The Descent into Hell Second Edition, Revised and Re-arranged, with an Analysis and Notes: To which are added, Uriel, a Fragment and Three Odes. By John A. Heraud |
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| XI. | XI. THE WAY TO HELL. |
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 | The Descent into Hell |  |
133
XI. THE WAY TO HELL.
Not in the silent grave the Almighty Word
Reposed; but, like a strong and armed man,
With that loud voice in Empyreum heard,
Reposed; but, like a strong and armed man,
With that loud voice in Empyreum heard,
Leapt forth impetuous. Strong convulsions ran
Throughout Earth's womb, and rent her sepulchres,
Travailling with Death,—and Life again began.
Throughout Earth's womb, and rent her sepulchres,
Travailling with Death,—and Life again began.
His Presence in the Holiest Place appears,
And rends the veil that wont its rites debar
From eyes profane, unconsecrated ears:
And rends the veil that wont its rites debar
From eyes profane, unconsecrated ears:
Nor stays. Hell feels His coming from afar,
And conscious Chaos, with a huge recoil,
Hushes her waves and stills her stormy war.
And conscious Chaos, with a huge recoil,
Hushes her waves and stills her stormy war.
—Star of my Soul! there where the billows boil
About Night's throne, direct my downward way—
How perilous the path! untried the toil!
About Night's throne, direct my downward way—
How perilous the path! untried the toil!
—Lo! HE who, when the darkness loosed the day,
The Virgin's story heard; then vanished—
—As now he vanishes!—
—Through this pure space his passage lay.
The Virgin's story heard; then vanished—
—As now he vanishes!—
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—They feign who tell of rocks abrupt and dread,
Of precipice, and waste outrageous deep
Of waters, in an agonizing bed,
Of precipice, and waste outrageous deep
Of waters, in an agonizing bed,
That sweat with torture while they madly sweep
With sounds of human voice! Still vacancy,
Void o'er whose formless face doth darkness sleep,
With sounds of human voice! Still vacancy,
Void o'er whose formless face doth darkness sleep,
Is all the way, beyond the boundary
Of temporal space, which leads to that far bourne,
In the calm regions of Eternity,
Of temporal space, which leads to that far bourne,
In the calm regions of Eternity,
To which the grave is but the gate—unworn
With tread corporeal, a pure element,
Of aught material as of sound forlorn.
With tread corporeal, a pure element,
Of aught material as of sound forlorn.
Nor Moments are, nor Atoms have extent,
There; yet Duration is, and Substance dwells,
And Being absolute and permanent.
There; yet Duration is, and Substance dwells,
And Being absolute and permanent.
And Silence her eternal Oracles
Utters to empty forms and shapeless shades,
Who deafly list unutterable spells.
Utters to empty forms and shapeless shades,
Who deafly list unutterable spells.
A quiet voyage, whence whoso dissuades,
With tales of tumult or detours of pain,
With Fancy peoples and with Sense pervades.
With tales of tumult or detours of pain,
With Fancy peoples and with Sense pervades.
—Yet err they not, who of that dark domain
Report adventure strange and voyage hard;
The Mind sees in the wreck itself again.
Report adventure strange and voyage hard;
The Mind sees in the wreck itself again.
For, of the Mind, 'tis as the Mind; and bard
Or sage that mystic region generates
In his own likeness, for his own reward,
Or sage that mystic region generates
In his own likeness, for his own reward,
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Or purpose of the theme he illustrates;
Sinner and Saint their spirits in different guise
Reflect, as each his doom anticipates.
Sinner and Saint their spirits in different guise
Reflect, as each his doom anticipates.
—Each tells the truth, yet each in telling lies,
Of that far region, which no region is,
All mystery, yet hath no mysteries—
Of that far region, which no region is,
All mystery, yet hath no mysteries—
Far region, ever yet at hand, I wis,
Within us and about us every-where—
It clothes the bed of death with ecstasies,
Within us and about us every-where—
It clothes the bed of death with ecstasies,
Anguish and agonies of Hope and Fear;
The worst wild pass, in sorest, saddest dream,
Of the lost soul, bewildering less, less drear;—
The worst wild pass, in sorest, saddest dream,
Of the lost soul, bewildering less, less drear;—
The sweetest vision that e'er cast its gleam
On blessed sleep, less dulcet and divine:—
Than that strange transit, ever in extreme!
On blessed sleep, less dulcet and divine:—
Than that strange transit, ever in extreme!
—Rude way to some, where spirits lost repine
Wandering reluctant far from Paradise,
Millions of years no measure can define,
Wandering reluctant far from Paradise,
Millions of years no measure can define,
Past in an instant, as the lightning is
And was—all alp, all desart, all ravine;
Horrour of Darkness girdling Hell's abyss.
And was—all alp, all desart, all ravine;
Horrour of Darkness girdling Hell's abyss.
—So real yet unreal is the scene,
The darkness is its own, yet not of it;
For we are it: what veils it, is the screen
The darkness is its own, yet not of it;
For we are it: what veils it, is the screen
That hides us from ourselves; the path—the pit—
They are within us, and we dwell in them;
Yet are they not on Earth, in Heaven, nor yet
They are within us, and we dwell in them;
Yet are they not on Earth, in Heaven, nor yet
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In Hell, and far from us. Me not condemn;
For these are truths, and every truth's a spell,
Wisdom must value, Wit may not contemn;
For these are truths, and every truth's a spell,
Wisdom must value, Wit may not contemn;
Not dark to me, who, at the sacred well
Of prophecy, have cleansed my vision so,
That I can look on things invisible.
