To his whole aspect, which, though rather grave, But that indeed was hopeless as can be, XCV. Then Michael blew his trump, and still'd the noise Lift up their lungs when fairly overcrow'd; XCVI. He said-(I only give the heads)-he said, He meant no harm in scribbling; 'twas his way Upon all topics; 'twas, besides, his bread, Of which he butter'd both sides; 'twould delay Too long the assembly (he was pleased to dread), And take up rather more time than a day, To name his works-he would but cite a few"Wat Tyler"-" Rhymes on Blenheim"-" Waterloo. ' XCVII. He had written praises of a regicide; He had written praises of all kings whatever; He had written for republics far and wide, For pantisocracy he once had cried Aloud, a scheme less moral than 'twas clever; Then grew a hearty anti-jacobin Had turn'd his coat-and would have turn'd his skin. XCVIII. He had sung against all battles, and again In their high praise and glory; he had call'd Reviewing "the ungentle craft," and then* Become as base a critic as e'er crawl'd Fed, paid, and pamper'd by the very men By whom his muse and morals had been maul'd: He had written much blank verse, and blanker prose, And more of both than anybody knows. XCIX. He had written Wesley's life ;-here turning round In two octavo volumes, nicely bound, With notes and preface, all that most allures See "Life of Henry Kirke White." The pious purchaser; and there's no ground That I may add you to my other saints." C. Satan bow'd, and was silent. "Well, if you, My offer, what says Michael? There are few As it was once, but I would make you shine CI. "But talking about trumpets, here's my Vision! I settle all these things by intuition, Times present, past, to come, heaven, hell, and all, I save the Deity some worlds of trouble." CII. He ceased, and drew forth an MS.; and no CIII. Those grand heroics acted as a spell; The angels stopp'd their ears and plied their pinions; The ghosts fled, gibbering, for their own dominions- And I leave every man to his opinions); Michael took refuge in his trump-but, lo! CIV. Saint Peter, who has hitherto been known Who fell like Phaeton, but more at ease, Alfonso, speaking of the Ptolemean system, said, that, "had he been consulted at the creation of the world, he would have spared the Maker some absurdities." + See Aubrey's account of the apparition which disappeared "with a curious perfume and a most melodious twang;" or see the Antiquary, vol. i. p. 225. Into his lake, for there he did not drown; A different web being by the Destinies CV. He first sank to the bottom-like his works, Vision," It may be, still, like dull books on a shelf, CVI. As for the rest, to come to the conclusion Of this true dream, the telescope is gone Which kept my optics free from all delusion, And show'd me what I in my turn have shown; All I saw further, in the last confusion, Was, that King George slipp'd into heaven for one; And when the tumult dwindled to a calm, I left him practising the hundredth psalm. A drowned body lies at the bottom till rotten; it then floats, as most people know. HEAVEN AND EARTH: A Mystery, FOUNDED ON THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE IN GENESIS, CHAP. VI. "And it came to pass.... that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose." "And woman wailing for her demon lover."-Coleridge. Dramatis Personæ. ANGELS. SAMIASA, AZAZIEL, RAPHAEL, the Archangel. NOAH and his SONS-IRAD and JAPHET. Chorus of Spirits of the Earth-Chorus of Mortals. PART I.-SCENE I. A woody and mountainous district near Mount Ararat. Enter ANAH and AHOLIBAMAH. Anah. Our father sleeps: it is the hour when they Through the deep clouds o'er rocky Ararat : How my heart beats! Aho. Our invocation. Anah. I tremble. Aho. Let us proceed upon But the stars are hidden. So do I, but not with fear My sister, though Of aught save their delay. I love Azaziel more than-oh, too much! What was I going to say? my heart grows impious. I love our God less since But, Aholibamah, That I do wrong, I feel a thousand fears Aho. Then wed thee Unto some son of clay, and toil and spin! There's Japhet loves thee well, hath loved thee long; Anah. I should have loved Azaziel not less were he mortal; yet I am glad he is not. I can not outlive him. Of the poor child of clay which so adored him, His grief will be of ages, or at least Mine would be such for him, were I the Seraph, Rather say, Aho. Aho. If I thought thus of Samiasa's love, Anah. Seraph! From thy sphere! Whatever star contain thy glory; Albeit thou watchest with "the seven,' Oh! think of her who holds thee dear! Yet think that thou art all to her. Thou canst not tell-and never be Eternity is in thine years, Unborn, undying beauty in thine eyes; Thou walk'st thy many worlds, thou see'st Of those cast out from Eden's gate : Oh hear ! *The archangels, said to be seven in number, and to occupy the eighth rank in the celestial hierarchy.-B. |