Each Atlas-line bore off!-a shine of hope
Came gold around me, cheering me to cope
Strenuous with hellish tyranny. Attend!
For thou hast brought their promise to an end.

"In the wide sea there lives a forlorn wretch,
Doom'd with enfeebled carcass to outstretch
His lothed existence through ten centuries,
And then to die alone. who can devise
A total opposition? No one. So

One million times ocean must ebb and flow,
And he oppress'd. Yet he shall not die,
These things accomplish'd:-If he utterly
Scans all the depths of magic, and expounds
The meanings of all motions, shapes, and sounds;
If he explores all forms and substances
Straight homeward to their symbol-essences;
He shall not die. Moreover, and in chief,
He must pursue this task of joy and grief,
Most piously;-all lovers tempest-tost,
And in the savage overwhelming lost,
He shall deposit side by side, until
Time's creeping shall the dreary space fulfil:
Which done, and all these labors ripened,
A youth, by heavenly power beloved and led,
Shall stand before him; whom he shall direct
How to consummate all. The youth elect
Must do the thing, or both will be destroy'd.'"-

I told thee of, where lovely Scylla lies;
And where I have enshrined piously

All lovers, whom fell storms have doom'd to die
Throughout my bondage." Thus discoursing, on
They went till unobscured the porches shone;
Which hurryingly they gain'd, and enter'd straight.
Sure never since king Neptune held his state
Was seen such wonder underneath the stars.
Turn to some level plain where haughty Mars
Has legion'd all his battle; and behold
How every soldier, with firm foot, doth hold
His even breast: see, many steeled squares,
And rigid ranks of iron-whence who dares
One step? Imagine further, line by line,
These warrior thousands on the field supine:
So in that crystal place, in silent rows,
Poor lovers lay at rest from joys and woes.—
The stranger from the mountains, breathless, traced
Such thousands of shut eyes in order placed;
Such ranges of white feet, and patient lips

All ruddy, for here death no blossom nips.

Began to tear his scroll in pieces small, Uttering the while some mumblings funeral. He tore it into pieces small as snow

That drifts unfeather'd when bleak northerns blow;
And having done it, took his dark-blue cloak
And bound it round Endymion: then struck
His wand against the empty air times nine.-
"What more there is to do, young man, is thine :
But first a little patience; first undo
This tangled thread, and wind it to a clue.
Ah, gentle! 'tis as weak as spider's skein;

And shouldst thou break it-What, is it done so clean ?
A power overshadows thee! Oh, brave!
The spite of hell is tumbling to its grave.
Here is a shell; 'tis pearly blank to me,
Nor mark'd with any sign or charactery—
Canst thou read aught? O read for pity's sake!
Olympus! we are safe! Now, Carian, break
This wand against yon lyre on the pedestal."

:

'Twas done and straight with sudden swell and
fall

Sweet music breathed her soul away, and sigh'd
A lullaby to silence." Youth! now strew
These minced leaves on me, and passing through
Those files of dead, scatter the same around,
And thou wilt see the issue."-'Mid the sound,
Of flutes and viols, ravishing his heart,
Endymion from Glaucus stood apart,

And scatter'd in his face some fragments light.
How lightning-swift the change! a youthful wight
Smiling beneath a coral diadem,

Out-sparkling sudden like an upturn'd gem,
Appear'd, and, stepping to a beauteous corse,
Kneel'd down beside it, and with tenderest force
Press'd its cold hand, and wept,-and Scylla sigh'd!
Endymion, with quick hand, the charm applied-
The nymph arose: he left them to their joy,
And onward went upon his high employ,
Showering those powerful fragments on the dead
And, as he pass'd, each lifted up its head,
As doth a flower at Apollo's touch.
Death felt it to his inwards; 't was too much:
Death fell a-weeping in his charnel-house.
The Latmian persevered along, and thus
All were reanimated. There arose
A noise of harmony, pulses and throes
Of gladness in the air-while many, who
Had died in mutual arms devout and true
Sprang to each other madly; and the rest
Felt a high certainty of being blest.
They gazed upon Endymion. Enchantment
Grew drunken, and would have its head and bent.
Delicious symphonies, like airy flowers,

Budded, and swell'd, and, full-blown, shed full show.

ers

Of light, soft, unseen leaves of sounds divine
The two deliverers tasted a pure wine
Of happiness, from fairy-press oozed out.

