John Keats

“ Even to Madeline’s chamber, and there hide
Him in a closet, of such privacy
That he might see her beauty unespied,
And win perhaps that night a peerless bride,
While legion’d fairies pac’d the coverlet,
And pale enchantment held her sleepy-eyed.
Never on such a night have lovers met,
Since Merlin paid his Demon all the monstrous debt. ”

“ The owl, for all his feathers, was a-cold;
The hare limp’d trembling through the frozen grass,
And silent was the flock in woolly fold:
Numb were the Beadsman’s fingers, while he told
His rosary, and while his frosted breath,
Like pious incense from a censer old,
Seem’d taking flight for heaven, without a death,
Past the sweet Virgin’s picture, while his prayer he saith. ”

“ Blinded alike from sunshine and from rain,
As though a rose should shut, and be a bud again. ”

“ The sculptur’d dead, on each side, seem to freeze,
Emprison’d in black, purgatorial rails:
Knights, ladies, praying in dumb orat’ries,
He passeth by; and his weak spirit fails
To think how they may ache in icy hoods and mails. ”

“ Pale, lattic’d, chill, and silent as a tomb.
“Now tell me where is Madeline,” said he,
“O tell me, Angela, by the holy loom
“Which none but secret sisterhood may see,
“When they St. Agnes’ wool are weaving piously.”
XIV.
“St. Agnes! Ah! it is St. Agnes’ Eve—-
“Yet men will murder upon holy days:
“Thou must hold water in a witch’s sieve,
“And be liege-lord of all the Elves and Fays,
“To venture so: it fills me with amaze
“To see thee, Porphyro!—-St. Agnes’ Eve! ”

“ Unclasps her warmed jewels one by one;
Loosens her fragrant boddice; by degrees
Her rich attire creeps rustling to her knees:
Half-hidden, like a mermaid in sea-weed,
Pensive awhile she dreams awake, and sees,
In fancy, fair St. ”

“ He play’d an ancient ditty, long since mute,
In Provence call’d, “La belle dame sans mercy:”
Close to her ear touching the melody;—-
Wherewith disturb’d, she utter’d a soft moan:
He ceased—-she panted quick—-and suddenly
Her blue affrayed eyes wide open shone:
Upon his knees he sank, pale as smooth-sculptured stone. ”

“ The silver, snarling trumpets ’gan to chide:
The level chambers, ready with their pride,
Were glowing to receive a thousand guests:
The carved angels, ever eager-eyed,
Star’d, where upon their heads the cornice rests,
With hair blown back, and wings put cross-wise on their breasts. ”

“ As though a tongueless nightingale should swell
Her throat in vain, and die, heart-stifled, in her dell. ”

“ And still she slept an azure-lidded sleep,
In blanched linen, smooth, and lavender’d,
While he from forth the closet brought a heap
Of candied apple, quince, and plum, and gourd; ”

“ The music, yearning like a God in pain,
She scarcely heard: her maiden eyes divine,
Fix’d on the floor, saw many a sweeping train
Pass by—-she heeded not at all: in vain
Came many a tiptoe, amorous cavalier,
And back retir’d; ”

“ Agnes’ Eve—-Ah, bitter chill it was!
The owl, for all his feathers, was a-cold; ”

“ And scarce three steps, ere Music’s golden tongue
Flatter’d to tears this aged man and poor; ”

“ And they are gone: ay, ages long ago
These lovers fled away into the storm. ”

“ Flatter’d to tears this aged man and poor; ”