Those　twilight　eyes？　Those　eyes！…　my　spirit　fails…
  Dear　goddess；　help！　or　the　wide…gaping　air
  Will　gulph　me…　help！〃…　At　this　with　madden'd　stare；
  And　lifted　hands；　and　trembling　lips　he　stood；
  Like　old　Deucalion　mountain'd　o'er　the　flood；
  Or　blind　Orion　hungry　for　the　morn。
  And；　but　from　the　deep　cavern　there　was　borne
  A　voice；　he　had　been　froze　to　senseless　stone；
  Nor　sigh　of　his；　nor　plaint；　nor　passion'd　moan
  Had　more　been　heard。　Thus　swell'd　it　forth：　〃Descend；
  Young　mountaineer！　descend　where　alleys　bend
  Into　the　sparry　hollows　of　the　world！
  Oft　hast　thou　seen　bolts　of　the　thunder　hurl'd
  As　from　thy　threshold；　day　by　day　hast　been
  A　little　lower　than　the　chilly　sheen
  Of　icy　pinnacles；　and　dipp'dst　thine　arms
  Into　the　deadening　ether　that　still　charms
  Their　marble　being：　now；　as　deep　profound
  As　those　are　high；　descend！　He　ne'er　is　crown'd
  With　immortality；　who　fears　to　follow
  Where　airy　voices　lead：　so　through　the　hollow；
  The　silent　mysteries　of　earth；　descend！〃
  He　heard　but　the　last　words；　nor　could　contend
  One　moment　in　reflection：　for　he　fled
  Into　the　fearful　deep；　to　hide　his　head
  From　the　clear　moon；　the　trees；　and　coming　madness。
  'Twas　far　too　strange；　and　wonderful　for　sadness；
  Sharpening；　by　degrees；　his　appetite
  To　dive　into　the　deepest。　Dark；　nor　light；
  The　region；　nor　bright；　nor　sombre　wholly；
  But　mingled　up；　a　gleaming　melancholy；
  A　dusky　empire　and　its　diadems；
  One　faint　eternal　eventide　of　gems。
  Aye；　millions　sparkled　on　a　vein　of　gold；
  Along　whose　track　the　prince　quick　footsteps　told；
  With　all　its　lines　abrupt　and　angular：
  Out…shooting　sometimes；　like　a　meteor…star；
  Through　a　vast　antre；　then　the　metal　woof；
  Like　Vulcan's　rainbow；　with　some　monstrous　roof
  Curves　hugely：　now；　far　in　the　deep　abyss；
  It　seems　an　angry　lightning；　and　doth　hiss
  Fancy　into　belief：　anon　it　leads
  Through　winding　passages；　where　sameness　breeds
  Vexing　conceptions　of　some　sudden　change；
  Whether　to　silver　grots；　or　giant　range
  Of　sapphire　columns；　or　fantastic　bridge
  Athwart　a　flood　of　crystal。　On　a　ridge
  Now　fareth　he；　that　o'er　the　vast　beneath
  Towers　like　an　ocean…cliff；　and　whence　he　seeth
  A　hundred　waterfalls；　whose　voices　come
  But　as　the　murmuring　surge。　Chilly　and　numb
  His　bosom　grew；　when　first　he；　far　away
  Descried　an　orbed　diamond；　set　to　fray
  Old　darkness　from　his　throne：　'twas　like　the　sun
  Uprisen　o'er　chaos：　and　with　such　a　stun
  Came　the　amazement；　that；　absorb'd　in　it；
  He　saw　not　fiercer　wonders…　past　the　wit
  Of　any　spirit　to　tell；　but　one　of　those
  Who；　when　this　planet's　sphering　time　doth　close；
  Will　be　its　high　remembrancers：　who　they？
  The　mighty　ones　who　have　made　eternal　day
  For　Greece　and　England。　While　astonishment
  With　deep…drawn　sighs　was　quieting；　he　went
  Into　a　marble　gallery；　passing　through
  A　mimic　temple；　so　complete　and　true
  In　sacred　custom；　that　he　well　nigh　fear'd
  To　search　it　inwards；　whence　far　off　appear'd；
  Through　a　long　pillar'd　vista；　a　fair　shrine；
  And　just　beyond；　on　light　tiptoe　divine；
  A　quiver'd　Dian。　Stepping　awfully；
  The　youth　approach'd；　oft　turning　his　veil'd　eye
  Down　sidelong　aisles；　and　into　niches　old。
  And　when；　more　near　against　the　marble　cold
  He　had　touch'd　his　forehead；　he　began　to　thread
  All　courts　and　passages；　where　silence　dead
  Rous'd　by　his　whispering　footsteps　murmured　faint：
  And　long　he　travers'd　to　and　fro；　to　acquaint
  Himself　with　every　mystery；　and　awe；
  Till；　weary；　he　sat　down　before　the　maw
  Of　a　wide　outlet；　fathomless　and　dim；
  To　wild　uncertainty　and　shadows　grim。
  There；　when　new　wonders　ceas'd　to　float　before；
  And　thoughts　of　self　came　on；　how　crude　and　sore
  The　journey　homeward　to　habitual　self
  A　mad…pursuing　of　the　fog…born　elf；
  Whose　flitting　lantern；　through　rude　nettle…briar；
  Cheats　us　into　a　swamp；　into　a　fire；
  Into　the　bosom　of　a　hated　thing。
