical Works of Sydney Dobell

With Introductory Notice and Memoir by John Nichol
Dobell, Sydney (1824-1874)

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VOL. I.
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THE ROMAN.
 I. 
SCENE I.
 II. 
SCENE II.
 III. 
SCENE III.
 IV. 
SCENE IV.
 V. 
SCENE V.
 VI. 
SCENE VI.
 VII. 
SCENE VII.
 VIII. 
SCENE VIII.
 IX. 
SCENE IX.
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MISCELLANEOUS POEMS
  
A MUSING ON A VICTORY.
  
ISABEL.
  
TO A CATHEDRAL TOWER, ON THE EVENING OF THE THIRTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF WATERLOO.
  
CRAZED.
  
THE SNOWDROP IN THE SNOW.
  
THE HARPS OF HEAVEN.
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SONNETS ON THE WAR.
  
L'AVENIR.
  
THE ARMY SURGEON.
  
THE WOUNDED.
  
THE WOUNDED.
  
VOX POPULI.
  
CZAR NICHOLAS.
  
CAVALRY CHARGE AT BALACLAVA.
  
HOME, IN WAR-TIME.
  
WARNING.
  
AMERICA.
  
AMERICA.
  
A STATESMAN.
  
POLAND. ITALY. HUNGARY.
  
JERUSALEM.
  
AUSTRIAN ALLIANCE.
  
CHILDLESS.
  
THE COMMON GRAVE.
  
ESSE ET POSSE.
  
GOOD-NIGHT IN WAR-TIME.
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ENGLAND IN TIME OF WAR.
  
DESOLATE.
  
THE MARKET-WIFE'S SONG.
  
THE LITTLE GIRL'S SONG.
  
‘HE IS SAFE.’
  
THE SODGER'S LASSIE.
  
LADY CONSTANCE.
  
HOW'S MY BOY?
  
FAREWELL.
  
THE MILKMAID'S SONG.
  
THE GERMAN LEGION.
  
A HEALTH TO THE QUEEN.
  
WOE IS ME.
  
THE YOUNG MAN'S SONG.
  
DEAD-MAID'S-POOL.
  
THE SAILOR'S RETURN.
  
THE WIDOW'S LULLABY.
  
THE GABERLUNZIE'S WALK.
  
LIBERTY TO M. LE DIPLOMATE.
  
AN EVENING DREAM.
  
IN WAR-TIME
  
A SHOWER IN WAR-TIME.
  
IN WAR-TIME.
  
A HERO'S GRAVE.
  
IN WAR-TIME.
  
HOME, WOUNDED.
  
A NUPTIAL EVE.
  
THE MOTHER'S LESSON.
  
ALONE.
  
FAREWELL.
  
SLEEPING AND WAKING.
  
‘HE LOVES AND HE RIDES AWAY.’
  
THE CAPTAIN'S WIFE.
  
GRASS FROM THE BATTLE-FIELD.
  
AFLOAT AND ASHORE.
  
THE GHOST'S RETURN.
  
DAFT JEAN.
  
THE RECRUITS' BALL.
  
FOR CHARITY'S SAKE.
  
WIND.
  
‘WHEN THE RAIN IS ON THE ROOF.’
  
THE BOTANIST'S VISION.
  
THE ORPHAN'S SONG.
  
TOMMY'S DEAD.
  
‘SHE TOUCHES A SAD STRING OF SOFT RECALL.’
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VOL. II.
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BALDER. PART THE FIRST.
 I. 
SCENE I.
 II. 
SCENE II.
 III. 
SCENE III.
 IV. 
SCENE IV.
 V. 
SCENE V.
 VI. 
SCENE VI.
 VII. 
SCENE VII.
 VIII. 
SCENE VIII.
 IX. 
SCENE IX.
 X. 
SCENE X.
 XI. 
SCENE XI.
 XII. 
SCENE XII.
 XIII. 
SCENE XIII.
 XIV. 
SCENE XIV.
 XV. 
SCENE XV.
 XVI. 
SCENE XVI.
 XVII. 
SCENE XVII.
 XVIII. 
SCENE XVIII.
 XIX. 
SCENE XIX.
 XX. 
SCENE XX.
 XXI. 
SCENE XXI.
 XXII. 
SCENE XXII.
 XXIII. 
SCENE XXIII.
 XXIV. 
SCENE XXIV.
 XXV. 
SCENE XXV.
 XXVI. 
SCENE XXVI.
 XXVII. 
SCENE XXVII.
 XXVIII. 
SCENE XXVIII.
 XXIX. 
SCENE XXIX.
 XXX. 
SCENE XXX.
 XXXI. 
SCENE XXXI.
 XXXII. 
SCENE XXXII.
 XXXIII. 
SCENE XXXIII.
 XXXIV. 
SCENE XXXIV.
 XXXV. 
SCENE XXXV.
 XXXVI. 
SCENE XXXVI.
 XXXVII. 
SCENE XXXVII.
 XXXVIII. 
SCENE XXXVIII.
 XXXIX. 
SCENE XXXIX.
 XL. 
SCENE XL.
 XLI. 
SCENE XLI.
 XLII. 
SCENE XLII.
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LATER MISCELLANEOUS POEMS.
  
