Philothea:
A Grecian Romance.
By L. Maria Child.
Author Of Letters From New York, Flowers For Children, Etc.
The intelligible forms of ancient poets,
The fair humanities of old religion,
The Power, the Beauty, and the Majesty,
That had their haunts in dale or piny mountain.
Or forest by slow stream, or pabbly spring,
Or chasms and watery depths, all these have vanished—
They live no longer in the faith of Reason!
But still, the heart doth need a language—still
Doth the old instinct bring back the old names.COLERIDGE.
A Spirit hung,
Beautiful region! o'er thy towns and farms,
Statues, and temples, and memorial tombs,
And emanations were perceived.WORDSWORTH.
A NEW AND CORRECTED EDITION.
To
MY BELOVED BROTHER,
Dr. Francis,
OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY,
To whose Early Influence I owe my Love of Literature
THIS VOLUME
IS RESPECTFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED.
Preface
This volume is purely romance; and most readers will consider it romance of the wildest kind. A few kindred spirits, prone to people space "with life and mystical predominance," will perceive a light within the Grecian Temple.
For such I have written it. To minds of different mould, who may think an apology necessary for what they will deem so utterly useless, I have nothing better to offer than the simple fact that I found delight in doing it.