Animi figura Author:John Addington Symonds Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: j|F all the mysteries wherethrough we move, This is the most mysterious—that a face, Seen peradventure in some distant place, Whither we can return no more to pr... more »ove The world-old sanctities of human love, Shall haunt our waking thoughts, and gathering grace Incorporate itself with every phase Whereby the soul aspires to God above. Thus are we wedded through that face to her Or him who bears it; nay, one fleeting glance, Fraught with a tale too deep for utterance, Even as a pebble cast into the sea, Will on the deep waves of our spirit stir Ripples that run through all eternity. JOUL cries to soul, as star to sundered star Calls through the void of intermediate night ; And as each tiniest spark of stellar light Includes a world where moving myriads are, Thus every glance seen once and felt afar Symbols an universe : the spirit's might Leaps through the gazing eyes, with infinite Pulsations that no lapse of years can mar. He therefore dwells within me still; and I Within him dwell; though neither clasp of hand Nor interchange of converse made us one : And it shall surely be that when we die, In God shall both see clear and understand What soul to soul spake, sun to brother sun. f RIEND, let us try conclusions ! Long ago, Speaking of love, you said : pleasure of sense Is only sanctified by permanence; On bride-beds bridal vows their blessings strew. This too you said : the rose of love can blow But rarely; once or haply twice, the intense Perfume exhales which breathes on innocence Passion's red bloom—life's sun-blush on pure snow. lie then who with inconstant careless wing Fluttering from flower to flower, from friend to friend, Counts fellowship a cheap and transient thing, By swift or slow declension must descend Into the mire where weeds ill-...« less