CANTO THE SECOND

ARGUMENT.

The Spirit Of VIRGIL opens his Mission, and tells the POET that he was sent to rescue him from the visionary Beast of Prey, his spiritual and mortal Enemies ; by shewing him the Secrets of the three Worlds, HELL, PURGATORY, AND PARADISE. – the POET objects, that his human frailty is unable to bear such Scenes; but he is encouraged by his ghostly Guide, and led to the Gate of the Infernal Regions.

Light slowly sunk, and left the glimm'ring west,

And night's dun robe the weary world o'ercast ;

I only woke to labour and to woe ;

With faithful glass, the peril and the pain

Fancy reflects, and breathes the fervent strain

That sings the secrets of the world below.

II.

Ye pow'rs of mind! and thou, whose ready hand

Sketch’d the dire vision of the burning strand,

And scann’d the horrors of the darksome way !

Oh! Spread your glories o'er the sombrous scene,

Decking her shade with thy perennial green,

And thine ennobling power at large display.

III.

“ Prince of the Roman Lay! illustrious Guide,[i]

Oh! try the temper of my soul,” I cry'd,

“ Ere yet thy pupil dares the dubious path ;

Shall I presume, tho’ great AENEAS dar’d

To meet the terrors of the Stygian guard,

And trace, in dust enshrin'd, the vale of death ?

IV.

” For him, the fortunes of his Line prevail'd,

Ere CLOTHO yet his final sentence seal’d,

To pass the shadowy gate, and darksome way ;

Hell’s high Controller saw his mighty soul,

Saw the long glories of his line unroll,

And gave his sanction to the bold essay.

“ To Empire born he seem’d in reaso’n eye,

And fated by the sanction of the sky

To found the fortunes of victorious Rome ;

There too, his feat the great Apostle chose,

And the mild kingdom of EMMANUEL rose

On TYBER fix’d by Fate’s eternal doom.

VI.

“Still lives the Chief in thine unequal’d song,

Still Heav'n conducts his daring steps along,

And shews the papal gown, the laurel wreath ;

Erst too the chosen man of Tarfus rode[ii]

On rapture’s wing to yonder bright abode,

And brought down heav'nly grace to succour faith.

VII.

“ Should I with heroes and with saints presume

To pierce the viewless world beyond the tomb,

And trace the hallow'd path with feet profane ;

Would not these feeble limbs their trust betray,

Should I attempt the interdicted way ?

Say, (for thou know'st,) were not the trial vain ?”

VIII.

Like one, who, some imagin’d peril near,

Feels his warm wishes chill’d by wint’ry fear,

And resolution sicken at the view,

Thus I perceiv'd my sinking spirits fail,

Thus trembling, I survey’d the gloomy vale,

As near the moment of decision drew.

IX.

“ Speak’st thou thy thought !” the dauntless shade replies ;

“ Dishonour'd ever be that soul unwise,

That takes to counsel cold suggesting fear !

Unmanly fear, that chains the lib'ral mind,

And fills with dreadful shapes the passing wind ; -

But thou resolve, and scorn to linger here !

“ High‑favour’d mortal ! hear the wondrous cause

That broke the chain of fate’s eternal laws,

And led me here, a disembodied ghost !

How thrilling from above, the shaft of woe

Awoke my pity in the fields below,

For thy sad wand’rings on the haunted coast !

XI.

“ Exiles of either world, a band forlorn

For ever wanders round th’ ambiguous bourne,

Of joy unconscious, tho’ exempt from woe ;

Of them was I, when, lo ! a radiant form,

Whose angel-aspect breath’d an heav’nly charm,

Drew me, exulting, from the depths below.”

XII.

Star‑like her eyes – but seem’d suffus’d with woe,

As thus she spoke, in accents soft and slow :

“ Poet ! whose fame shall reach from sea to sea,

“ ‘Till Heav’n’s eternal orbs forget to roll,

“ Oh ! haste thee hence ! and save a sinking soul,

“ Forlorn by fortune, yet belov’d by me.”

XIII.

“ I fear, I fear, my succour comes too late ;

“ For see ! he struggles in the toils of fate,

“ Beset by Fiends in terrible array !

“ Portentous rumours sadden all the sky !

“ But go, thy soft persuasive arts apply

“ To lead the wand’rer from the fateful way.

XIV.

