The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Blessed Damozel

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: The Blessed Damozel

Creator: Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Illustrator: Percy Bulcock

Release date: August 1, 2016 [eBook #52695]

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Al Haines

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLESSED DAMOZEL ***

FLOWERS OF PARNASSUS—IV.

THE BLESSED DAMOZEL

"The blessed Damozel leaned out."

THE BLESSED DAMOZEL

BY DANTE GABRIEL

ROSSETTI. WITH

ILLUSTRATIONS BY PERCY

BULCOCK

JOHN LANE: PUBLISHER

LONDON AND NEW YORK

1901

Wm. Clowes & Sons, Limited, Printers, London.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

"The blessed Damozel leaned out" . . . Frontispiece

Heading

"Surely she leaned o'er me"

"'We two will stand beside that shrine'"

"'And I myself will teach to him'"

"'Herself shall bring us, hand in hand'"

"And laid her face between her hands"

Tailpiece

Heading

I.

The blessed Damozel leaned out

From the gold bar of Heaven:

Her blue-grey eyes were deeper much

Than a deep water, even.

She had three lilies in her hand,

And the stars in her hair were seven.

II.

Her robe, ungirt from clasp to hem,

No wrought flowers did adorn,

But a white rose of Mary's gift

On the neck meetly worn;

And her hair, lying down her back,

Was yellow like ripe corn.

III.

Herseemed she scarce had been a day

One of God's choristers;

The wonder was not yet quite gone

From that still look of hers;

Albeit to them she left, her day

Had counted as ten years.

IV.

(To one it is ten years of years

. . . Yet now, here in this place,

Surely she leaned o'er me,—her hair

Fell all about my face . . .

Nothing: the Autumn-fall of leaves.

The whole year sets apace.)

"Surely she leaned o'er me."

V.

It was the terrace of God's house

That she was standing on,—

By God built over the sheer depth

In which Space is begun;

So high, that looking downward thence,

She could scarce see the sun.

VI.

It lies from Heaven across the flood

Of ether, as a bridge.

Beneath, the tides of day and night

With flame and blackness ridge

The void, as low as where this earth

Spins like a fretful midge.

VII.

But in those tracts, with her, it was

The peace of utter light

And silence. For no breeze may stir

Along the steady flight

Of seraphim; no echo there,

Beyond all depth or height.

VIII.

Heard hardly, some of her new friends,

Playing at holy games,

Spake, gentle-mouthed, among themselves,

Their virginal chaste names;

And the souls, mounting up to God,

Went by her like thin flames.

IX.

And still she bowed herself, and stooped

Into the vast waste calm;

Till her bosom's pressure must have made

The bar she leaned on warm,

And the lilies lay as if asleep

Along her bended arm.

X.

From the fixt lull of heaven, she saw

Time, like a pulse, shake fierce

Through all the worlds. Her gaze still strove,

In that steep gulph, to pierce

The swarm: and then she spake, as when

The stars sang in their spheres.

XI.

"I wish that he were come to me,

For he will come," she said.

"Have I not prayed in solemn heaven?

On earth, has he not prayed?

Are not two prayers a perfect strength?

And shall I feel afraid?

XII.

"When round his head the aureole clings,

And he is clothed in white,

I'll take his hand, and go with him

To the deep wells of light,

And we will step down as to a stream

And bathe there in God's sight.

"'We two will stand beside that shrine.'"

XIII.

"We two will stand beside that shrine,

Occult, withheld, untrod,

Whose lamps tremble continually

With prayer sent up to God;

And where each need, revealed, expects

Its patient period.

XIV.

"We two will lie i' the shadow of

That living mystic tree,

Within whose secret growth the Dove

Sometimes is felt to be,

While every leaf that His plumes touch

Saith His name audibly.

XV.

"And I myself will teach to him—

I myself, lying so—

The songs I sing here; which his mouth

Shall pause in, hushed and slow,

Finding some knowledge at each pause

And some new thing to know."

XVI.

(Alas! to her wise simple mind

These things were all but known

Before: they trembled on her sense,—

Her voice had caught their tone.

Alas for lonely Heaven! Alas

For life wrung out alone!

"'And I myself will teach to him.'"

XVII.

Alas, and though the end were reached?

Was thy part understood

Or borne in trust? And for her sake

Shall this too be found good?—

May the close lips that knew not prayer

Praise ever, though they would?)

