“Sweet Themmes, runne softly till I ende my song.”

Past town and village, cot and lonely farm,

His silver stream with murm’ring music goes;

Singing glad anthems, full of drowsy charm;

Sweet songs of praise, unheeded not by those

Who know his banks full well, who often love

To roam his course, his marge to pace along,

While Spenser’s line re-echoes as we rove:

“Sweet Themmes, runne softly till I ende my song.”