Of　his　white　palace　in　wild　forest　nook；
  And　all　the　revels　he　had　lorded　there：
  Each　tender　maiden　whom　he　once　thought　fair；
  With　every　friend　and　fellow…woodlander…
  Pass'd　like　a　dream　before　him。　Then　the　spur
  Of　the　old　bards　to　mighty　deeds：　his　plans
  To　nurse　the　golden　age　'mong　shepherd　clans：
  That　wondrous　night：　the　great　Pan…festival：
  His　sister's　sorrow；　and　his　wanderings　all；
  Until　into　the　earth's　deep　maw　he　rush'd：
  Then　all　its　buried　magic；　till　it　flush'd
  High　with　excessive　love。　〃And　now；〃　thought　he；
  〃How　long　must　I　remain　in　jeopardy
  Of　blank　amazements　that　amaze　no　more？
  Now　I　have　tasted　her　sweet　soul　to　the　core
  All　other　depths　are　shallow：　essences；
  Once　spiritual；　are　like　muddy　lees；
  Meant　but　to　fertilize　my　earthly　root；
  And　make　my　branches　lift　a　golden　fruit
  Into　the　bloom　of　heaven：　other　light；
  Though　it　be　quick　and　sharp　enough　to　blight
  The　Olympian　eagle's　vision；　is　dark；
  Dark　as　the　parentage　of　chaos。　Hark！
  My　silent　thoughts　are　echoing　from　these　shells；
  Or　they　are　but　the　ghosts；　the　dying　swells
  Of　noises　far　away？…　list！〃…　Hereupon
  He　kept　an　anxious　ear。　The　humming　tone
  Came　louder；　and　behold；　there　as　he　lay；
  On　either　side　outgush'd；　with　misty　spray；
  A　copious　spring；　and　both　together　dash'd
  Swift；　mad；　fantastic　round　the　rocks　and　lash'd
  Among　the　conchs　and　shells　of　the　lofty　grot；
  Leaving　a　trickling　dew。　At　last　they　shot
  Down　from　the　ceiling's　height；　pouring　a　noise
  As　of　some　breathless　racers　whose　hopes　poize
  Upon　the　last　few　steps；　and　with　spent　force
  Along　the　ground　they　took　a　winding　course。
  Endymion　follow'd…　for　it　seem'd　that　one
  Ever　pursued；　the　other　strove　to　shun…
  Follow'd　their　languid　mazes；　till　well　nigh
  He　had　left　thinking　of　the　mystery；…
  And　was　now　rapt　in　tender　hoverings
  Over　the　vanish'd　bliss。　Ah！　what　is　it　sings
  His　dream　away？　What　melodies　are　these？
  They　sound　as　through　the　whispering　of　trees；
  Not　native　in　such　barren　vaults。　Give　ear！
  〃O　Arethusa；　peerless　nymph！　why　fear
  Such　tenderness　as　mine？　Great　Dian；　why；
  Why　didst　thou　hear　her　prayer？　O　that　I
  Were　rippling　round　her　dainty　fairness　now；
  Circling　about　her　waist；　and　striving　how
  To　entice　her　to　a　dive！　then　stealing　in
  Between　her　luscious　lips　and　eyelids　thin。
  O　that　her　shining　hair　was　in　the　sun；
  And　I　distilling　from　it　thence　to　run
  In　amorous　rillets　down　her　shrinking　form！
  To　linger　on　her　lilly　shoulders；　warm
  Between　her　kissing　breasts；　and　every　charm
  Touch　raptur'd！…　See　how　painfully　I　flow：
  Fair　maid；　be　pitiful　to　my　great　woe。
  Stay；　stay　thy　weary　course；　and　let　me　lead；
  A　happy　wooer；　to　the　flowery　mead
  Where　all　that　beauty　snar'd　me。〃…　〃Cruel　god；
  Desist！　or　my　offended　mistress'　nod
  Will　stagnate　all　thy　fountains：…　teaze　me　not
  With　syren　words…　Ah；　have　I　really　got
  Such　power　to　madden　thee？　And　is　it　true…
  Away；　away；　or　I　shall　dearly　rue
  My　very　thoughts：　in　mercy　then　away；
  Kindest　Alpheus；　for　should　I　obey
  My　own　dear　will；　'twould　be　a　deadly　bane。
  O；　Oread…Queen！　would　that　thou　hadst　a　pain
  Like　this　of　mine；　then　would　I　fearless　turn
  And　be　a　criminal。　Alas；　I　burn；
  I　shudder…　gentle　river；　get　thee　hence。
  Alpheus！　thou　enchanter！　every　sense
  Of　mine　was　once　made　perfect　in　these　woods。
  Fresh　breezes；　bowery　lawns；　and　innocent　floods；
  Ripe　fruits；　and　lonely　couch；　contentment　gave；
  But　ever　since　I　heedlessly　did　lave
  In　thy　deceitful　stream；　a　panting　glow
  Grew　strong　within　me：　wherefore　serve　me　so；
  And　call　it　love？　Alas；　'twas　cruelty。
  Not　once　more　did　I　close　my　happy　eye
  Amid　the　thrushes'　song。　Away！　Avaunt！
  O　'twas　a　cruel　thing。〃…　〃Now　thou　dost　taunt
  So　softly；　Arethusa；　that　I　think
  If　thou　wast　playing　on　my　shady　brink；
  Thou　wouldst　bathe　once　again。　Innocent　maid！