Put sleekly on one side with nicest care;

And each one's gentle wrists, with reverence,

Put crosswise to its heart.

"Let us commence

(Whisper'd the guide, stuttering with joy) even now." He spake, and, trembling like an aspen-bough,

The fair assembly wander'd to and fro,
Distracted with the richest overflow
Of joy that ever pour'd from heaven.

'Away'

Shouted the new-born god; "Follow, and pay
Our piety to Neptunus supreme!".
Then Scylla, blushing sweetly from her dream,

They led on first, bent to her meek surprise,
Through portal columns of a giant size
Into the vaulted, boundless emerald.
Joyous all follow'd, as the leader call'd,
Down marble steps; pouring as easily

As hour-glass sand,-and fast, as you might see
Swallows obeying the south summer's call,
Or swans upon a gentle waterfall.

Thus went that beautiful multitude, not far, Ere from among some rocks of glittering spar, Just within ken, they saw descending thick Another multitude. Whereat more quick Moved either host. On a wide sand they met, And of those numbers every eye was wet; For each their old love found. A murmuring rose, Like what was never heard in all the throes Of wind and waters: 'tis past human wit To tell; 'tis dizziness to think of it.

This mighty consummation made, the host Moved on for many a league; and gain'd, and lost Huge sea-marks; vanward swelling in array, And from the rear diminishing away,Till a faint dawn surprised them. Glaucus cried, "Behold! behold, the palace of his pride! God Neptune's palace!" With noise increased, They shoulder'd on towards that brightening east. At every onward step proud domes arose In prospect,-diamond gleams and golden glows Of amber 'gainst their faces levelling. Joyous, and many as the leaves in spring, Still onward; still the splendor gradual swell'd. Rich opal domes were seen, on high upheld By jasper pillars, letting through their shafts A blush of coral. Copious wonder-draughts Each gazer drank; and deeper drank more near: For what poor mortals fragment up, as mere As marble was there lavish, to the vast Of one fair palace, that far far surpass'd, Even for common bulk, those olden three, Memphis, and Babylon, and Nineveh.

As large, as bright, as color'd as the bow Of Iris, when unfading it doth show Beyond a silvery shower, was the arch Through which this Paphian army took its march, Into the outer courts of Neptune's state: Whence could be seen, direct, a golden gate, To which the leaders sped; but not half raught Ere it burst open swift as fairy thought, And made those dazzled thousands veil their eyes Like callow eagles at the first sunrise. Soon with an eagle nativeness their gaze Ripe from hue-golden swoons took all the blaze, And then, behold! large Neptune on his throne Of emerald deep: yet not exalt alone; At his right hand stood winged Love, and on His left sat smiling Beauty's paragon.

Disclosed the thunder-gloomings in Jove's air,
But soothed as now, flash'd sudden everywhere
Noiseless, submarine 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,
Globing a golden sphere.

They stood in dreams
Till Triton blew his horn. The palace rang;
The Nereids danced; the Syrens faintly sang;
And the great Sea-King bow'd his dripping head.
Then Love took wing, and from his pinions shed
On all the multitude a nectarous dew.
The ooze-born Goddess beckoned and drew
Fair Scylla and her guides to conference;
And when they reach'd the throned eminence
She kist the sea-nymph's cheek,-who sat her down
A toying with the doves. Then,-" Mighty crown
And sceptre of this kingdom!" Venus said,
"Thy vows were on a time to Nais paid:
Behold!"-Two copious tear-drops instant fell
From the God's large eyes; he smiled delectable,
And over Glaucus held his blessing hands-
Endymion! Ah! still wandering in the bands
Of love? Now this is cruel. Since the hour
I met thee in earth's bosom, all my power
Have I put forth to serve thee. What, not yet
Escaped from dull mortality's harsh net?
A little patience, youth! 't will not be long,
Or I am skilless quite an idle tongue,
A humid eye, and steps luxurious,

Where these are new and strange, are ominous.
Ay, I have seen these signs in one of heaven,
When others were all blind; and were I given
To utter secrets, haply I might say

Some pleasant words; but Love will have his day,
So wait awhile expectant. Prythee soon,
Even in the passing of thine honey-moon,
Visit my Cytherea: thou wilt find
Cupid well-natured, my Adonis kind;

And pray persuade with thee-Ah, I have done,
All blisses be upon thee, my sweet son!”—
Thus the fair goddess: while Endymion
Knelt to receive those accents halcyon.

