Our Green Birds. 57 



" Ay, love it ; 'tis a sister that will bless, 



And teach thee patience when the heart is lonely ; 

 The angels love it, for they wear its dress, 

 And thou art made a little lower only : 

 Then love the Beautiful ! 



" Sigh for it ; clasp it when 'tis in thy way ! 



Be its idolator, as of a maiden ! 

 Thy parents bent to it, and more than they ; 

 Be thou its worshipper. Another Eden 



Comes with the Beautiful ! 



" Some boast its presence in a Grecian face ; 



Some, on a favourite warbler of the skies ! 

 But be not fool'd ! Where'er thine eyes might trace, 

 Seeking the Beautiful, it will arise ! . 

 Then seek it everywhere. 



" Thy bosom is its merit, the workmen are 



Thy thoughts, and they must coin for thee : believing 

 The beautiful exists in every star, 

 Thou mak'st it so ; and art thyself deceiving, 

 If otherwise thy faith. 



" Thou seest Beauty in the violet's cup ; 



I'll teach thee miracles ! Walk on this heath, 

 And say to the neglected flower, ' Look up, 

 And be thou Beautiful !' If thou hast faith, 

 It will obey thy word. 



" One thing I warn thee : bow no knee to gold j 

 Less innocent it makes the guileless tongue, 

 It turns the feelings prematurely old ; 



And they who keep their best affections young, 

 Beat love the Beautiful !" 