  Stifle　thine　heart　no　more；　nor　be　afraid
  Of　angry　powers：　there　are　deities
  Will　shade　us　with　their　wings。　Those　fitful　sighs
  'Tis　almost　death　to　hear：　O　let　me　pour
  A　dewy　balm　upon　them！…　fear　no　more；
  Sweet　Arethusa！　Dian's　self　must　feel
  Sometime　these　very　pangs。　Dear　maiden；　steal
  Blushing　into　my　soul；　and　let　us　fly
  These　dreary　caverns　for　the　open　sky。
  I　will　delight　thee　all　my　winding　course；
  From　the　green　sea　up　to　my　hidden　source
  About　Arcadian　forests；　and　will　show
  The　channels　where　my　coolest　waters　flow
  Through　mossy　rocks；　where；　'mid　exuberant　green；
  I　roam　in　pleasant　darkness；　more　unseen
  Than　Saturn　in　his　exile；　where　I　brim
  Round　flowery　islands；　and　take　thence　a　skim
  Of　mealy　sweets；　which　myriads　of　bees
  Buzz　from　their　honey'd　wings：　and　thou　shouldst　please
  Thyself　to　choose　the　richest；　where　we　might
  Be　incense…pillow'd　every　summer　night。
  Doff　all　sad　fears；　thou　white　deliciousness；
  And　let　us　be　thus　comforted；　unless
  Thou　couldst　rejoice　to　see　my　hopeless　stream
  Hurry　distracted　from　Sol's　temperate　beam；
  And　pour　to　death　along　some　hungry　sands。〃…
  〃What　can　I　do；　Alpheus？　Dian　stands
  Severe　before　me：　persecuting　fate！
  Unhappy　Arethusa！　thou　wast　late
  A　huntress　free　in〃…　At　this；　sudden　fell
  Those　two　sad　streams　adown　a　fearful　dell。
  The　Latmian　listen'd；　but　he　heard　no　more；
  Save　echo；　faint　repeating　o'er　and　o'er
  The　name　of　Arethusa。　On　the　verge
  Of　that　dark　gulph　he　wept；　and　said：　〃I　urge
  Thee；　gentle　Goddess　of　my　pilgrimage；
  By　our　eternal　hopes；　to　soothe；　to　assuage；
  If　thou　art　powerful；　these　lovers'　pains；
  And　make　them　happy　in　some　happy　plains。〃
  He　turn'd…　there　was　a　whelming　sound…　he　stept；
  There　was　a　cooler　light；　and　so　he　kept
  Towards　it　by　a　sandy　path；　and　lo！
  More　suddenly　than　doth　a　moment　go；
  The　visions　of　the　earth　were　gone　and　fled…
  He　saw　the　giant　sea　above　his　head。
  BOOK　III。
  There　are　who　lord　it　o'er　their　fellow…men
  With　most　prevailing　tinsel：　who　unpen
  Their　baaing　vanities；　to　browse　away
  The　comfortable　green　and　juicy　hay
  From　human　pastures；　or；　O　torturing　fact！
  Who；　through　an　idiot　blink；　will　see　unpack'd
  Fire…branded　foxes　to　sear　up　and　singe
  Our　gold　and　ripe…ear'd　hopes。　With　not　one　tinge
  Of　sanctuary　splendour；　not　a　sight
  Able　to　face　an　owl's；　they　still　are　dight
  By　the　blear…eyed　nations　in　empurpled　vests；
  And　crowns；　and　turbans。　With　unladen　breasts；
  Save　of　blown　self…applause；　they　proudly　mount
  To　their　spirit's　perch；　their　being's　high　account；
  Their　tiptop　nothings；　their　dull　skies；　their　thrones…
  Amid　the　fierce　intoxicating　tones
  Of　trumpets；　shoutings；　and　belabour'd　drums；
  And　sudden　cannon。　Ah！　how　all　this　hums；
  In　wakeful　ears；　like　uproar　past　and　gone…
  Like　thunder　clouds　that　spake　to　Babylon；
  And　set　those　old　Chaldeans　to　their　tasks。…
  Are　then　regalities　all　gilded　masks？
  No；　there　are　throned　seats　unscalable
  But　by　a　patient　wing；　a　constant　spell；
  Or　by　ethereal　things　that；　unconfin'd；
  Can　make　a　ladder　of　the　eternal　wind；
  And　poize　about　in　cloudy　thunder…tents
  To　watch　the　abysm…birth　of　elements。
  Aye；　'bove　the　withering　of　old…lipp'd　Fate
  A　thousand　Powers　keep　religious　state；
  In　water；　fiery　realm；　and　airy　bourne；
  And；　silent　as　a　consecrated　urn；
  Hold　sphery　sessions　for　a　season　due。
  Yet　few　of　these　far　majesties；　ah；　few！
  Have　bared　their　operations　to　this　globe…
  Few；　who　with　gorgeous　pageantry　enrobe
  Our　piece　of　heaven…　whose　benevolence
  Shakes　hand　with　our　own　Ceres；　every　sense
  Filling　with　spiritual　sweets　to　plenitude；
  As　bees　gorge　full　their　cells。　And；　by　the　feud
  'Twixt　Nothing　and　Creation；　I　here　swear；
  Eterne　Apollo！　that　thy　Sister　fair
  Is　of　all　these　the　gentlier…　mightiest。
  When　thy　gold　breath　is　misting　in　t