hey paused, here that the legend was told?
Even a kiss would be heard in this hush; but, with mocking insistence,
Now thro' the valley resound--only the bells of the fold.

Dropt--from the hands of what beautiful throng? Did they cry "_follow
after_"?
Dancing into the west, leaving this token for me,
_Memory dead on the path, and the sunset to bury their laughter?_
Youth--is it youth that has flown? Darkness covers the sea.

Darkness covers the earth; but the path is here! I assay it.
Let the bloom fall like a flake--dropt from the torch of a friend!
Beautiful revellers, happy companions, I see and obey it;
Follow your torch in the night, follow your path to the end.

THE OUTLAW

Deep in the greenwood of my heart
My wild hounds race.
I cloak my soul at feast and mart,
I mask my face;

Outlawed, but not alone, for Truth
Is outlawed, too.
Proud world, you cannot banish us.
_We_ banish _you_.

Go by, go by, with all your din,
Your dust, your greed, your guile,
Your gold, your thrones can never win--
From Her--one smile.

She sings to me in a lonely place,
She takes my hand.
I look into her lovely face
And understand....

Outlawed, but not alone, for Love
Is outlawed, too.
You cannot banish us, proud world.
_We_ banish _you_.

Now which is outlawed, which alone?
Around us fall and rise
Murmurs of leaf and fern, the moan
Of Paradise.

Outlawed? Then hills and woods and streams
Are outlawed, too!
Proud world, from our immortal dreams,
We banish you.

THE YOUNG FRIAR

When leaves broke out on the wild briar,
And bells for matins rung,
Sorrow came to the old friar
--Hundreds of years ago it was!--
And May came to the young.

The old was ripening for the sky,
The young was twenty-four.
The Franklin's daughter passed him by,
Reading a painted missal-book,
Beside the chapel door.

With brown cassock and sandalled feet,
And red Spring wine for blood;
The very next noon he chanced to meet
The Franklin's daughter, in a green May twilight,
Walking through the wood.

_Pax vobiscum_--to a maid
The crosiered ferns among!
But hers was only the Saxon,
And his the Norman tongue;
And the Latin taught by the old friar
Made music for the young.

And never a better deed was done
By Mother Church bel