 | 'Twixt Kiss and Lip or Under the Sword. By the author of "Women Must Weep," [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] Third edition |  |
THE INFINITE HEART.
I had loved with loving not of earth,
Fire divinely blest,
But delight to me was only dearth,
No attainment rest;
Though I wooed enchantments, as they lie
In imperial thought
Of the knowledge that will never die,
Into victory wrought;
I pursued the lily and the rose
Of enticing Art,
But I found not there the craved repose
For the boundless heart.
Fire divinely blest,
But delight to me was only dearth,
No attainment rest;
Though I wooed enchantments, as they lie
In imperial thought
Of the knowledge that will never die,
Into victory wrought;
I pursued the lily and the rose
Of enticing Art,
But I found not there the craved repose
For the boundless heart.
Then I turned from Reason's banquet spread
Free with splendid flowers,
Fruits that shall (when riddles all are read)
Still keep blooming bowers;
Left the Science, that with golden bridge
Fancies to things done
Links, and shows the Maker and the midge
Are most truly one;
Proved philosophy, with pathway rough,
Though of Heaven a part
Heavenly, yet alone is not enough
For the boundless heart.
Free with splendid flowers,
Fruits that shall (when riddles all are read)
Still keep blooming bowers;
Left the Science, that with golden bridge
Fancies to things done
Links, and shows the Maker and the midge
Are most truly one;
Proved philosophy, with pathway rough,
Though of Heaven a part
Heavenly, yet alone is not enough
For the boundless heart.
So I fared to women, whence the King
Wisest among men
Drew the lore for his appareling,
Beyond human ken;
Deeming they, perchance, with insight pure,
Had some hidden gate
In eternity, that made them sure
Mistresses of Fate;
If they could, who in white vesture went,
Ease my bosom smart,
And reveal the secret of content
For the boundless heart.
Wisest among men
Drew the lore for his appareling,
Beyond human ken;
Deeming they, perchance, with insight pure,
Had some hidden gate
In eternity, that made them sure
Mistresses of Fate;
If they could, who in white vesture went,
Ease my bosom smart,
And reveal the secret of content
For the boundless heart.
754
Now I questioned oracles, that flash
Out of azure eyes,
Under canopy of midnight lash,
Opening sunny skies;
Sought upon the palpitating breast,
In voluptuous looks,
Refuge, and enfranchisement of rest
Not from dusty books;
Dreamed at length in minglings fond, to find
Peace of fairer start,
More than mere bewitchings of the mind,
For the boundless heart.
Out of azure eyes,
Under canopy of midnight lash,
Opening sunny skies;
Sought upon the palpitating breast,
In voluptuous looks,
Refuge, and enfranchisement of rest
Not from dusty books;
Dreamed at length in minglings fond, to find
Peace of fairer start,
More than mere bewitchings of the mind,
For the boundless heart.
First I conquered Kate, the coy and fair,
Swore my ardent love,
Basking in the glory of her hair,
Fitted like her glove;
Circled her with honour, at her feet
Learned the blessèd ways
Only gained from glances bright and sweet
As celestial rays;
Till I proved the ripe and ready fruit,
Had a savour tart
Under, and in vain was all my suit,
For the boundless heart.
Swore my ardent love,
Basking in the glory of her hair,
Fitted like her glove;
Circled her with honour, at her feet
Learned the blessèd ways
Only gained from glances bright and sweet
As celestial rays;
Till I proved the ripe and ready fruit,
Had a savour tart
Under, and in vain was all my suit,
For the boundless heart.
Next I wooed in Ada's gipsy face
Darkly shaded charms,
Won from her a welcome resting-place
In her winding arms;
On her heavy limbs and sleepy lids
Problems raised once more,
Which the Puritan his dupes forbids,
Stuffed with frigid store;
Till I felt her beauty burn and pierce
Like a poisoned dart,
And I knew no counter guard or tierce,
For the boundless heart.
Darkly shaded charms,
Won from her a welcome resting-place
In her winding arms;
On her heavy limbs and sleepy lids
Problems raised once more,
Which the Puritan his dupes forbids,
Stuffed with frigid store;
Till I felt her beauty burn and pierce
Like a poisoned dart,
And I knew no counter guard or tierce,
For the boundless heart.
