There　darts　strange　light　of　varied　hues　and　dyes：
  A　scowl　is　sometimes　on　his　brow；　but　who
  Look　full　upon　it　feel　anon　the　blue
  Of　his　fair　eyes　run　liquid　through　their　souls。
  Endymion　feels　it；　and　no　more　controls
  The　burning　prayer　within　him；　so；　bent　low；
  He　had　begun　a　plaining　of　his　woe。
  But　Venus；　bending　forward；　said：　〃My　child；
  Favour　this　gentle　youth；　his　days　are　wild
  With　love…　he…　but　alas！　too　well　I　see
  Thou　know'st　the　deepness　of　his　misery。
  Ah；　smile　not　so；　my　son：　I　tell　thee　true；
  That　when　through　heavy　hours　I　used　to　rue
  The　endless　sleep　of　this　new…born　Adon'；
  This　stranger　aye　I　pitied。　For　upon
  A　dreary　morning　once　I　fled　away
  Into　the　breezy　clouds；　to　weep　and　pray
  For　this　my　love：　for　vexing　Mars　had　teaz'd
  Me　even　to　tears：　thence；　when　a　little　eas'd；
  Down…looking；　vacant；　through　a　hazy　wood；
  I　saw　this　youth　as　he　despairing　stood：
  Those　same　dark　curls　blown　vagrant　in　the　wind；
  Those　same　full　fringed　lids　a　constant　blind
  Over　his　sullen　eyes：　I　saw　him　throw
  Himself　on　wither'd　leaves；　even　as　though
  Death　had　come　sudden；　for　no　jot　he　mov'd；
  Yet　mutter'd　wildly。　I　could　hear　he　lov'd
  Some　fair　immortal；　and　that　his　embrace
  Had　zoned　her　through　the　night。　There　is　no　trace
  Of　this　in　heaven：　I　have　mark'd　each　cheek；
  And　find　it　is　the　vainest　thing　to　seek；
  And　that　of　all　things　'tis　kept　secretest。
  Endymion！　one　day　thou　wilt　be　blest：
  So　still　obey　the　guiding　hand　that　fends
  Thee　safely　through　these　wonders　for　sweet　ends。
  'Tis　a　concealment　needful　in　extreme；
  And　if　I　guess'd　not　so；　the　sunny　beam
  Thou　shouldst　mount　up　to　with　me。　Now　adieu！
  Here　must　we　leave　thee。〃…　At　these　words　upflew
  The　impatient　doves；　uprose　the　floating　car；
  Up　went　the　hum　celestial。　High　afar
  The　Latmian　saw　them　minish　into　naught；
  And；　when　all　were　clear　vanish'd；　still　he　caught
  A　vivid　lightning　from　that　dreadful　bow。
  When　all　was　darkened；　with　AEtnean　throe
  The　earth　clos'd…　gave　a　solitary　moan…
  And　left　him　once　again　in　twilight　lone。
  He　did　not　rave；　he　did　not　stare　aghast；
  For　all　those　visions　were　o'ergone；　and　past；
  And　he　in　loneliness：　he　felt　assur'd
  Of　happy　times；　when　all　he　had　endur'd
  Would　seem　a　feather　to　the　mighty　prize。
  So；　with　unusual　gladness；　on　he　hies
  Through　caves；　and　palaces　of　mottled　ore；
  Gold　dome；　and　crystal　wall；　and　turquois　floor；
  Black　polish'd　porticos　of　awful　shade；
  And；　at　the　last；　a　diamond　balustrade；
  Leading　afar　past　wild　magnificence；
  Spiral　through　ruggedest　loopholes；　and　thence
  Stretching　across　a　void；　then　guiding　o'er
  Enormous　chasms；　where；　all　foam　and　roar；
  Streams　subterranean　teaze　their　granite　beds；
  Then　heighten'd　just　above　the　silvery　heads
  Of　a　thousand　fountains；　so　that　he　could　dash
  The　waters　with　his　spear；　but　at　the　splash；
  Done　heedlessly；　those　spouting　columns　rose
  Sudden　a　poplar's　height；　and　'gan　to　enclose
  His　diamond　path　with　fretwork；　streaming　round
  Alive；　and　dazzling　cool；　and　with　a　sound；
  Haply；　like　dolphin　tumults；　when　sweet　shells
  Welcome　the　float　of　Thetis。　Long　he　dwells
  On　this　delight；　for；　every　minute's　space；
  The　streams　with　changed　magic　interlace：
  Sometimes　like　delicatest　lattices；
  Cover'd　with　crystal　vines；　then　weeping　trees。
  Moving　about　as　in　a　gentle　wind；
  Which；　in　a　wink；　to　watery　gauze　refin'd；
  Pour'd　into　shapes　of　curtain'd　canopies；
  Spangled；　and　rich　with　liquid　broideries
  Of　flowers；　peacocks；　swans；　and　naiads　fair。
  Swifter　than　lightning　went　these　wonders　rare；
  And　then　the　water；　into　stubborn　streams
  Collecting；　mimick'd　the　wrought　oaken　beams；
  Pillars；　and　frieze；　and　high　fantastic　roof；
  Of　those　dusk　places　in　times　far　aloof
  Cathedrals　call'd。　He　bade　a　loth　farewell
  To　these　founts　Protean；　passing　gulph；　and　dell；
