Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Katherine Ward, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net THE BATTLE OF THE BAYS _By the same Author_ IN CAP AND BELLS HORACE AT CAMBRIDGE TILLERS OF THE SAND BY OWEN SEAMAN JOHN LANE THE BODLEY HEAD LONDON & NEW YORK 1902 _Copyright in the United States._ _All Rights Reserved._ _Eighth Edition_ CONTENTS. PAGE I. The Battle of the Bays 1 1. A Song of Renunciation 1 2. For the Albums of Crowned Heads Only 5 3. Marsyas in Hades 11 4. The Rhyme of the Kipperling 15 5. A Ballad of a Bun 22 6. A Vigo-Street Eclogue 27 7. An Ode to Spring in the Metropolis 37 8. Yet 42 9. Elegi Musarum 44 II. To Mr. William Watson 49 III. England's Alfred Abroad 53 IV. Lilith Libifera 57 V. Ars Postera 58 VI. A New Blue Book 61 VII. To a Boy-Poet of the Decadence 64 VIII. To Julia in Shooting Togs 66 IX. The Links of Love 69 X. Swords and Ploughshares 71 XI. To the Lord of Potsdam 76 XII. From the Lord of Potsdam 80 XIII. 'The Spacious Times' 83 I. THE BATTLE OF THE BAYS. 1. A SONG OF RENUNCIATION. (AFTER A. C. S.) In the days of my season of salad, When the down was as dew on my cheek, And for French I was bred on the ballad, For Greek on the writers of Greek,-- Then I sang of the rose that is ruddy, Of 'pleasure that winces and stings,' Of white women and wine that is bloody, And similar things. Of Delight that is dear as Desi-er, And Desire that is dear as Delight; Of the fangs of the flame that is fi-er, Of the bruises of kisses that bite; Of embraces that clasp and that sever, Of blushes that flutter and flee Round the limbs of Dolores, whoever Dolores may be.