Now Strew These Minced Leaves On Me, And Passing Through Those Files Of Dead, Scatter The Same Around, And Thou Wilt See The Issue." 'Mid The Sound Of Flutes And Viols, Ravishing His Heart, Endymion From Glaucus Stood Apart, And Scatter'D In His Face Some Fragments Light. How Lightning-Swift The Change! A Youthful Wight Smiling Beneath A Coral Diadem, Out-Sparkling Sudden Like An Upturn'D Gem, Appear'D, And, Stepping To A Beauteous Corse, Kneel'D Down Beside It, And With Tenderest Force Press'D Its Cold Hand, And Wept And Scylla Sigh'D! Endymion, With Quick Hand, The Charm Applied The Nymph Arose: He Left Them To Their Joy, And Onward Went Upon His High Employ, Showering Those Powerful Fragments On The Dead. And, As He Pass'D, Each Lifted Up Its Head, As Doth A Flower At Apollo'S Touch. Death Felt It To His Inwards; 'Twas Too Much: Death Fell A Weeping In His Charnel-House. The Latmian Persever'D Along, And Thus All Were Re-Animated. There Arose A Noise Of Harmony, Pulses And Throes Of Gladness In The Air While Many, Who Had Died In Mutual Arms Devout And True, Sprang To Each Other Madly; And The Rest Felt A High Certainty Of Being Blest. They Gaz'D Upon Endymion. Enchantment Grew Drunken, And Would Have Its Head And Bent. Delicious Symphonies, Like Airy Flowers, Budded, And Swell'D, And, Full-Blown, Shed Full Showers Of Light, Soft, Unseen Leaves Of Sounds Divine. The Two Deliverers Tasted A Pure Wine Of Happiness, From Fairy-Press Ooz'D Out. Speechless They Eyed Each Other, And About The Fair Assembly Wander'D To And Fro, Distracted With The Richest Overflow Of Joy That Ever Pour'D From Heaven. "Away!" Shouted The New-Born God; "Follow, And Pay Our Piety To Neptunus Supreme!" Then Scylla, Blushing Sweetly From Her Dream, They Led On First, Bent To Her Meek Surprise, Through Portal Columns Of A Giant Size, Into The Vaulted, Boundless Emerald. Joyous All Follow'D, As The Leader Call'D, Down Marble Steps; Pouring As Easily As Hour-Glass Sand And Fast, As You Might See Swallows Obeying The South Summer'S Call, Or Swans Upon A Gentle Waterfall. Thus Went That Beautiful Multitude, Nor Far, Ere From Among Some Rocks Of Glittering Spar, Just Within Ken, They Saw Descending Thick Another Multitude. Whereat More Quick Moved Either Host. On A Wide Sand They Met, And Of Those Numbers Every Eye Was Wet; For Each Their Old Love Found. A Murmuring Rose, Like What Was Never Heard In All The Throes Of Wind And Waters: 'Tis Past Human Wit To Tell; 'Tis Dizziness To Think Of It. This Mighty Consummation Made, The Host Mov'D On For Many A League; And Gain'D, And Lost Huge Sea-Marks; Vanward Swelling In Array, And From The Rear Diminishing Away, Till A Faint Dawn Surpris'D Them. Glaucus Cried, "Behold! Behold, The Palace Of His Pride! God Neptune'S Palaces!" With Noise Increas'D, They Shoulder'D On Towards That Brightening East. At Every Onward Step Proud Domes Arose In Prospect, Diamond Gleams, And Golden Glows Of Amber 'Gainst Their Faces Levelling. Joyous, And Many As The Leaves In Spring, Still Onward; Still The Splendour Gradual Swell'D. Rich Opal Domes Were Seen, On High Upheld By Jasper Pillars, Letting Through Their Shafts A Blush Of Coral. Copious Wonder-Draughts Each Gazer Drank; And Deeper Drank More Near: For What Poor Mortals Fragment Up, As Mere As Marble Was There Lavish, To The Vast Of One Fair Palace, That Far Far Surpass'D, Even For Common Bulk, Those Olden Three, Memphis, And Babylon, And Nineveh. As Large, As Bright, As Colour'D As The Bow Of Iris, When Unfading It Doth Shew Beyond A Silvery Shower, Was The Arch Through Which This Paphian Army Took Its March, Into The Outer Courts Of Neptune'S