AT THE VILLAGE DANCE. No. 22. Meadows bloom, in Winter's room Shining, glowing, blushing, growing, Song-birds sweet the season greet, Tune their merry voices; Sound the ways with hymns of praise, Every lane rejoices. On the bough in greenwood now Flowers are springing, perfumes flinging, While young men and maids are clinging To the loves they scarce avow. O'er the grass together pass Bands of lads love-laden : Row by row in bevies go Bride and blushing maiden. See with glee 'neath linden-tree, She's my own, for whom alone, Now with sighs I watch her rise, In her sight with heaven's own light Care for nought till she be brought Thirst divine my soul doth pine To behold her and enfold her, With clasped arms alone to hold her But the theme of the dance is worked up with even greater elaboration and a more studied ingenuity of rhyme and rhythm in the following characteristic song. This has the true accent of what may be called the Musa Vagabundula, and is one of the best lyrics of the series INVITATION TO THE DANCE. No. 23. Cast aside dull books and thought; On grave matters fraught with care; Free to frolic light as air. Like a dream our prime is flown, Sport and folly are youth's own, Lo, the Spring of life slips by, Frozen Winter comes apace; Strength is 'minished silently, Care writes wrinkles on our face : With his troop of illnesses. Like a dream our prime is flown, Prisoned in a study; Sport and folly are youth's own, Tender youth and ruddy. Live we like the gods above; This is wisdom, this is truth: Sport and folly are youth's own, There the lad who lists may see Flashing through the dances wind: Like a dream our prime is flown, Sport and folly are youth's own, H XV. A separate Section can be devoted to songs in the manner of the early French pastoral. These were fashionable at a remote period in all parts of Europe; and I have already had occasion, in another piece of literary history, to call attention to the Italian madrigals of the fourteenth century composed in this species.* Their point is mainly this: A man of birth and education, generally a dweller in the town, goes abroad into the fields, lured by fair spring weather, and makes love among trees to a country wench. The Vagi turn the pastoral to their own purpose, and always represent the greenwood lover as a clericus. One of these rural pieces has a pretty opening stanza :— "When the sweet Spring was ascending, While the sun was heavenward wending, Underneath the green bough, sending Songs aloft with pipings." Another gives a slightly comic turn to the chief incident. * See Renaissance in Italy, vol. iv. p. 156. |