All suddenly were silent. A soft blending
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KING of the stormy sea!Brother of Jove, and co-inheritorOf elements! Eternally beforeThee the waves awful bow. Fast, stubborn rock,At thy fear'd trident shrinking, doth unlockIts deep foundations, hissing into foam.All mountain-rivers lost, in the wide homeOf thy capacious bosom ever flow.Thou frownest, and old Eolus thy foe 960Skulks to his cavern, 'mid the gruff complaintOf all his rebel tempests. Dark clouds faintWhen, from thy diadem, a silver gleamSlants over blue dominion. Thy bright teamGulphs in the morning light, and scuds alongTo bring thee nearer to that golden songApollo singeth, while his chariotWaits at the doors of heaven. Thou art notFor scenes like this: an empire stern hast thou;And it hath furrow'd that large front: yet now, 970As newly come of heaven, dost thou sitTo blend and interknitSubdued majesty with this glad time.O shell-borne King sublime!We lay our hearts before thee evermore--We sing, and we adore! "Breathe softly, flutes;Be tender of your strings, ye soothing lutes;Nor be the trumpet heard! O vain, O vain;Not flowers budding in an April rain, 980Nor breath of sleeping dove, nor river's flow,--No, nor the Eolian twang of Love's own bow,Can mingle music fit for the soft earOf goddess Cytherea!Yet deign, white Queen of Beauty, thy fair eyesOn our souls' sacrifice. "Bright-winged Child!Who has another care when thou hast smil'd?Unfortunates on earth, we see at lastAll death-shadows, and glooms that overcast 990Our spirits, fann'd away by thy light pinions.O sweetest essence! sweetest of all minions!God of warm pulses, and dishevell'd hair,And panting bosoms bare!Dear unseen light in darkness! eclipserOf light in light! delicious poisoner!Thy venom'd goblet will we quaff untilWe fill--we fill!And by thy Mother's lips----" Was heard no more 1000For clamour, when the golden palace doorOpened again, and from without, in shoneA new magnificence. On oozy throneSmooth-moving came Oceanus the old,To take a latest glimpse at his sheep-fold,Before he went into his quiet caveTo muse for ever--Then a lucid wave,Scoop'd from its trembling sisters of mid-sea,Afloat, and pillowing up the majestyOf Doris, and the Egean seer, her spouse-- 1010Next, on a dolphin, clad in laurel boughs,Theban Amphion leaning on his lute:His fingers went across it--All were muteTo gaze on Amphitrite, queen of pearls,And Thetis pearly too.-- The palace whirlsAround giddy Endymion; seeing heWas there far strayed from mortality.He could not bear it--shut his eyes in vain;Imagination gave a dizzier pain. 1020"O I shall die! sweet Venus, be my stay!Where is my lovely mistress? Well-away!I die--I hear her voice--I feel my wing--"At Neptune's feet he sank. A sudden ringOf Nereids were about him, in kind strifeTo usher back his spirit into life:But still he slept. At last they interwoveTheir cradling arms, and purpos'd to conveyTowards a crystal bower far away. Lo! while slow carried through the pitying crowd,To his inward senses these words spake aloud; 1031Written in star-light on the dark above:_Dearest Endymion! my entire love!How have I dwelt in fear of fate: 'tis done--Immortal bliss for me too hast thou won.__Arise then! for the hen-dove shall not hatchHer ready eggs, before I'll kissing snatchThee into endless heaven. Awake! awake!_ The youth at once arose: a placid lakeCame quiet to his eyes; and forest green, 1040Cooler than all the wonders he had seen,Lull'd with its simple song his fluttering breast.How happy once again in grassy nest!
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