Meantime a glorious revelry began Before the Water-Monarch. Nectar ran In courteous fountains to all cups out-reach'd; And plunder'd vines, teeming exhaustless, bleach'd New growth about each shell and pendent lyre; The which, in entangling for their fire, Pull'd down fresh foliage and coverture For dainty toy. Cupid, empire-sure, Flutter'd and laugh'd, and oft-times through the throng Made a delighted way. Then dance, and song, And garlanding grew wild; and pleasure reign'd. In harmless tendril they each other chain'd,

Thee to thy native hopes. O thou hast won
A full accomplishment! The thing is done,
Which undone, these our latter days had risen
On barren souls. Great Muse, thou know'st what prison,
Of flesh and bone, curbs, and confines, and frets
Our spirit's wings: despondency besets
Our pillows; and the fresh to-morrow morn
Seems to give forth its light in very scorn
Of our dull, uninspired, snail-paced lives.
Long have I said, How happy he who shrives
To thee! But then I thought on poets gone,
And could not pray :-nor can I now-so on
I move to the end in lowliness of heart.-

Thou, Carian lord, hadst better have been tost Into a whirlpool. Vanish into air, Warm mountaineer! for canst thou only bear 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! 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 Dove-like 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
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
So faint a kindness, such a meek surrender

To what my own full thoughts had made too tender,
That but for tears my life had fled away!—
Ye deaf and senseless minutes of the day,

And thou, old forest, hold ye this for true,
There is no lightning, no authentic dew
But in the eye of love: there's not a sound,
Melodious howsoever, can confound

The heavens and earth in one to such a death
As doth the voice of love: there's not a breath
Will mingle kindly with the meadow air,
Till it has panted round, and stolen a share
Of passion from the heart!"-

Upon a bough

He leant, wretched. He surely cannot now
Thirst for another love: O impious,
That he can even dream upon it thus!—
Thought he, "Why am I not as are the dead,
Since to a woe like this I have been led

Through the dark earth, and through the wondrous sea?
Goddess! I love thee not the less: from thee
By Juno's smile I turn not-no, no, no—
While the great waters are at ebb and flow.
I have a triple soul! O fond pretence-
For both, for both my love is so immense,
I feel my heart is cut in twain for them."

And so he groan'd, as one by beauty slain. The lady's heart beat quick, and he could see Her gentle bosom heave tumultuously.

He sprang from his green covert there she lay, Sweet as a musk-rose upon new-made hay; With all her limbs on tremble, and her eyes

Shut softly up alive. To speak he tries:

Fair damsel, pity me! forgive me that I

Thus violate thy bower's sanctity!

O pardon me, for I am full of grief

Grief born of thee, young angel! fairest :hief!
Who stolen hast away the wings wherewith
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:
Do smile upon the evening of my days:
And, for my tortured brain begins to craze,
Be thou my nurse; and let me understand
How dying I shall kiss thy lily hand.—

Dost weep for me? Then should I be content.
Scowl on, ye fates! until the firmament
Out-blackens Erebus, and the full-cavern'd earth
Crumbles into itself. By the cloud girth
Of Jove, those tears have given me a thirst
To meet oblivion."-As her heart would burst
The maiden sobb'd awhile, and then replied:
"Why must such desolation betide

As that thou speakest of? Are not these green nooks
Empty of all misfortune? Do the brooks
Utter a gorgon voice? Does yonder thrush,
Schooling its half-fledged little ones to brush
About the dewy forest, whisper tales?—
Speak not of grief, young stranger, or cold snails
Will slime the rose to-night. Though if thou wilt,
Methinks 't would be a guilt-a very guilt-
Not to companion thee, and sigh away
The light-the dusk-the dark-till break of day!"
"Dear lady," said Endymion, "'tis past.
I love thee! and my days can never last.
That I may pass in patience, still speak:
Let me have music dying, and I seek