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58
THE UNION OF PAINTING WITH POETRY.
“Beauty to beauty wedded!—grace to grace!
If in the vastness of this wondrous world
Ye chance to light on such another pair,
Then pray the gods—for such another bridal!”
Malice Outwitted, A Comedy
If in the vastness of this wondrous world
Ye chance to light on such another pair,
Then pray the gods—for such another bridal!”
Malice Outwitted, A Comedy
A vision of the night! methought I saw
The gorgeous heaven, in all its vast array;
Each star, obedient to the eternal law,
Sparkled in beauty on the azure way:
I gazed with awe, when lo! two gems of light,
Twin lustres, fairest of ethereal birth,
Did on a sudden leave their orbits bright,
And meeting midway, in my dazzled sight,
Become one matchless sphere, flooding the earth
With silvery radiance. All amazed, I woke,
And saw before me this fair volume lie—
I started, for its eloquent pages spoke
Of Painting's bridal with sweet Poesy,
(Two spirits, whose meet home is in the sky)
And sudden consciousness upon me broke
That these might be the planets of my dream.
I look'd again, and fair forms met my eye,
Art's wonderful creations; many a scene
Of glowing beauty, such as might beseem
A fancied Eden; palace and proud hall,
Rose by clear waters, and were mirror'd there,
And fountains, in green bowers, with glist'ning sheen
Scatter'd bright pearl drops round them in their fall;
Clusters of bloom, from vase, and rich parterre,
Cast rainbow shadows on the sunny ground,
While pleasant fancy breath'd upon the air
All fragrant odours, and a whispering sound
As of tree-kissing breezes floated round.
Then came the enchantress, Poesy, and threw
Her spell o'er that fair world, till every glade,
Cavern, and glen, and grove, and garden, grew
Most musical, and all things teem'd with song.
The merry fays, disporting in the shade,
The white-limb'd water-nymphs, a dainty throng,
Each marble statue, shining thro' its veil
Of dewy leaves; all flowers, the lily pale,
Primrose, and violet, and eglantine,
River, and cascade, wave, and wandering gale,
All join'd the chorus of that song divine.
The gorgeous heaven, in all its vast array;
Each star, obedient to the eternal law,
Sparkled in beauty on the azure way:
I gazed with awe, when lo! two gems of light,
Twin lustres, fairest of ethereal birth,
Did on a sudden leave their orbits bright,
And meeting midway, in my dazzled sight,
59
With silvery radiance. All amazed, I woke,
And saw before me this fair volume lie—
I started, for its eloquent pages spoke
Of Painting's bridal with sweet Poesy,
(Two spirits, whose meet home is in the sky)
And sudden consciousness upon me broke
That these might be the planets of my dream.
I look'd again, and fair forms met my eye,
Art's wonderful creations; many a scene
Of glowing beauty, such as might beseem
A fancied Eden; palace and proud hall,
Rose by clear waters, and were mirror'd there,
And fountains, in green bowers, with glist'ning sheen
Scatter'd bright pearl drops round them in their fall;
Clusters of bloom, from vase, and rich parterre,
Cast rainbow shadows on the sunny ground,
While pleasant fancy breath'd upon the air
All fragrant odours, and a whispering sound
As of tree-kissing breezes floated round.
60
Her spell o'er that fair world, till every glade,
Cavern, and glen, and grove, and garden, grew
Most musical, and all things teem'd with song.
The merry fays, disporting in the shade,
The white-limb'd water-nymphs, a dainty throng,
Each marble statue, shining thro' its veil
Of dewy leaves; all flowers, the lily pale,
Primrose, and violet, and eglantine,
River, and cascade, wave, and wandering gale,
All join'd the chorus of that song divine.
To Painting's realm, a new delight was given,
Heart-thrilling magic, equal to its own,
Thought, with majestic wing o'erswept its heaven,
And voices rose in many a mingled tone,
From its deep sanctuaries; sweet fancies hung
On every blossom, and each found a tongue.
The temples, whose grey ruins strew'd its vales,
Spoke forth their many memories, and its streams
Gave utterance as they flow'd to madrigals.
The hero, with his lays, relit the beams
Of a past glory, and the gallant breath'd
His love-vows in the blushing maiden's ear,
While sportive children prattled as they wreath'd
Their clustering locks with nature's simple gear.
Heart-thrilling magic, equal to its own,
Thought, with majestic wing o'erswept its heaven,
And voices rose in many a mingled tone,
From its deep sanctuaries; sweet fancies hung
On every blossom, and each found a tongue.
The temples, whose grey ruins strew'd its vales,
Spoke forth their many memories, and its streams
61
The hero, with his lays, relit the beams
Of a past glory, and the gallant breath'd
His love-vows in the blushing maiden's ear,
While sportive children prattled as they wreath'd
Their clustering locks with nature's simple gear.
Thus these two spirits, erst enshrin'd apart,
Shed mutual splendour o'er each lofty art:
Painting created beauty—Poesy
Pour'd from it language, a melodious stream,
And thus their bright commingled witchery
Fulfill'd the promise of my starry dream.
Shed mutual splendour o'er each lofty art:
Painting created beauty—Poesy
Pour'd from it language, a melodious stream,
And thus their bright commingled witchery
Fulfill'd the promise of my starry dream.
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