Lawyers

Lawyers themselves uphold the commonweal.
They punish those that do offend and steal.
They free with cunning art the innocent
From danger, loss and causeless punishment.
They can but will not keep the world in awe
With misexpounded and distended law.
They always have great store of charity
And love they want not, keeping amity.

Lord, of thy favour, cause That my Loved One safe and hale

Lord, of thy favour, cause That my Loved One safe and hale
Return and deliver me From the clutches of blame and bale.

Bring, bring of the dust of the way Of the Friend departed hence,
So heal that I may withal My world-wearied eye of its ail.

That mole and that down and that tress, That cheek and that face and that shape,
From all the six quarters at once, The path of my heart assail.

To day, whilst I'm yet in thy hand, Some little compassion display!
To morrow, when I shall be dust, Will tears or repentance avail?

Serenade

Lute! breathe thy lowest in my Lady's ear,
Sing while she sleeps, “Ah! belle dame, aimez-vous?”
Till, dreaming still, she dream that I am here,
And wake to find it, as my love is, true;
Then, while she listens in her warm white nest,
Say in slow music,—softer, tenderer yet,
That lute-strings quiver when their tone 's at rest,
And my heart trembles when my lips are set.

Stars! if my sweet love still a-dreaming lies,
Shine through the roses for a lover's sake;
And send your silver to her lidded eyes,

The Law of Love

Make channels for the streams of love,
Where they may broadly run,
And love has overflowing streams
To fill them every one.

But if at any time we cease
Such channels to provide,
The very founts of love for us
Will soon be parched and dried.

For we must share, if we would keep,
That blessing from above;
Ceasing to give, we cease to have,—
Such is the law of love.

Between Past & Future

In the path from the past to the future—
in the years between age and youth—
I met three angels hand in hand
(A flower-lit meadow—a sunkissed land)—
Love—Joy—Truth

From my heart rise thanks to heaven—
From my eyes the glad tears fall!
Love that changes from day to day—
Joy that ranges yet still doth stay—
Truth that is all in all

A Debt of Love

Thou , more than all endeared to this glad heart
By gentle smiles, and patience under pain,
I bless my God and thee, for all thou art,
My crowning joy, my richest earthly gain!
To thee is due this tributary strain
For all the well-observed kind offices
That spring spontaneous from a heart, imbued
With the sweet wish of living but to please;
Due for thy liberal hand, thy frugal mind,
Thy pitying eye, thy voice for ever kind,
For tenderness, truth, confidence—all these;
My heaven-blest vine, that hast thy tendrils twined

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