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第1章

  Contents:
  V。R。1819—1901
  WARPOEMS
  EMBARCATION
  DEPARTURE
  THECOLONEL'SSOLILOQUY
  THEGOINGOFTHEBATTERY
  ATTHEWAROFFICE,LONDON
  ACHRISTMASGHOST—STORY
  THEDEADDRUMMER
  AWIFEINLONDON
  THESOULSOFTHESLAIN
  SONGOFTHESOLDIERS'WIVES
  THESICKGOD
  POEMSOFPILGRIMAGE
  GENOAANDTHEMEDITERRANEAN
  SHELLEY'SSKYLARK
  INTHEOLDTHEATRE,FIESOLE
  ROME:ONTHEPALATINE
  ROME:BUILDINGANEWSTREETINTHEANCIENTQUARTER
  ROME:THEVATICAN—SALADELLEMUSE
  ROME:ATTHEPYRAMIDOFCESTIUS
  LAUSANNE:INGIBBON'SOLDGARDEN
  ZERMATT:TOTHEMATTERHORN
  THEBRIDGEOFLODI
  ONANINVITATIONTOTHEUNITEDSTATES
  THEMOTHERMOURNS
  "ISAIDTOLOVE"
  ACOMMONPLACEDAY
  ATALUNARECLIPSE
  THELACKINGSENSE
  TOLIFE
  DOOMANDSHE
  THEPROBLEM
  THESUBALTERNS
  THESLEEP—WORKER
  THEBULLFINCHES
  GOD—FORGOTTEN
  THEBEDRIDDENPEASANTTOANUNKNOWINGGOD
  BYTHEEARTH'SCORPSE
  MUTEOPINION
  TOANUNBORNPAUPERCHILD
  TOFLOWERSFROMITALYINWINTER
  ONAFINEMORNING
  TOLIZBIEBROWNE
  SONGOFHOPE
  THEWELL—BELOVED
  HERREPROACH
  THEINCONSISTENT
  ABROKENAPPOINTMENT
  "BETWEENUSNOW"
  "HOWGREATMYGRIEF"
  "INEEDNOTGO"
  THECOQUETTE,ANDAFTER
  ASPOT
  LONGPLIGHTED
  THEWIDOW
  ATAHASTYWEDDING
  THEDREAM—FOLLOWER
  HISIMMORTALITY
  THETO—BE—FORGOTTEN
  WIVESINTHESERE
  THESUPERSEDED
  ANAUGUSTMIDNIGHT
  THECAGEDTHRUSHFREEDANDHOMEAGAIN
  BIRDSATWINTERNIGHTFALL
  THEPUZZLEDGAME—BIRDS
  WINTERINDURNOVERFIELD
  THELASTCHRYSANTHEMUM
  THEDARKLINGTHRUSH
  THECOMETATYALBURYORYELL'HAM
  MADJUDY
  AWASTEDILLNESS
  AMAN
  THEDAMEOFATHELHALL
  THESEASONSOFHERYEAR
  THEMILKMAID
  THELEVELLEDCHURCHYARD
  THERUINEDMAID
  THERESPECTABLEBURGHERON"THEHIGHERCRITICISM"
  ARCHITECTURALMASKS
  THETENANT—FOR—LIFE
  THEKING'SEXPERIMENT
  THETREE:ANOLDMAN'SSTORY
  HERLATEHUSBAND
  THESELF—UNSEEING
  DEPROFUNDISI。
  DEPROFUNDISII。
  DEPROFUNDISIII。
  THECHURCH—BUILDER
  THELOSTPYX:AMEDIAEVALLEGEND
  TESS'SLAMENT
  THESUPPLANTER:ATALE
  IMITATIONS,ETC。
  SAPPHICFRAGMENT
  CATULLUS:XXXI
  AFTERSCHILLER
  SONG:FROMHEINE
  FROMVICTORHUGO
  CARDINALBEMBO'SEPITAPHONRAPHAEL
  RETROSPECT
  "IHAVELIVEDWITHSHADES"
  MEMORYANDI
  [GREEKTITLE]
  V。R。1819—1901
  AREVERIE
  Momentsthemightiestpassuncalendared,AndwhentheAbsoluteInbackwardTimeoutgavethedeedfulwordWherebyalllifeisstirred:
  "LetonebebornandthronedwhosemouldshallconstituteThenormofeveryroyal—reckonedattribute,"
  Nomortalkneworheard。
  ButinduedaysthepurposedLifeoutshone
  Serene,sagacious,free;
  —Herwaxingseasonsbloomedwithdeedswelldone,Andtheworld'sheartwaswon
  YetmaythedeedofhersmostbrightineyestobeLiehidfromours—asintheAll—One'sthoughtlayshe
  Tillripeningyearshaverun。
  SUNDAYNIGHT,27thJanuary1901。
  EMBARCATION
  (SouthamptonDocks:October,1899)
  Here,whereVespasian'slegionsstruckthesands,AndCerdicwithhisSaxonsenteredin,AndHenry'sarmyleaptafloattowinConvincingtriumphsoverneighbourlands,Vasterbattalionspressforfurtherstrands,Toargueintheself—samebloodymodeWhichthislateageofthought,andpact,andcode,Stillfailstomend。—Nowdeckwardtrampthebands,Yellowasautumnleaves,aliveasspring;
  AndaseachhostdrawsoutupontheseaBeyondwhichliesthetragicalTo—be,Nonedubiousofthecause,nonemurmuring,Wives,sisters,parents,wavewhitehandsandsmile,Asiftheyknewnotthattheyweepthewhile。
  DEPARTURE
  (SouthamptonDocks:October,1899)
  Whilethefarfarewellmusicthinsandfails,Andthebroadbottomsripthebearingbrine
  Allsmallingslowlytothegraysealine
  Andeachsignificantredsmoke—shaftpales,Keensenseofseveranceeverywhereprevails,WhichshapesthelatelongtrampofmountingmenToseemingwordsthataskandaskagain:
  "Howlong,OstrivingTeutons,Slavs,andGaelsMustyourwrothreasoningstradeonliveslikethese,Thatareaspuppetsinaplayinghand?
