Till with the stain their inmost souls are dyed, Within the surface of Time's fleeting river Drove the astonished herds of men from Immovably unquiet, and forever every side. It trembles, but it cannot pass away! The voices of thy bards and sages thunder With an earth-awakening blast Through the caverns of the past; Religion veils her eyes; Oppression shrinks aghast. A winged sound of joy, and love, and wonder, Which soars where Expectation never flew, Thou huntress swifter than the Moon ! thou terror Of the world's wolves! thou bearer of the quiver, Whose sun-like shafts pierce tempestwinged Error, As light may pierce the clouds when they dissever In the calm regions of the orient day! Luther caught thy wakening glance; Like lightning, from his leaden lance Reflected, it dissolved the visions of the trance In which, as in a tomb, the nations lay; And England's prophets hailed thee as their queen, In songs whose music cannot pass away, Though it must flow forever; not un seen Before the spirit-sighted countenance scene Beyond whose night he saw, with a dejected mien. XI The eager hours and unreluctant years Darkening each other with their multitude, And cried aloud, Liberty! Indignation Answered Pity from her cave; Death grew pale within the grave, And Desolation howled to the destroyer, Save! When, like heaven's sun girt by the ex halation Of its own glorious light, thou didst arise, The beard and the hair Of the River-god were Seen through the torrent's sweep, As he followed the light Of the fleet nymph's flight To the brink of the Dorian deep. III 'Oh, save me! Oh, guide me, And bid the deep hide me, For he grasps me now by the hair!' The loud Ocean heard, To its blue depth stirred, And divided at her prayer; And under the water The Earth's white daughter Fled like a sunny beam; Behind her descended Her billows, unblended With the brackish Dorian stream. On the emerald main Alpheus rushed behind, As an eagle pursuing Down the streams of the cloudy wind. |