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THE FEAST OF VIOLETS.
109
And longing to tell us more ladies' distresses
'Twixt lords, and vulgarians, and debts for their dresses.
So deep was her curtsey, the hoop that she wore
Seem'd fairly conveying her right through the floor.
'Twixt lords, and vulgarians, and debts for their dresses.
So deep was her curtsey, the hoop that she wore
Seem'd fairly conveying her right through the floor.
But up she swam round, and Miss Baillie succeeded:
No queen could have come with such pages as she did;
For who, do you think, held her train up?—The Passions:
They did indeed; all too in elegant fashions.
The god in his arms with gay reverence lock'd her,
For two sakes,—her own, and her brother's, the doctor.
No queen could have come with such pages as she did;
For who, do you think, held her train up?—The Passions:
They did indeed; all too in elegant fashions.
The god in his arms with gay reverence lock'd her,
For two sakes,—her own, and her brother's, the doctor.
A young lady then, whom to miss were a caret
In any verse-history, named, I think, Barrett,
(I took her at first for a sister of Tennyson)
Knelt, and receiv'd the god's kindliest benison.
—"Truly," said he, "dost thou share the blest power
Poetic, the fragrance as well as the flower;
The gift of conveying impressions unseen,
And making the vaguest thoughts know what they mean.
In any verse-history, named, I think, Barrett,
(I took her at first for a sister of Tennyson)
Knelt, and receiv'd the god's kindliest benison.
—"Truly," said he, "dost thou share the blest power
Poetic, the fragrance as well as the flower;
The gift of conveying impressions unseen,
And making the vaguest thoughts know what they mean.
"Lady Blessington!" cried the glad usher aloud,
As she swam through the doorway, like moon from a cloud:
I know not which most her face beam'd with,—fine creature!
Enjoyment, or judgment, or wit, or goodnature.
Perhaps you have known what it is to feel longings
To pat silken shoulders at routs, and such throngings;—
Well, think what it was at a vision like that!
A Grace after dinner! A Venus grown fat!
Some "Elderly Gentleman" risked an objection;
But this only made us all swear her "perfection."
His arms the host threw round the liberal bodice,
And kiss'd her, exactly as god might do goddess.
As she swam through the doorway, like moon from a cloud:
I know not which most her face beam'd with,—fine creature!
Enjoyment, or judgment, or wit, or goodnature.
Perhaps you have known what it is to feel longings
To pat silken shoulders at routs, and such throngings;—
Well, think what it was at a vision like that!
A Grace after dinner! A Venus grown fat!
Some "Elderly Gentleman" risked an objection;
But this only made us all swear her "perfection."
His arms the host threw round the liberal bodice,
And kiss'd her, exactly as god might do goddess.
