THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER. IN SEVEN PARTS. FACILE credo, plures esse Naturas invisibiles quam visibiles in rerum universitate. Sed horum omnium familiam quis nobis enarrabit, et gradus et cognationes et discrimina et singulorum munera ? Quid agunt? quæ loca habitant? Harum rerum notitiam semper ambivit ingenium humanum, nunquam attigit. Juvat, interea, non diffiteor, quandoque in animo, tanquam in tabulâ, majoris et melioris mundi imaginem contemplari : ne mens assuefacta hodiernæ vitæ minutiis se contrahat nimis, et tota subsidat in pusillas cogitationes. Sed veritati interea invigilandum est, modusque servandus, ut certa ab incertis, diem a nocte, distinguamus. It is an ancient Mariner, "By thy long gray beard and glittering cye, "The bridegroom's doors are opened wide, The guests are met, the feast is set: An ancient Mariner meeteth three gallants bidden to a wedding-feast, and detaineth one. The wedding The Mariner He holds him with his skinny hand, "There was a ship," quoth he. "Hold off! unhand me, gray-beard loon!" Eftsoons his hand dropt he. He holds him with his glittering eye— And listens like a three years' child: The wedding-guest sat on a stone: And thus spake on that ancient man, The bright-eyed Mariner. The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared, Merrily did we drop Below the kirk, below the hill, Below the lighthouse top. The sun came up upon the left, And he shone bright, and on the right Higher and higher every day, Till over the mast at noon The wedding-guest here beat his breast, The wedding The bride hath paced into the hall, guest heareth the bridal music; but Red as a rose is he; Nodding their heads before her goes The wedding-guest he beat his breast, And now the storm-blast came, and he He struck with his o'ertaking wings, With sloping masts and dipping prow, The ship drove fast, loud roared the blast, And now there came both mist and snow, And it grew wondrous cold: And ice, mast-high, came floating by, And through the drifts the snowy clifts Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken- The ice was here, the ice was there, the mariner continueth his tale. The ship drawn by a storm toward the south pole. The land of ice, and of fearful sounds where no living thing was to be seen. Till a great sea-bird, called the albatross, came through the snow-fog, and was received with great joy and hospitality. And lo! the albatross proveth a bird of good omen, and followeth the ship as it returned northward through fog and floating ice. The ancient Mariner inhospitably killeth the pious bird of good omen. It cracked and growled, and roared and howled, At length did cross an albatross, As if it had been a Christian soul, It ate the food it ne'er had eat, The ice did split with a thunder-fit; And a good south wind sprung up behind; And every day, for food or play, In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud, Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white, "God save thee, ancient Mariner! From the fiends, that plague thee thus !— PART II. THE sun now rose upon the right: Out of the sea came he, Still hid in mist, and on the left Went down into the sea. And the good south wind still blew behind, But no sweet bird did follow, Nor any day for food or play Came to the mariner's hollo! And I had done a hellish thing, Ah wretch! said they, the bird to slay, Nor dim nor red, like God's own head, Then all averred, I had killed the bird 'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay, The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, The furrow followed free; We were the first that ever burst Into that silent sea. His shipmates cry out against the ancient Mariner, for killing the bird of good luck. But when the fog cleared off, they justify the same, and thus make themselves ac complices in the crime. The fair breeze continues; the ship enters the Pacific Ocean, and sails northward, even till it reaches the Line. |