312 OLD ENGLISH WOOD. 



X. 



Above the endive's flower of heavenly blue 



Spread the rough leaves of deadly dark nightshade ; 



Around a golden gleam bright king-cups threw ; 

 Primroses were in long pale ranks array'd, 

 And spotted cowslips nodded in the glade ; 



The modest lily shed her feeble light, 



The thistle's white locks o'er the groundsel stray'd, 



Where knots of tall fair daisies, rob'd in white, 



Gleam'd through the sullen ranks of cloudy-column'd night. 



XI. 



There silver-grass in rank luxuriance grew, 



And broad docks pav'd the broader sloping dale ; 

 The wild vine* o'er the thorn its green-arms threw, 



Whose leafy wings flew streaming in the gale, 



Or o'er the violet spread an emerald sail : 

 Around tall shady orpines proudly rise, 



And branching hemlocks thickly stud the vale, 

 Screening the dazzling broom's deep yellow eyes, 

 That 'neath the shady plant in armed ambush lies. 



XII. 



Along the shelving banks grew scented thyme, 



And ragwort with expanded woolly leaves*; 

 There yellow toad-flux up the mallows climb, 



And dark-leav'd eye-bright to the tutson cleaves, 



Where ingenious gossamer oft weaves 

 The dew-strung woof, which rides the sweeping breeze ; 



Above the tow'ring cummin tries to heave 

 Its seedy head, shunn'd by the humming bees, 

 Who spread at day their pinions o'er the broad dwarf trees. 



XIII. 



No habitation grac'd that rugged scene, 



No pathway bore the track of man or steed ; 



Dark trees the dell from streaming sunbeams screen, 

 Where hungry wolves on slaughter'd wild deer feed, 

 And otters dive beneath the trembling reed : 



No cultivation here smoothed Nature's face, 

 No nodding corn, nor hedge-engirded mead, 



Across this savage scene the eye could trace ; 



Diana here alone might lead the sylvan chase. 



XIV. 



Slow rising o'er the forest's lighted verge, 



Driving dark clouds from Heav'ns black shrouded breast, 

 The broad round-belted moon deigns to emerge. 



Now shady trees appear in thunder drest, 



As though the pitchy field had dared to rest 

 Upon their heads. The shadows move like night 



Like routed night, by morning closely prest ; 

 Or like stern battle-columns put to flight, 

 So dark clouds passed the wood to avoid the spreading light. 

 ** 



T. M. 



* Wild vine, or briony. 



