THE BLESSED DAMOZEL

FLOWERS OF PARNASSUS—IV.

THE BLESSED DAMOZEL

THE BLESSED DAMOZEL BY DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY PERCY BULCOCK

JOHN LANE: PUBLISHER LONDON AND NEW YORK 1901

Wm. Clowes & Sons, Limited, Printers, London.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

"The blessed Damozel leaned out" . . . Frontispiece

Heading

"Surely she leaned o'er me"

"'We two will stand beside that shrine'"

"'And I myself will teach to him'"

"'Herself shall bring us, hand in hand'"

"And laid her face between her hands"

Tailpiece

Heading

I. The blessed Damozel leaned out From the gold bar of Heaven: Her blue-grey eyes were deeper much Than a deep water, even. She had three lilies in her hand, And the stars in her hair were seven.

II. Her robe, ungirt from clasp to hem, No wrought flowers did adorn, But a white rose of Mary's gift On the neck meetly worn; And her hair, lying down her back, Was yellow like ripe corn.

III. Herseemed she scarce had been a day One of God's choristers; The wonder was not yet quite gone From that still look of hers; Albeit to them she left, her day Had counted as ten years.

IV. (To one it is ten years of years . . . Yet now, here in this place, Surely she leaned o'er me,—her hair Fell all about my face . . . Nothing: the Autumn-fall of leaves. The whole year sets apace.)

V. It was the terrace of God's house That she was standing on,— By God built over the sheer depth In which Space is begun; So high, that looking downward thence, She could scarce see the sun.

VI. It lies from Heaven across the flood Of ether, as a bridge. Beneath, the tides of day and night With flame and blackness ridge The void, as low as where this earth Spins like a fretful midge.

VII. But in those tracts, with her, it was The peace of utter light And silence. For no breeze may stir Along the steady flight Of seraphim; no echo there, Beyond all depth or height.

VIII. Heard hardly, some of her new friends, Playing at holy games, Spake, gentle-mouthed, among themselves, Their virginal chaste names; And the souls, mounting up to God, Went by her like thin flames.

IX. And still she bowed herself, and stooped Into the vast waste calm; Till her bosom's pressure must have made The bar she leaned on warm, And the lilies lay as if asleep Along her bended arm.

X. From the fixt lull of heaven, she saw Time, like a pulse, shake fierce Through all the worlds. Her gaze still strove, In that steep gulph, to pierce The swarm: and then she spake, as when The stars sang in their spheres.

XI. "I wish that he were come to me, For he will come," she said. "Have I not prayed in solemn heaven? On earth, has he not prayed? Are not two prayers a perfect strength? And shall I feel afraid?

XII. "When round his head the aureole clings, And he is clothed in white, I'll take his hand, and go with him To the deep wells of light, And we will step down as to a stream And bathe there in God's sight.

XIII. "We two will stand beside that shrine, Occult, withheld, untrod, Whose lamps tremble continually With prayer sent up to God; And where each need, revealed, expects Its patient period.

XIV. "We two will lie i' the shadow of That living mystic tree, Within whose secret growth the Dove Sometimes is felt to be, While every leaf that His plumes touch Saith His name audibly.

XV. "And I myself will teach to him— I myself, lying so— The songs I sing here; which his mouth Shall pause in, hushed and slow, Finding some knowledge at each pause And some new thing to know."

XVI. (Alas! to her wise simple mind These things were all but known Before: they trembled on her sense,— Her voice had caught their tone. Alas for lonely Heaven! Alas For life wrung out alone!

XVII. Alas, and though the end were reached? Was thy part understood Or borne in trust? And for her sake Shall this too be found good?— May the close lips that knew not prayer Praise ever, though they would?)

XVIII. "We two," she said, "will seek the groves Where the lady Mary is, With her five handmaidens, whose names Are five sweet symphonies:— Cecily, Gertrude, Magdalen, Margaret, and Rosalys.

XIX. "Circle-wise sit they, with bound locks And bosoms coveréd; Into the fine cloths, white like flame, Weaving the golden thread, To fashion the birth-robes for them Who are just born, being dead.

XX. He shall fear haply, and be dumb. Then will I lay my cheek To his, and tell about our love, Not once abashed or weak: And the dear Mother will approve My pride, and let me speak.

XXI. 'Herself shall bring us, hand in hand, To Him round whom all souls Kneel—the unnumber'd solemn heads Bowed with their aureoles: And Angels, meeting us, shall sing To their citherns and citoles.

XXII. "There will I ask of Christ the Lord Thus much for him and me:— To have more blessing than on earth In nowise; but to be As then we were,—being as then At peace. Yea, verily.

XXIII. "Yea, verily; when he is come We will do thus and thus: Till this my vigil seem quite strange And almost fabulous; We two will live at once, one life; And peace will be with us."

XXIV. She gazed, and listened, and then said, Less sad of speech than mild; "All this is when he comes." She ceased; The light thrilled past her, filled With Angels, in strong level lapse. Her eyes prayed, and she smiled.

XXV. (I saw her smile.) But soon their flight Was vague 'mid the poised spheres. And then she cast her arms along The golden barriers, And laid her face between her hands, And wept (I heard her tears).

* * * * * * * *

The Lover's Library

Edited by Frederic Chapman

Size, 5¼ X 3 inches

Price 1/6 net Bound in Cloth Price 50 cents net Price 2/- net Bound in Leather Price 75 cents net

Vol. I. THE LOVE POEMS OF SHELLEY Vol. II. THE LOVE POEMS OF BROWNING Vol. III. THE SILENCE OF LOVE

By Edmond Holmes

Vol. IV. THE CUPID AND PSYCHE of Apuleius in English. Vol. V. THE LOVE POEMS OF TENNYSON Vol. VI. THE LOVE POEMS OF LANDOR

Other Volumes in Preparation

The title of The Lover's Library is sufficiently descriptive to make explanation of the purpose of the Series almost unnecessary.

It is sought to include in a group of compact little volumes the best Love Poems of the great British poets; and from time to time a volume of prose, or a volume of modern verse which may be considered of sufficient importance, will be added to the Library.

The delicate decorations, on the pages, end papers, and covers, make the little books dainty enough for small presents, and it is hoped that those who do not receive them as presents from others will seize the opportunity of making presents to themselves.

JOHN LANE, London & New York

* * * * * * * *

Flowers of Parnassus

A Series of Famous Poems Illustrated

Under the General Editorship of F. B. Money-Coutts

Demy 16mo. (5½ X 4¼), gilt top

Price 1/- net Cloth Price 50 cents net Price 1/6 net Leather Price 75 cents net

Vol. I. Gray's Elegy and Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College. With Twelve Illustrations by J. T. Friedenson.

Vol. II. The Statue and the Bust. By Robert Browning. With Nine Illustrations by Philip Connard.

Vol. III. Marpessa. By Stephen Phillips. With Seven Illustrations by Philip Connard.

IV. The Blessed Damozel. By Dante Gabriel Rossetti. With Eight Illustrations by Percy Bulcock.

Vol. V. The Nut-Brown Maid. A New Version by F. B. Money-Coutts. With Nine Illustrations by Herbert Cole.

Vol. VI. A Dream of Fair Women. By Alfred Tennyson. With Illustrations.

Vol. VII. A Day Dream. By Alfred Tennyson. With Eight Illustrations by Amelia Bauerle.

Vol. VIII. A Ballade upon a Wedding. By Sir John Suckling. With Nine Illustrations by Herbert Cole.

Other Volumes in Preparation.

JOHN LANE, London & New York