The temple of thy glory. But not me, Not my directing voice, he oft requires, Or hears delighted: this enchanting maid, The associate thou hast given me, her alone He loves, O Father! absent, her he craves; And but for her glad presence ever join'd, Rejoices not in mine: that all my hopes This thy benignant purpose to fulfil, I deem uncertain: and my daily cares Unfruitful all and vain, unless by thee Still further aided in the work divine.' "She ceas'd; a voice more aweful thus reply'd. O thou! in whom for ever I delight, Fairer than all the inhabitants of Heaven, Best image of thy author! far from thee Be disappointment, or distaste, or blame ; Who soon or late shall every work fulfil, And no resistance find. If man refuse To hearken to thy dictates; or, allur'd By meaner joys, to any other power Transfer the honours due to thee alone; That joy which he pursues he ne'er shall taste, That power in whom delighteth ne'er behold. Go then, once more, and happy be thy toil : Go then! but let not this thy smiling friend Partake thy footsteps. In her stead, behold! With thee the son of Nemesis I send ;
The fiend abhorr'd! whose vengeance takes account Of sacred Order's violated laws.
See where he calls thee, burning to be gone,
Fierce to exhaust the tempest of his wrath
Controul his cruel phrenzy, and protect
Thy tender charge; that when Despair shall grasp
His agonizing bosom, he may learn,
Then he may learn to love the gracious hand Alone sufficient in the hour of ill
To save his feeble spirit; then confess Thy genuine honours, O excelling fair! When all the plagues that wait the deadly will Of this avenging demon, all the storms
Of night infernal, serve but to display The energy of thy superior charms
With mildest awe triumphant o'er his rage,
And shining clearer in the horrid gloom.'
"Here ceas'd that aweful voice, and soon I felt
The cloudy curtain of refreshing eve
Was clos'd once more, from that immortal fire Sheltering my eye-lids. Looking up, I view'd A vast gigantic spectre striding on
Through murmuring thunders and a waste of clouds, With dreadful action. Black as night, his brow Relentless frowns involv'd. His savage limbs With sharp impatience violent he writh'd, As through convulsive anguish ; and his hand, Arm'd with a scorpion-lash, full oft he rais'd In madness to his bosom; while his eyes Rain'd bitter tears, and bellowing loud he shook The void with horrour. Silent by his side The virgin came. No discomposure stirr'd Her features. From the glooms which hung around No stain of darkness mingled with the beam Of her divine effulgence. Now they stoop Upon the river-bank; and now to hail,
His wonted guests, with eager steps advanc'd The unsuspecting inmate of the shade.
"As when a famish'd wolf, that all night long Had rang'd the Alpine snows, by chance at morn Sees from a cliff incumbent o'er the smoke
Of some lone village, a neglected kid
That strays along the wild for herb or spring; Down from the winding ridge he sweeps amain, And thinks he tears him: so with tenfold rage, The monster sprung remorseless on his prey. Amaz'd the stripling stood: with panting breast Feebly he pour'd the lamentable wail
Of helpless consternation, struck at once, And rooted to the ground. The queen beheld His terrour, and with looks of tenderest care Advanc'd to save him. Soon the tyrant felt Her aweful power. His keen, tempestuous, arm Hung nerveless, nor descended where his rage Had aim'd the deadly blow: then dumb retir'd With sullen rancour. Lo! the sovran maid Folds with a mother's arms the fainting boy, Till life rekindles in his rosy cheek; [tongue. Then grasps his hands, and cheers him with her "O wake thee, rouse thy spirit! Shall the spite Of yon tormentor thus appal thy heart,
While I, thy friend and guardian, am at hand To rescue and to heal? O let thy soul Remember, what the will of Heaven ordains Is ever good for all; and if for all,
Nor only by the warmth And soothing sunshine of delightful things Do minds grow up and flourish.
By that bland light, the young unpractis'd views Of reason wander through a fatal road, Far from their native aim; as if to lie Inglorious in the fragrant shade, and wait The soft access of ever-circling joys, Were all the end of being. Ask thyself, This pleasing errour did it never lull Thy wishes? Has thy constant heart refus'd The silken fetters of delicious ease? Or when divine Euphrosyné appear'd Within this dwelling, did not thy desires Hang far below the measure of thy fate, Which I reveal'd before thee? and thy eyes, Impatient of my counsels, turn away To drink the soft effusion of her smiles? Know then, for this the everlasting Sire Deprives thee of her presence, and instead, O wise and still benevolent! ordains This horrid visage hither to pursue My steps; that so thy naturè may discern Its real good, and what alone can save Thy feeble spirit in this hour of ill From folly and despair. O yet belov'd! Let not this headlong terrour quite o'erwhelm Thy scatter'd powers; nor fatal deem the rage Of this tormentor, nor his proud assault, While I am here to vindicate thy toil, Above the generous question of thy arm. Brave by thy fears, and in thy weakness strong, This hour he triumphs; but confront his might, And dare him to the combat, then with ease Disarm'd and quell'd, his fierceness he resigns
To bondage and to scorn: while thus inur'd By watchful danger, by unceasing toil, The immortal mind, superior to his fate, Amid the outrage of external things, Firm as the solid base of this great world, Rests on his own foundations. Blow, ye winds! Ye waves! ye thunders! roll your tempest on; Shake, ye old pillars of the marble sky! Till all its orbs and all its worlds of fire Be loosen'd from their seats; yet still serene, The unconquer'd mind looks down upon the wreck ; And ever stronger as the storms advance,
Firm through the closing ruin holds his way, Where Nature calls him to the destin'd goal. "So spake the goddess; while through all her
Celestial raptures flow'd, in every word, In every motion kindling warmth divine To seize who listen'd. Vehement and swift, As lightning fires the aromatic shade In Ethiopian fields, the stripling felt
Her inspiration catch his fervid soul,
And starting from his languor thus exclaim'd: "Then let the trial come! and witness thou If terrour be upon me; if I shrink
To meet the storm, or faulter in my strength When hardest it besets me. Do not think That I am fearful and infirm of soul,
As late thy eyes beheld; for thou hast chang'd My nature; thy commanding voice has wak'd My languid powers to bear me boldly on, Where'er the will divine my path ordains
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