Deeper than all yet urged, a tyrant-spell, [A star is seen at the darker end of the gallery: it is stationary; and a voice is heard singing. FIRST SPIRIT. Mortal to thy bidding bow'd, Voice of the SECOND SPIRIT. Mont Blanc is the monarch of mountains; They crown'd him long ago On a throne of rocks, in a robe of clouds, Around his waist are forests braced, (1) [MS.—“ Which is fit for my pavilion."— E.] The Glacier's cold and restless mass Moves onward day by day; But I am he who bids it pass, Could make the mountain bow Voice of the THIRD SPIRIT. Her green Like the storm on the surface Came the sound of thy spells; O'er my calm Hall of Coral The deep echo roll'dTo the Spirit of Ocean Thy wishes unfold ! FOURTH SPIRIT. Where the slumbering earthquake Lies pillow'd on fire, And the lakes of bitumen Rise boilingly higher; Where the roots of the Andes (1) [MS." Or makes its ice delay.” — E] As their summits to heaven FIFTH SPIRIT. I am the Rider of the wind, The fleet I met sail'd well, and yet SIXTH SPIRIT. My dwelling is the shadow of the night, Why doth thy magic torture me with light? SEVENTH SPIRIT. The star which rules thy destiny Still rolling on with innate force, And thou! beneath its influence born- What wouldst thou, Child of Clay! with me? The SEVEN SPIRITS. Earth, ocean, air, night, mountains, winds, thy star, Are at thy beck and bidding, Child of Clay ! Before thee at thy quest their spirits are What wouldst thou with us, son of mortals-say? Man. Forgetfulness First Spirit. Of what of whom--and why? Man. Of that which is within me; read it there Ye know it, and I cannot uttér it. [sess: Spirit. We can but give thee that which we posAsk of us subjects, sovereignty, the power O'er earth, the whole, or portion, or a sign Which shall control the elements, whereof We are the dominators, each and all, These shall be thine. Man. Oblivion, self-oblivion Can ye not wring from out the hidden realms Spirit. It is not in our essence, in our skill; But-thou mayst die. Man. Will death bestow it on me Spirit. We are immortal, and do not forget; We are eternal; and to us the past Is, as the future, present. Art thou answer'd? Man. Ye mock me- but the power which brought ye here Hath made you mine. Slaves, scoff not at my will! Spirit. We answer as we answer'd; our reply Man. Why say ye so? Spirit. If, as thou say'st, thine essence be as ours, We have replied in telling thee, the thing Mortals call death hath nought to do with us. vain; Ye cannot, or ye will not, aid me. Say; Spirit. Bethink ere thou dismiss us, ask again— Kingdom, and sway, and strength, and length of days Man. Accursed! what have I to do with days?. They are too long already.-Hence-begone! Spirit. Yet pause: being here, our will would do thee service: |