第10章 FIRST BOOK(7)
Against the bridal day， which is not long：
Sweet Thames！ run softly， till I end my song.
There in a meadow by the river's side
A fock of nymphs I chancéd to espy，
All lovely daughters of the food thereby，
With goodly greenish locks all loose untied
As each had been a bride；
And each one had a little wicker basket
Made of fne twigs， entrailéd curiously，
In which they gather'd fowers to fll their fasket，
And with fne fngers cropt full feateously
The tender stalks on high.
Of every sort which in that meadow grew
They gather'd some； the violet， pallid blue，
The little daisy that at evening closes，
The virgin lily and the primrose true，
With store of vermeil roses，
To deck their bridegrooms'posies
Against the bridal day， which was not long：
Sweet Thames！ run softly， till I end my song.
With that I saw two swans of goodly hue
Come softly swimming down along the lee；
Two fairer birds I yet did never see；
The snow which doth the top of Pindus strow
Did never whiter show，
Nor Jove himself， when he a swan would be
For love of Leda， whiter did appear；
Yet Leda was (they say) as white as he，
Yet not so white as these， nor nothing near；
So purely white they were，
That even the gentle stream， the which them bare，
Seem'd foul to them， and bade his billows spare
To wet their silken feathers， lest they might
Soil their fair plumes with water not so fair，
And mar their beauties bright，
That shone as Heaven's light
Against their bridal day， which was not long：
Sweet Thames！ run softly， till I end my song.
Eftsoons the nymphs， which now had fowers their fll，
Ran all in haste to see that silver brood
As they came foating on the crystal food；
Whom when they saw， they stood amazéd still
Their wondering eyes to fll；
Them seem'd they never saw a sight so fair
Of fowls， so lovely， that they sure did deem
Them heavenly born， or to be that same pair
Which through the sky draw Venus'silver team；
For sure they did not seem
To be begot of any earthly seed，
But rather angels， or of angels'breed；
Yet were they bred of summer's heat， they say，
In sweetest season， when each fower and weed
The earth did fresh array；
So fresh they seem'd as day，
Even as their bridal day， which was not long：
Sweet Thames！ run softly， till I end my song.
Then forth they all out of their baskets drew
Great store of fowers， the honour of the feld，
That to the sense did fragrant odours yield，
All which upon those goodly birds they threw
And all the waves did strew，
That like old Peneus'waters they did seem
When down along by pleasant Tempe's shore
Scatter'd with fowers， through Thessaly they stream，
That they appear， through lilies'plenteous store，
Like a bride's chamber-foor.
Two of those nymphs meanwhile two garlands bound
Of freshest fowers which in that mead they found，
The which presenting all in trim array，
Their snowy foreheads therewithal they crown'd；
Whilst one did sing this lay
Prepared against that day，
Against their bridal day， which was not long：
Sweet Thames！ run softly， till I end my song.
"Ye gentle birds！ the world's fair ornament，
And Heaven's glory， whom this happy hour
Doth lead unto your lovers'blissful bower，
Joy may you have， and gentle heart's content
Of your love's couplement；
And let fair Venus， that is queen of love，
With her heart-quelling son upon you smile，
Whose smile， they say， hath virtue to remove
All love's dislike， and friendship's faulty guile
For ever to assoil.
Let endless peace your steadfast hearts accord，
And blessed plenty wait upon your board；
And let your bed with pleasures chaste abound，
That fruitful issue may to you aford
Which may your foes confound，
And make your joys redound
Upon your bridal day， which is not long：
Sweet Thames！ run softly， till I end my song.
So ended she； and all the rest around
To her redoubled that her undersong，
Which said their bridal day should not be long：
And gentle Echo from the neighbour ground
Their accents did resound.
So forth those joyous birds did pass along
Adown the lee that to them murmur'd low，
As he would speak but that he lack'd a tongue，
Yet did by signs his glad afection show，
Making his stream run slow.
And all the fowl which in his food did dwell
'Gan fock about these twain， that did excel
The rest， so far as Cynthia doth shend
The lesser stars. So they， enrangéd well，
Did on those two attend，
And their best service lend
Against their wedding day， which was not long：
Sweet Thames！ run softly， till I end my song.
At length they all to merry London came，
To merry London， my most kindly nurse，
That to me gave this life's frst native source，
Though from another place I take my name，
An house of ancient fame：
There when they came whereas those bricky towers
The which on Thames'broad aged back do ride，
Where now the studious lawyers have their bowers，
There whilome wont the Templar-knights to bide，
Till they decay'd through pride；
Next whereunto there stands a stately place，
Where oft I gainéd gifts and goodly grace
Of that great lord， which therein wont to dwell，
Whose want too well now feels my friendless case；
But ah！ here fts not well
Old woes， but joys'to tell
Against the bridal day， which is not long：
Sweet Thames！ run softly， till I end my song.
Yet therein now doth lodge a noble peer，
Great England's glory and the world's wide wonder，
Whose dreadful name late through all Spain did thunder，
And Hercules'two pillars standing near
Did make to quake and fear：
Fair branch of honour， fower of chivalry！
That fllest England with thy triumphs'fame，
Joy have thou of thy noble victory，
And endless happiness of thine own name
That promiseth the same；
That through thy prowess and victorious arms，
Thy country may be freed from foreign harms，
And great Eliza's glorious name may ring
Through all the world， fll'd with thy wide alarms
Which some brave Muse may sing
To ages following，
Upon the bridal day， which is not long：
Sweet Thames！ run softly， till I end my song.
From those high towers this noble lord issüing，
Like radiant Hesper， when his golden hair
In th'ocean billows he hath bathéd fair，
Descended to the river's open viewing