THE WITCH OF ATLAS. I. BEFORE those cruel Twins, whom at one birth The pains of putting into learnèd rhyme, II. Her mother was one of the Atlantides: In his wide voyage o'er continents and seas In the warm shadow of her loveliness; He kissed her with his beams, and made all golden The chamber of grey rock in which she lay — She, in that dream of joy, dissolved away. R III. 'Tis said, she first was changed into a vapour, And then into a meteor, such as caper On hill-tops when the moon is in a fit: Then, into one of those mysterious stars Which hide themselves between the Earth and Mars. IV. Ten times the Mother of the Months had bent The sea-deserted sand-like children chidden, At her command they ever came and went— Since in that cave a dewy splendour hidden Took shape and motion: with the living form Of this embodied Power, the cave grew warm. V. A lovely lady garmented in light From her own beauty-deep her eyes, as are Two openings of unfathomable night Seen through a Temple's cloven roof-her hair Dark the dim brain whirls dizzy with delight, Picturing her form; her soft smiles shone afar, And her low voice was heard like love, and drew All living things towards this wonder new. VI. And first the spotted cameleopard came, Of his own volumes intervolved; — all gaunt VII. The brinded lioness led forth her young, That she might teach them how they should forego Their inborn thirst of death; the pard unstrung His sinews at her feet, and sought to know With looks whose motions spoke without a tongue How he might be as gentle as the doe. The magic circle of her voice and eyes All savage natures did imparadise. VIII. And old Silenus, shaking a green stick Cicada are, drunk with the noonday dew: Teazing the God to sing them something new; IX. And universal Pan, 'tis said, was there, And though none saw him,-through the adamant Of the deep mountains, through the trackless air, And through those living spirits, like a want He past out of his everlasting lair Where the quick heart of the great world doth pant, And felt that wondrous lady all alone, And she felt him, upon her emerald throne. X. And every nymph of stream and spreading tree, And quaint Priapus with his company, All came, much wondering how the enwombed rocks Could have brought forth so beautiful a birth ;Her love subdued their wonder and their mirth. XI. The herdsmen and the mountain maidens came, For she was beautiful XII. her beauty made The bright world dim, and every thing beside No thought of living spirit could abide, |