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And round her happy footsteps blow
The authentic airs of Paradise.
For joy of her he cannot sleep,

Her beauty haunts him all the night;
It melts his heart, it makes him weep
For wonder, worship, and delight.
O, paradox of love, he longs,

Most humble when he most aspires, To suffer scorn and cruel wrongs

From her he honours and desires. Her graces make him rich, and ask No guerdon; this imperial style Affronts him; he disdains to bask,

The pensioner of her priceless smile.
He prays for some hard thing to do,
Some work of fame and labour immense,
To stretch the languid bulk and thew

Of love's fresh-born magnipotence.
No smallest boon were bought too dear,
Though bartered for his love-sick life;
Yet trusts he, with undaunted cheer,

To vanquish heaven, and call her Wife. He notes how queens of sweetness still Neglect their crowns, and stoop to mate; How, self-consign'd with lavish will,

They ask but love proportionate;
How swift pursuit by small degrees,
Love's tactic, works like miracle;
How valour, clothed in courtesies,
Brings down the loftiest citadel;
And therefore, though he merits not
To kiss the braid upon her skirt,
His hope discouraged ne'er a jot,
Out-soars all possible desert.

BOOK I, CANTO VIII. PRELUDES
I. LIFE OF LIFE

What's that, which, ere I spake, was gone:
So joyful and intense a spark
That, whilst o'erhead the wonder shone,
The day, before but dull, grew dark?
I do not know; but this I know,

That, had the splendour lived a year,
The truth that I some heavenly show

Did see, could not be now more clear.
This know I too: might mortal breath
Express the passion then inspired,
Evil would die a natural death,

And nothing transient be desired;
And error from the soul would pass,
And leave the senses pure and strong
As sunbeams. But the best, alas,
Has neither memory nor tongue!

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II. THE REVELATION

An idle poet, here and there,

Looks round him; but, for all the rest, The world, unfathomably fair,

Is duller than a witling's jest. Love wakes men, once a life-time each; They lift their heavy lids and look; And, lo, what one sweet page can teach, They read with joy, then shut the book. And some give thanks, and some blaspheme, And most forget; but, either way, That and the Child's unheeded dream Is all the light of all their day.

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My little Son, who look'd from thoughtful eyes

And moved and spoke in quiet grown-up wise, Having my law the seventh time disobey'd, I struck him, and dismiss'd

With hard words and unkiss'd,

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The wonder was not yet quite gone From that still look of hers; Albeit, to them she left, her day Had counted as ten years.

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