State: Whence Could Be Seen, Direct, A Golden Gate, To Which The Leaders Sped; But Not Half Raught Ere It Burst Open Swift As Fairy Thought, And Made Those Dazzled Thousands Veil Their Eyes Like Callow Eagles At The First Sunrise. Soon With An Eagle Nativeness Their Gaze Ripe From Hue-Golden Swoons Took All The Blaze, And Then, Behold! Large Neptune On His Throne Of Emerald Deep: Yet Not Exalt Alone; At His Right Hand Stood Winged Love, And On His Left Sat Smiling Beauty'S Paragon. Far As The Mariner On Highest Mast Can See All Round Upon The Calmed Vast, So Wide Was Neptune'S Hall: And As The Blue Doth Vault The Waters, So The Waters Drew Their Doming Curtains, High, Magnificent, Aw'D From The Throne Aloof; And When Storm-Rent Disclos'D The Thunder-Gloomings In Jove'S Air; But Sooth'D As Now, Flash'D Sudden Everywhere, Noiseless, Sub-Marine Cloudlets, Glittering Death To A Human Eye: For There Did Spring From Natural West, And East, And South, And North, A Light As Of Four Sunsets, Blazing Forth A Gold-Green Zenith 'Bove The Sea-God'S Head. Of Lucid Depth The Floor, And Far Outspread As Breezeless Lake, On Which The Slim Canoe Of Feather'D Indian Darts About, As Through The Delicatest Air: Air Verily, But For The Portraiture Of Clouds And Sky: This Palace Floor Breath-Air, But For The Amaze Of Deep-Seen Wonders Motionless, And Blaze Of The Dome Pomp, Reflected In Extremes, Globing A Golden Sphere. They Stood In Dreams Till Triton Blew His Horn. The Palace Rang; The Nereids Danc'D; The Syrens Faintly Sang; And The Great Sea-King Bow'D His Dripping Head. Then Love Took Wing, And From His Pinions Shed On All The Multitude A Nectarous Dew. The Ooze-Born Goddess Beckoned And Drew Fair Scylla And Her Guides To Conference; And When They Reach'D The Throned Eminence She Kist The Sea-Nymph'S Cheek, Who Sat Her Down A Toying With The Doves. Then, "Mighty Crown And Sceptre Of This Kingdom!" Venus Said, "Thy Vows Were On A Time To Nais Paid: Behold!" Two Copious Tear-Drops Instant Fell From The God'S Large Eyes; He Smil'D Delectable, And Over Glaucus Held His Blessing Hands. "Endymion! Ah! Still Wandering In The Bands Of Love? Now This Is Cruel. Since The Hour I Met Thee In Earth'S Bosom, All My Power Have I Put Forth To Serve Thee. What, Not Yet Escap'D From Dull Mortality'S Harsh Net? A Little Patience, Youth! 'Twill Not Be Long, Or I Am Skilless Quite: An Idle Tongue, A Humid Eye, And Steps Luxurious, Where These Are New And Strange, Are Ominous. Aye, I Have Seen These Signs In One Of Heaven, When Others Were All Blind; And Were I Given To Utter Secrets, Haply I Might Say Some Pleasant Words: But Love Will Have His Day. So Wait Awhile Expectant. Pr'Ythee Soon, Even In The Passing Of Thine Honey-Moon, Visit My Cytherea: Thou Wilt Find Cupid Well-Natured, My Adonis Kind; And Pray Persuade With Thee Ah, I Have Done, All Blisses Be Upon Thee, My Sweet Son!" Thus The Fair Goddess: While Endymion Knelt To Receive Those Accents Halcyon. Meantime A Glorious Revelry Began Before The Water-Monarch. Nectar Ran In Courteous Fountains To All Cups Outreach'D; And Plunder'D Vines, Teeming Exhaustless, Pleach'D New Growth About Each Shell And Pendent Lyre; The Which, In Disentangling For Their Fire, Pull'D Down Fresh Foliage And Coverture For Dainty Toying. Cupid, Empire-Sure, Flutter'D And Laugh'D, And Oft-Times Through The Throng Made A Delighted Way. Then Dance, And Song, And Garlanding Grew Wild; And Pleasure Reign'D. In Harmless Tendril They Each Other Chain'D, And Strove Who Should Be Smother'D Deepest In Fresh Crush Of Leaves. O 'Tis A Very Sin For One So Weak To Venture His Poor Verse In Such A Place As This. O Do