  And　torrent；　and　ten　thousand　jutting　shapes；
  Half　seen　through　deepest　gloom；　and　griesly　gapes；
  Blackening　on　every　side；　and　overhead
  A　vaulted　dome　like　Heaven's；　far　bespread
  With　starlight　gems：　aye；　all　so　huge　and　strange；
  The　solitary　felt　a　hurried　change
  Working　within　him　into　something　dreary；…
  Vex'd　like　a　morning　eagle；　lost；　and　weary；
  And　purblind　amid　foggy；　midnight　wolds。
  But　he　revives　at　once：　for　who　beholds
  New　sudden　things；　nor　casts　his　mental　slough？
  Forth　from　a　rugged　arch；　in　the　dusk　below；
  Came　mother　Cybele！　alone…　alone…
  In　sombre　chariot；　dark　foldings　thrown
  About　her　majesty；　and　front　death…pale；
  With　turrets　crown'd。　Four　maned　lions　hale
  The　sluggish　wheels；　solemn　their　toothed　maws；
  Their　surly　eyes　brow…hidden；　heavy　paws
  Uplifted　drowsily；　and　nervy　tails
  Cowering　their　tawny　brushes。　Silent　sails
  This　shadowy　queen　athwart；　and　faints　away
  In　another　gloomy　arch。
  Wherefore　delay；
  Young　traveller；　in　such　a　mournful　place？
  Art　thou　wayworn；　or　canst　not　further　trace
  The　diamond　path？　And　does　it　indeed　end
  Abrupt　in　middle　air？　Yet　earthward　bend
  Thy　forehead；　and　to　Jupiter　cloud…borne
  Call　ardently！　He　was　indeed　wayworn；
  Abrupt；　in　middle　air；　his　way　was　lost；
  To　cloud…borne　Jove　he　bowed；　and　there　crost
  Towards　him　a　large　eagle；　'twixt　whose　wings；
  Without　one　impious　word；　himself　he　flings；
  Committed　to　the　darkness　and　the　gloom：
  Down；　down；　uncertain　to　what　pleasant　doom；
  Swift　as　a　fathoming　plummet　down　he　fell
  Through　unknown　things；　till　exhaled　asphodel；
  And　rose；　with　spicy　fannings　interbreath'd；
  Came　swelling　forth　where　little　caves　were　wreath'd
  So　thick　with　leaves　and　mosses；　that　they　seem'd
  Large　honey…combs　of　green；　and　freshly　teem'd
  With　airs　delicious。　In　the　greenest　nook
  The　eagle　landed　him；　and　farewell　took。
  It　was　a　jasmine　bower；　all　bestrown
  With　golden　moss。　His　every　sense　had　grown
  Ethereal　for　pleasure；　'bove　his　head
  Flew　a　delight　half…graspable；　his　tread
  Was　Hesperean；　to　his　capable　ears
  Silence　was　music　from　the　holy　spheres；
  A　dewy　luxury　was　in　his　eyes；
  The　little　flowers　felt　his　pleasant　sighs
  And　stirr'd　them　faintly。　Verdant　cave　and　cell
  He　wander'd　through；　oft　wondering　at　such　swell
  Of　sudden　exaltation：　but；　〃Alas！〃
  Said　he；　〃will　all　this　gush　of　feeling　pass
  Away　in　solitude？　And　must　they　wane；
  Like　melodies　upon　a　sandy　plain；
  Without　an　echo？　Then　shall　I　be　left
  So　sad；　so　melancholy；　so　bereft！
  Yet　still　I　feel　immortal！　O　my　love；
  My　breath　of　life；　where　art　thou？　High　above；
  Dancing　before　the　morning　gates　of　heaven？
  Or　keeping　watch　among　those　starry　seven；
  Old　Atlas'　children？　Art　a　maid　of　the　waters；
  One　of　shell…winding　Triton's　bright…hair'd　daughters？
  Or　art；　impossible！　a　nymph　of　Dian's；
  Weaving　a　coronal　of　tender　scions
  For　very　idleness？　Where'er　thou　art；
  Methinks　it　now　is　at　my　will　to　start
  Into　thine　arms；　to　scare　Aurora's　train；
  And　snatch　thee　from　the　morning；　o'er　the　main
  To　scud　like　a　wild　bird；　and　take　thee　off
  From　thy　sea…foamy　cradle；　or　to　doff
  Thy　shepherd　vest；　and　woo　thee　mid　fresh　leaves。
  No；　no；　too　eagerly　my　soul　deceives
  Its　powerless　self：　I　know　this　cannot　be。
  O　let　me　then　by　some　sweet　dreaming　flee
  To　her　entrancements：　hither；　Sleep；　awhile！
  Hither；　most　gentle　Sleep！　and　soothing　foil
  For　some　few　hours　the　coming　solitude。〃
  Thus　spake　he；　and　that　moment　felt　endued
  With　power　to　dream　deliciously；　so　wound
  Through　a　dim　passage；　searching　till　he　found
  The　smoothest　mossy　bed　and　deepest；　where
  He　threw　himself；　and　just　into　the　air
  Stretching　his　indolent　arms；　he　took；　O　bliss！
  A　naked　waist：　〃Fair　Cupid；　whence　is　this？〃
  A　well…known　voice　sigh'd；　〃Sweetest；　here　am　I！〃
  At　which　soft　ravishment；　with　doting　cry