evil men,

stream

XLV

Even like the dayspring poured on Which was a field of holy warfare vapours dank,

then, The beams of that one Star did shoot I walked among the dying and the and quiver

dead, Through my benighted mind-and were And shared in fearless deeds with extinguished never.

Calm as an angel in the dragon's XLII

den “ The day passed thus : at night,

How I braved death for liberty and methought in dream

truth, A shape of speechless beauty did

And spurned at peace and power appear :

and fame-and, when It stood like light on a careering

Those hopes had lost the glory of

their youth, Of golden clouds which shook the How sadly I returned- might move the atmosphere ;

hearer's ruth.
A winged youth, his radiant brow

did wear
The Morning Star : a wild dissolving
bliss

“ Warm tears throng fast! the tale Over my frame he breathed, ap

may not be saidproaching near,

Know then that, when this grief And bent his eyes of kindling tender

had been subdued,

I was not lest, like others, cold and Near mine, and on my lips impressed a

dead.
lingering kiss,

The Spirit whom I loved in solitude
Sustained his child : the tempest-

shaken wood,
“And said : “A Spirit loves thee, The waves, the fountains, and the
mortal maiden :

hush of nightHow wilt thou prove thy worth ?' These were his voice ; and well I Then joy and sleep

understood Together Aled, my soul was deeply His smile divine when the calm sea laden,

was bright And to the shore I went to muse With silent stars, and Heaven was breath

less with delight. But, as I moved, over my heart

ness

XLIII

and weep;

did creep

XLVI

A joy less soft but more profound and

strong
Than my sweet dream, and it for-

bade to keep
The path of the sea-shore: that Spirit's

tongue Seemed whispering in my heart, and bore my steps along.

XLIV “ How, to that vast and peopled city

led

“In lonely glens, amid the roar of

rivers, When the dim nights were moon

less, have I known Joys which no tongue can tell ; my

pale lip quivers When thought revisits them :

know thou alone That, after many wondrous years

were flown, I was awakened by a shriek of woe ;

L

And over me a mystic robe was Has never built, nor ecstasy nor thrown

dream By viewless hands, and a bright Star Reared in the cities of enchanted land: did glow

'Twas likest Heaven ere yet day's Before my steps—the Snake then met purple stream his mortal foe."

Ebbs o'er the western forest, while

the gleam XLVII

Of the unrisen moon among the clouds “ Thou fearest not then the Serpent Is gathering-when with many a on thy heart ?”

golden beam “Fear it !” she said with brief and The thronging constellations rush in passionate cry,

crowds, And spake no more: that silence Paving with fire the sky and the marmade me start

moreal foods : I looked, and we were sailing

pleasantly, Swift as a cloud between the sea Like what may be conceived of this and sky,

vast dome Beneath the rising moon

seen far

When from the depths which away ;

thought can seldom pierce Mountains of ice, like sapphire, Genius beholds it rise, his native home, piled on high,

Girt by the deserts of the Universe, Flemming the horizon round, in silence Yet nor in painting's light, or lay

mightier verse, On the still waters,--these we did ap- Or sculpture's marble language, can proach alway.

invest

That shape to mortal sense--such XLVIII

glooms immerse And swift and swister grew the vessel's That incommunicable sight, and rest motion,

Upon the labouring brain and overSo that a dizzy trance fell on my

burdened breast. brainWild music woke me : we had passed the ocean

Winding among the lawny islands Which girds the pole, Nature's re

fair, motest reign

Whose blosmy forests starred the And we glode fast o'er a pellucid shadowy deep, plain

The wingless boat paused where an Of waters, azure with the noontide ivory stair day.

Its fretwork in the crystal sea did Ethereal mountains shone around

steep a Fane

Encircling that vast Fane's aërial Stood in the midst, girt by green isles heap : which lay

We disembarked, and through a portal On the blue sunny deep, resplendent

wide We passed—whose roof, of moon.

stone carved, did keep

A glimmering o'er the forms on every It was a Temple such as mortal hand | side,

LI

far away.

