A Sicilian Story With Diego de Montilla, and Other Poems. By Barry Cornwall [i.e. Bryan Waller Procter]. Second Edition |
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LINES
WRITTEN UNDER AN
ENGRAVING OF MILTON. |
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 | A Sicilian Story |  |
154
LINES WRITTEN UNDER AN ENGRAVING OF MILTON.
He, tho' he dwelt in seeming night,
Scattered imperishable light
Around, and to the regions of the day
Sent his winged thoughts away,
And bade them search the ways on high
For the bright flame of Poetry.
—'Tis to adventurous spirits given
Alone, who dare themselves obey,
And look at the face of the inmost heaven.
Scattered imperishable light
Around, and to the regions of the day
Sent his winged thoughts away,
And bade them search the ways on high
For the bright flame of Poetry.
—'Tis to adventurous spirits given
Alone, who dare themselves obey,
And look at the face of the inmost heaven.
He saw the burning fire that keeps,
In the unfathomable deeps,
Its powers for ever, and made a sign
To the Morning Prince divine,
Who came across the sulphurous flood
Obedient to that master call,
And, in Angel beauty, stood
Proud on his star-lit pedestal.
Then the mighty limner drew,
And tincted with a skiey hue,
The king of all the damned: the same
Who headlong from the Empyrean came,
With all his fiery cherubim,
Blasted, and millions fell with him.
In the unfathomable deeps,
Its powers for ever, and made a sign
To the Morning Prince divine,
Who came across the sulphurous flood
Obedient to that master call,
And, in Angel beauty, stood
Proud on his star-lit pedestal.
145
And tincted with a skiey hue,
The king of all the damned: the same
Who headlong from the Empyrean came,
With all his fiery cherubim,
Blasted, and millions fell with him.
He saw the dreary regions where
Eternal Chaos sate, and there
Learnt secrets of the whispering gloom,
And faced the father of the tomb,
Orcus; and many an awful thing
That comes in wild freams hovering,
Tumult, and Chance, and Discord, Fame,
And heard and saw “the dreaded name
Of Demogorgon,” and his soul
Felt the shadowy darkness roll
From night's throne, and then he told
To man those signs and wonders old.
Eternal Chaos sate, and there
Learnt secrets of the whispering gloom,
And faced the father of the tomb,
Orcus; and many an awful thing
That comes in wild freams hovering,
Tumult, and Chance, and Discord, Fame,
And heard and saw “the dreaded name
Of Demogorgon,” and his soul
Felt the shadowy darkness roll
From night's throne, and then he told
To man those signs and wonders old.
| A Sicilian Story | |