oman in Eng

Table of

subject little treated of in Eastern poetry. It is a very pretty subject. But in Japan and other countries of the East almost every young man knows beforehand whom he is likely to marry. Marriage is arranged by the family: it is a family matter, indeed a family duty and not a romantic pursuit. At one time, very long ago, in Europe, marriages were arranged in much the same w

Locker-Lampson pronounced good, the world now knows to have been exactly what he pronounced, for his taste was very fine. And in this book I find a little poem quoted from Mr. Edwin Arnold, now Sir Edwin. Sir Edwin Arnold is now old and blind, and he has not been thought of kindly enough in Japan, because his work has not been sufficiently known. Some people have even said his writings did harm to Japan, but I want to assure you that such statements are stupid lies. On the contrary, he did for Japan whatever good the best of his talent as a poet an

waites

o love? Thou

of my sad a

for the

s th

ister soul hath

eek fondly ea

ing stil

rt thou

e as thirsty l

mised angel

we neve

art

ait for mine as

ve apart, mu

before

oul, n

keep for us so

rtioned us our

west, an

fore

tide as brav

ing for the br

th with t

he May

all the quiet

softly in thy

ar wife, g

s before, another student-a very great student, Richard Crashaw,-had a fancy of the same kind, and made verses about it which are famous. You will find parts

sh

er sh

impossi

command my

'er s

p from m

leaves of

hat ri

d Fate st

r fair steps

that

ake a

esh, through

her, my

her to m

alled my ab

n the world of scholarship can marry only late in life, the wife is generally quite young. Marriage is far a

y-find the soul of her, whether born or yet unborn, and tell that soul of the love t

h her

s not al

re or glist'

ing mo

or tis

feather,

han th

r silk wo

blush, or

that'

own bea

one comman

ce m

no ot

ure's white h

k wher

n a morn

o box his

hat di

or diamond

by their own

es th

but to

mselves more

that c

, yet tea

ty shall ta

hat dar

enge to

omes, say "We

. They are not exactly new thoughts, nor strange thoughts

ct-the imaginary spouse, the destined one. But

ere or

other there m

seen, the voi

t not yet-nev

swer to

other, may be

d sea, clean

dering moon, b

s her nigh

other, may be

wall, a he

last leaves of

a turf g

can be met, because death may come before the meeting time. All through the poem there is the suggestion of an old belie

y poems, whether prospective or retrospe

at

e beneat

ng heart-stri

there mu

his soul,

at hides h

bors whom

ttain com

er heart i

whom I c

eat change

ding reas

ving fanc

not so

isdain

to smil

that rule

ut not t

hair sim

face cres

t by Muse

that shape

stals of

ty half-b

one may

whose tou

den rod

mes wield

d flesh t

e, and fin

r she b

ve, be no

as thou

hat he who

ing want

y dearly

with the

and running quickly, having wings attached to the sandals upon his feet. Runners used to pray to him for skill in winning foot races. But this god had many forms and many attributes, and one of his supposed duties was to bring the souls of the dead into the presence of the king of Hades. So you will see some pictures of him standing before the throne of the king of the Dead, and behind him a long procession of shuddering ghosts. He is nearly always pictured as holding in his hands a strange sceptre called the caduceus, a short staff about which two little serpents are coiled, and at the top of which is a tiny pair of wings. This i

w the poets have talked about realities. Here is a pretty thing by Thomas Ashe. It is entitled "Pansie"; and this flower name is really a corrupt

No Angel

Sabbath noo

to find

ew proud ben

elm-leaves

no angel

We meet no

ghts stream

e hand she to

that grea

t no ange

hat, brown hai

d brown eye

aid I? Gall

ery, and o

no angels

hinking him to be in earnest, "No-long ago people used to see angels, but in these times no one ever sees them." He does not dare tell her how beautiful she seems to him; but he suggests much more than admiration by the tone of hi

about his own wife though that fact would not be guessed from the poem

phantom

he gleamed u

apparit

moment's

stars of t

t's, too, he

ngs else ab

e and the ch

shape, an

o startle,

upon nea

, yet a

d motions li

of virgi

nce in whi

ds, promise

not too bri

nature's d

t sorrows, s

love, kisses, t

see with

ulse of th

thing though

betwixt li

irm, the tem

esight, streng

woman, nob

o comfort

pirit still

hing of an

d perceive the mingled attraction of innocence and of youth. But innocence and youth are by no means all that make up the best attributes of woman; character is more than innocence and more than yo

me charm was expressed very long before him b

oves a ro

ral lip

ar-like ey

aintain h

e makes th

mes must w

th and ste

ghts and ca

h equal lo

ever-dyi

e, are not

eks or lip

e Latin poets-to speak of love as a fire or flame, and you must understand the image in these ver

d did, when he pleased, draw beautiful portraits of moral as well as physical attraction.

