CANTO THE TWENTY-NINTH.

ARGUMENT.

The POET and MATILDA continue their Conversation by the Bank of the River, till they are interrupted by a new and extraordinary Phenomenon.

HER Voice continu’d still the pow’rful Charm,

(Her Eye-beam kindling with Affection warm,)

Chanting the Blessings of the pardon’d Soul.

Now, thro’ umbrageous VISTAS, half unseen,

And now, with Nymph‑like step, along the green

Thro’ light and shade the fairy Vision stole.

II.

Nor lonely did she go ; with equal speed

Onward I follow’d, as she seem’d to tread,

The Bank oppos’d, with motion swift or slow ;

An hundred paces scarce we distant stood,

Where eastward turn’d the deep ELYSIAN flood,

When cross the stream her accents seem’d to flow.

III.

“ My Friend, observe ! with heedful eye and ear !”

Deep thro’ the green Grove, luminous and clear,

Something that seem’d a second Morn was seen,

Bright as the Bolt of Heaven : but Lightning soon

Flames, and is lost ; while, like the waxing Moon,

This wider spread the bow’ry walks between.

IV.

“ What means this glorious sight ?” my ardent thought

Enquir’d : when, swelling with the distant Note,

Quick to my trembling ear the ZEPHYRS bore

Celestial harmony, that run along

The lighten’d air. Oh ! how my heart was wrung,

To think how first we lost this happy Shore !

V.

Unhappy Mother ! by your fault we fell,

Tho’ new to life, th’ imaginary veil

Of Ignorance you scorn’d, and long’d to know

What Heav’n forbade ! If you had still obey’d,

Still had you witness’d in this happy Shade,

Such joys as never must be felt below !

VI.

While musing thus, I walk’d the blissful Strand,

And felt my Soul to transport new expand ;

The Air before me seem’d with golden gleam,

To glisten, as I gaz’d beneath the trees ;

While the sweet Descant, wafted on the breeze,

Now heard distinctly, charm’d the list’ning Stream.

VII.

O, sacred Nine ! if my devoted Soul

Has felt for you the rigours of the Pole,

The damp nocturnal, and the sultry Star,

That scatters Plagues and Death, my Pow’rs restore,

That with no middle flight aspires to soar

High on the pinions of celestial Air !

VIII.

URANIA ! Come, unlock your holy springs !

While with your Choirs yon’ azure Concave rings,

Deep Themes I meditate, to heav’nly strains

Attemper’d sole. Amid the op’ning Shades

What seem’d seven golden Trees, their Boughs display’d,

At hand they seem’d, tho’ on a distant Plain.

IX.

But when, advancing thro’ the bosom’d Wood,

I reach’d the splendid Pageant where it stood,

I found them each with beamy Lamplets crown’d,

That o’er the Forest, and each flow’ry Lawn,

Shed a pure light, as when (her Veil withdrawn)

The midnight Moon surveys her Empire round.

X.

My brother Bard and I, with deep amaze,

Stood for a moment, fix’d in torpid gaze ;

But soon, like Meteors in a troubled Sky,

Slow, as the modest Maid to HYMEN’s Fane,

They seem’d to move. Our sight pursu’d with pain

An object strange, and new to mortal eye.

XI.

“Why thus,” the Virgin cry’d, “ with childish sight

Pursue the long career of running light,

Regardless of the mere majestic Shew

That comes behind ?” A Train advancing soon

He saw, with garments brighter than the Moon,

Or aught this Sin‑worn Mould can boast below.

XII.

And now they reach’d the flood, advancing on ;

Beneath, in bright reflex, the Waters shone,

As the Procession on its Mirror play’d

A quiv’ring light ; I saw, distinct and clear,

My Shadow in the wat’ry glass appear,

As from the left its bosom I survey’d.

XIII.

And now the lengthen’d Phalanx reach’d the brim,

The moving Files, reflected, seem’d to swim

On the calm surface of the glassy Tide :

With step suspended on the nearer Shore

I stood, and saw the Lamplets march before,

Painting, with fiery streams, the welkin wide.

XIV.

Each glorious track, that mark’d the colour’d air,

Seem’d like the HALO round the CYNTHIAN Star,

Or the long radiance of the heav’nly Bow,

Tow’ring to Heav’n ; we saw beyond the tide,

The light-supporting shafts the Clouds divide,

And each, ten paces distant, march’d below.

XV.

