Thus, sped by toil of serf and Fay,
The work lagged nowise; day by day
New mansions rose in rich array
Beside the paven causey;
Their like was ne’er in Elfland known,
Some built of brick, and some of stone,
And roofed with mica slabs that shone,
And glazed with gnat-wings gauzy.
But, fairest amongst all these descried,
Stood in the middle edified
The Palace where the King should bide,
Well worthy a royal master;
Of whitest graile its walls, or stained
With delicate streaks like marble veined,
From brook-bank quarries drawn, fine-grained,
And pure as alabaster.
I dare not say how many a line
It towered aloft, nor words are mine
To tell what fancies Faery-fine
Did hall and chamber garnish,
All carpeted with hand-spun moss,
Or laurel-leaf tight strained across,
That flooring made of smoother gloss
Than e’er had wax or varnish.
With couch, and stool, and cushion strown
Of ash-bud’s silk or thistle’s down;
Their rugs, fluffed fells of field-mice brown,
For tiger’s skin and panther’s.
Their curtains came from spider-looms,
Their walls were hung with moths’ soft plumes;
Much gold-dust glittered thro’ the rooms,
From stamens brushed and anthers.
A midge-flight from the Palace gate,
(Scroll-work of skeleton beech-leaf) straight
A Fane they reared that matched in state
Copyright 1894 by Macmillan & Co.
Famed Athens or Eleusis;
Such beauty frieze and cornice lent,
Entablature and pediment;
In double row tall columns went
Around it, as their use is.