Children--that men may pluck them from our hearts， Kill us with pity， break us with ourselves--O--children--there is nothing upon earth More miserable than she that has a son And sees him err： nor would we work for fame；Though she perhaps might reap the applause of Great， Who earns the one POU STO whence after-hands May move the world， though she herself effect But little： wherefore up and act， nor shrink For fear our solid aim be dissipated By frail successors. Would， indeed， we had been， In lieu of many mortal flies， a race Of giants living， each， a thousand years， That we might see our own work out， and watch The sandy footprint harden into stone.'
I answered nothing， doubtful in myself If that strange Poet-princess with her grand Imaginations might at all be won.
And she broke out interpreting my thoughts：
'No doubt we seem a kind of monster to you；We are used to that： for women， up till this Cramped under worse than South-sea-isle taboo， Dwarfs of the gyn鎐eum， fail so far In high desire， they know not， cannot guess How much their welfare is a passion to us.
If we could give them surer， quicker proof--Oh if our end were less achievable By slow approaches， than by single act Of immolation， any phase of death， We were as prompt to spring against the pikes， Or down the fiery gulf as talk of it， To compass our dear sisters' liberties.'
She bowed as if to veil a noble tear；
And up we came to where the river sloped To plunge in cataract， shattering on black blocks A breadth of thunder. O'er it shook the woods， And danced the colour， and， below， stuck out The bones of some vast bulk that lived and roared Before man was. She gazed awhile and said， 'As these rude bones to us， are we to her That will be.' 'Dare we dream of that，' I asked， 'Which wrought us， as the workman and his work， That practice betters？' 'How，' she cried， 'you love The metaphysics！ read and earn our prize， A golden brooch： beneath an emerald plane Sits Diotima， teaching him that died Of hemlock； our device； wrought to the life；She rapt upon her subject， he on her：
For there are schools for all.' 'And yet' I said 'Methinks I have not found among them all One anatomic.' 'Nay， we thought of that，'
She answered， 'but it pleased us not： in truth We shudder but to dream our maids should ape Those monstrous males that carve the living hound， And cram him with the fragments of the grave， Or in the dark dissolving human heart， And holy secrets of this microcosm， Dabbling a shameless hand with shameful jest， Encarnalize their spirits： yet we know Knowledge is knowledge， and this matter hangs：
Howbeit ourself， foreseeing casualty， Nor willing men should come among us， learnt， For many weary moons before we came， This craft of healing. Were you sick， ourself Would tend upon you. To your question now， Which touches on the workman and his work.
Let there be light and there was light： 'tis so：
For was， and is， and will be， are but is；And all creation is one act at once， The birth of light： but we that are not all， As parts， can see but parts， now this， now that， And live， perforce， from thought to thought， and make One act a phantom of succession： thus Our weakness somehow shapes the shadow， Time；But in the shadow will we work， and mould The woman to the fuller day.'
She spake With kindled eyes； we rode a league beyond， And， o'er a bridge of pinewood crossing， came On flowery levels underneath the crag， Full of all beauty. 'O how sweet' I said (For I was half-oblivious of my mask)'To linger here with one that loved us.' 'Yea，'
She answered， 'or with fair philosophies That lift the fancy； for indeed these fields Are lovely， lovelier not the Elysian lawns， Where paced the Demigods of old， and saw The soft white vapour streak the crown鑔 towers Built to the Sun：' then， turning to her maids， 'Pitch our pavilion here upon the sward；Lay out the viands.' At the word， they raised A tent of satin， elaborately wrought With fair Corinna's triumph； here she stood， Engirt with many a florid maiden-cheek， The woman-conqueror； woman-conquered there The bearded Victor of ten-thousand hymns， And all the men mourned at his side： but we Set forth to climb； then， climbing， Cyril kept With Psyche， with Melissa Florian， IWith mine affianced. Many a little hand Glanced like a touch of sunshine on the rocks， Many a light foot shone like a jewel set In the dark crag： and then we turned， we wound About the cliffs， the copses， out and in， Hammering and clinking， chattering stony names Of shales and hornblende， rag and trap and tuff， Amygdaloid and trachyte， till the Sun Grew broader toward his death and fell， and all The rosy heights came out above the lawns.
The splendour falls on castle walls And snowy summits old in story：
The long light shakes across the lakes， And the wild cataract leaps in glory.
Blow， bugle， blow， set the wild echoes flying， Blow， bugle； answer， echoes， dying， dying， dying.
O hark， O hear！ how thin and clear， And thinner， clearer， farther going！
O sweet and far from cliff and scar The horns of Elfland faintly blowing！
Blow， let us hear the purple glens replying：
Blow， bugle； answer， echoes， dying， dying， dying.
O love， they die in yon rich sky， They faint on hill or field or river：
Our echoes roll from soul to soul， And grow for ever and for ever.
Blow， bugle， blow， set the wild echoes flying， And answer， echoes， answer， dying， dying， dying.
