For each their old love found. A murmuring rose, 825 Like what was never heard in all the throes Of emerald deep: yet not exalt alone; on Of wind and waters: 'tis past human wit 865 His left sat smiling Beauty's paragon.1 To tell; 'tis dizziness to think of it. "Behold! behold, the palace of his pride! 835 They shoulder'd on towards that brighten- 875 ing east. At every onward step proud domes arose Of amber 'gainst their faces levelling. Joyous, and many as the leaves in spring, 840 Still onward; still the splendor gradual 880 swell'd. Rich opal domes were seen, on high upheld A blush of coral. Copious wonder-draughts near: 845 For what poor mortals fragment up, as mere1 850 As marble was there lavish, to the vast As large, as bright, as color'd as the bow Into the outer courts of Neptune's state: 855 Whence could be seen, direct, a golden gate, To which the leaders sped; but not half raught2 Ere it burst open swift as fairy thought, 885 Far as the mariner on highest mast Can see all round upon the calmed vast, So wide was Neptune's hall: and as the blue Doth vault the waters, so the waters drew Their doming curtains, high, magnificent, Aw'd from the throne aloof;-and when storm-rent Disclos'd the thunder-gloomings in Jove's air; But sooth'd as now, flash'd sudden everywhere, Noiseless, sub-marine cloudlets, glittering Death to a human eye: for there did spring From natural west, and east, and south, and north, A light as of four sunsets, blazing forth A gold-green zenith 'bove the Sea-God's head. Of lucid depth the floor, and far outspread As breezeless lake, on which the slim canoe Of feather'd Indian darts about, as through The delicatest air: air verily, But for the portraiture of clouds and sky: This palace floor breath-air,-but for the amaze Of deep-seen wonders motionless,-and blaze Of the dome pomp, reflected in extremes, They stood in dreams 890 And the great Sea-King bow'd his dripping head. Then Love took wing, and from his pinions On all the multitude a nectarous dew. Fair Scylla and her guides to conference; 895 And when they reach'd the throned emi nence So wait awhile expectant. Pr'ythee soon, Even in the passing of thine honey-moon, Visit thou my Cythera: thou wilt find Cupid well-natur'd, my Adonis kind; 920 And pray persuade with thee-Ah, I have done, All blisses be upon thee, my sweet son!"— Meantime a glorious revelry began 925 Before the Water-Monarch. Nectar ran In courteous fountains to all cups outreach'd; And plunder'd vines, teeming exhaustless, pleach'd2 New growth about each shell and pendent lyre; The which, in disentangling for their fire, 930 Pull'd down fresh foliage and coverture For dainty toying. Cupid, empire-sure, Flutter'd and laugh'd, and ofttimes through the throng Made a delighted way. Then dance, and song, And garlanding grew wild; and pleasure reign'd. 935 In harmless tendril they each other chain'd, And strove who should be smother'd deepest in Fresh crush of leaves. 1 calm; peaceful (The halcyon, or kingfisher, was said to make its nest at sea and to calm the waves.) interwove "King of the stormy sea! Brother of Jove, and co-inheritor 945 Of elements; Eternally before Thee the waves awful bow. Fast, stubborn rock, At thy fear'd trident shrinking, doth unlock Its deep foundations, hissing into foam. All mountain-rivers, lost in the wide home 950 Of thy capacious bosom, ever flow. 955 Thou frownest, and old Æolus thy foe Of all his rebel tempests. Dark clouds faint Waits at the doors of heaven. Thou art not 960 For scenes like this: an empire stern hast thou; And it hath furrow'd that large front: yet now, As newly come of heaven, dost thou sit Subdued majesty with this glad time. 965 O shell-borne King sublime! We lay our hearts before thee evermore- "Breathe softly, flutes; Be tender of your strings, ye soothing lutes; 970 Nor be the trumpet heard! O vain, O vain; Not flowers budding in an April rain, Nor breath of sleeping dove, nor river's flow, No, nor the Æolian twang of Love's own bow, Can mingle music fit for the soft ear 975 Of goddess Cytherea! Yet deign, white Queen of Beauty, thy fair We fill-we fill! 990 And by thy mother's lips" Was heard no more For clamor, when the golden palace door Opened again, and from without, in shone A new magnificence. On oozy throne Smooth-moving came Oceanus the old, 995 To take a latest glimpse at his sheep-fold, Before he went into his quiet cave To muse forever-then a lucid wave Scoop'd from its trembling sisters of midsea, Afloat, and pillowing up the majesty 1000 Of Doris, and the Egean seer, her spouse Next, on a dolphin, clad in laurel boughs, Theban Amphion leaning on his lute: His fingers went across it.