Find out some uncouth cell, 5 Where brooding Darkness spreads his jealous And the night raven sings; [wings, There under ebon shades and low-brow'd rocks, As ragged as thy locks, In dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell. But come, thou Goddess fair and free, In Heav'n yclep'd Euphrosyne, And by men, heart-easing Mirth, 10 15 Haste thee, Nymph, and bring with thee Quips and Cranks, and wanton Wiles, Nods and Becks, and wreathed Smiles, On the light fantastic toe, And in thy right hand lead with thee laws of human thought and feeling, belong to both the author and the reader. Sensations of gladness or melancholy may be infinitely varied, and in a poem of sentiment or character should bear the deep impress of personality; but when nature is described in her cheerful or sombre aspect, the connexion between the object and the emotion should be certain and instantaneous. If the reader compare these poems with other descriptive compositions, and the feelings with which he reads them, he will better perceive the peculiar excellence of the former. L'Allegro, the cheerful man, and I Penseroso, the melancholy man, both Italian terms, and well adapted to the author's purpose. For the mythology of the poems, Milton is his own authority. Mirth, admit me of thy crew While the cock with lively din Scatters the rear of Darkness thin, And to the stack, or the barn door, Stoutly struts his dames before: Oft list'ning how the hounds and horn 45 50 55 60 65 And every shepherd tells his tale Under the hawthorn in the dale. Straight mine eye hath caught new pleasures 70 Russet lawns and fallows grey, Where the nibbling flocks do stray, Mountains on whose barren breast The labouring clouds do often rest, The Cynosure of neighbouring eyes Hard by, a cottage chimney smokes, From betwixt two aged oaks, Where Corydon and Thyrsis met, Are at their savoury dinner set Of herbs and other country messes, 85 And the jocund rebecs sound, To many a youth and many a maid, 95 Dancing in the chequer'd shade; And young and old come forth to play Till the live-long day-light fail; Then to the spicy nut-brown ale, 100 With stories told of many a feat, How faery Mab the junkets eat; She was pinch'd, and pull'd, sh said, And he by friar's lantern led; Tells how the drudging goblin swet, 105 To earn his cream-bowl duly set, When in one night, ere glimpse of morn, His shadowy flail hath thresh'd the corn That ten day-labourers could not end; 110 And, stretch'd out all the chimney's length Basks at the fire his hairy strength, And crop-full out of door he flings, Ere the first cock his matin rings. Thus done the tales, to bed they creep, 115 By whisp'ring winds soon lull'd asleep. Where throngs of knights and barons bold Rain influence, and judge the prize Of wit, or arms, while both contend 120 To win her grace whom all commend. In saffron robe, with taper clear, 125 130 HENCE, vain deluding Joys, The brood of Folly without father bred! How little you bested, Or fill the fixed mind with all your toys! 1. The idea of this poem is said to have been taken from a song in a comedy by Fletcher, called 'The Nice Valor; or, Passionate Madman.' There is, indeed, a slight general resemblance in the two pieces; but, even supposing an imitation so far as it goes, it is not enough to affect the originality of Il Penseroso. |