Hereat　Peona；　in　their　silver　source；
  Shut　her　pure　sorrow　drops　with　glad　exclaim；
  And　took　a　lute；　from　which　there　pulsing　came
  A　lively　prelude；　fashioning　the　way
  In　which　her　voice　should　wander。　'Twas　a　lay
  More　subtle　cadenced；　more　forest　wild
  Than　Dryope's　lone　lulling　of　her　child；
  And　nothing　since　has　floated　in　the　air
  So　mournful　strange。　Surely　some　influence　rare
  Went；　spiritual；　through　the　damsel's　hand；
  For　still；　with　Delphic　emphasis；　she　spann'd
  The　quick　invisible　strings；　even　though　she　saw
  Endymion's　spirit　melt　away　and　thaw
  Before　the　deep　intoxication。
  But　soon　she　came；　with　sudden　burst；　upon
  Her　self…possession…　swung　the　lute　aside；
  And　earnestly　said：　〃Brother；　'tis　vain　to　hide
  That　thou　dost　know　of　things　mysterious；
  Immortal；　starry；　such　alone　could　thus
  Weigh　down　thy　nature。　Hast　thou　sinn'd　in　aught
  Offensive　to　the　heavenly　power？　Caught
  A　Paphian　dove　upon　a　message　sent？
  Thy　deathful　bow　against　some　deer…herd　bent
  Sacred　to　Dian？　Haply；　thou　hast　seen
  Her　naked　limbs　among　the　alders　green；
  And　that；　alas！　is　death。　No；　I　can　trace
  Something　more　high　perplexing　in　thy　face！〃
  Endymion　look'd　at　her；　and　press'd　her　hand；
  And　said；　〃Art　thou　so　pale；　who　wast　so　bland
  And　merry　in　our　meadows？　How　is　this？
  Tell　me　thine　ailment：　tell　me　all　amiss！…
  Ah！　thou　hast　been　unhappy　at　the　change
  Wrought　suddenly　in　me。　What　indeed　more　strange？
  Or　more　complete　to　overwhelm　surmise？
  Ambition　is　so　sluggard；　'tis　no　prize；
  That　toiling　years　would　put　within　my　grasp；
  That　I　have　sighed　for：　with　so　deadly　gasp
  No　man　e'er　panted　for　a　mortal　love。
  So　all　have　set　my　heavier　grief　above
  These　things　which　happen。　Rightly　have　they　done：
  I；　who　still　saw　the　horizontal　sun
  Heave　his　broad　shoulder　o'er　the　edge　of　the　world；
  Out…facing　Lucifer；　and　then　had　hurl'd
  My　spear　aloft；　as　signal　for　the　chace…
  I；　who；　for　very　sport　of　heart；　would　race
  With　my　own　steed　from　Araby；　pluck　down
  A　vulture　from　his　towery　perching；　frown
  A　lion　into　growling；　loth　retire…
  To　lose；　at　once；　all　my　toil…breeding　fire；
  And　sink　thus　low！　but　I　will　ease　my　breast
  Of　secret　grief；　here　in　this　bowery　nest。
  〃This　river　does　not　see　the　naked　sky；
  Till　it　begins　to　progress　silverly
  Around　the　western　border　of　the　wood；
  Whence；　from　a　certain　spot；　its　winding　flood
  Seems　at　the　distance　like　a　crescent　moon：
  And　in　that　nook；　the　very　pride　of　June；
  Had　I　been　used　to　pass　my　weary　eves；
  The　rather　for　the　sun　unwilling　leaves
  So　dear　a　picture　of　his　sovereign　power；
  And　I　could　witness　his　most　kingly　hour；
  When　he　doth　tighten　up　the　golden　reins；
  And　paces　leisurely　down　amber　plains
  His　snorting　four。　Now　when　his　chariot　last
  Its　beams　against　the　zodiac…lion　cast；
  There　blossom'd　suddenly　a　magic　bed
  Of　sacred　ditamy；　and　poppies　red：
  At　which　I　wondered　greatly；　knowing　well
  That　but　one　night　had　wrought　this　flowery　spell；
  And；　sitting　down　close　by；　began　to　muse
  What　it　might　mean。　Perhaps；　thought　I；　Morpheus；
  In　passing　here；　his　owlet　pinions　shook；
  Or；　it　may　be；　ere　matron　Night　uptook
  Her　ebon　urn；　young　Mercury；　by　stealth；
  Had　dipt　his　rod　in　it：　such　garland　wealth
  Came　not　by　common　growth。　Thus　on　I　thought；
  Until　my　head　was　dizzy　and　distraught。
  Moreover；　through　the　dancing　poppies　stole
  A　breeze；　most　softly　lulling　to　my　soul；
  And　shaping　visions　all　about　my　sight
  Of　colours；　wings；　and　bursts　of　spangly　light；
  The　which　became　more　strange；　and　strange；　and　dim；
  And　then　were　gulph'd　in　a　tumultuous　swim：
  And　then　I　fell　asleep。　Ah；　can　I　tell
  The　enchantment　that　afterwards　befel？
  Yet　it　was　but　a　dream：　yet　such　a　dream
  That　never　tongue；　although　it　overteem
  With　mellow　utterance；　like　a　cavern　spring；
  Could　figure　out　and　to　conception　bring
