Sphere within sphere; and every space between

Peopled with unimaginable shapes, Such as ghosts dream dwell in the lampless deep,

Yet each inter transpicuous, and they whirl

Over each other with a thousand motions, Upon a thousand sightless axles spinning,

And with the force of self-destroying swiftness,

Intensely, slowly, solemnly roll on, Kindling with mingled sounds, and many tones,

Intelligible words and music wild. With mighty whirl the multitudinous orb

Grinds the bright brook into an azure mist

Of elemental subtlety, like light:
And the wild odor of the forest flowers,
The music of the living grass and air,
The emerald light of leaf-entangled
beams

Round its intense yet self-conflicting speed,

Seem kneaded into one aërial mass Which drowns the sense. Within the orb itself,

Pillowed upon its alabaster arms, Like to a child o'erwearied with sweet toil,

On its own folded wings, and wavy hair, The Spirit of the Earth is laid asleep, And you can see its little lips are moving, Amid the changing light of their own

smiles,

Like one who talks of what he loves in dream.

Ione. T is only mocking the orb's
harmony.
Panthea. And from a star upon its
forehead, shoot,

Like swords of azure fire, or golden spears

With tyrant-quelling myrtle overtwined, Embleming heaven and earth united

The Moon

Thou art folded, thou art lying In the light which is undying Of thine own joy, and heaven's smile divine ;

All suns and constellations shower On thee a light, a life, a power Which doth array thy sphere; thou pourest thine

On mine, on mine!

The Earth

I spin beneath my pyramid of night. Which points into the heavens dreaming delight, Murmuring victorious joy in my enchanted sleep;

As a youth lulled in love-dreams faintly sighing, Under the shadows of his beauty lying. Which round his rest a watch of light and warmth doth keep.

The Moon

As in the soft and sweet eclipse,

When soul meets soul on lovers' lips, High hearts are calm, and brightest eyes are dull;

So when thy shadow falls on me, Then am I mute and still, by thee Covered; of thy love, Orb most beautiful, Full, oh, too full!

Thou art speeding round the sun
Brightest world of many a one;
Green and azure sphere which shinest
With a light which is divinest
Among all the lamps of Heaven
To whom life and light is given;
I, thy crystal paramour,
Borne beside thee by a power
Like the polar Paradise,
Magnet-like of lovers' eyes;
I, a most enamored maiden
Whose weak brain is overladen
With the pleasure of her love,
Maniac-like around thee move
Gazing, an insatiate bride,
On thy form from every side
Like a Mænad, round the cup
Which Agave lifted up
In the weird Cadmæan forest.
Brother, wheresoe'er thou soarest
I must hurry, whirl and follow
Through the heavens wide and hollow,
Sheltered by the warm embrace
Of thy soul from hungry space,

Gentleness, Virtue, Wisdom, and En durance, These are the seals of that most firm

assurance

Which bars the pit over Destruction's strength;

And if, with infirm hand, Eternity, Mother of many acts and hours, should

free