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First Line: Fain to know golden things, fain to grow wise



Fain to know golden things, fain to grow wise,

Fain to achieve the secret of fair souls:
Fain to know golden things, fain to grow wise,
His thought, scarce other lore need solemnize,
Fain to achieve the secret of fair souls:
Whom Virgil calms, whom Sophocles controls:
His thought, scarce other lore need solemnize,

Whom Virgil calms, whom Sophocles controls:


Whose conscience Æschylus, a warrior voice,

Enchaunted hath with majesties of doom:
Whose conscience Æschylus, a warrior voice,
Whose melancholy mood can best rejoice,
Enchaunted hath with majesties of doom:
When Horace sings, and roses bower the tomb:
Whose melancholy mood can best rejoice,

When Horace sings, and roses bower the tomb:


Who, following Caesar unto death, discerns

What bitter cause was Rome's, to mourn that day:
Who, following Caesar unto death, discerns
With austere Tacitus for master, learns
What bitter cause was Rome's, to mourn that day:
The look of empire in its proud decay:
With austere Tacitus for master, learns

The look of empire in its proud decay:


Whom dread Lucretius of the mighty line

Hath awed, but not borne down: who loves the flame,
Whom dread Lucretius of the mighty line
That leaped within Catullus the divine,
Hath awed, but not borne down: who loves the flame,
His glory, and his beauty, and his shame:
That leaped within Catullus the divine,

His glory, and his beauty, and his shame:


Who dreams with Plato and, transcending dreams,

Mounts to the perfect City of true God:
Who dreams with Plato and, transcending dreams,
Who hails its marvellous and haunting gleams,
Mounts to the perfect City of true God:
Treading the steady air, as Plato trod:
Who hails its marvellous and haunting gleams,

Treading the steady air, as Plato trod:


Who with Thucydides pursues the way,

Feeling the heart-beats of the ages gone:
Who with Thucydides pursues the way,
Till fall the clouds upon the Attic day,
Feeling the heart-beats of the ages gone:
And Syracuse draw tears for Marathon:
Till fall the clouds upon the Attic day,

And Syracuse draw tears for Marathon:


To whom these golden things best give delight:

The music of most sad Simonides;
To whom these golden things best give delight:
Propertius' ardent graces; and the might
The music of most sad Simonides;
Of Pindar chaunting by the olive trees:
Propertius' ardent graces; and the might

Of Pindar chaunting by the olive trees:


Livy, and Roman consuls purple swathed:

Plutarch, and heroes of the ancient earth:
Livy, and Roman consuls purple swathed:
And Aristophanes, whose laughter scathed
Plutarch, and heroes of the ancient earth:
The souls of fools, and pealed in lyric mirth:
And Aristophanes, whose laughter scathed

The souls of fools, and pealed in lyric mirth:


AEolian rose-leaves blown from Sappho's isle;

Secular glories of Lycean thought:
Æolian rose-leaves blown from Sappho's isle;
Sallies of Lucian, bidding wisdom smile;
Secular glories of Lycean thought:
Angers of Juvenal, divinely wrought:
Sallies of Lucian, bidding wisdom smile;

Angers of Juvenal, divinely wrought:


Pleasant, and elegant, and garrulous,

Pliny: crowned Marcus, wistful and still strong:
Pleasant, and elegant, and garrulous,
Sicilian seas and their Theocritus,
Pliny: crowned Marcus, wistful and still strong:
Pastoral singer of the last Greek song:
Sicilian seas and their Theocritus,

Pastoral singer of the last Greek song:


Herodotus, all simple and all wise:

Demosthenes, a lightning flame of scorn:
Herodotus, all simple and all wise:
The surge of Cicero, that never dies:
Demosthenes, a lightning flame of scorn:
And Homer, grand against the ancient morn.
The surge of Cicero, that never dies:

And Homer, grand against the ancient morn.







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