AN ITALIAN GARDEN 27 



With orange, whose warm leaves so finely suit, 



And look as if they shade a golden fruit ; 



And 'midst the flowers, turf'd round beneath a 



shade 



Of circling pines, a babbling fountain played. 

 And 'twixt their shafts you saw the water bright 

 Which through the darksome tops glimmered with 



showering light. 



So now you walked beside an odorous bed 

 Of gorgeous hues, purple, and gold, and red ; 

 And now turned off' into a leafy walk, 

 Close and continuous, fit for lovers' talk ; 

 And now pursued the stream, and as you trod 

 Onward and onward o'er the velvet sod, 

 Felt on your face an air, watery and sweet, 

 And a new sense in your soft-lighting feet ; 

 And then, perhaps, you entered upon shades, 

 Pillowed with dells and uplands 'twixt the glades, 

 Through which the distant palace, now and then, 

 Looked lordly forth with many-windowed ken, 

 A land of trees, which, reaching round about, 

 In shady blessing stretched their old arms out ; 

 With spots of sunny opening, and with nooks 

 To lie and read in, sloping into brooks, 

 Where at her drink you startled the slim deer. 

 Retreating lightly with a lovely fear. 

 And all about, the birds kept leafy house, 

 And sung and darted in and out the boughs ; 

 And all about a lovely sky of blue 

 Clearly was felt, or down the leaves laughed through ; 

 And here and there, in every part, were seats, 

 Some in the open walks, some in retreats 



