A Second Series of Fleet Street Eclogues Author:John Davidson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: This joyful mood might not withstand The age's growing care, When railways hacked and scored the land, And wires engraved the air. One woman only, all forlor... more »n, While twenty summers flew, Still climbed the hill each May-day morn Her beauty to renew! What love, what loss, what hope was hers No man or maid could tell, But all the loyal lowlanders Esteemed her custom well. Dressed in a hat with broken plume, A cape, and worn black frock, Before the dawn she left her room, And climbed by scar and rock. And so to-day by lane and burn, By scented hedge and shaw, At many a pause and sudden turn Her wistful face I saw. And once as in a waking dream The whole fair lowland shone— The palaced rock, the hill, the stream, The softly coming dawn: And she with sobs and murmured cries To earth's green bosom laid Her withered cheek, while from her eyes Hot dew on cold dew strayed. Brian What was her end ? Menzies Oh, exquisite! Winter and Spring she lay Bedridden in a palsy fit; But on the first of May, When the lark waked the sun, she too Arose, and in a trance Went forth to bathe her face in dew, The martyr of romance. They found her on the green hill-side At home, and sleeping fast Her endless sleep, Death's pallid bride, Most beautiful at last. (Singing within.) ' Remember us poor Mayers all, ' And thus we do begin ' To lead our lives in righteousness, ' Or else we die in sin. / ' / have been rambling all this night, ' And almost all this day, ' And now returned back again ' I bring you a branch of May? Brian An antique minstrel! Hark! Menzies It is Basil: I know his note. (Enter Basil, carrying a branch of hawthorn blossom.) Menzies Have you been where the night-jar haunts the dark In outland ways remot...« less