 | The poetical works of John Godfrey Saxe |  |
THE BEAUTIFUL.
TO STELLA.
All things of beauty are not theirs aloneWho hold the fee; but unto him no less
Who can enjoy, than unto them who own,
Are sweetest uses given to possess.
For Heaven is bountiful; and suffers none
To make monopoly of aught that's fair;
The breath of violets is not for one,
Nor loveliness of women; all may share
Who can discern; and He who made the law,
“Thou shalt not covet,” gave the subtile power
By which, unsinning, I may freely draw
Beauty and fragrance from each perfect flower
That decks the wayside, or adorns the lea,
Or in my neighbor's garden blooms for me!
| The poetical works of John Godfrey Saxe | |