82
THE STAR IN THE WEST
Her brows divine ;
One kiss , a starbeam
faint
With love of a sweet
saint,
Stolen like a sacrament
In the night's shrine !
One kiss , like moonlight cold
Lighting
with floral gold
The lake's low tune ;
One kiss , one flower to fold ,
On
its
own calyx rolled
At
night
,
in
June
!
One kiss
,
like dewfall
,
drawn
A
veil o'er leaf and lawn
Mix night
,
and
noon
,
and dawn
,
Dew
,
flower
,
and
moon
!?
That Alice was charmed
,
that the above was
a
love
philtre
,
the thirteenth day discloses
—
the birthday
of
their first kiss
:
Breasts met and arms enclosed
,
and
all
the spring
Grew into summer
with the first long kiss
.?
They
are henceforth lovers
,
passionate and ardent
;
and
not till
now
do
they
discover
that
man
-
made
honour
is
but
as
winter snow
.
All
is
hence Alice
,
as
is
shown
in
that
sweet
and simple song which
bears
her name
:
The stars are hidden
in
dark and mist
,
The moon
and
sun are dead
,
Because my love
has caught and kissed
My body
in
her bed
.
No light may
shine
this happy night
,
Unless my Alice
be
the light
.
This night shall never
be
withdrawn
Unless my Alice
be
the dawn.3
1
Alice
,
an Adultery
,
vol
.
ii,
p
.
69
.
2
Ibid
.
vol
.
ii,
p
.
70
.
3
Ibid
.
vol
.
ii,
p
.
71
.