| Hunt and Lee, comps. The Book of the Sonnet. 1867. | | | | I. To James Dodds and John Hunter | | By John Stuart Blackie (1809–1895) |
| | (Arcades Ambo)
SWEET pair of doves! The mystic notes that stirred | |
| Dodona’s groves with oracles from Jove | |
| Gave not a sweeter voice. Were I a bird, | |
| I ’d sing with you of joy and peace and love, | |
| And nests on earth more blest than halls in heaven; | 5 |
| But me a sterner power inspires: like car | |
| With fiery breath and brazen snortings driven | |
| O’er groaning rails and white smoke wreathing far, | |
| My joy is action, and my music blasts | |
| Of high-spurred energy that scorns delay: | 10 |
| Rock in your pleasure-boats! ’T is well. With masts | |
| Sore-straining ’neath the gale I dash the spray: | |
| Your souls in CRAIGCROOK’S warbling heaven shall dwell; | |
| Mine drives from earth the harnessed Devil to hell! | | | | |
|
|