XVIII.

"We two," she said, "will seek the groves

Where the lady Mary is,

With her five handmaidens, whose names

Are five sweet symphonies:—

Cecily, Gertrude, Magdalen,

Margaret, and Rosalys.

XIX.

"Circle-wise sit they, with bound locks

And bosoms coveréd;

Into the fine cloths, white like flame,

Weaving the golden thread,

To fashion the birth-robes for them

Who are just born, being dead.

XX.

He shall fear haply, and be dumb.

Then will I lay my cheek

To his, and tell about our love,

Not once abashed or weak:

And the dear Mother will approve

My pride, and let me speak.

"'Herself shall bring us, hand in hand.'"

XXI.

'Herself shall bring us, hand in hand,

To Him round whom all souls

Kneel—the unnumber'd solemn heads

Bowed with their aureoles:

And Angels, meeting us, shall sing

To their citherns and citoles.

XXII.

"There will I ask of Christ the Lord

Thus much for him and me:—

To have more blessing than on earth

In nowise; but to be

As then we were,—being as then

At peace. Yea, verily.

XXIII.

"Yea, verily; when he is come

We will do thus and thus:

Till this my vigil seem quite strange

And almost fabulous;

We two will live at once, one life;

And peace will be with us."

XXIV.

She gazed, and listened, and then said,

Less sad of speech than mild;

"All this is when he comes." She ceased;

The light thrilled past her, filled

With Angels, in strong level lapse.

Her eyes prayed, and she smiled.

"And laid her face between her hands."

XXV.

(I saw her smile.) But soon their flight

Was vague 'mid the poised spheres.

And then she cast her arms along

The golden barriers,

And laid her face between her hands,

And wept (I heard her tears).

THE END

*      *      *      *      *      *      *      *

The Lover's Library

Edited by Frederic Chapman

Size, 5¼ X 3 inches

Price 1/6 net Bound in Cloth Price 50 cents net

Price 2/- net Bound in Leather Price 75 cents net

Vol. I. THE LOVE POEMS OF SHELLEY

Vol. II. THE LOVE POEMS OF BROWNING

Vol. III. THE SILENCE OF LOVE

By Edmond Holmes

Vol. IV. THE CUPID AND PSYCHE of Apuleius in English.

Vol. V. THE LOVE POEMS OF TENNYSON

Vol. VI. THE LOVE POEMS OF LANDOR

Other Volumes in Preparation

The title of The Lover's Library is sufficiently descriptive to make explanation of the purpose of the Series almost unnecessary.

It is sought to include in a group of compact little volumes the best Love Poems of the great British poets; and from time to time a volume of prose, or a volume of modern verse which may be considered of sufficient importance, will be added to the Library.

The delicate decorations, on the pages, end papers, and covers, make the little books dainty enough for small presents, and it is hoped that those who do not receive them as presents from others will seize the opportunity of making presents to themselves.

JOHN LANE, London & New York

*      *      *      *      *      *      *      *

Flowers of Parnassus

A Series of Famous Poems Illustrated

Under the General Editorship of

F. B. Money-Coutts

Demy 16mo. (5½ X 4¼), gilt top

Price 1/- net Cloth Price 50 cents net Price 1/6 net Leather Price 75 cents net

Vol. I. Gray's Elegy and Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College. With Twelve Illustrations by J. T. Friedenson.

Vol. II. The Statue and the Bust. By Robert Browning. With Nine Illustrations by Philip Connard.

Vol. III. Marpessa. By Stephen Phillips. With Seven Illustrations by Philip Connard.

IV. The Blessed Damozel. By Dante Gabriel Rossetti. With Eight Illustrations by Percy Bulcock.

Vol. V. The Nut-Brown Maid. A New Version by F. B. Money-Coutts. With Nine Illustrations by Herbert Cole.

Vol. VI. A Dream of Fair Women. By Alfred Tennyson. With Illustrations.

Vol. VII. A Day Dream. By Alfred Tennyson. With Eight Illustrations by Amelia Bauerle.

Vol. VIII. A Ballade upon a Wedding. By Sir John Suckling. With Nine Illustrations by Herbert Cole.

Other Volumes in Preparation.

JOHN LANE, London & New York

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLESSED DAMOZEL ***

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLESSED DAMOZEL ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided that:

- • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”

- • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.

- • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.

- • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™

Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.

Table of Contents

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE