V. Doubt you if, in some such moment, as she fixed me, she felt clearly, Ages past the soul existed, here an age 't is resting merely, And hence fleets again for ages: while the true end, sole and single, It stops here for is, this love-way, with some other soul to mingle? VI. Else it loses what it lived for, and eternally must lose it; Better ends may be in prospect, deeper blisses (if you choose it), But this life's end and this love-bliss have been lost here. Doubt you whether This she felt as, looking at me, mine and her souls rushed together? Oh, observe! VII. Of course, next moment, the world's honours, in derision, Trampled out the light for ever. Never fear but there's provision Of the devil's to quench knowledge, lest we walk the earth in rapture! -Making those who catch God's secret, just so much more prize their capture! VIII. Such am I the secret's mine now! She has lost me, I have gained her; Her soul's mine: and thus, grown perfect, I shall pass my life's remainder. Life will just hold out the proving both our powers, alone and blended: And then, come next life quickly! This world's use will have been ended. LXVII. THE LOST LEADER. From Dramatic Lyrics; written in 1845. I. UST for a handful of silver he left us, JUST Just for a riband to stick in his coat Found the one gift of which fortune bereft us, So much was theirs who so little allowed: Rags were they purple, his heart had been proud! We that had loved him so, followed him, honoured him, Lived in his mild and magnificent eye, Learned his great language, caught his clear accents, Shakespeare was of us, Milton was for us, Burns, Shelley, were with us, they watcn from their graves! He alone breaks from the van and the freemen, He alone sinks to the rear and the slaves! II. We shall march prospering,—not thro' his presence; One wrong more to man, one more insult to God! Forced praise on our part-the glimmer of twilight, Best fight on well, for we taught him-strike gallantly, Then let him receive the new knowledge and wait us WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY. (1811-1863.) LXVIII. PISCATOR AND PISCATRIX. Published among Thackeray's Ballads" under the sub-heading "Lines written to an Album Print ". S on this pictured page I look, As This pretty tale of line and hook, Amuses and engages: I know them both, the boy and girl; A pleasant place for such a pair! Of lazy summer quickens. It is too hot to pace the keep; My lord the Earl is dozing deep, The postern warder is asleep (Perhaps they've bribed him not to peep): Their lines into the brook they launch; 's delicate complexion: He takes his rapier from his haunch, That beardless, doughty champion staunch; O heedless pair of sportsmen slack! Your baited snares may capture. O loving pair! as thus I gaze Upon the lover's shoulder; To be brave, handsome, twenty-two; But all day long to bill and coo: It were a pleasant calling. And never heed its brawling. LXIX. ON A HUNDRED YEARS HENCE. This is one of the most popular of the famous Roundabout Papers written by Thackeray for the Cornhill Magazine, of which he was the first editor. WHERE have I just read of a game played at a country house? The party assembles round a table with pens, ink, and paper. Some one narrates a tale containing more or less incidents and personages. Each person of the company then writes down, to the best of his memory and ability, the anecdote just narrated, and finally the papers are to be read out. I do not say I should like to play often at this game, which might possibly be a tedious and lengthy pastime, not by any means so amusing as smoking a cigar in the conservatory; or even listening to the young ladies playing their pianopieces; or to Hobbs and Nobbs lingering round the bottle and talking over the morning's run with the hounds; but surely it is a moral and ingenious sport. They say the variety of narratives is often very odd and amusing. The original story becomes so changed and distorted that at the end of all the statements you are puzzled to know where the truth is at all. As time is of small importance to the cheerful persons engaged in this sport, perhaps a good way of playing it would be to spread it over a couple of years. Let the people who played the game in '60 all meet and play it once more in '61, and each write his |