Beneath the lucid Canopy along,

Came, hand in hand, a venerable Throng,

With lilies from the Vales of EDEN crown’d :

In twelve distinguish’d Pairs the Seniors came.

“ Blessed art thou,” they sung, “ distinguish’d Dame,

Whose Virtues from thy God such favour found !”

XVI.

But when the glorious Retinue, at last,

Like a bright Cloud, along the green had pass’d ;

As other Constellation seem to rise,

And, mounting in its radiant course, pursue

The western fires, descending from the view,

A second Train awoke a new surprise.

XVII.

Another Caravan appear’d behind,

The Team was drawn by four, who fann’d the Wind,

Each with fix wings, that, waving, seem’d to glare

With dreadful Optics, like those Orbs that roll’d

In ARGUS’ front, till HERMES clos’d of old

Those jealous Eyes that watch’d the wand’ring Fair.

XVIII.

To tell their Forms I need not seek the Spring

Of HELICON, for, to a louder string

Of old, the glories of the heav’nly Car

EZEKIEL sung, when, from the frozen Pole,

He saw its whirling wheels in tempest roll,

Amid the shock of elemental War.

XIX.

Such as He sung, were these, but plumes they wore,

Like those in PATMOS seen by JOHN of yore,

Between them a triumphal seat appear’d :

On lofty wheels elate a Form was seen,

Whose awful movements o’er the ample Green,

With high control the gay Procession steer’d.

XX.

On either side he spread his Pinions light,

And kept the mid‑line of these Meteors bright,

That o’er the Sky in splendour seem’d to sweep :

And tho’ their umbrage spread afar below,

The blended radiance of the sevenfold Bow,

Still uneclips’d, its colours seem’d to keep.

XXI.

The wond’rous Form a two-fold nature shew’d,

The royal Bird in golden plumage glow’d

Above : A Lion’s form conceal’s the rest,

Of dazzling white, commixt with sanguine stain,

It seem’d ; not SCIPIO’s Host, nor CÆSAR’s Train,

Such triumph witness’d over East or West.

XXII.

Dim was the splendour of HYPERION’s Throne

To this ; even then, when his presumptuous Son

Rode there sublime above a burning world ;

Till, blasted by the mighty Mother’s pray’r,

He fell from Æther, thro’ the kindling air,

From the deserted wheels by thunder hurl’d.

XXIII.

Three Nymphs upon the right, in mystic dance,

Seem’d o’er the green-sward carpet to advance :

One clad in green ; a suit of sanguine hue

The second wore. Her Sister’s robe excell’d

The drifted snow, that clothes the wint’ry field,

As thro’ the mazes of the dance she flew.

XXIV.

And now the cheerful GREEN her Comrades led,

And now, in CRIMSON deck’d, the martial Maid

Glow’d in the front ; and now the vestal Dame,

Foremost of all, display’d her SNOWY Stole ;

While, tripping on the left, another School

Of jocund Nymphs, in mystic measure came.

XXV.

Long purple robes of state, like Queens, they wore,

Three eyes their Leader had, that march’d before ;

Two rev’rend Seniors clos’d the festive Train,

In garb as diff’rent, as alike in mien :

For here the Soul’s Physician first was seen,

Taught by his Lord to soothe internal pain.

XXVI.

The Second, not like one that lov’d to spare,

With brandish’d weapon seem’d to threaten War,

And glitt’ring falchion fill’d his better hand :

His martial port, nor less hi mien severe,

Struck me, across the flood, with chilling fear,

Still as he wav’d aloft his angry brand.

XXVII.

Four Swains afar I saw, in rustic weed,

To this strange pomp of Paradise succeed ;

And, close behind, a visionary man

With eyes fast clos’d ; yet, tho’ bereft of Day,

The rev’rend Pilgrim seem’d, with keen survey,

The Secrets of another World to scan.

XXVIII.

Solemn they march’d, and all the liv’ry wore

Of that sage Retinue that walk’d before :

The Lily crown’d the Van ; but those behind,

On ev’ry front the blushing Rose display’d ;

Fresh woven chaplets seem’d their brows to shade,

In seemly wreaths around their temples twin’d.

XXIX.

Now, full oppos’d, appear’d the lofty Car,

Loud Thunder rais’d its awful voice afar,

That pass’d in horror o’er the trembling flood :

Check’d by the sound, the rolling Orbs stood still,

As if obedient to th’ instinctive Will

That mov’d the wheels, and all the Convoy stood.

END OF THE TWENTY‑NINTH CANTO.