  All　I　beheld　and　felt。　Methought　I　lay
  Watching　the　zenith；　where　the　milky　way
  Among　the　stars　in　virgin　splendour　pours；
  And　travelling　my　eye；　until　the　doors
  Of　heaven　appear'd　to　open　for　my　flight；
  I　became　loth　and　fearful　to　alight
  From　such　high　soaring　by　a　downward　glance：
  So　kept　me　stedfast　in　that　airy　trance；
  Spreading　imaginary　pinions　wide。
  When；　presently；　the　stars　began　to　glide；
  And　faint　away；　before　my　eager　view：
  At　which　I　sigh'd　that　I　could　not　pursue；
  And　dropt　my　vision　to　the　horizon's　verge；
  And　lo！　from　opening　clouds；　I　saw　emerge
  The　loveliest　moon；　that　ever　silver'd　o'er
  A　shell　for　Neptune's　goblet：　she　did　soar
  So　passionately　bright；　my　dazzled　soul
  Commingling　with　her　argent　spheres　did　roll
  Through　clear　and　cloudy；　even　when　she　went
  At　last　into　a　dark　and　vapoury　tent…
  Whereat；　methought；　the　lidless…eyed　train
  Of　planets　all　were　in　the　blue　again。
  To　commune　with　those　orbs；　once　more　I　rais'd
  My　sight　right　upward：　but　it　was　quite　dazed
  By　a　bright　something；　sailing　down　apace；
  Making　me　quickly　veil　my　eyes　and　face：
  Again　I　look'd；　and；　O　ye　deities；
  Who　from　Olympus　watch　our　destinies！
  Whence　that　completed　form　of　all　completeness？
  Whence　came　that　high　perfection　of　all　sweetness？
  Speak；　stubborn　earth；　and　tell　me　where；　O　where
  Hast　thou　a　symbol　of　her　golden　hair？
  Not　oat…sheaves　drooping　in　the　western　sun；
  Not…　thy　soft　hand；　fair　sister！　let　me　shun
  Such　follying　before　thee…　yet　she　had；
  Indeed；　locks　bright　enough　to　make　me　mad；
  And　they　were　simply　gordian'd　up　and　braided；
  Leaving；　in　naked　comeliness；　unshaded；
  Her　pearl　round　ears；　white　neck；　and　orbed　brow；
  The　which　were　blended　in；　I　know　not　how；
  With　such　a　paradise　of　lips　and　eyes；
  Blush…tinted　cheeks；　half　smiles；　and　faintest　sighs；
  That；　when　I　think　thereon；　my　spirit　clings
  And　plays　about　its　fancy；　till　the　stings
  Of　human　neighbourhood　envenom　all。
  Unto　what　awful　power　shall　I　call？
  To　what　high　fane？…　Ah！　see　her　hovering　feet；
  More　bluely　vein'd；　more　soft；　more　whitely　sweet
  Than　those　of　sea…born　Venus；　when　she　rose
  From　out　her　cradle　shell。　The　wind　out…blows
  Her　scarf　into　a　fluttering　pavillion；
  'Tis　blue；　and　over…spangled　with　a　million
  Of　little　eyes；　as　though　thou　wert　to　shed；
  Over　the　darkest；　lushest　blue…bell　bed；
  Handfuls　of　daisies。〃…　〃Endymion；　how　strange！
  Dream　within　dream！〃…　〃She　took　an　airy　range；
  And　then；　towards　me；　like　a　very　maid；
  Came　blushing；　waning；　willing；　and　afraid；
  And　press'd　me　by　the　hand：　Ah！　'twas　too　much；
  Methought　I　fainted　at　the　charmed　touch；
  Yet　held　my　recollections；　even　as　one
  Who　dives　three　fathoms　where　the　waters　run
  Gurgling　in　beds　of　coral：　for　anon；
  I　felt　upmounted　in　that　region
  Where　falling　stars　dart　their　artillery　forth；
  And　eagles　struggle　with　the　buffeting　north
  That　balances　the　heavy　meteor…stone；…
  Felt　too；　I　was　not　fearful；　nor　alone；
  But　lapp'd　and　lull'd　along　the　dangerous　sky。
  Soon；　as　it　seem'd；　we　left　our　journeying　high；
  And　straightway　into　frightful　eddies　swoop'd；
  Such　as　aye　muster　where　grey　time　has　scoop'd
  Huge　dens　and　caverns　in　a　mountain's　side；
  There　hollow　sounds　arous'd　me；　and　I　sigh'd
  To　faint　once　more　by　looking　on　my　bliss…
  I　was　distracted；　madly　did　I　kiss
  The　wooing　arms　which　held　me；　and　did　give
  My　eyes　at　once　to　death：　but　'twas　to　live；
  To　take　in　draughts　of　life　from　the　gold　fount
  Of　kind　and　passionate　looks；　to　count；　and　count
  The　moments；　by　some　greedy　help　that　seem'd
  A　second　self；　that　each　might　be　redeem'd
  And　plunder'd　of　its　load　of　blessedness。
  Ah；　desperate　mortal！　I　e'en　dar'd　to　press
  Her　very　cheek　against　my　crowned　lip；
  And；　at　that　moment；　felt　my　body　dip
  Into　a　warmer　air：　a　moment　more；
  Our　feet　were　soft　in　flowers。　Ther