  What　misery　most　drowningly　doth　sing
  In　lone　Endymion's　ear；　now　he　has　raught
  The　goal　of　consciousness？　Ah；　'tis　the　thought；
  The　deadly　feel　of　solitude：　for　lo！
  He　cannot　see　the　heavens；　nor　the　flow
  Of　rivers；　nor　hill…flowers　running　wild
  In　pink　and　purple　chequer；　nor；　up…pil'd；
  The　cloudy　rack　slow　journeying　in　the　west；
  Like　herded　elephants；　nor　felt；　nor　prest
  Cool　grass；　nor　tasted　the　fresh　slumberous　air；
  But　far　from　such　companionship　to　wear
  An　unknown　time；　surcharg'd　with　grief；　away；
  Was　now　his　lot。　And　must　he　patient　stay；
  Tracing　fantastic　figures　with　his　spear？
  〃No！〃　exclaim'd　he；　〃why　should　I　tarry　here？〃
  No！　loudly　echoed　times　innumerable。
  At　which　he　straightway　started；　and　'gan　tell
  His　paces　back　into　the　temple's　chief；
  Warming　and　glowing　strong　in　the　belief
  Of　help　from　Dian：　so　that　when　again
  He　caught　her　airy　form；　thus　did　he　plain；
  Moving　more　near　the　while：　〃O　Haunter　chaste
  Of　river　sides；　and　woods；　and　heathy　waste；
  Where　with　thy　silver　bow　and　arrows　keen
  Art　thou　now　forested？　O　woodland　Queen；
  What　smoothest　air　thy　smoother　forehead　woos？
  Where　dost　thou　listen　to　the　wide　halloos
  Of　thy　disparted　nymphs？　Through　what　dark　tree
  Glimmers　thy　crescent？　Wheresoe'er　it　be；
  'Tis　in　the　breath　of　heaven：　thou　dost　taste
  Freedom　as　none　can　taste　it；　nor　dost　waste
  Thy　loveliness　in　dismal　elements；
  But；　finding　in　our　green　earth　sweet　contents；
  There　livest　blissfully。　Ah；　if　to　thee
  It　feels　Elysian；　how　rich　to　me；
  An　exil'd　mortal；　sounds　its　pleasant　name！
  Within　my　breast　there　lives　a　choking　flame…
  O　let　me　cool't　the　zephyr…boughs　among！
  A　homeward　fever　parches　up　my　tongue…
  O　let　me　slake　it　at　the　running　springs！
  Upon　my　ear　a　noisy　nothing　rings…
  O　let　me　once　more　hear　the　linnet's　note！
  Before　mine　eyes　thick　films　and　shadows　float…
  O　let　me　'noint　them　with　the　heaven's　light！
  Dost　thou　now　lave　thy　feet　and　ankles　white？
  O　think　how　sweet　to　me　the　freshening　sluice！
  Dost　thou　now　please　thy　thirst　with　berry…juice？
  O　think　how　this　dry　palate　would　rejoice！
  If　in　soft　slumber　thou　dost　hear　my　voice；
  O　think　how　I　should　love　a　bed　of　flowers！…
  Young　goddess！　let　me　see　my　native　bowers！
  Deliver　me　from　this　rapacious　deep！〃
  Thus　ending　loudly；　as　he　would　o'erleap
  His　destiny；　alert　he　stood：　but　when
  Obstinate　silence　came　heavily　again；
  Feeling　about　for　its　old　couch　of　space
  And　airy　cradle；　lowly　bow'd　his　face
  Desponding；　o'er　the　marble　floor's　cold　thrill。
  But　'twas　not　long；　for；　sweeter　than　the　rill
  To　its　old　channel；　or　a　swollen　tide
  To　margin　sallows；　were　the　leaves　he　spied；
  And　flowers；　and　wreaths；　and　ready　myrtle　crowns
  Up　heaping　through　the　slab：　refreshment　drowns
  Itself；　and　strives　its　own　delights　to　hide…
  Nor　in　one　spot　alone；　the　floral　pride
  In　a　long　whispering　birth　enchanted　grew
  Before　his　footsteps；　as　when　heav'd　anew
  Old　ocean　rolls　a　lengthened　wave　to　the　shore；
  Down　whose　green　back　the　short…liv'd　foam；　all　hoar；
  Bursts　gradual；　with　a　wayward　indolence。
  Increasing　still　in　heart；　and　pleasant　sense；
  Upon　his　fairy　journey　on　he　hastes；
  So　anxious　for　the　end；　he　scarcely　wastes
  One　moment　with　his　hand　among　the　sweets：
  Onward　he　goes…　he　stops…　his　bosom　beats
  As　plainly　in　his　ear；　as　the　faint　charm
  Of　which　the　throbs　were　born。　This　still　alarm；
  This　sleepy　music；　forc'd　him　walk　tiptoe：
  For　it　came　more　softly　than　the　east　could　blow
  Arion's　magic　to　the　Atlantic　isles；
  Or　than　the　west；　made　jealous　by　the　smiles
  Of　thron'd　Apollo；　could　breathe　back　the　lyre
  To　seas　Ionian　and　Tyrian。
  O　did　he　ever　live；　that　lonely　man；
  Who　lov'd…　and　music　slew　not？　'Tis　the　pest
  Of　love；　that　fairest　joys　give　most　unrest；
  That　things　of　delicate　and　tenderest　worth
  Are　s