GARDEN VERSES BY ANDREW MARVELL 43 



original sense of curiosus, viz. ' attentive ' (' reaching itself into 

 my hands '). 



22. whets . . . its silver wings. To whet is to sharpen, 

 encourage, or stimulate ; here, to preen or trim with the beak, 

 preparatory to a longer flight. 



28. What other help could yet be meet ? The answer expected 

 is ' none '. Marvell is by no means complimentary to the fair sex 

 in the last stanza. According to him Adam would have been 

 too happy without Eve. But this is not according to the 

 Scripture (Gen. ii. 18) 'The Lord God said, It is not good 

 that the man should be alone : I will make him an help meet 

 for him.' 



THE BUMBLE-BEE'S PARADISE 



As I lay yonder in tall grass 

 A drunken bumble-bee went past 

 Delirious with honey toddy. 

 The golden sash about his body 

 Scarce kept it in his swollen belly 

 Distent with honeysuckle jelly. 

 Rose liquor and the sweet-pea wine 

 Had filled his soul with song divine ; 

 Deep had he drunk the warm night through, 

 10 His hairy thighs were wet with dew. 

 Full many an antic he had played 

 While the world went round thro' sleep and shade. 

 Oft had he lit with thirsty lip 

 Some flower-cup's nectared sweets to sip. 

 When on smooth petals he would slip, 

 Or over tangled stamens trip, 

 And, headlong in the pollen rolled, 

 Crawl out quite dusted o'er with gold ; 



