Of all my lucent empire? It is left Deserted, void, nor any haunt of mine. The blaze, the splendor, and the sym

metry,

I cannot see-but darkness, death and darkness.

Even here, into my centre of repose,
The shady visions come to domineer,
Insult, and blind, and stifle up my
pomp.-

Fall!-No, by Tellus and her briny robes!
Over the fiery frontier of my realms
I will advance a terrible right arm
Shall scare that infant thunderer, rebel
Jove,

And bid old Saturn take his throne
again."-
He spake, and ceas'd, the while a heavier
threat

Held struggle with his throat but came not forth;

For as in theatres of crowded men Hubbub increases more they call out "Hush!"

So at Hyperion's words the Phantoms pale Bestirr'd themselves, thrice horrible and cold;

And from the mirror'd level where he stood

A mist arose, as from a scummy marsh. At this, through all his bulk an agony Crept gradual, from the feet unto the

crown.

As though in pain; for still upon the flint

He ground severe his skull, with open mouth

And eyes at horrid working. Nearest him

Asia, born of most enormous Caf,
Who cost her mother Tellus keener

pangs, Though feminine, than any of her sons: More thought than woe was in her dusky face,

For she was prophesying of her glory;
And in her wide imagination stood
Palm-shaded temples, and high rival
fanes,

By Oxus or in Ganges' sacred isles.
Even as Hope upon her anchor leans,
So leant she, not so fair, upon a tusk
Shed from the broadest of her elephants.
Above her, on a crag's uneasy shelve,
Upon his elbow rais'd, all prostrate else,
Shadow'd Enceladus; once tame and
mild

As grazing ox unworried in the meads; Now tiger-passion'd, lion-thoughted,

wroth,

He meditated, plotted, and even now Was hurling mountains in that second

war,

Not long delay'd, that scar'd the younger Gods To hide themselves in forms of beast and bird. Nor far hence Atlas; and beside him prone Phorcus, the sire of Gorgons. Neighbor'd close

Oceanus, and Tethys, in whose lap Sobb'd Clymene among her tangled hair. In midst of all lay Themis, at the feet Of Ops the queen all clouded round from sight; No shape distinguishable, more than when

Thick night confounds the pine-tops with the clouds:

And many else whose names may not be told.

For when the Muse's wings are air-ward spread,

Who shall delay her flight? And she must chant

Of Saturn, and his guide, who now had climb'd [depth With damp and slippery footing from a More horrid still. Above a sombre cliff Their heads appear'd, and up their stature grew

Not there, nor in sign, symbol, or portent Of element, earth, water, air, and fire,― At war, at peace, or inter-quarrelling One against one, or two, or three, or all Each several one against the other three. As fire with air loud warring when rainfloods

Drown both, and press them both against earth's face, Where, finding sulphur, a quadruple wrath Unhinges the poor world;-not in that strife. Wherefrom I take strange lore, and read it deep,

Can I find reason why ye should be thus: No, no-where can unriddle, though I search.

And pore on Nature's universal scroll Even to swooning, why ye, Divinities, The first-born of all shap'd and palpable Gods,

Should cower beneath what, in comparison,

Is untremendous might. Yet ye are here, O'erwhelm'd, and spurn'd, and batter'd, ye are here!

6

O Titans, shall I say Arise!'-Ye groan :
Shall
I say
Crouch!'-Ye groan.
What can I then?

·

O Heaven wide! O unseen parent dear!

Of thunder, or of Jove. Great Saturn, thou

Hast sifted well the atom-universe;
But for this reason, that thou art the
King,

And only blind from sheer supremacy,
One avenue was shaded from thine eyes,
Through which I wandered to eternal
truth.

And first, as thou wast not the first of powers,

So art thou not the last; it cannot be: Thou art not the beginning nor the end. From chaos and parental darkness came Light, the first fruits of that intestine broil,

That sullen ferment, which for wondrous ends

Was ripening in itself. The ripe hour

came,

And with it light, and light, engender

ing