Against the bridal day, which was not long:
Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song
A Spring evening spent by the River Cherwell in an Oxford meadow, watching the lazy waters meander by, the sun dropping over the trees and rooftops in the west. A punt slowly passes, its pace that of the river, the passengers’ fingers gently breaking the surface, and standing behind, a more relaxed pilot of a craft could not be found. The meadow full of soft chatter, as if the flowers were talking, the unseasonable warmth rounding off the edges at the end of the day. The cattle on the far bank, they too having come down to the river for an evening drink, adding to the gentle nature of the scene – as if we were all living in one of Francis Hamel’s paintings of Oxford.
This week sees the publication of Robert Macfarlane’s ‘Is a River Alive?’ – never a timelier and more appropriate book about the importance and contribution rivers make to our lives. From Whitehouse & Mortimer fishing for joy to the campaigning of Fergal Sharkey, rivers are the veins running through our country, they are to be respected and cared for. In return, they nourish both spirit and body – wellbeing is in bountiful supply on the banks of a river.
Prothalamion by Edmund Spenser – published 1596
There, in a meadow, by the river’s side,
A flock of nymphs I chanced to espy,
All lovely daughters of the flood thereby,
With goodly greenish locks, all loose untied,
As each had been a bride;
And each one had a little wicker basket,
Made of fine twigs, entrailed curiously,
In which they gathered flowers to fill their flasket,
And with fine fingers cropt full featously
The tender stalks on high.
Of every sort, which in that meadow grew,
They gathered some; the violet pallid blue,
The little daisy, that at evening closes,
The virgin lily, and the primrose true,
With store of vermeil roses,
To deck their bridegrooms’ posies
Against the bridal day, which was not long:
Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.
This week’s glorious weather calls for lounging in the garden with a good book and a cocktail. We have a fine selection of books to accompany your sunbathing, from Leigh Bardugo’s wicked fantasy, The Familar, to Max Telford’s The Tree of Life about the evolution of life on earth. Browse the books below, and I’m sure something will tickle your fancy.
As always, if there’s anything you need, just pop by or reply to this email!
From Amber
Feeling curious? Click on the book covers below to explore the book.
The full newsletter with links to books – including this week’s Signed Editions – can be found HERE