-All were mute To gaze on Amphitrite, queen of pearls, 1005 And Thetis pearly too. The palace whirls Around giddy Endymion, seeing he Was there far strayed from mortality. He could not bear it-shut his eyes in vain; Imagination gave a dizzier pain. 1010 OI shall die! sweet Venus, be my stay! Where is my lovely mistress? Well-away! I die I hear her voice-I feel my wing-" At Neptune's feet he sank. A sudden ring Of Nereids were about him, in kind strife 1015 To usher back his spirit into life: But still he slept. At last they interwove Their cradling arms, and purpos'd to convey Towards a crystal bower far away. Lo! while slow carried through the pitying crowd, 1020 To his inward senses these words spake aloud; Written in starlight on the dark above: Immortal bliss for me too hast thou won. 1025 Arise then! for the hen-dove shall not hatch Her ready eggs, before I'll kissing snatch Thee into endless heaven. Awake! awake!" The youth at once arose: a placid lake Came quiet to his eyes; and forest green, 1030 Cooler than all the wonders he had seen, Lull'd with its simple song his fluttering breast. How happy once again in grassy nest! 1 Nereus, a sea divinity who lived chiefly in the Egean Sea. BOOK IV Muse of my native land! loftiest Muse! O first-born on the mountains! by the hues Of heaven on the spiritual air begot: Long didst thou sit alone in northern grot, 5 While yet our England was a wolfish den; Before our forests heard the talk of men; Before the first of Druids was a child;1— Long didst thou sit amid our regions wild Rapt in a deep prophetic solitude. 10 There came an eastern voice of solemn mood: Yet wast thou patient. Then sang forth the Apollo's garland:-yet didst thou divine vain, 'Come hither, sister of the Island!"" 30 on I move to the end in lowliness of heart. "Ah, woe is me! that I should fondly part From my dear native land! Ah, foolish maid! Glad was the hour, when, with thee, myriads bade Adieu to Ganges and their pleasant fields! To one so friendless the clear freshet yields 35 A bitter coolness; the ripe grape is sour: 1 The Druids were said to be the first poets of Britain. The voice of the muse of Hebrew literature. 3 The nine muses of Grecian song. The muse of England. A reference to Roman literature. A reference to Dante and Italian literature of the Renaissance. A reference to Elizabethan literature. 55 A woman's sigh alone and in.distress? See not her charms! Is Phoebe passionless? Phoebe is fairer far-O gaze no more :Yet if thou wilt behold all beauty's store, Behold her panting in the forest grass! 60 Do not those curls of glossy jet surpass For tenderness the arms so idly lain Amongst them? Feelest not a kindred pain, To see such lovely eyes in swimming search After some warm delight, that seems to perch 65 Dovelike in the dim cell lying beyond Their upper lids?-Hist! "O for Hermes' wand, To touch this flower into human shape! That woodland Hyacinthus could escape From his green prison, and here kneeling down 70 Call me his queen, his second life's fair crown! Ah me, how I could love!- My soul doth melt For the unhappy youth-Love! I have felt 1 great number 100 Her gentle bosom heave tumultuously, He sprang from his green covert: there she lay, Sweet as a muskrose upon new-made hay; With all her limbs on tremble, and her eyes Shut softly up alive. To speak he tries. 105Fair damsel, pity me! forgive that I Thus violate thy bower's sanctity! O pardon me, for I am full of griefGrief born of thee, young angel! fairest thief! Who stolen hast away the wings wherewith 110 I was to top the heavens. Dear maid, sith Thou art my executioner, and I feel Loving and hatred, misery and weal, Will in a few short hours be nothing to me, And all my story that much passion slew me; 115 Do smile upon the evening of my days: And, for my tortur'd brain begins to craze, Be thou my nurse; and let me understand 180 185 To give at evening pale That thou mayst listen the cold dews among↑ "O Sorrow, Why dost borrow Heart's lightness from the merriment of May A lover would not tread A cowslip on the head, Though he should dance from eve till peep of day Nor any drooping flower Held sacred for thy bower, Wherever he may sport himself and play. "To Sorrow, I bade good-morrow, And thought to leave her far away behind; But cheerly, cheerly, She loves me dearly; She is so constant to me, and so kind; I would deceive her And so leave her, But ah! she is so constant and so kind. "Beneath my palm trees, by the river side, Brimming the water-lily cups with tears "Beneath my palm trees, by the river side, I sat a-weeping: what enamor'd bride, 190 Cheated by shadowy wooer from the clouds, But hides and shrouds Beneath dark palm trees by a river side! “And as I sat, over the light blue hills There came a noise of revellers: the rills 195 Into the wide stream came of purple hue"Twas Bacchus and his crew! The earnest trumpet spake, and silver thrills From kissing cymbals made a merry din— 'Twas Bacchus and his kin! 200 Like to a moving vintage down they came, Crown'd with green leaves, and faces all on flame; All madly dancing through the pleasant valley, To scare thee, Melancholy! O then, O then, thou wast a simple name! 205 And I forgot thee, as the berried holly By shepherds is forgotten, when, in June, Tall chestnuts keep away the sun and moon: I rush'd into the folly! "Within his car, aloft, young Bacchus stood, 210 Trifling his ivy-dart, in dancing mood, With sidelong laughing: And little rills of crimson wine imbrued His plump white arms, and shoulders, enough white 1 The ivy was sacred to Bacchus. |