132 GLAUCUS; OE, 



And here were coral bowers, 



And grots of madrepores. 

 And banks of sponge, as soft and fair to eye 

 As e'er was mossy bed 



Whereon the wood-nymphs lie 

 With languid limbs in summei-'s sultry hours. 



Here, too, were living flowers. 



Which, like a bud compacted. 



Their purple cups contracted ; 



And now in open blossom spread, 

 Stretch'd, like green anthers, many a seeking head. 



And arborets of jointed stone were there. 

 And plants of fibres fine as silkworm's thread ; 



Yea, beautiful as mermaid's golden hair 

 Upon the waves dispread. 

 Others that, like the broad banana growing, 

 Kaised their long wrinkled leaves of purple hue, 



Like streamers wide outflowing.' — Kehama, xvi. 5. 



"A liimdred times you might fancy you saw the 

 type, the very original of this descrijjtion, tracing, 

 line by line, and image by image, the details of the 

 picture ; and acknoAvledging, as you proceed, the 

 minute truthfulness with which it has been drawn. 

 For such is the loveliness of nature in these secluded 

 reservoirs, that the accomplished poet, when depicting 

 the gorgeous scenes of Eastern mythology — scenes 

 the wildest and most extravagant that imagination 

 could paint — drew not upon the resources of lii 



