As I Laye A-Dreamynge. L'Envoi.

After T. I.

    As I laye a-dreamynge, a-dreamynge, a-dreamynge,
O softlye moaned the dove to her mate within the tree,
    And meseemed unto my syghte
    Came rydynge many a knyghte
    All cased in armoure bryghte
        Cap-a-pie,
As I laye a-dreamynge, a goodlye companye!

    As I laye a-dreamynge, a-dreamynge, a-dreamynge,
O sadlye mourned the dove, callynge long and callynge lowe,
    And meseemed of alle that hoste
    Notte a face but was the ghoste
    Of a friend that I hadde loste
        Long agoe.
    As I laye a-dreamynge, oh, bysson teare to flowe!

    As I laye a-dreamynge, a-dreamynge, a-dreamynge,
O sadlye sobbed the dove as she seemed to despayre,
    And laste upon the tracke
    Came one I hayled as 'Jacke!'
    But he turned mee his backe
        With a stare:
As I laye a-dreamynge, he lefte mee callynge there.

    Stille I laye a-dreamynge, a-dreamynge, a-dreamynge,
And gentler sobbed the dove as it eased her of her payne,
    And meseemed a voyce yt cry'd--
    'They shall ryde, and they shall ryde
    'Tyll the truce of tyme and tyde
        Come agayne!
Alle for Eldorado, yette never maye attayne!'

    Stille I laye a-dreamynge, a-dreamynge, a-dreamynge,
And scarcelye moaned the dove, as her agonye was spente:
    'Shalle to-morrowe see them nygher
    To a golden walle or spyre?
    You have better in yr fyre,
        Bee contente.'
As I laye a-dreamynge, it seem'd smalle punyshment.

    But I laye a-wakynge, and loe! the dawne was breakynge
And rarely pyped a larke for the promyse of the daye:
    'Uppe and sette yr lance in reste!
    Uppe and followe on the queste!
    Leave the issue to be guessed
At the endynge of the waye'--

    As I laye a-wakynge, 'twas soe she seemed to say--
'Whatte and if it alle be feynynge?
There be better thynges than gaynynge,
Rycher pryzes than attaynynge.'--
    And 'twas truthe she seemed to saye.
Whyles the dawne was breakynge, I rode upon my waye.

Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch

Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch, born on November 21, 1863, and died on May 12, 1944, was a Cornish writer, who published under the pen name Q. His legacy includes a vast body of critical and anthological work, most notably 'The Oxford Book of English Verse 1250–1900'. Quiller-Couch was knighted in 1910 and also served as a professor of English at the University of Cambridge. His works have influenced many, including writers like Virginia Woolf.

Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch

De Tea Fabula.

Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch, Simple Poetry

Epilogue To A Mother, On Seeing Her Smile Repeated In Her Daughter's Eyes

Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch, Simple Poetry

The Splendid Spur.

Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch, Simple Poetry

Hesperus

Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch, Simple Poetry

English

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In A College Garden.

Senex.    Saye, cushat, callynge from the brake,
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From Bolton's old monastic tower
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You and I and Burd so blithe--
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Audley Court

Audley Court


The Bull, the Fleece are crammd, and not a room
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I spoke, while Audley feast

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