Page:The Prelude, Wordsworth, 1850.djvu/180

158 The truths of young and old. Nor, side by side

Pacing, two social pilgrims, or alone

Each with his humour, could we fail to abound

In dreams and fictions, pensively composed:

Dejection taken up for pleasure's sake,

And gilded sympathies, the willow wreath,

And sober posies of funereal flowers,

Gathered among those solitudes sublime

From formal gardens of the lady Sorrow,

Did sweeten many a meditative hour.

Yet still in me with those soft luxuries

Mixed something of stern mood, an under-thirst

Of vigour seldom utterly allayed.

And from that source how different a sadness

Would issue, let one incident make known.

When from the Vallais we had turned, and clomb

Along the Simplon's steep and rugged road,

Following a band of muleteers, we reached

A halting-place, where all together took

Their noon-tide meal. Hastily rose our guide,

Leaving us at the board; awhile we lingered,

Then paced the beaten downward way that led

Right to a rough stream's edge, and there broke off;

The only track now visible was one