Here am I yet, another twelve month spent Is gone

beyond all human discontent. Chances, beauty and youth sapped day by

Nor youth, nor sage, I find my head is grey. Where are the songs of Summer? —With the sun.

In a half-savage country, out of date,

I stumble out into an unfamiliar part of town, I sit in one of the dives.

Indeed indeed it is growing very sultry. (Beverley Strauss) This is the easy time, there is nothing doing, Leaves, murmuring by myriads in the shiver- ing trees. I observe our sentimental friend the moon, Slow, half with wariness, half with ease.

The darkness crumbles away.

Under my window ledge the waters race, Like a skein of loose silk blown against a wall, Though winter's barricade delays.

Hours before dawn we were woken by the quake; The earth turns over, our side feels the cold. The new sun rising in a different sky, Ineiplicable splendour of Ionian white and gold. (V. M. Cornford) Where Thames with pride surveys his rising tow'rs Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.

951: Symbolic by Jac

A first prize of £20 and two further prizes of £10 (or, for UK solvers, a copy of Chambers English Dictionary — ring the word Dictionary') for the first three correct solutions opened on 9 April. Entries to: Crossword 951, The Spectator, 56 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LL.

3

4

11

How vain are all these glories, all our pains, For other things mild Heaven a time ordains. What if this present were the world's last night?

Be not afraid to pray — to pray is right.

(Jeanne Fielder) We were a ghastly crew In that world-earthquake, Waterloo, Where first I left my glorious train, And we the passengers - Twenty will not come again.

To the misled and lonely traveller I said, 'A line will take us hours maybe; Who would not weep, if Atticus were he?

The sorrows of thy line . .

Methinks it is no journey - Portions and parcels of the dreadful past, Ah would that this might be the last!'

As we rush, as we rush in the train,

And weep the more because I weep in vain.

CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Strolling player's stores, with maybe more in Turkey (11) 11 Dull? Could send you to sleep! (6) 13 Try a goddess with a will! (7) 15 Issues a return for a Scottish peer (5) 16 A sign of Classical Man having dynamism (5) 17 Carnivore of note swallowed by a bird (6) (There's the peacock round the corner an' the monkey up the tree) - (P. I. Fell)

No. 1620: Only connect

`I have Mr Holmes's authority for saying that the whole story concerning the politi- cian, the lighthouse, and the trained cor- morant will be given to the public,' wrote Conan Doyle, but it never was. You are invited to fill the gap with a précis of the story (maximum 200 words). Entries to `Competition No. 1620' by 6 April.

6 Tending to put things right when soldiers get laid up (8) 8 Gently touch a drop of sealing- wax (4) 9 Deep dry-rot (6) 10 Briefly, a way to rush or tear away (5) 12 A pick-me-up that's been weakened (6) 14 One sort of queer glories in such sort of binding (12) 19 Metal a former US newspaper magnate found in season (10)