SI Song of a Sea-Fairy to a Land-Fairy. [JAN. 



In the pearly paths which lead 

 To your coral cell, or tread 

 Where your feet will ever stray, 

 To affright you, night or day ! 

 Nothing noxious there will move, 

 Only such things you may love : 

 Timid mermaids, p'rhaps, may there 

 Comb the pearls from their sleek hair, 

 And, remote from rude alarms, 

 Nicely dress their modest charms: 

 These are Ocean's gentlest daughters, 

 And disturb not its still waters 

 Waters clear, of cleanly tide, 

 Through whose depths may be descried 

 All the stars which course the sky, 

 All that stand there fixedly ; 

 All that under water moves 

 Sluggish shells, and finny droves ; 

 Every harmless thing that there 

 May please, but not affright my Fair ! 



Come, sweet Fay, and follow me 

 To the deepest-sanded sea, 

 Where you may by day conceal 

 Charms you would not all-reveal, 

 Safe among the finned droves, 

 As among a flight of doves 

 (Such as Venus, with much pains, 

 More by love than luring, trains 

 To teach her Loves their winged way 

 From the groves of Paphia) ; 

 And when Night grows dark again, 

 And the Fairies' moon doth reign, 

 And the dark Hours' lonely bird 

 Over land and sea is heard, 

 Creep from chamber of your house, 

 Until morning to carouse 

 In the camp of Oberon, 

 Till his nightly sports be done, 

 And the first voice of the day 

 Bid us to our homes away ! 



Come and ask no more persuading ! 

 Every fay and fairy maiden 

 Have by this their court begun 

 Now the wan and weary sun 

 Bathes his brow in the fresh sea, 

 Sinking there, and so must we : 

 See the light-sailed Nautilus 

 Waits to be a barque for us ; 

 And the fays and fairies slim, 



From their halls and sea-shells hollow, 

 Call us with their choral hymn, 



And a gentle whoop and halloo, 



Crying, "Follow, fairies, follow !" 



