Excerpt: THE SONG OF THE HAPPY SHEPHERD; THE woods of Arcady are dead, And over is their antique joy; Of old the world on dreaming fed; Grey Truth is now her painted toy; Yet still she turns her restless head: But O, sick children of the world, Of all the many changing things In dreary dancing past us whirled, To the cracked tune that Chronos sings, Words alone are certain good. Where are now the warring kings, Word be-mockers?--By the Rood, Where are now the watring kings? An idle word is now their glory, By the stammering schoolboy said, Reading some entangled story: The kings of the old time are dead; The wandering earth herself may be Only a sudden flaming word, In clanging space a moment heard, Troubling the endless reverie. Then nowise worship dusty deeds, Nor seek, for this is also sooth, To hunger fiercely after truth, Lest all thy toiling only breeds New dreams, new dreams; there is no truth Saving in thine own heart. Seek, then, No learning from the starry men, Who follow with the optic glass The whirling ways of stars that pass--Seek, then, for this is also sooth, No word of theirs--the cold star-bane Has cloven and rent ...

Table of Contents: LYRICAL 3 -- CROSSWAYS 5 -- THE SONG OF THE HAPPY SHEPHERD, 5 -- THE SAD SHEPHERD, 6 -- THE CLOAK, THE BOAT, AND THE SHOES, 7 -- ANASHUYA AND VIJAYA, 8 -- THE INDIAN UPON GOD, 11 -- THE INDIAN TO HIS LOVE, 11 -- THE FALLING OF THE LEAVES, 12 -- EPHEMERA, 13 -- THE MADNESS OF KING GOLL, 13 -- THE STOLEN CHILD, 16 -- TO AN ISLE IN THE WATER, 17 -- DOWN BY THE SALLEY GARDENS, 18 -- THE MEDITATION OF THE OLD FISHERMAN, 18 -- THE BALLAD OF FATHER O?HART, 19 -- THE BALLAD OF MOLL MAGEE, 20 -- THE BALLAD OF THE FOXHUNTER, 22 -- THE ROSE 26 -- TO THE ROSE UPON THE ROOD OF TIME, 26 -- FERGUS AND THE DRUID, 26 -- CUCHULAIN?S FIGHT WITH THE SEA, 28 -- THE ROSE OF THE WORLD, 31 -- THE ROSE OF PEACE, 31 -- THE ROSE OF BATTLE, 32 -- A FAERY SONG, 33 -- THE LAKE ISLE OF INNISFREE, 34...

Excerpt: Prelude; Who that cares much to know the history of man, and how the mysterious mixture behaves under the varying experiments of Time, has not dwelt, at least briefly, on the life of Saint Theresa, has not smiled with some gentleness at the thought of the little girl walking forth one morning hand-in-hand with her still smaller brother, to go and seek martyrdom in the country of the Moors? Out they toddled from rugged Avila, wide-eyed and helpless-looking as two fawns, but with human hearts, already beating to a national idea; until domestic reality met them in the shape of uncles, and turned them back from their great resolve. That child pilgrimage was a fit beginning. Theresa?s passionate, ideal nature demanded an epic life: what were many-volumed romances of chivalry and the social conquests of a brilliant girl to her? Her flame quickly burned up that light fuel; and, fed from within, soared after some illimitable satisfaction, some object which would never justify weariness, which would reconcile self-despair with the rapturous consciousness of life beyond self. She found her epos in the reform of a religious order....

Table of Contents: Book I ?Miss Brooke, 1 -- Prelude, 1 -- Chapter I., 3 -- Chapter II., 10 -- Chapter III., 16 -- Chapter IV., 25 -- Chapter V., 31 -- Chapter VI., 38 -- Chapter VII., 47 -- Chapter VIII., 51 -- Chapter IX., 55 -- Chapter X., 65 -- Chapter XI., 74 -- Chapter XII., 82 -- Book II ?Old and Young., 97 -- Chapter XIII., 97 -- Chapter XIV., 104 -- Chapter XV., 113 -- Chapter XVI., 124 -- Chapter XVII., 135 -- Chapter XVIII., 142 -- Chapter XIX., 151 -- Chapter XX., 154 -- Chapter XXI., 164 -- Chapter XXII., 170 -- Book III?Waiting For Death., 183 -- Chapter XXIII., 183 -- Chapter XXIV., 192...

Excerpt: THE PREFACE; If ever the story of any private Man?s Adventures in the World were worth making Publick, and were acceptable when Publish?d, the Editor of this Account thinks this will be so. The Wonders of this Man?s Life exceed all that (he thinks)is to be found extant; the Life of one Man being scarce capable of a greater Variety. The Story is told with Modesty, with Seriousness, and with a religious Application of Events to the Uses to which wise Men always apply them (viz.) to the Instruction of others by this Example, and to justify and honour the Wisdom of Providence in all the Variety of our Circumstances, let them happen how they will. The Editor believes the thing to be a just History of Fact; neither is there any Appearance of Fiction in it: And however thinks, because all such things are dispatch?d, that the Improvement of it, as well to the Diversion, as to the Instruction of the Reader, will be the same; and as such, he thinks, without father Compliment to the World, he does them a great Service in the Publication....

Table of Contents: THE PREFACE, 1 -- THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE, &c., 2 -- THE JOURNAL., 51