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Title: The Earthly Paradise
A Poem

Author: William Morris

Release Date: October 25, 2009 [EBook #30332]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE
EARTHLY PARADISE

A POEM.

BY

WILLIAM MORRIS
Author of the Life and Death of Jason.

Part II.

_ELEVENTH IMPRESSION_

LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.
39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON
NEW YORK AND BOMBAY
1903

CONTENTS.

PAGE

_MAY_ 2

_The Story of Cupid and Psyche_ 5

_The Writing on the Image_ 98

_JUNE_ 112

_The Love of Alcestis_ 114

_The Lady of the Land_ 164

_JULY_ 186

_The Son of Croesus_ 188

_The Watching of the Falcon_ 210

_AUGUST_ 244

_Pygmalion and the Image_ 246

_Ogier the Dane_ 275

THE EARTHLY PARADISE.

MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST.

MAY.

O love, this morn when the sweet nightingale
Had so long finished all he had to say,
That thou hadst slept, and sleep had told his tale;
And midst a peaceful dream had stolen away
In fragrant dawning of the first of May,
Didst thou see aught? didst thou hear voices sing
Ere to the risen sun the bells 'gan ring?

For then methought the Lord of Love went by
To take possession of his flowery throne,
Ringed round with maids, and youths, and minstrelsy;
A little while I sighed to find him gone,
A little while the dawning was alone,
And the light gathered; then I held my breath,
And shuddered at the sight of Eld and Death.

Alas! Love passed me in the twilight dun,
His music hushed the wakening ousel's song;
But on thes