CANTO THE THIRTY-THIRD.

ARGUMENT.

The Poet arrives, under the guidance of MATILDA, at the River EUNOE, of which, he is made to drink ; and concludes the Canto with a general Description of its Effects upon him.

THE Wood conceal’d the Plund’rer and his Prey ;

Bu t soon a soft and melancholy Lay

Was heard, arising from the Vestal train :

“ O God ! the Heathen spoil thy scared Shrine.”

While the pale aspect of the Maid divine,

With sudden change bespoke her inward pain.

II.

Not deeper woe the Virgin’s look confess’d,

When the torn limbs the struggling Soul releas’d,

Convuls’d, and trembling on the fatal Wood ;

But Hope’s soft colour, like the flush of Morn,

Seem’d o’er her kindling aspect to return,

And thus she answer’d, in triumphant mood :

III.

“ A little time will see me pass away ;

But soon, returning, like the Orb of Day,

My beams shall cheer your sight, celestial Maids !”

Then, moving to the TRENT, MATILDA’s name

She call’d, and him whom THEBES consign’d to fame

With me, to join her in the sacred shades.

IV.

Three paces scarce had mark’d the hallow’d Soil,

When thus to me, with a benignant smile,

She spoke : “ Approach, my Friend ! but come alone ;

Dread nought, but listen with attention deep,

And what I say, with due observance keep :

Thus for your former negligence atone.” ---

V.

Nearer I came, when thus the Maid divine :

“ Why are you silent, when the FATES assign

The ready means your former doubts to clear ?”

Like one, who meets a Sage with rev’rend awe,

And from his scared Lips expects the Law,

In silence long I stood, intent to hear.

VI.

At length, I thus began with falt’ring breath,

Scarce audible, “ The longing Eye of Faith

On your deep counsels all its pow’r employs ;

Assist my failing strength !” “ Attend,” she cry’d ;

“ Nor let your Heav’n-born faculties subside,

Like one who in the arms of MORPHEUS lies.”

VII.

“ That hallow’d Ark, that mourns the Dragon’ ire,

No longer boasts its heav’nly frame entire ;

But vengeance flames, and scorns the trivial Spell

Employ’d by mortal Men to quench its rage :

They whose vile arts profan’d the scared Pledge,

No shield will find, its flaming shaft to quell.

VIII.

“ That Bird, whose moulted plumes the chariot clad,

Shall see a regal heir his pinions spread,

And drive these hideous Spectres far away,

That o’er the sacred wheels portentous frown ;

And to compensate for her old renown,

Make her at once a Monster and a Prey.

IX.

“ No Pow’r of Earth of Hell, with hostile bar,

Can stop the course of his ascending Star.

I see, in burning characters above

Display’d, the mystic number of his Name :

Yon’ frontless Woman, and the Son of Shame,

Beneath his rage shall mourn their lawless Love.

X.

“ Obscure, perhaps, as Oracles of old,

A mystic veil my warning words infold ;

As hallow’d THEMIS, or the Monster’s ire

That menaced THEBES : but soon a Nymph shall come

Whose sacred Voice shall solve the Victim’s doom,

Nor need the help of Famine, Sword, or Fire.

XI.

“ Mark thou my Words, and let thy Brethren hear,

That hurry to the Tomb in swift career,

Thro’ that dim twilight of the slumb’ring Soul

Which they ca;; LIFE ; nor be the Plant forgot,

By Foes twice plunder’d on this fatal Spot,

Whose daring hands have spoil’d the sacred Bole.

XII.

“ Celestial Anger still indignant glows,

’Gainst them who spoil or break the waving Boughs,

That spring for hallow’d purposes alone :

The Man, who robb’d it first with hand profane,

Five thousand years in Penitence and Pain,

Waited the hand that could his Deeds atone.

XIII.

“ Thy Genius slumbers, if it fails to see,

Why, waving o’er the clouds, that wond’rous Tree

As it ascends a broader umbrage throws ;

Like ELSAS’ wint’ry wave, thy thoughts congeal ;

Or, as the blood that stain’d pale THISBE’s Steel,

A STYGIAN tint on ev’ry theme bestows.

XIV.

