The quick invisible strings, even though she saw Endymion's spirit melt away and thaw
Before the deep intoxication.
But soon she came, with sudden burst, upon Her self-possession-swung the lute aside,
And earnestly said: "Brother, 't is vain to hide That thou dost know of things mysterious, Immortal, starry; such alone could thus
Weigh down thy nature.
Hast thou sinn'd in aught
Offensive to the heavenly powers? Caught
A Paphian dove upon a message sent ?
The deathful bow against some deer-herd bent, Sacred to Dian? Haply, thou hast seen Her naked limbs among the alders green; And that, alas! is death. No, I can trace Something more high perplexing in thy face!"
Endymion look'd at her, and press'd her hand, And said, "Art thou so pale, who wast so bland And merry in our meadows? How is this?
Tell me thine ailment: tell me all amiss!
Ah! thou hast been unhappy at the change Wrought suddenly in me. What indeed more strange? Or more complete to overwhelm surmise?
Ambition is no sluggard: 't is no prize,
That toiling years would put within my grasp,
That I have sigh'd for: with so deadly gasp
No man e'er panted for a mortal love.
So all have set my heavier grief above
These things which happen. Rightly have they done: I, who still saw the horizontal sun
Heave his broad shoulder o'er the edge of the world, Out-facing Lucifer, and then had hurl'd
My spear aloft, as signal for the chase
I, who, for very sport of heart, would race
With my own steed from Araby; pluck down A vulture from his towery perching; frown A lion into growling, loth retire-
To lose, at once, all my toil-breeding fire, And sink thus low! but I will ease my breast
Of secret grief, here in this bowery nest.
"This river does not see the naked sky, Till it begins to progress silverly Around the western border of the wood, Whence, from a certain spot, its winding flood Seems at the distance like a crescent moon : And in that nook, the very pride of June, Had I been used to pass my weary eves; The rather for the sun unwilling leaves So dear a picture of his sovereign power, And I could witness his most kingly hour, When he doth tighten up the golden reins, And paces leisurely down amber plains His snorting four. Now, when his chariot last Its beams against the zodiac-lion cast, There blossom'd suddenly a magic bed
Of sacred dittany, and poppies red:
At which I wonder'd greatly, knowing well
That but one night had wrought this flowery spell;
And, sitting down close by, began to muse
What it might mean. Perhaps, thought I, Morpheus, In passing here, his owlet pinions shook; Or, it may be, ere matron Night uptook Her ebon urn, young Mercury, by stealth, Had dipp'd his rod in it: such garland wealth
Came not by common growth. Thus on I thought, Until my head was dizzy and distraught. Moreover, through the dancing poppies stole A breeze most softly lulling to my soul; And shaping visions all about my sight
Of colors, wings, and bursts of spangly light; The which became more strange, and strange, and dim, And then were gulf'd in a tumultuous swim: And then I fell asleep. Ah, can I tell The enchantment that afterwards befel? Yet it was but a dream: yet such a dream That never tongue, although it overteem With mellow utterance, like a cavern-spring, Could figure out and to conception bring All I beheld and felt. Methought I lay Watching the zenith, where the milky way Among the stars in virgin splendor pours; And travelling my eye, until the doors Of heaven appear'd to open for my flight, I became loath and fearful to alight,
From such high soaring by a downward glance : So kept me steadfast in that airy trance, Spreading imaginary pinions wide.
When, presently, the stars began to glide, And faint away before my eager view: At which I sigh'd that I could not pursue, And dropp'd my vision to the horizon's verge; And lo! from opening clouds, I saw emerge The loveliest moon, that ever silver'd o'er A shell for Neptune's goblet; she did soar So passionately bright, my dazzled soul Commingling with her argent spheres did roll Through clear and cloudy, even when she went
At last into a dark and vapory tent—
Whereat, methought, the lidless-eyed train Of planets all were in the blue again.
To commune with those orbs, once more I raised My sight right upward: but it was quite dazed By a bright something, sailing down apace, Making me quickly veil my eyes and face: Again I look'd, and, O ye deities,
Who from Olympus watch our destinies! Whence that completed form of all completeness? Whence came that high perfection of all sweetness? Speak, stubborn earth, and tell me where, O where Hast thou a symbol of her golden hair? Not oat-sheaves drooping in the western sun; Not-thy soft hand, fair sister! let me shun Such follying before thee-yet she had, Indeed, locks bright enough to make me mad ; And they were simply gordian'd up and braided, Leaving, in naked comeliness, unshaded,
Her pearl round ears, white neck, and orbed brow; The which were blended in, I know not how, With such a paradise of lips and eyes,
Blush-tinted cheeks, half smiles, and faintest sighs, That, when I think thereon, my spirit clings And plays about its fancy, till the stings. Of human neighborhood envenom all. Unto what awful power shall I call?
To what high fane ?-Ah! see her hovering feet, More bluely vein'd, more soft, more whitely sweet Than those of sea-born Venus, when she rose From out her cradle shell. The wind out-blows Her scarf into a fluttering pavilion ;
"T is blue, and over-spangled with a million
Of little eyes, as though thou wert to shed, Over the darkest, lushest blue-bell bed,
Handfuls of daisies."-" Endymion, how strange! Dream within dream!"-" She took an airy range, And then, towards me, like a very maid,
Came blushing, waning, willing, and afraid,
And press'd me by the hand: Ah! 't was too much; Methought I fainted at the charmed touch,
Yet held my recollection, even as one
Who dives three fathoms where the waters run Gurgling in beds of coral: for anon,
I felt upmounted in that region
Where falling stars dart their artillery forth, And eagles struggle with the buffeting north That balances the heavy meteor-stone ;— Felt too, I was not fearful, nor alone,
But lapp'd and lull'd along the dangerous sky. Soon, as it seem'd, we left our journeying high, And straightway into frightful eddies swoop'd; Such as aye muster where grey time has scoop'd Huge dens and caverns in a mountain's side: There hollow sounds aroused me, and I sigh'd To faint once more by looking on my bliss- I was distracted; madly did I kiss
The wooing arms which held me, and did give My eyes at once to death: but 't was to live, To take in draughts of life from the gold fount Of kind and passionate looks; to count, and count The moments, by some greedy help that seem'd A second self, that each might be redeem'd And plunder'd of its load of blessedness. Ah, desperate mortal! I even dared to press Her very cheek against my crowned lip,
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