A GARDEN OF DELIGHT 183 



of the true artist and lover of nature, to whom 

 all beautiful things, whether found in the 

 nearest meadow or brought at much cost 

 from the ends of the earth, are alike precious 

 and worthy of reverence great plants of the 

 common Kingcup shone like masses of pure 

 gold beside the young pads of Lilies from Asia 

 and the New World. 



But beyond the ponds, under the forest oaks 

 that are left standing to give enough and not 

 too dense a shade, the Wild garden called us ; 

 and with Herrick rather than with Wordsworth 

 we murmured 



" Stay, stay, 

 Until the hasting day 

 Hath run but to the evensong, 

 And having prayed together, 

 We will go with you along." 



For in the cunningly devised promontories 

 and islands of grass and plants left among 

 the spaces of close-shaven turf, Daffodils of 

 every sort and every shade grew in thousands 

 upon thousands, with here a glint of crimson 

 or purple from Polyanthus, there the deep 