n beauty, l

climes and

's best of d

r aspect a

'd to that

n to gaudy

e more, one

air'd the na

in every r

ightens o'e

ts serenely

dear their d

cheek, and o

o calm, ye

at win, the t

days in go

peace with

ose love i

ir. This may serve to remind you that there are two distinct types, opposite types, of beauty celebrated by English

east-high am

he golden li

weetheart

glowing k

eek an au

pen'd;-su

st of brow

ppies grown

eyes her t

lackest none

ashes veil

se been all

at, with

tressy fo

tood among

d with swee

d, Heav'n d

thou should

heaf adow

harvest a

e-a picture of the dark beauty which is so much admired in Northern countries, where it is less common than in Southern Europe. There are beautiful brown-skinned types; and the flush of youth on the cheeks of such a brown girl has been compared to the red upon a ripe peach or a russet apple-a hard kind of apple, very sweet and juicy, which i

e has actually realized his ideal, and that the woman that he loves is the most beautiful person in the whole world. The fact that this is simply imagination on his part does not make the poem less beautiful-on the contrary, the false imag

, who do no

pure gold,

ught-speak tr

s tress, see,

st fairest

ee, ere I

pend your liv

search the wi

witness, ca

aught-speak t

tress, and

praise, I l

agine the questioned person to be a critic by profession as well as an artist. Like the preceding poem this also is a picture. But the next poem, also by Browning, is much more than a picture-it is very profound indeed, simple as it looks. An old man is sitting by the dead body of a young girl of about sixteen. He tells us how he secretly loved her, as a father might love a daughter, as a brother might love a sister. But he would have wished, if he had not been so old, and she so young, to love her as a husband. He never could have her in this world, but why sho

lyn

Evelyn Hop

ch by her s

book-shelf,

at piece of ge

o die too,

et been chan

are shut, no

ays through the

ars old wh

ad scarcely h

er time to l

d many a ho

ugh and li

as quiet,

hand beckon

white brow i

ate, then,

soul was pu

rs met in yo

spirit, fi

ause I was t

in the world d

ht to each, m

ow mortals,

ed! for

grant, as mi

he love to re

ill, for my ow

ay be for mo

I shall trave

learn, much

be come for

will come,-at

ope, what mean

arth, in the y

nd soul so

was amber, I

of your own g

would do with

e come in the

shall say) so

yself so m

he gains of

ages, spoile

one, in my so

sed or itsel

nd find you,

e issue? l

, Evelyn, a

med full as

d to spare for the

mouth, and the h

ll give you th

inside the sw

s our secret:

and remember,

quote all of them, I must not neglect to make a just representation of the variety. Here is another example:

ng with a s

r eye no sto

right word

sprite, like

lord (says an

earth, lord

he power

is I this t

e world counts

true word-

soul; I am w

ord, of heav

d sole-by a m

he love i

, you whisper that magical word over the cheap-looking stone, suddenly a spirit, a demon or a genie, springs from that gem like a flash of fire miraculously issuing from a lump of ice. And that spirit or genie has power to make you king of the whole world

ny way. She is just an ordinary woman, as the pearl in the ring is to all appearances just a common pearl. But let the right word be said, let the soul of that woman be once really touched by the magic of love, and what a revelation! As the spirit in the Arabian story sprang from the stone

n a certain seal ring, upon which the mystical name of Allah, or at least one of the ninety and nine mystical names, was engraved. When he chose to use this ring,

stand that the first betrothal kiss is the mark of affection described. When the promise of marriage has been made, that promise is sealed or confirmed by the first kiss. But this refers only

e bloom of the year i

ealth of the mine in

arl all the shade and

and shine,-wonder, wealt

t's bright

t's purer

est trust in the uni

iss of o

antage of Browning is that he has used the sensuous imagery for ethical symbolism; here he greatly surpasses Jonson, though

Tr

iot at hand

my Lad

aws is a swa

he car Lov

s, all hea

her b

d do wish, s

oy such

ll were to ru

hrough seas, whit

on her eyes,

ve's world

on her hair,

star when

her forehea

s that so

arch'd brow

lf through

ere triumph

the good, of the

n but a brig

hands have

'd but the fa

soil hath s

elt the wo

n's do

t o' the bud

ard in t

ted the bag

so soft, O s

is Jonson's own and is very famous. You will see that Browning was probably inspire

ries is said to become cross, bad tempered, unpleasant in character. She could not be blamed for this, I think; but there are old maids who always remain as unselfish and frank and kind as a gi

litary

n of noble Nat

rs was like a

ome looks, no p

auties of the

led, a light w

l kindliness

iance, silverin

ught with un

king truth, no

, bright and

ed,-hath felt th

he, no underst

aven is forced o

niggard earth

lk is snapt, the

wer that skywar

ommon ground, an

etals. Cruel f

ld find so bas

rgin pride, so

ther, and a t

oved, but not

sk return of l

love a dream;

xquisitely str

glad to look on

imed-as oft, i

mrose, like a s

soul, yet unre

, but all its o

ay-her worst o

which all the

e, because her

h no strength t

laymates, fanc

ove them. The

anish at the

pectre of an

d angel woe

long-the sol

ease too much. Men become afraid of her. They think, "She knows too much, I dare not be frank with her"-or, "She is too beautiful, she never would accept a common person like me"-or, "She is too formal and correct, she would never forgive a mistake, and I could never be happy with her." Not only is this possible, but it frequently happens. Too much excellence makes a misfortune. I think you can understand it best by the reference to the very natural prejudice against over-educated women, a prejudice founded upon experience and existing in all countries, even in Japan. Men are not attracted t