XLIX

LX

A cloud of deepest shadow which was His eyes were dark and deep, and thrown

the clear brow Athwart the glowing steps and the crys

Which shadowed them was like the talline throne.

morning sky,

The cloudless Heaven of Spring, LVII

when in their flow The cloud which rested on that cone

Through the bright air the soft of flame

winds as they blow Was cloven : beneath the planet

Wake the green world : his gestures

did obey sate a Form

The oracular mind that made his Fairer than tongue can speak or

features glow,
thought may frame,
The radiance of whose limbs rose-

And, where his curvèd lips half-open like and warm

lay, Flowed forth, and did with softest Passion's divinest stream had made im. light inform

petuous way. The shadowy dome, the sculptures,

and the state Of those assembled shapes — with Beneath the darkness of his outspread clinging charm

hair Sinking upon their hearts and mine. He stood thus beautiful : but He sate

there was One Majestic yet most mild-calm yet com- Who sate beside him like his shadow passionate.

there,

And held his hand-far lovelierLVIII

she was known Wonder and joy a passing faintness

To be thus fair by the few lines threw

alone Over my brow-a hand supported

Which through her floating locks and

gathered cloak, me, Whose touch was magic strength :

Glances of soul-dissolving glory,

shone :
an eye of blue
Looked into mine, like moonlight,

None else beheld her eyes—in him soothingly;

they woke And a voice said :-- “Thou must

Memories which found a tongue as thus a listener be

he silence broke. This day—two mighty Spirits now

return,
Like birds of calm, from the world's

CANTO II
raging sea,
They pour fresh light from Hope's
immortal urn;

The starlight smile of children, the A tale of human power-despair not

sweet looks list and learn !”

Of women, the fair breast from

which I fed, LIX

The murmur of the unreposing brooks, I looked, and lo! one stood forth And the green light which, shifting eloquently,

overhead,

I

IV

young hours

Some tangled bower of vines around
me shed,

The land in which I lived by a fell The shells on the sea-sand, and the

bane wild flowers,

Was withered up. Tyrants dwelt The lamplight through the rasters side by side, cheerly spread,

And stabled in our homes- until the And on the twining flax-in life's

chain

Stifled the captive's cry, and to These sights and sounds did nurse my abide spirit's folded powers.

That blasting curse men had no

shame—all vied In evil, slave and despot ; fear with

lust In Argolis beside the echoing sea, Such impulses within my mortal

Strange fellowship through mutual

hate had tied, frame Arose, and they were dear to memory,

Like two dark serpents tangled in the

dust, Like tokens of the dead :-

- but others came

Which on the paths of men their mingSoon, in another shape : the won

ling poison thrust. drous fame Of the past world, the vital words and deeds

Earth, our bright home, its mountains

and its waters,
Of minds whom neither time nor
change can tame,

And the ethereal shapes which are Traditions dark and old whence evil

suspended creeds

Over its green expanse, and those Start forth, and whose dim shade a

fair daughters,

The clouds, of Sun and Ocean, stream of poison feeds.

who have blended The colours of the air since first

extended I heard, as all have heard, the various It cradled the young world, none story

wandered forth Of human life, and wept unwilling To see or feel : a darkness had tears.

descended Feeble historians of its shame and

On every heart : the light which glory,

shows its worth False disputants on all its hopes Must among gentle thoughts and fearless and fears,

take its birth. Victims who worshipped ruin,

chroniclers Of daily scorn, and slaves who loathed This vital world, this home of happy their state,

spirits, Yet, flattering power, had given its Was as a dungeon to my blasted ministers

kind. A throne of judgment in the grave- All that despair from murdered hope 'twas fate

inherits That among such as these my youth They sought, and, in their helpless should seek its mate.

misery blind,

III

VI