 | Mansoul or The Riddle of the World |  |
There came yet ínto mine unquiet thought;
A little tale of Galfred, ére I slept:
How once held Titan-brood this upland march;
Before the World was civil. Were these blocks,
Immane, their landmarks.
A little tale of Galfred, ére I slept:
How once held Titan-brood this upland march;
Before the World was civil. Were these blocks,
Immane, their landmarks.
Titans, Mother-Earth,
In former age, engéndered wíthout Sire;
And might, in members huge, to them derived;
Whence shortly grown to án exceeding power
And pride; durst those defý, in truculent mood,
The very Gods; and there were any such.
In former age, engéndered wíthout Sire;
And might, in members huge, to them derived;
Whence shortly grown to án exceeding power
And pride; durst those defý, in truculent mood,
The very Gods; and there were any such.
Long, who should lead them, ín tremendous strife;
For lordship of this Isle, assembled brethren,
They question and consult. Such fond intént,
Was cause of envy, in théir enfeloned breasts.
Gainst the elders birthright, cónspired áll the rest,
How covertly, a Summers night, when he lay sick;
They Gorgot might supplant and dispossess;
The whiles he slept.
For lordship of this Isle, assembled brethren,
They question and consult. Such fond intént,
Was cause of envy, in théir enfeloned breasts.
Gainst the elders birthright, cónspired áll the rest,
How covertly, a Summers night, when he lay sick;
They Gorgot might supplant and dispossess;
169
He wíst their fell intént,
So was he subtle and sly, of South-winds breath.
And divination made, by ravens' flight:
Awaited their Onset.
So was he subtle and sly, of South-winds breath.
And divination made, by ravens' flight:
Awaited their Onset.
Was now third night;
When gathered giants immane, iníquitous:
(Without habíliments, withouten sex;
Huge-memberd, ánd on height as oaks:) with mauls
And hurlbats weaponed their rude hands.
When gathered giants immane, iníquitous:
(Without habíliments, withouten sex;
Huge-memberd, ánd on height as oaks:) with mauls
And hurlbats weaponed their rude hands.
Of stars,
Shone little covert light. With one consent,
All rose up, át Moon-rising, fróm hill-seats.
Wild was that night, with rushing weird wínd-blasts.
Those silent, as they might, hurl headlong forth.
In vain their footfall, whose vast poise seemed shake;
(As they from hill-brow únto hill-brow, strode;)
The centred Earth; muffled thick twilight sod.
Waked by his hounds, the Monster ready was:
Who issued fróm grim threshold of his lodge.
And ás smites thresher on his barn-floor, halm;
He beat them small, he felled them, one by one;
In fierce debate, with flail of iron-stone.
Though greatly incensed, that Titan granted life
To Mothers sons, where grovelling smitten down;
Like to great storm-cast pine-stems overthrown,
Felled by his heavy hand; they lay on ground,
Not fully dead; when those, in the next Sun,
Recovered breath, as they revived from swoon
Shone little covert light. With one consent,
All rose up, át Moon-rising, fróm hill-seats.
Wild was that night, with rushing weird wínd-blasts.
Those silent, as they might, hurl headlong forth.
In vain their footfall, whose vast poise seemed shake;
(As they from hill-brow únto hill-brow, strode;)
The centred Earth; muffled thick twilight sod.
Waked by his hounds, the Monster ready was:
Who issued fróm grim threshold of his lodge.
And ás smites thresher on his barn-floor, halm;
He beat them small, he felled them, one by one;
In fierce debate, with flail of iron-stone.
170
To Mothers sons, where grovelling smitten down;
Like to great storm-cast pine-stems overthrown,
Felled by his heavy hand; they lay on ground,
Not fully dead; when those, in the next Sun,
Recovered breath, as they revived from swoon
He, táking of each rísen, infrangible Oath;
By Heavens All-Might, and Life of Mother Earth;
To yield obedience tó his elders right;
And hold of him their several fiefs henceforth.
By Heavens All-Might, and Life of Mother Earth;
To yield obedience tó his elders right;
And hold of him their several fiefs henceforth.
In token whereof, he bound each one to fetch
His merestone, and it set up in this place:
As he should give commandment.
His merestone, and it set up in this place:
As he should give commandment.
When had brought
Each grudging Lábourer ón his giant nape;
His mighty block, to Gorgots delve, and cast
The immense poise with sullen sob, to earth:
He caused them to compile this monument;
Figuring the wheeling crystal Firmament.
Each grudging Lábourer ón his giant nape;
His mighty block, to Gorgots delve, and cast
The immense poise with sullen sob, to earth:
He caused them to compile this monument;
Figuring the wheeling crystal Firmament.
| Mansoul or The Riddle of the World | |