A late Victorian English poet from Buddington, Sussex, Francis William Bourdillon was born on March 22, 1852, educated at Worcester College, Oxford, and acted as tutor to the Prince and the Princess Christian at Cumberland Lodge. He published 13 volumes of poems from 1878 to 1921. One poem of the nearly 500 he wrote secured his fame, "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes." He also did scholarly editing of poems and chronicles from Old French. His edition and translation of Aucassin & Nicolette came out in 1887. In 1906 the Bibliographical Society published his study, The Early Editions of the Roman de la Rose. He died on January 13, 1921. His volumes of verse are as follows:

• Among The Flowers, And Other Poems. London: Marcus Ward, 1878.
• Young Maids & Old China. Verses. London: Marcus Ward, [1888].
• Where Lilies Live and Waters Wind Away: Verses. London: Marcus Ward, [1889].
• Ailes d'Alouette. Oxford: H. Daniel, 1890.
• A Lost God. London: E. Mathews, 1891. PR 4161 B3L6 Robarts Library
• Sursum Corda. London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1893.
• Minuscula: Lyrics of Nature, Art and Love. London: Lawrence & Bullen, 1897.
• Through the Gateway. London: Arthur L. Humphreys, [1900].
• Preludes and romances London: George Allen, 1908. STOR PR/B666p Victoria University Library
• Moth-Wings [Ailes D'Alouette]. London: Elkin Mathews, 1913.
• Christmas Roses for Nineteen-Hundred and Fourteen. London: Arthur L. Humphreys, 1914.
• Easter Lilies for nineteen hundred and fifteen. London: Arthur L. Humphreys, [1915].
• Gerard & Isabel: A Romance in Form of Cantefable. London: Alexander Moring, 1921.