Of prophecy, have cleansed my vision so,
That I can look on things invisible.
Hence, ye profane! Rapt in the Spirit, lo,
My mind dwells in its own eternity,
Beholds life's source and aim, its ebb and flow;
My mind dwells in its own eternity,
Beholds life's source and aim, its ebb and flow;
I am become a Seër, and am free
To speak. Now listen. Know, that Mind it is,
Creates the light whereby the Eye doth see,
To speak. Now listen. Know, that Mind it is,
Creates the light whereby the Eye doth see,
And the night cometh, be the mind remiss
Or absent; nor is then its orb the Eye,
More than its ruins are Persepolis.
Or absent; nor is then its orb the Eye,
More than its ruins are Persepolis.
No Sun is here to measure o'er the sky
Day; Moon nor Stars, to rule the night, or tell
Of seasons: here is no variety
Day; Moon nor Stars, to rule the night, or tell
Of seasons: here is no variety
Of Time, nor Time himself. But, from the well
Of my own being, a pure sphere of light
I can project, and shape and syllable
Of my own being, a pure sphere of light
I can project, and shape and syllable
With Form and Name; or on the darkness drear,
Even as the eye of Childhood doth, create
Pictures and friezes indistinct or clear.
Even as the eye of Childhood doth, create
Pictures and friezes indistinct or clear.
These may poetick fancy aggregate
In her own time and space, eath as the sense
Of Euclid could construct and demonstrate
In her own time and space, eath as the sense
Of Euclid could construct and demonstrate
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Ideas, as his own intelligence
Perfect and pure, by power of his own mind,
Shaped by its prescript, and proceeding thence.
Perfect and pure, by power of his own mind,
Shaped by its prescript, and proceeding thence.
What I behold, no poet hath combined,
Nor skill of cunning painter could pourtray—
Path the Soul travels to her place assigned.
Nor skill of cunning painter could pourtray—
Path the Soul travels to her place assigned.
—Adown that unimaginable way,
Him I perceived of whom I spake erewhile,
Present and vanished ere that I could say,
Him I perceived of whom I spake erewhile,
Present and vanished ere that I could say,
“Behold!” The dying Saint, with a calm smile,
So, the same instant, leaves this world beneath,
And reaches th' other, passing no defile,
So, the same instant, leaves this world beneath,
And reaches th' other, passing no defile,
Of toil or travel; with his farewell breath,
Smoothly transported to a blessed goal:
Of Past or Future no account with Death.
Smoothly transported to a blessed goal:
Of Past or Future no account with Death.
All indivisible as his own Soul,
Eternity broods o'er the Infinite,
Time has no lapse and Space is one and whole.
Eternity broods o'er the Infinite,
Time has no lapse and Space is one and whole.
Therefore it was, his transit on my sight
Glanced and was gone, returning through the void
To his far home, a disembodied sprite.
Glanced and was gone, returning through the void
To his far home, a disembodied sprite.
Upon what errand came he? Self-employed?
Or sent; revisiting the quaking earth,
Then trembling as about to be destroyed?
Or sent; revisiting the quaking earth,
Then trembling as about to be destroyed?
What name of old bare he? where was his birth?
Who knows not Amoz' son? The Prophet wept
Of Israel's doom the darkness and the dearth,
Who knows not Amoz' son? The Prophet wept
Of Israel's doom the darkness and the dearth,
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And saw, (i'th' year that King Uzziah slept,)
The Lord upon his Throne, and with his train
The temple filled, where his high state he kept.
The Lord upon his Throne, and with his train
The temple filled, where his high state he kept.
The six-winged Seraphim o'ercrowned the fane,
With twain they clad their face, with twain their feet,
And flew, a volant canopy, with twain.
With twain they clad their face, with twain their feet,
And flew, a volant canopy, with twain.
His lips with live coal from the Altar's seat
Were touched, and he foretold the Virgin's seed,
What keystone should Creation's arch complete.
Were touched, and he foretold the Virgin's seed,
What keystone should Creation's arch complete.
—And now in Paradise, with holy heed,
Rumour of that event was heard; for there
John, as on earth, Messiah did precede,
Rumour of that event was heard; for there
John, as on earth, Messiah did precede,
And the glad Prisoners of Hope prepare
For his great coming, to lead captive thence
Captivity in triumph through the air.
For his great coming, to lead captive thence
Captivity in triumph through the air.
—And now Hell quakes with the intelligence
Of what was done on Earth; and all the Saints
And Seërs old thrilled with desire intense,
Of what was done on Earth; and all the Saints
And Seërs old thrilled with desire intense,
Wherewith inspired, and quit from all restraints
By grace divine, with eagerness upborne,
Love that fears not, and Faith that never faints,
By grace divine, with eagerness upborne,
Love that fears not, and Faith that never faints,
Isaiah, swifter than the wings of morn,
Bare confirmation of the glorious news,
To comfort all who dwell in that sojourn
Bare confirmation of the glorious news,
To comfort all who dwell in that sojourn
—Place visited yet never by the Muse,
Profane or sacred, in her voyages;
Nor wonder, though adventurous, she refuse,
Profane or sacred, in her voyages;
Nor wonder, though adventurous, she refuse,
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A chasm so deep, a gulf so bottomless,
To plunge down hither; or discern it not,
So well-concealed in such remote recess;
To plunge down hither; or discern it not,
So well-concealed in such remote recess;
An obscure and unfathomable spot,
There where the spirits of men repose apart,
In expectation of their final lot;
The Womb of Nature, and of Earth the Heart,There where the spirits of men repose apart,
In expectation of their final lot;
| The Descent into Hell | |