THE ROMANCE OF THE SWAN'S NEST ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING ITTLE Ellie sits alone 'Mid the beeches of a meadow, She has thrown her bonnet by; In her hands, all sleek and dripping, Little Ellie sits alone, And the smile she softly useth Fills the silence like a speech; While she thinks what shall be done, And the sweetest pleasure chooseth Little Ellie in her smile Chooseth, "I will have a lover, He shall love me without guile; And to him I will discover The swan's nest among the reeds. "And the steed it shall be red-roan, And the lover shall be noble, With an eye that takes the breath, Shall strike ladies into trouble, As his sword strikes men to death. "And the steed it shall be shod All in silver, housed in azure, And the mane shall swim the wind; "He will kiss me on the mouth Then, and lead me as a lover, Through the crowds that praise his deeds; And, when soul-tied by one troth, Unto him I will discover. That swan's nest among the reeds." Tied the bonnet, donn'd the shoe, Just to see, as she did daily, What more eggs were with the two. Pushing through the elm-tree copse, Winding by the stream, light-hearted, Where the osier pathway leads, Past the boughs, she stoops and stops: Lo! the wild swan had deserted, And a rat had gnawed the reeds. Ellie went home sad and slow. If she found the lover ever, With his red-roan steed of steeds, Sooth I know not! but I know She could never show him never, That swan's nest among the reeds. THE NECKAN MATTHEW ARNOLD N summer, on the headlands, Sits Neckan with his harp of gold, Green rolls beneath the headlands, And there, below the Neckan's feet, His wife and children be. He sings not of the ocean, Of earth, of earth the Neckan sings, He sits upon the headlands, Sings how a knight, he wander'd But earthly knights have harder hearts Sings of his early bridal Priest, knights, and ladies gay. And who art thou," the priest began, "Sir Knight, who wedd'st to-day?" "I am no knight," he answered; "From the sea-waves I come." The knights drew sword, the ladies scream'd, The surprised priest stood dumb. He sings how from the chapel He sings how she sits weeping 66 'Mid shells that round her lie. False Neckan shares my bed," she weeps; "No Christian mate have I." He sings how through the billows He rose to earth again, And sought a priest to sign the cross, He sings how, on an evening, Beneath the birch trees cool, He sate and play'd his harp of gold, |