And forever and forever, As long as the river flows, The moon and its broken reflection As the symbol of love in heaven, And its wavering image here. SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY, LIKE THE NIGHT. She walks in beauty, like the night One shade the more, one ray the less So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow But tell of days in goodness spent A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent. Joseph Addison was born at Milston in 1672. He went to Queen's College, Oxford; after he finished his course he traveled on the continent, studying for the diplomatic service. Returning, he held the position of Secretary of State, 1706-'8, and until a year of his death held different political positions. He wrote, besides his famous contributions to the Tatler, and Spectator, "The Campaign," a treatise on Medals, a "Letter from Italy," and one play worthy the name, "Cato." He died at London in 1719. The spacious firmament on high, With all the blue ethereal sky, And spangled heavens a shining frame, Their great Original proclaim. The unwearied sun, from day to day, Does his Creator's power display, And publishes to every land The work of an Almighty hand. Soon as the evening shades prevail Whilst all the stars that round her burn, And spread the truth from pole to pole. What though in solemn silence all LUCY. BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH. She dwelt among the untrodden ways A maid whom there were none to praise, Geoffrey Chaucer, often called the father of English verse, was born some time after 1340, served with Edward III. in the French campaigns and was imprisoned in France. He was on an embassy to Genoa in 1372, met Petrarch, and got from him the tale of Griselda and other Italian legends. On his return he occupied various positions of trust, principally of a diplomatic nature. His last days were spent in obscurity. He died in London in 1400, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. His "Canterbury Tales," founded for the most part upon the same stories that Boccaccio and other writers had made famous in prose, are almost the first evidence of the influence of the Italian Renaissance upon English literature. He wrote many detached pieces as well, although his reputation rests largely upon the "Tales." He had not only the true poetic instinct, but a deep knowledge and intense love of nature, and he gave a great inspiration to the writers of the golden age which followed his own. As Tennyson says of him in "A Dream of Fair Women:" "Dan Chaucer, the first warbler whose sweet breath The spacious times of great Elizabeth Have ye nat seyn som tyme a pale face Toward his deeth, where as hym gat no grace? An Emperoures doghter stant allone; She hath no wight to whom to make hir mone! Fer been thy freendes at thy grete nede! That from hise eyen ran the water doun. As mazed folk they stoden everichone, The Kyng, and many another in that place |