“ Beatrice sends thee to the world above,

“ ( Her bosom throbbing with eternal love

“ That leads her from the fount of pure delight )

“ In mercy to oppose this mad career ;

“ Where yonder paths to swift destruction bear

“ She hovers on the bounds of ancient night.

XV.

“ Go, gentle muse ! and when my anthems rise,

“ Where Heav’n’s loud chorus charms the list’ning skies,

“ One thankful strain shall yet remember thee !”

She ceas’d, and.thus her wish my answer crown’d :

“ Prompt at thy will, and to thy orders bound

“ Thy faithful delegatem thy servant see !

XVI.

“ Spirit benign ! whose disentangled soul,

“ Thy brethren taught to spurn the nether goal,

“ Pierce the blue mundane shell, and claim the sky ;

“ Such energy attends thy warm request

“ That my strong wish outruns my winged haste,

“ Nor need you more your holy influence try.

XVII.

“ But say ! what motive arm’d thy gentle sprite

“ To pass the barriers of eternal night,

“ And view the secrets of the central deep !

“ What prompts thee to forsake the happy choir,

“ Which warms thy spirit with instinctive fire,

“ Again to mount and scale the heav’nly steep ?”

XVIII.

“ Since thou enquir’st so close, ” the vision said,

“ Know – Heav’nly mercy to the Stygian shade

“ Attends my flight, and wards the shaft of pain :

“ She sooths yon’ burnings, and serenes the gloom ;

“ ‘Tis only then our haughty hearts presume

“ When danger threats, and we the threat disdain.

XIX.

“ More than one heav’nly breast his perils move,

“ Whose mortal feet the dang’rous passage prove ;

“ Ev’n CHARITY was seen with streaming eyes

“ Before the footstool of her angry God,

“ Warding with gentle hand the lifted rod,

“ While thus her liquid accents charm’d the skies.

XX.

“ Ah ! gentle LUCIA, haste ! thy supplicant save ;

“ See what dire shapes around their victim rave ;

“ And see how sorrow bends his tortur’d frame ! ”

The Seraph shudder’d at the piteous fight,

And down the deep abyss of parting light

On wings of haste the gentle vision came.

XXI.

Apart, I sat, in her sequester’d bow’r,[iii]

Who, with her sister, shar’d the nuptial dow’r ;

When thus the Saint : “ Oh! Lov’d of Heav’n, attend !

“ Canst thou behold the favour’d of thy choice

“ Rais’d from the crowd by thy inspiring voice,

“ Thro’ yonder vale his painful journey bend ?

XXII.

“ Hark ! his lamentings mingle with the gale ;

“ See ! Death’s fell ambush lines the gloomy vale,

“ And the black torrent whelms the sinking strand. ”

“ She ceas’d, nor speedier to the realms of day

“ The disembodied spirit wings her way,

“ Than I obey’d the Seraph’s high command.

XXIII.

“ Hither from the heavenly thrones I sped my flight,

“ And bore the horrors of eternal night,

“ If haply thou woud’st deign thy pious aid ;

“ Trusting that muse, which to thy mighty name

“ And to thy followers won eternal fame.

“ Then hear my fervent pray’r, illustrious shade !”

XXIV.

“ Soon hither, at the weeping Saint’s desire,

“ Upward I flew, and left the Stygian choir :

“ Then why those cold remains of ling’ring fear !

“ I point a way to shun the savage foe,

“ His are the heights, but thine the pass below ;

“ Go boldly then, and view its dangers near !

XXV.

“ Yet do’st thou fear ? - applauding Heav’n above

“ Sends her three Saints, a family of love !

“ With me to lead thee from the deadly vale.”

He said, and Hope expell’d my fears away,

As dewy flow’rets on a morn of May,

Their bosoms open, their tears exhale.

XXVI.

Thus I perceiv’d my glowing breast expand,

And now the dangers of the dubious strand

Secure I ponder’d with intrepid soul.

Then, boldly cry’d, “ Oh ! Spirit ever blest !

Whose pity reaches from the realms of rest,

And bids ev’n Hell her deadly rage control ;

XXVII.

“ All hail ! – and thou, whose ready flight obey’d

Whose welcome voice my fainting courage stay’d

And thine own spirit breath’d, divinely strong !

Conduct my willing steps.” - I cheerful cry’d,

And boldly follow’d my celestial guide

Down that Cimmerian vale, with horror hung.

END OF THE SECOND CANTO