Not Curse, High Muses! Let Him Hurry To The Ending. All Suddenly Were Silent. A Soft Blending Of Dulcet Instruments Came Charmingly; And Then A Hymn. "King Of The Stormy Sea! Brother Of Jove, And Co-Inheritor Of Elements! Eternally Before Thee The Waves Awful Bow. Fast, Stubborn Rock, At Thy Fear'D Trident Shrinking, Doth Unlock Its Deep Foundations, Hissing Into Foam. All Mountain-Rivers Lost, In The Wide Home Of Thy Capacious Bosom Ever Flow. Thou Frownest, And Old Eolus Thy Foe Skulks To His Cavern, 'Mid The Gruff Complaint Of All His Rebel Tempests. Dark Clouds Faint When, From Thy Diadem, A Silver Gleam Slants Over Blue Dominion. Thy Bright Team Gulphs In The Morning Light, And Scuds Along To Bring Thee Nearer To That Golden Song Apollo Singeth, While His Chariot Waits At The Doors Of Heaven. Thou Art Not For Scenes Like This: An Empire Stern Hast Thou; And It Hath Furrow'D That Large Front: Yet Now, As Newly Come Of Heaven, Dost Thou Sit To Blend And Interknit Subdued Majesty With This Glad Time. O Shell-Borne King Sublime! We Lay Our Hearts Before Thee Evermore We Sing, And We Adore! "Breathe Softly, Flutes; Be Tender Of Your Strings, Ye Soothing Lutes; Nor Be The Trumpet Heard! O Vain, O Vain; Not Flowers Budding In An April Rain, Nor Breath Of Sleeping Dove, Nor River'S Flow, No, Nor The Eolian Twang Of Love'S Own Bow, Can Mingle Music Fit For The Soft Ear Of Goddess Cytherea! Yet Deign, White Queen Of Beauty, Thy Fair Eyes On Our Souls' Sacrifice. "Bright-Winged Child! Who Has Another Care When Thou Hast Smil'D? Unfortunates On Earth, We See At Last All Death-Shadows, And Glooms That Overcast Our Spirits, Fann'D Away By Thy Light Pinions. O Sweetest Essence! Sweetest Of All Minions! God Of Warm Pulses, And Dishevell'D Hair, And Panting Bosoms Bare! Dear Unseen Light In Darkness! Eclipser Of Light In Light! Delicious Poisoner! Thy Venom'D Goblet Will We Quaff Until We Fill We Fill! And By Thy Mother'S Lips " Was Heard No More For Clamour, When The Golden Palace Door Opened Again, And From Without, In Shone A New Magnificence. On Oozy Throne Smooth-Moving Came Oceanus The Old, To Take A Latest Glimpse At His Sheep-Fold, Before He Went Into His Quiet Cave To Muse For Ever Then A Lucid Wave, Scoop'D From Its Trembling Sisters Of Mid-Sea, Afloat, And Pillowing Up The Majesty Of Doris, And The Egean Seer, Her Spouse Next, On A Dolphin, Clad In Laurel Boughs, Theban Amphion Leaning On His Lute: His Fingers Went Across It All Were Mute To Gaze On Amphitrite, Queen Of Pearls, And Thetis Pearly Too. The Palace Whirls Around Giddy Endymion; Seeing He Was There Far Strayed From Mortality. He Could Not Bear It Shut His Eyes In Vain; Imagination Gave A Dizzier Pain. "O I Shall Die! Sweet Venus, Be My Stay! Where Is My Lovely Mistress? Well-Away! I Die I Hear Her Voice I Feel My Wing " At Neptune'S Feet He Sank. A Sudden Ring Of Nereids Were About Him, In Kind Strife To Usher Back His Spirit Into Life: But Still He Slept. At Last They Interwove Their Cradling Arms, And Purpos'D To Convey Towards A Crystal Bower Far Away. Lo! While Slow Carried Through The Pitying Crowd, To His Inward Senses These Words Spake Aloud; Written In Star-Light On The Dark Above: Dearest Endymion! My Entire Love! How Have I Dwelt In Fear Of Fate: 'Tis Done Immortal Bliss For Me Too Hast Thou Won. Arise Then! For The Hen-Dove Shall Not Hatch Her Ready Eggs, Before I'Ll Kissing Snatch Thee Into Endless Heaven. Awake! Awake! The Youth At Once Arose: A Placid Lake Came Quiet To His Eyes; And Forest Green, Cooler Than All The Wonders He Had Seen, Lull'D With Its Simple Song His Fluttering Breast. How Happy Once Again In Grassy Nest!