Drawing details in an old church
Rake-hell muses
The Colour
Murmurs in the gloom
Epitaph
An ancient to ancients
After reading psalms xxxix., xl.
Surview



APOLOGY



About half the verses that follow were written quite lately. The
rest are older, having been held over in MS. when past volumes were
published, on considering that these would contain a sufficient
number of pages to offer readers at one time, more especially during
the distractions of the war. The unusually far back poems to be
found here are, however, but some that were overlooked in gathering
previous collections. A freshness in them, now unattainable, seemed
to make up for their inexperience and to justify their inclusion. A
few are dated; the dates of others are not discoverable.

The launching of a volume of this kind in neo-Georgian days by one
who began writing in mid-Victorian, and has published nothing to
speak of for some years, may seem to call for a few words of excuse
or explanation. Whether or no, readers may feel assured that a new
book is submitted to them with great hesitation at so belated a date.