  WhenshallthesanersofterpolitiesWhereofwedream,haveplayineachproudland,Andpatriotism,grownGodlike,scorntostandBondslavetorealms,butcircleearthandseas?"
  THECOLONEL'SSOLILOQUY
  (SouthamptonDocks:October,1899)
  "Thequayrecedes。Hurrah!Aheadwego!
  It'strueI'vebeenaccustomednowtohome,Andjointsgetrusty,andone'slimbsmaygrowMorefittorestthanroam。
  "ButIcanstandasyetfairstressandstrain;
  There'snotalittlesteelbeneaththerust;
  Myyearsmountsomewhat,buthere'sto'tagain!
  AndifIfall,Imust。
  "GodknowsthatformyselfI'vescantycare;
  Pastscrimmageshaveprovedasmuchtoall;
  InEasternlandsandSouthI'vehadmyshareBothofthebladeandball。
  "AndwherethosevillainsrippedmeintheflitchWiththeiroldironinmyearlytime,I'maptatchangeofwindtofeelatwitch,Oratachangeofclime。
  "AndwhatmymirrorshowsmeinthemorningHasmoreofblotchandwrinklethanofbloom;
  Myeyes,too,heretoforeallglassesscorning,Havejustatouchofrheum
  "Nowsounds'TheGirlI'veleftbehindme,'—Ah,Theyears,theardours,wakenedbythattune!
  Timewaswhen,withthecrowd'sfarewell'Hurrah!'
  'Twouldliftmetothemoon。
  "Butnowit'slatetoleavebehindmeoneWhoif,poorsoul,hermangoesunderground,WillnotrecoverasshemighthavedoneIndayswhenhopesabound。
  "She'swavingfromthewharfside,palelygrieving,AsdownwedrawHertearsmakelittleshow,YetnowshesuffersmorethanatmyleavingSometwentyyearsago。
  "Ipraythoseleftathomewillcareforher!
  Ishallcomeback;Ihavebefore;thoughwhenTheGirlyouleavebehindyouisagrandmother,Thingsmaynotbeasthen。"
  THEGOINGOFTHEBATTERY
  WIVES'LAMENT
  (November2,1899)
  I
  Oitwassadenough,weakenough,madenough
  Lightintheirlovingassoldierscanbe
  Firsttoriskchoosingthem,leavealonelosingthemNow,infarbattle,beyondtheSouthSea!
  II
  —Raincamedowndrenchingly;butweunblenchinglyTrudgedonbesidethemthroughmirkandthroughmire,Theysteppingsteadily—onlytooreadily!
  Scarceasifsteppingbroughtparting—timenigher。
  III
  Greatgunsweregleamingthere,livingthingsseemingthere,Cloakedintheirtar—cloths,upmouthedtothenight;
  Wheelswetandyellowfromaxletofelloe,Throatsblankofsound,butprophetictosight。
  IV
  Gas—glimmersdrearily,blearily,eerilyLitourpalefacesoutstretchedforonekiss,Whilewestoodpresttothem,withalastquesttothemNottocourtperilsthathonourcouldmiss。
  V
  Sharpwerethosesighsofours,blindedtheseeyesofours,WhenatlastmovedawayunderthearchAllweloved。Aidforthemeachwomanprayedforthem,Treadingbackslowlythetrackoftheirmarch。
  VI
  Someonesaid:"Nevermorewilltheycome:evermoreAretheynowlosttous。"Oitwaswrong!
  Thoughmaybehardtheirways,someHandwillguardtheirways,Bearthemthroughsafely,inbrieftimeorlong。
  VII
  —Yet,voiceshauntingus,dauntingus,tauntingus,Hintinthenight—timewhenlifebeatsarelowOtherandgraverthingsHoldwetobraverthings,Waitwe,intrust,whatTime'sfulnessshallshow。