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From “The Course of Time,” Book IV.
HE touched his harp, and nations heard entranced, | |
| As some vast river of unfailing source, | |
| Rapid, exhaustless, deep, his numbers flowed, | |
| And openèd new fountains in the human heart. | |
| Where Fancy halted, weary in her flight, | 5 |
| In other men, his fresh as morning rose, | |
| And soared untrodden heights, and seemed at home, | |
| Where angels bashful looked. Others, though great, | |
| Beneath their argument seemed struggling; whiles | |
| He, from above descending, stooped to touch | 10 |
| The loftiest thought; and proudly stooped, as though | |
| It scarce deserved his verse. With Nature’s self | |
| He seemed an old acquaintance, free to jest | |
| At will with all her glorious majesty. | |
| He laid his hand upon “the Ocean’s mane,” | 15 |
| And played familiar with his hoary locks; | |
| Stood on the Alps, stood on the Apennines, | |
| And with the thunder talked as friend to friend; | |
| And wove his garland of the lightning’s wing, | |
| In sportive twist,—the lightning’s fiery wing, | 20 |
| Which, as the footsteps of the dreadful God, | |
| Marching upon the storm in vengeance, seemed; | |
| Then turned, and with the grasshopper, who sung | |
| His evening song beneath his feet, conversed. | |
| Suns, moons, and stars, and clouds his sisters were; | 25 |
| Rocks, mountains, meteors, seas, and winds, and storms | |
| His brothers, younger brothers, whom he scarce | |
| As equals deemed. All passions of all men, | |
| The wild and tame, the gentle and severe; | |
| All thoughts, all maxims, sacred and profane; | 30 |
| All creeds; all seasons, time, eternity; | |
| All that was hated, and all that was dear; | |
| All that was hoped, all that was feared, by man,— | |
| He tossed about, as tempest-withered leaves; | |
| Then, smiling, looked upon the wreck he made. | 35 |
| With terror now he froze the cowering blood, | |
| And now dissolved the heart in tenderness; | |
| Yet would not tremble, would not weep himself; | |
| But back into his soul retired, alone, | |
| Dark, sullen, proud, gazing contemptuously | 40 |
| On hearts and passions prostrate at his feet. | |
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