NEAR to the bank of the river, o’ershadowed by oaks, from whose branches
Such as the Druids cut down with golden hatchets at Yule-tide,Stood, secluded and still, the house of the herdsman. A gardenGirdled it round about with a belt of luxuriant blossoms,Filling the air with fragrance. The house itself was of timbersHewn from the cypress-tree, and carefully fitted together.Large and low was the roof; and on slender…