But who is this, what thing of sea or land,— Female of sex it seems,— That so bedeck'd, ornate, and gay, Comes this way sailing Like a stately ship Of Tarsus, bound for th' isles Of Javan or Gadire, With all her bravery on, and tackle trim, Sails fill'd, and streamers waving, Courted by all the winds that hold them play, An amber scent of odorous perfume Her harbinger?

But who is this, what thing of sea or land,— Female of sex it seems,— That so bedeck'd, ornate, and gay, Comes this way sailing Like a stately ship Of Tarsus, bound for th' isles Of Javan or Gadire, With all her bravery on, and tackle trim, Sails fill'd, and streamers waving, Courted by all the winds that hold them play, An amber scent of odorous perfume Her harbinger?

Source

Familiar Quotations, ninth edition (1905 printing)
Samson Agonistes. Line 710.
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Attribution confidence

attributed · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified.

Historical coordinate

c. 1641 AD · renaissance
author lifetime midpoint; not composition date.

Rights & edition

Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
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