A vain illusion! (such as mocks the eyes Of fearful men, when mountains round them rise And once again that valiant company And see, the heavens bow down, the waters rise, Descends, and shuts the vision from their sight. CANTO III. An Assembly of Evil Spirits. THO' changed my cloth of gold for amice gray- And tho' my world be now a narrow cell, Tho' now my head be bald, my feet be bare, And scarce my knees sustain my book of prayer, Oh I was there, one of that gallant crew, And saw-and wondered whence his Power He drew, Yet little thought, tho' by his side I stood, Of his great Foes in earth and air and flood, Then uninstructed.-But my sand is run, And the Night coming-and my Task not done!'Twas in the deep, immeasurable cave Of ANDES, echoing to the Southern wave, 'Mid pillars of Basalt, the work of fire, That, giant-like, to upper day aspire, 'Twas there that now, as wont in heaven to shine, What time the song of death is in the breeze! That many an age the fusing sulphur bore, They held high council. All was silence round, When, with a voice most sweet yet most profound, A sovereign Spirit burst the gates of night, And from his wings of gold shook drops of liquid light! MERION, commissioned with his host to sweep From age to age the melancholy deep! Chief of the ZEMI, whom the Isles obeyed, I. "Prepare, again prepare," Thus o'er the soul the thrilling accents came, 66 Thrones to resign for lakes of living flame, He, on whose call afflicting thunders wait, Has willed it; and his will is fate! In vain the legions, emulous to save, Hung in the tempest o'er the troubled main; Turned each presumptuous prow that broke the wave, And dashed it on its shores again. All is fulfilled! Behold, in close array, What mighty banners stream in the bright track of day! II. "No voice as erst shall in the desert rise; Nor ancient, dread solemnities With scorn of death the trembling tribes inspire. Wreaths for the Conqueror's brow the victims bind! Yet, tho' we fled yon firmament of fire, Still shall we fly, all hope of rule resigned?" He spoke; and all was silence, all was night! Each had already winged his formidable flight. CANTO IV. The Voyage continued. "AH, why look back, tho' all is left behind? A human footstep on a desert shore!" |