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A Floral Fantasy in an Old English Garden By: Walter Crane (1845-1915) |
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BY WALTER CRANE NEW YORK & LONDON HARPER AND BROTHERS [Illustration] [Illustration] [Illustration] [Illustration]
A FLORAL FANTASY IN AN OLD ENGLISH GARDEN [Illustration]
SET FORTH IN
VERSES & COLOURED
DESIGNS
BY
WALTER CRANE LONDON: AT THE
HOUSE OF HARPER
AND BROTHERS:
1899 [Illustration]
THE OLD ENGLISH GARDEN A FLORAL PHANTASY
[Illustration] In an old world garden dreaming,
Where the flowers had human names,
Methought, in fantastic seeming,
They disported as squires and dames. [Illustration] Of old in Rosamond's Bower,
With it's peacock hedges of yew,
One could never find the flower
Unless one was given the clue;
So take the key of the wicket,
Who would follow my fancy free,
By formal knot and clipt thicket,
And smooth greensward so fair to see [Illustration] And while Time his scythe is whetting,
Ere the dew from the grass has gone, [Illustration] The Four Seasons' flight forgetting,
As they dance round the dial stone; [Illustration] With a leaf from an old English book,
A Jonquil will serve for a pen. [Illustration] Let us note from the green arbour's nook,
Flowers masking like women and men. [Illustration] FIRST in VENUS'S LOOKING GLASS,
You may see where LOVE LIES BLEEDING, [Illustration] While PRETTY MAIDS all of them pass
With careless hearts quite unheeding. [Illustration] Next, a knight with his flaming targe
See the DENT DE LION so bold
With his feathery crest at large,
On a field of the cloth of gold. [Illustration] Simple honesty shows in vain
A fashion few seek to robe in,
While the poor SHEPHERD'S PURSE is ta'en
By rascally RAGGED ROBIN. [Illustration] COLTSFOOT
and
LARKSPUR SPEEDWELL [Illustration] In the race of the flowers that's run due, [Illustration] As the HARTSTONGUE pants at the well [Illustration] And the HOUNDSTONGUE laps the SUNDEW. [Illustration] Here's VENUS' COMBE for MAIDENHAIR:
While KING CUPS drink BELLA DONNA, [Illustration] Glad in purple and gold so fair,
Though the DEADLY NIGHTSHADE'S upon her. [Illustration] Behold LONDON PRIDE robed & crowned,
Ushered in by the GOLDEN ROD,
While a floral crowd press around,
Just to win from her crest a nod. [Illustration] The FOXGLOVES are already on.
Not only in pairs but dozens;
They've come out to see all the fun,
With sisters and aunts and cousins. [Illustration] The STITCHWORK looked up with a sigh
At BATCHELOR'S BUTTONS unsewn: [Illustration] Single Daisies were not in her eye,
For the grass was just newly mown. [Illustration] The HORSE TAIL, 'scaped from WOLFE'S CLAW,
Rides off with a LADIES' LAGES. [Illustration] The FRIAR'S COWL hides a doctor of law,
And the BISHOP'S WEED covers his grace's [Illustration] The SNAPDRAGON opened his jaw,
But, at sight of Scotch THISTLE, turned pale: [Illustration] He'd too many points of the law
For a dragon without a scale. [Illustration] Little JENNY CREEPER lay low,
Till happy thoughts made her gladder;
How to rise in the world she'd know,
So she climbed up JACOB'S LADDER [Illustration] SWEET WILLIAM with MARYGOLD
Seek HEARTSEASE in the close box border.
Where, starched in their ruff's stiff fold,
DUTCH DAHLIAS prim, keep order. [Illustration] NARCISSUS bends over the brook,
Intent upon DAFFA DOWN DILLY: [Illustration] While EYEBRIGHT observes from her nook,
And wonders he could be so silly. [Illustration] A LANCE FOR A LAD 'gainst KING'S SPEAR.
When the BUGLE sounds for the play [Illustration] A LADIES MANTLE flaunting there
Is the banner that leads the fray. [Illustration] KNIGHT'S SPUR to the LADIES BOWER
To seek for the LADIES SLIPPER. [Illustration] 'Twas lost in the wood in a summer shower
When the CLOWN'S WORT tried to trip her. [Illustration] TOAD FLAX is spun for BUTTER AND EGGS [Illustration] On a LADIES' CUSHION sits THRIFT
She never wastes, or steals, or begs,
But she can't give poor RAGWORT a lift. [Illustration] QUEEN OF THE MEADS is MEADOWSWEET,
In the realm of grasses wide: [Illustration] But not in all her court you meet
The turbaned TURK'S HEAD in his pride. [Illustration] Fair BETHLEHEM' STAR shineth bright,
In a lowly place, as of old, [Illustration] And through the green gloom glows the light
Of ST. JOHN'S WORT a nimbus of gold. [Illustration] But the hours of the sun swift glide,
And the flowers with them are speeding. [Illustration] Though LOVE IN A MIST may hide.
When Time's in the garden weeding. [Illustration] There's TRAVELLER'S JOY
To entwine,
At our journey's end for greeting, [Illustration] We can talk over SOPS IN WINE,
And drink to our next merry meeting. [Illustration] PRINTED
BY
EDMUND
EVANS BOUND
BY
LEIGHTON
SON &
HODGE [Illustration] [Illustration] [Illustration: A FLORAL FANTASY] Provided by LoyalBooks.com Continue reading book >>
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