“Else had your Soul enjoy’d, with deeper gust,

The Truth, and seen how glorious, good, and just,

The Pow’r, that guards the interdicted Tree ;

And tho’ your Mind be wrapt in STYGIAN fume,

That Heav’n’s blest beam can scarce pervade the gloom,

TRUTH’s powerful hand the Captive soon shall free

XV.

“ No Pilgrim from the brink of JORDAN’s flood,

That homeward brings the palm-encircled wood,

Shall bear such reliques of the Holy Land,

As you, when to the nether World you go.”

“ I fell,” I cry’d, “ I feel the Pictures glow

Trac’d by the magic of thy mighty hand.

XVI.

“ But, ah ! your mystic meaning soars so high

Above my labouring Mind’s benighted Eye,

That half is lost, while I the rest attend.
So thick and fast the coming glories fall,

No mortal Mind can recognize them all,

Nor the whole scheme of wonders comprehend.”

XVII.

“ That style I chose for YOU, Heav’n-favour’d Man,

That you the diff’rence of these Truths may scan,

From those vain shadows which the world below

For SUBSTANCE hold. But, as far as Heav’n’s career

Exceed in swiftness this sublunar Sphere,

My heav’nly truths their idle dreams out-go.”

XVIII.

“ I cannot tax my mem’ry,” I reply’d,

“ WHEN from thy sacred Love I turn’d aside :

No deep remorse recalls the mental wound.”

“ You drank of LETHE’s stream, “ the Virgin said :

“ The hidden flame is by the smoke betray’d ;

In your oblivion, your defect is found.

XIX.

“ But now the Truth, conceal’d beneath a Cloud,

To your dim eyes its splendour shall unshrowd,

And to your rude perception condescend.”

Now, on the point of Prime, the Orb of Light

Survey’d the nether World, intensely bright ;

But slower seem’d his radiant course to bend.

XX.

As couriers, sent before a mighty Host,

Stop suddenly, by some adventure crost,

Thus, all at once, the Vestals in the Van

Stood still beneath a shade, whose solemn brow

Spread its dark umbrage o’er the shade below ;

Like those tall woods that Alpine breezes fan.

XXI.

Two Rivers parted thence, with even flow ;

They seem’d like two reluctant Friends that go,

Sever’d by rigid Fate, a diff’rent way.

“ O Light and Glory of our mortal Race !

What floods are these that lead their liquid Maze,

From one deep source, and yet so widely stray ?”

XXII.

“ Be that MATILDA’s task,” the Maid reply’d,

Like one that seems to fling the blame aside,

“ Unjustly fix’d. MATILDA soon rejoin’d :

“ Both this and other things so clear I taught,

That LETHE scarce the graven stamp could blot,

If some strange Spell had not bewitch’d his Mind.”

XXIII.

Her Friend reply’d : “ Some more important care

Has from his fancy swept that Image fair,

And his Mind’s eye eclips’d with sudden night :

But EUNOE wanders near, your victim lead

To her blest waters o’er the flow’ry mead,

And let him try the final cleansing rite.”

XXIV.

“ The Lamp of better Life, by holy dew

Besprent, its former Lustre shall renew :

Now faintly glimm’ring in his languid breast,

Like one that only waits to learn the will

Of his superior, to the heav’nly Rill

MATILDA brought me, at my Love’s request.”

XXV.

As o’er the soft Lawn, to the water’d Shore,

The hallow’d Maid her mortal burden bore,

With looks of innate dignity she cry’d

To STATIUS, “ Follow top the sacred Spring !”---

But now the Muse must drop her weary wing,

For longer pow’r to mount is now deny’d.---

XXVI.

If breath and vigour, by indulgent Heav’n,

To sing this bev’rage of the Gods were giv’n,

What holy rapture would exalt my Song !

To tell the unexhausted sweets that flow

From that blest Fountain o’er the Vale below,

And warm, with new desire, the votive Throng !

XXVII.

But now the Muse had run her fatal round,

And mark’d her Circle to the SECOND Bound ;

This only, and no more, remains to sing :

From that pure fount, with renovated pow’r

I rose, prepar’d to leave that happy Shore,

And mount among the Stars, on ardent wing.

ENDOF THE PURGATORIO.