< Page:Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1900.djvu
This page needs to be proofread.

THOMAS MOORE

And I, whose star

More glorious far

Is the eye from that casement peeping, love. Then awake ! till rise of sun, my dear, The Sage's glass we'll shun, my dear,

Or in watching the flight

Of bodies of light He might happen to take thee for one, my dear !

��$8 $. The Irish Teasant to His Mistress

"""THROUGH grief and through danger thy smile hath

cheer'd my way,

Till hope seem'd to bud from each thorn that round me lay ; The darker our fortune, the brighter our pure love burn'd, Till shame into glory, till fear into zeal was turn'd: Yes, slave as I was, in thy arms my spirit felt free, And bless'd even the sorrows that made me more dear to thee.

Thy rival was honour'd, while thou wert wrong'd and scorn' d ; Thy crown was of briers, while gold her brows adorn'd ; She woo'd me to temples, whilst thou lay'st hid in caves; Her friends were all masters, while thine, alas ! were slaves ; Yet cold in the earth, at thy feet, I would rather be Than wed what I loved not, or turn one thought from thee.

They slander thee sorely, who say thy vows are frail Hadst thou been a false one, thy cheek had look'd less pale ! They say, too, so long thou hast worn those lingering chains, That deep in thy heart they have printed their servile stains : O, foul is the slander! no chain could that soul subdue Where shineth thy spirit, there Liberty shineth too !

�� �

    This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.