Flutter'd and laugh'd, and oft-times through the throng Made a delighted way. Then dance, and song, O 'tis a very sin For one so weak to venture his poor verse All suddenly were silent. A soft blending "KING of the stormy sea! Brother of Jove, and co-inheritor Of elements! Eternally before Thee the waves awful bow. Fast, stubborn rock, 940 950 At thy fear'd trident shrinking, doth unlock Its deep foundations, hissing into foam. All mountain-rivers lost, in the wide home Of thy capacious bosom ever flow. Thou frownest, and old Eolus thy foe Skulks to his cavern, 'mid the gruff complaint Slants over blue dominion. Thy bright team Waits at the doors of heaven. Thou art not For scenes like this: an empire stern hast thou; As newly come of heaven, dost thou sit To blend and interknit Subdued majesty with this glad time. O shell-borne King sublime! We lay our hearts before thee evermore— 960 970 "Breathe softly, flutes; Be tender of your strings, ye soothing lutes; Nor be the trumpet heard! O vain, O vain ; Nor 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 ear Of goddess Cytherea ! Yet deign, white Queen of Beauty, thy fair eyes Bright-winged Child! Who has another care when thou hast smil'd? All death-shadows, and glooms that overcast And panting bosoms bare! Dear unseen light in darkness! eclipser Of light in light! delicious poisoner 980 990 Thy venom'd goblet will we quaff until We fill-we fill! And by thy Mother's lips" Was heard no more 1000 For clamour, when the golden palace door Opened again, and from without, in shone A new magnificence. On oozy throne To muse for ever-Then a lucid wave, Scoop'd from its trembling sisters of mid-sea, Of Doris, and the Egean seer, her spouse- And Thetis pearly too.― 1010 The palace whirls Around giddy Endymion; seeing he Was there far strayed from mortality. "O I shall die! sweet Venus, be my stay! But still he slept. At last they interwove Lo! while slow carried through the pitying crowd, To his inward senses these words spake aloud; Written 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. 1020 1031 |