THE MAGYAR'S NEW-YEAR-EVE.
  
THE YOUTH OF ENGLAND TO GARIBALDI'S LEGION.
  
LOVE.
  
AN AUTUMN MOOD.
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SONNETS AND OTHER SHORT POEMS.
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TWO EPIGRAMS.
 I. 
I. ON A PORTRAIT PRESENTED TO J. Y. SIMPSON, M.D. (AFTERWARDS SIR JAMES SIMPSON).
 II. 
II. ON THE DEATH OF EDWARD FORBES.
  
ON A RECENTLY FINISHED STATUE.
  
THE CONVALESCENT TO HER PHYSICIAN.
  
SAMUEL BROWN.
  
TO PROFESSOR AND MRS. J. S. BLACKIE.
  
TO THE AUTHORESS OF ‘AURORA LEIGH.’
  
TO MRS. J. S. BLACKIE.
  
DEDICATORY.
  
SISTER TO SISTER,
  
ON THE DEATH OF MRS. BROWNING.
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TWO SONNETS ON THE DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT.
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
  
TO 1862.
  
TO TÖCHTERCHEN, ON HER BIRTHDAY.
  
TO THE SAME.
  
TO A FRIEND IN BEREAVEMENT.
  
AT THE GRAVE OF A SPANISH FRIEND.
  
TO AN AMERICAN EMBASSY.
  
JOHN BOHUN MARTIN.
  
DEPRECATING A GIFT.
  
PERHAPS.
  
TO JAMES H.
  
ON READING A DICTATED LETTER.
  
UNDER ESPECIAL BLESSINGS.
  
ON RECEIVING A BOOK FROM ‘X. H.’
  
TO JAMES Y. SIMPSON.
  
ON RECEIVING A BOOK FROM DANTE ROSSETTI.
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THREE SONNETS ON LOVE AND BEAUTY.
 I. 
I. TO A PROMESSA SPOSA.
 II. 
II. TO THE SAME.
 III. 
III. TO A FAIR WOMAN, UNSATISFIED WITH WOMAN'S WORK.
  
TO THE TIBER.
  
[Where are you, Poets, that a Hero dies]
  
ENGLAND'S DAY:
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FRAGMENTS.
  
THE OLIVE.
  
SONG OF A MAD GIRL, WHOSE LOVER HAS DIED AT SEA.
  
FRAGMENT OF A SLEEP-SONG.
  
BALLAD.
  
LORD ROBERT.
  
FRAGMENT OF BALLAD.
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FRAGMENTS OF POEMS FOUND SINCE THE WRITER'S DEATH.
  
BAYONET SONG.
  
MENTANA.
  
SNOWDROPS.
  
NEW-YEAR'S EVE.

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250

SCENE XXXVI.

A Hill near the Tower
Balder, solus.
Balder.
Like a sailing eagle old
Which with unwavering wings outspread and wide
Makes calm horizons in the slumbrous air
Of cloudless noon and fills the silent heaven
With the slow circulation of a course
More placid than repose, this shining still
And universal day revolves serene
Around me, hasting not and uncompelled.
But the tumultuous thought within my head
Is a poor captive beast, that to and fro,
Wild in the trepidation of mad pain
Beats its red bars in blood. Gods! how it climbs
This throbbing dungeon, leaps and falls and leaps
In strong attempt, and strains a battered face
Against the narrow outlets, gnaws the holds
Of iron and shakes loud with desperate will
The adamantine doors. What! have I caged
A leopard in my pleasure-house? Am I
A doomed city? are these halls a roost
For owls and dragons? Shall the bittern cry
Out of the stagnant courses of my heart
And the fox litter in her palaces?
251

My seat wherein I sat is overturned,
My images are broken and cast down,
My set and sacred places are defiled,
My fair adornèd walls dismantled all
And all the tattered tapestries of life
Rent on the floors of Ruin!
I do not rage
Nor rave; but I ask you O ye blue heavens,
What have I done?
I do remember me
That on a cottage threshold once I saw
An idiot child. His blue orbs in his brow
Were as when some round rosy cloud of morn
Opens deep azure eyes and we see thro'
To heaven. On his calm countenance there lay
A lazy day of self-sufficing hours,
And all the changes in his face were made
By the soft feet of pleasure slow and fair.
Is there a soul behind you? There was none
In him! He was born deaf and dumb and blind
And foolish. But he was as bright as you.

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