TALE X. THE LOVER'S JOURNEY. The sun is in the heavens, and the proud day, The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, Are of imagination all compact. Midsummer Night's Dream. Oh! how this spring of love resembleth Th' uncertain glory of an April day, Which now shows all her beauty to the sun, And by and by a cloud takes all away. Two Gentlemen of Verona. And happily I have arrived at last Unto the wished haven of my bliss. — Taming of the Shrew. 21 TALE X. THE LOVER'S JOURNEY. (1 It is the Soul that sees; the outward eyes And thence delight, disgust, or cool indiff'rence rise: (1) ["It was in his walks between Aldborough and Beccles, that Mr. Crabbe passed through the very scenery described in the first part of The Lover's Journey;' while near Beccles, in another direction, he found the contrast of rich vegetation introduced in the latter part of that tale; nor have I any doubt that the disappointment of the story figures out some thing that, on one of these visits, befell himself, and the feelings with which he received it. 'Gone to a friend, she tells me; -I commend Her purpose:-means she to a female friend?' &c. For truth compels me to say, that he was by no means free from the less amiable sign of a strong attachment-jealousy."- Life, antè, Vol. I. p. 36.] Sorrow and joy are in their influence sure, Fair was the morning, and the month was June, And he no more was John-his Laura gave Bright shone the glory of the rising day, "Ye hours of expectation, quickly fly, "And bring on hours of blest reality; "When I shall Laura see, beside her stand, "Hear her sweet voice, and press her yielded hand." First o'er a barren heath beside the coast Orlando rode, and joy began to boast. 66 "This neat low gorse," said he, "with golden bloom, Delights each sense, is beauty, is perfume; "And this gay ling, with all its purple flowers, "A man at leisure might admire for hours; "This green-fringed cup-moss has a scarlet tip, "That yields to nothing but my Laura's lip; "And then how fine this herbage! men may say "A heath is barren; nothing is so gay: "Barren or bare to call such charming scene Argues a mind possess'd by care and spleen." 66 Onward he went, and fiercer grew the heat, Dust rose in clouds before the horse's feet; For now he pass'd through lanes of burning sand, "How lovely this!" the rapt Orlando said; "With what delight is labouring man repaid! "The very lane has sweets that all admire, "The rambling suckling, and the vigorous brier; "See! wholesome wormwood grows beside the way, "Where dew-press'd yet the dog-rose bends the spray; "Fresh herbs the fields, fair shrubs the banks adorn, "And snow-white bloom falls flaky from the thorn; "No fostering hand they need, no sheltering wall, "They spring uncultured, and they bloom for all." The Lover rode as hasty lovers ride, And reach'd a common pasture wild and wide; Small black-legg'd sheep devour with hunger keen The meagre herbage, fleshless, lank, and lean; |