Then to Mabel, passionate and proud,
Turned my amorous will,
Braved the terrors of the thunder-cloud,
Fire vouchsafed to kill;
Though my daring wings were scorched, and faint
Reeled my spirit back,
From her clasp, half-devil and half-saint,
On her meteor track;
But within that furnace respite none
Came, nor guiding chart,
Yet the labour was a deed undone,
For the boundless heart.
Turned my amorous will,
Braved the terrors of the thunder-cloud,
Fire vouchsafed to kill;
Though my daring wings were scorched, and faint
Reeled my spirit back,
From her clasp, half-devil and half-saint,
On her meteor track;
But within that furnace respite none
Came, nor guiding chart,
Yet the labour was a deed undone,
For the boundless heart.
755
Clara then withdrew me, to the calm
Of her cold desires,
Tall and stately as an Orient palm,
Which to Heaven aspires;
Though I found, when once I boldly crost
Gulf of virgin shame,
If one side was fierce as Arctic frost,
One was torrid flame;
Still not here, in regulated love,
Measured as Mozart,
Got I peace, that lifted me above,
For the boundless heart.
Of her cold desires,
Tall and stately as an Orient palm,
Which to Heaven aspires;
Though I found, when once I boldly crost
Gulf of virgin shame,
If one side was fierce as Arctic frost,
One was torrid flame;
Still not here, in regulated love,
Measured as Mozart,
Got I peace, that lifted me above,
For the boundless heart.
Then in Marjory, I met a face
Tuned by elder times,
Music, stepping gravely to the pace
Of heroic chimes;
Bathed in other-worldly beauty, till
With no niggard dole,
All the waves that all the bosom thrill,
Overwashed my soul;
But I yet was as a passing guest,
Careful of the carte,
And in her embrace I felt no rest
For the boundless heart.
Tuned by elder times,
Music, stepping gravely to the pace
Of heroic chimes;
Bathed in other-worldly beauty, till
With no niggard dole,
All the waves that all the bosom thrill,
Overwashed my soul;
But I yet was as a passing guest,
Careful of the carte,
And in her embrace I felt no rest
For the boundless heart.
Gwendolen now took me, as a joy
For a leisure hour,
Made me thus half-ornament, half toy,
In her gilded bower;
From her varying fashionable modes,
Truth I sweetly sipped,
Such as into me by classic codes
Never had been whipped;
But dissatisfied too soon was she,
Greedy as a scart,
And no solace then remained to me,
For the boundless heart.
For a leisure hour,
Made me thus half-ornament, half toy,
In her gilded bower;
From her varying fashionable modes,
Truth I sweetly sipped,
Such as into me by classic codes
Never had been whipped;
But dissatisfied too soon was she,
Greedy as a scart,
And no solace then remained to me,
For the boundless heart.
So at last to Floribel I turned,
To her venal smile,
Charms that like a public candle burned,
With a sugared guile;
In her studied raptures, and the rose
Of a borrowed grace,
Elegance and mercenary pose,
Sought a resting-place;
Yet, alas, though she was doubly paid,
Bought upon the mart,
Even in her I won no lasting aid
For the boundless heart.
To her venal smile,
Charms that like a public candle burned,
With a sugared guile;
In her studied raptures, and the rose
Of a borrowed grace,
Elegance and mercenary pose,
Sought a resting-place;
Yet, alas, though she was doubly paid,
Bought upon the mart,
Even in her I won no lasting aid
For the boundless heart.
756
Fools, who fancy any woman can,
Though superbly done,
Give all soft delights to any man,
Gathered up in one;
Fools, who dream one beautous woman will,
If she never tires,
Always with her fond allurements thrill
Man's complete desires;
Fools, who think that ought may satisfy,
Which is only part—
Fulness less than the infinity
Of the boundless heart.
Though superbly done,
Give all soft delights to any man,
Gathered up in one;
Fools, who dream one beautous woman will,
If she never tires,
Always with her fond allurements thrill
Man's complete desires;
Fools, who think that ought may satisfy,
Which is only part—
Fulness less than the infinity
Of the boundless heart.
| 'Twixt Kiss and Lip or Under the Sword. By the author of "Women Must Weep," [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] Third edition | |