A FLORAL FANTASY IN AN OLD ENGLISH GARDEN
BY WALTER CRANE
NEW YORK & LONDON HARPER AND BROTHERS
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A FLORAL FANTASY IN AN OLD ENGLISH GARDEN
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SET FORTH IN
VERSES & COLOURED
DESIGNS
BY
WALTER CRANE
LONDON: AT THE
HOUSE OF HARPER
AND BROTHERS:
1899
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THE OLD ENGLISH GARDEN
A FLORAL PHANTASY
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In an old world garden dreaming,
Where the flowers had human names,
Methought, in fantastic seeming,
They disported as squires and dames.
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Of old in Rosamond's Bower,
With it's peacock hedges of yew,
One could never find the flower
Unless one was given the clue;
So take the key of the wicket,
Who would follow my fancy free,
By formal knot and clipt thicket,
And smooth greensward so fair to see
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And while Time his scythe is whetting,
Ere the dew from the grass has gone,
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The Four Seasons' flight forgetting,
As they dance round the dial stone;
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With a leaf from an old English book,
A Jonquil will serve for a pen.
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Let us note from the green arbour's nook,
Flowers masking like women and men.
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FIRST in VENUS'S LOOKING GLASS,
You may see where LOVE LIES BLEEDING,
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While PRETTY MAIDS all of them pass
With careless hearts quite unheeding.
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Next, a knight with his flaming targe
See the DENT-DE-LION so bold
With his feathery crest at large,
On a field of the cloth of gold.
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Simple honesty shows in vain
A fashion few seek to robe in,
While the poor SHEPHERD'S-PURSE is ta'en
By rascally RAGGED-ROBIN.
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COLTSFOOT
and
LARKSPUR
SPEEDWELL
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In the race of the flowers that's run due,
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As the HARTSTONGUE pants at the well
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And the HOUNDSTONGUE laps the SUNDEW.
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Here's VENUS'-COMBE for MAIDENHAIR:
While KING-CUPS drink BELLA-DONNA,
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Glad in purple and gold so fair,
Though the DEADLY NIGHTSHADE'S upon her.
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Behold LONDON PRIDE robed & crowned,
Ushered in by the GOLDEN ROD,
While a floral crowd press around,
Just to win from her crest a nod.
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The FOXGLOVES are already on.
Not only in pairs but dozens;
They've come out to see all the fun,
With sisters and aunts and cousins.
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The STITCHWORK looked up with a sigh
At BATCHELOR'S BUTTONS unsewn:
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Single Daisies were not in her eye,
For the grass was just newly mown.
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The HORSE-TAIL, 'scaped from WOLFE'S CLAW,
Rides off with a LADIES' LAGES.
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The FRIAR'S-COWL hides a doctor of law,
And the BISHOP'S-WEED covers his grace's
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The SNAPDRAGON opened his jaw,
But, at sight of Scotch THISTLE, turned pale:
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He'd too many points of the law
For a dragon without a scale.
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Little JENNY-CREEPER lay low,
Till happy thoughts made her gladder;
How to rise in the world she'd know,
So she climbed up JACOB'S LADDER
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SWEET WILLIAM with MARYGOLD
Seek HEARTSEASE in the close box-border.
Where, starched in their ruff's stiff fold,
DUTCH DAHLIAS prim, keep order.
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NARCISSUS bends over the brook,
Intent upon DAFFA-DOWN-DILLY:
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While EYEBRIGHT observes from her nook,
And wonders he could be so silly.
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A LANCE FOR A LAD 'gainst KING'S SPEAR.
When the BUGLE sounds for the play
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A LADIES MANTLE flaunting there
Is the banner that leads the fray.
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KNIGHT'S SPUR to the LADIES BOWER
To seek for the LADIES SLIPPER.
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'Twas lost in the wood in a summer shower
When the CLOWN'S WORT tried to trip her.
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TOAD-FLAX is spun for BUTTER-AND-EGGS
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On a LADIES' CUSHION sits THRIFT
She never wastes, or steals, or begs,
But she can't give poor RAGWORT a lift.
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QUEEN OF THE MEADS is MEADOWSWEET,
In the realm of grasses wide:
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But not in all her court you meet
The turbaned TURK'S HEAD in his pride.
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Fair BETHLEHEM' STAR shineth bright,
In a lowly place, as of old,
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And through the green gloom glows the light
Of ST. JOHN'S-WORT--a nimbus of gold.
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But the hours of the sun swift glide,
And the flowers with them are speeding.
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Though LOVE-IN-A-MIST may hide.
When Time's in the garden weeding.
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There's TRAVELLER'S JOY
To entwine,
At our journey's end for greeting,
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We can talk over SOPS-IN-WINE,
And drink to our next merry meeting.
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PRINTED
BY
EDMUND
EVANS
BOUND
BY
LEIGHTON
SON &
HODGE
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[Illustration: A FLORAL FANTASY]
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