BAD DREAMS. I.

LAST night I saw you in my sleep: And how your charm of face was changed!

I asked "Some love, some faith you keep?" You answered "Faith gone, love estranged."

Whereat I woke - a twofold bliss:

Waking was one, but next there came This other: "Though I felt, for this, My heart break, I loved on the same."

BAD DREAMS. II.

You in the flesh and here

Your very self! Now, wait! One word! May I hope or fear? Must I speak in love or hate? Stay while I ruminate!

The fact and each circumstance

Dare you disown? Not you!
That vast dome, that huge dance,
And the gloom which overgrew
A possibly festive crew!

For why should men dance at all
Why women - a crowd of both
Unless they are gay? Strange ball
Hands and feet plighting troth,
Yet partners enforced and loth!

Of who danced there, no shape
Did I recognise: thwart, perverse,
Each grasped each, past escape

In a whirl or weary or worse:
Man's sneer met woman's curse,
While he and she toiled as if

Their guardian set galley-slaves
To supple chained limbs grown stiff:
Unmanacled trulls and knaves
The lash for who misbehaves!

And a gloom was, all the while,
Deeper and deeper yet
O'ergrowing the rank and file

Of that army of haters - set
To mimic love's fever-fret.

By the wall-side close I crept,
Avoiding the livid maze,
And, safely so far, outstepped

On a chamber ---a chapel, says
My memory or betrays

Closet-like, kept aloof

From unseemly witnessing What sport made floor and roof Of the Devil's palace ring

While his Damned amused their king.

Ay, for a low lamp burned,

And a silence lay about What I, in the midst, discerned

Though dimly till, past doubt, 'Twas a sort of throne stood out

High seat with steps, at least:
And the topmost step was filled
By whom? What vestured priest?
A stranger to me, - his guild,
His cult, unreconciled

To my knowledge how guild and cult
Are clothed in this world of ours:

I pondered, but no result

Came to- unless that Giaours So worship the Lower Powers.

When suddenly who entered?

Who knelt did you guess I saw? Who -raising that face where centred Allegiance to love and law

So lately off-casting awe,

Down-treading reserve, away
Thrusting respect.
but mine
Stands firm firm still shall stay!

Ask Satan! for I decline
To tell what I saw, in fine!

Yet here in the flesh you come —
Your same self, form and face,
In the eyes, mirth still at home!

On the lips, that commonplace
Perfection of honest grace!

Yet your errand is

needs must be

To palliate well, explain,
Expurgate in some degree
Your soul of its ugly stain.
Oh, you
the good in grain -

How was it your white took tinge?
"A mere dream" never object!
Sleep leaves a door on hinge

Whence soul, ere our flesh suspect,
Is off and away: detect

Her vagaries when loose, who can!
Be she pranksome, be she prude,
Disguise with the day began:

With the night -ah, what ensued From draughts of a drink hell-brewed?

Then She: "What a queer wild dream'
And perhaps the best fun is-
Myself had its fellow

I seem
Scarce awake from yet. 'Twas this
Shall I tell you? First, a kiss!

"For the fault was just your own, 'Tis myself expect apology:

You warned me to let alone

(Since our studies were mere philology) That ticklish (you said) Anthology.

"So, I dreamed that I passed exam Till a question posed me sore: 'Who translated this epigram

By an author we best ignore?' And I answered 'Hannah More'!"

BAD DREAMS. III.

TE'S was my dream: I saw a Forest
Old as the earth, no track nor trace
Of unmade man. Thou, Soul, explor-

est

space

Though in a trembling rapture 10 Immeasurable! Shrubs, turned trees, Trees that touch heaven, support its frieze Studded with sun and moon and star: While oh, the enormous growths that bar

Mine eye from penetrating past

Their tangled twine where lurks
lives

Royally lone, some brute-type cast

nay,

I' the rough, time cancels, man forgives.

On, Soul! I saw a lucid City

Of architectural device

20 Every way perfect. Pause for pity,
Lightning nor leave a cicatrice

On those bright marbles, dome and spire,
Structures palatial, streets which mire
Dares not defile,. paved all too fine
For human footstep's smirch, not thine
Proud solitary traverser,

My Soul, of silent lengths of way -
With what ecstatic dread, aver,

Lest life start sanctioned by thy stay!

30 Ah, but the last sight was the hideous!
Á City, yes, a Forest, true,
But each devouring each. Perfidious
Snake-plants had strangled what I knew
Was a pavilion once: each oak

Held on his horns some spoil he broke
By surreptitiously beneath

Upthrusting: pavements, as with teeth,
Griped huge weed widening crack and
split

In squares and circles stone-work erst. 40 Oh, Nature - good! Oh, Art -no whit Less worthy! Both in one- accurst!

BAD DREAMS. IV.

IT happened thus: my slab, though new, Was getting weather-stained, beside, Herbage, balm, peppermint o'ergrew

Letter and letter: till you tried Somewhat, the Name was scarce descried.

That strong stern man my lover came: Was he my lover? Call him, pray, My life's cold critic bent on blame

if such may be

Pains, as such are for certain." Thus smiling questioned he.

'Fear nothing! Who employs me re-
quires the plain truth. Pelf
Beguiles who should inform me: so, I in-
form myself.

See!" And he threw his hood back, let
the close vesture ope,

10 Showed face, and where on tippet the cross lay: 'twas the Pope.

Imagine the joyful wonder! "How shall
the like of us

Poor souls requite such blessing of our
rude bean-feast?" "Thus
Thus amply!" laughed Pope Sixtus. "I
early rise, sleep late:

Who works may eat: they tempt me, your
beans there: spare a plate!"

Down sat he on the door-step: 'twas they this time said grace:

He ate up the last mouthful, wiped lips, and then, with face

Turned heavenward, broke forth thank

ful: "Not now, that earth obeys Thy word in mine, that through me the peoples know Thy ways

But that Thy care extendeth to Nature's homely wants,

to And, while man's mind is strengthened, Thy goodness nowise scants Man's body of its comfort,

kings and queens

that I whom

Crouch to, pick crumbs from off my table, relish beans!

The thunders I but seem to launch, there

plain Thy hand all see:

That I have appetite, digest, and thrive that boon's for me.'

MUCKLE-MOUTH MEG

FROWNED the Laird on the Lord: "So, red-handed I catch thee? Death-doomed by our Law of the Border!

We've a gallows outside and a chiel to dis patch thee: Who trespasses

hangs: all's in order."

English gallant:

Then the Laird's dame: "Nay, Hus band, I beg!

He's comely: be merciful! Grace for the callant

- If he marries our Muckle-mouth Meg!"

A week did he bide in the cold and the dark

Not hunger: for duly at morning In flitted a lass, and a voice like a lark Chirped "Muckle-mouth Meg still ye're scorning?

"Go hang, but here's parritch to hearten ye first!"

"Did Meg's muckle-mouth boast within

some

Such music as yours, mine should match it or burst:

No frog-jaws! So tell folk, my Winsome!'

Soon week came to end, and, from Hole's door set wide,

Out he marched, and there waited the s lassie:

'Yon gallows, or Muckle-mouth Meg for a bride!

Consider! Sky's blue and turf's grassy:

"Life's sweet: shall I say ye wed Mucklemouth Meg?"

"Not I," quoth the stout heart: "too eerie

The mouth that can swallow a bubblyjock's egg:

Shall I let it munch mine? Never, Dearie !"

"Not Muckle-mouth Meg? Wow, the obstinate man!

Perhaps he would rather wed me!"

2 A turkey.