THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER. PART THE SECOND. THE Sun now rose upon the right: His shipmates cry out against the ancient Mariner,for killing the bird of good luck. 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 mariners' hollo! And I had done an hellish thing, And it would work 'em woe: For all averred, I had killed the bird That made the breeze to blow. Ah wretch! said they, the bird to sla That made the breeze to blow! Nor dim nor red, like God's own head, The glorious Sun uprist : Then all averred, I had killed the bird That brought the fog and mist. But when the fog cleared off, they jus tify the sameand thus make them selves accom, 'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay, plices in the That bring the fog and mist. crime. The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, The furrow* stream'd off free: We were the first that ever burst Into that silent sea. Down dropt the breeze, the sails dropt down, 'Twas sad as sad could be; ship enters the Pacific Ocean and sails northward, even till it reaches the Line. The ship hath been sudden And we did speak only to break ly becalmed. The silence of the sea! * In the former edition the line was, The furrow follow'd free; but I had not been long on board a ship, before I perceived that this was the image as seen by a spectator from the shore, or from another vessel. From the ship itself the Wake appears like a brook flowing off from the stern. And the Albatross begins to be avenged. All in a hot and copper sky, The bloody Sun, at noon, Right up above the mast did stand, No bigger than the Moon. Day after day, day after day, Upon a painted ocean. Water, water, every where, And all the boards did shrink; Water water, every where, Nor any drop to drink. The very deep did rot: O Christ! That ever this should be! Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs Upon the slimy sea. About, about, in reel and rout The water, like a witch's oils, And some in dreams assured were And every tongue, through utter drought, We could not speak, no more than if We had been choak'd with soot. may be consulted. A spirit had followed them; one of the invisible inhabitants of this planet, neither departed souls nor angels; concerning whom the learned Jew, Josephus, and the Platonic Constantino politan, Michael Psellus, They are very numerous, and there is no climate or element without one or more. Ah! well a-day! what evil looks Had I from old and young! Instead of the cross, the Albatross About my neck was hung. The ship mates, in would fain throw the whole guilt on the ancient Mariner: in sign whereof they hang the dead sea-bird round his neck. THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER. PART THE THIRD. The ancient Mariner beholdeth a sign in the ele ment afar off. THERE passed a weary time. Each throat At first it seem'd a little speck, And then it seem'd a mist: It moved and moved, and took at last A certain shape, I wist. A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist! And still it near'd and near❜d: |