Chapter III: Canto I: I

O child of earth, who treads this mortal life
With weary steps, and turmoil hard to bear,
Forego, if e’er ye can, your care, and strife,
The sigh oppressive, and the trickling tear;
A truce for once to every anxious fear,
Let Fancy brighten up the passing hour;
Fain would she lead you in her flight’s career,
From noyance free, and cloud seen dark to low’r,
To spend your pleasant time ’neath her enchanting bow’r.

II.

Far tow’ring seen, a lofty palace rose,
Where stately cedars thick embow’ring grew;
A spot that some fell wizard would have chose,
So hid it was to gaze of public view;
At least the bustling world scarce of it knew,
And yet I ween it was a lovely spot;
The site once known it all enticed drew,
Whose blandishments made mortals bless their lot,--
More like to Arcady, fabled of old, I wot.

III.

Straight issued forth from yonder postern gate,
Mounted on dappled steed that paw’d the ground,
A strange, fantastic varlet, clad in state,
Big with importance, and with look profound,
While at his back there slung a horn to sound;
Part herald seem’d he in his gold attire,
And Mercury liken to as glanced he round;
A Sir Knight more to wonder than admire,
And yet his bearing showed no post in sooth stood higher.

IV.

Eftsoons, he ’gan his clarion loud to blow,
That bade with startling sound the welkin ring;
Anon a tide of gaping folk did flow,
With wonder filled, all eager hastening;
In troth it was a goodly gathering
That soon around Sir Herald forced their way;
Yet ere his mandate speech essayed to bring,
He waited for the crowd’s rude noise to stay,
Then blew again his horn, he brooked no more delay.

V.

“Ye toiling race, whose careworn visage tell
Of nights and days your wasted life hath led,
Know that I come with message to dispel
The gloomy dulness that seems on ye shed,
Whose scanty pittance makes ye poorly fed;
Dan Fantasy, my lord, in clemency,
Hath sped me to announce both board and bed,
With gracious ingress sent to all, and free
To range his spacious bounds, that ye may happy be.

VI.

“Yet one injunction I must first enforce,
Ere I admit you to my lord’s domain,
That you no outbreak wilful have recourse,
And from disorder you must needs refrain,
If ye for entrance hope without restrain;
Though ye at large may stray, free as the wind,
Be not too lavish when ye freedom gain,
For though Dan Fantasy’s indulgent kind,
You will, if ye transgress, a stinging scorpion find.”

VII.

Thus warned, Sir Herald turned his palfrey’s head,
His high behest accomplished, and fair speech;
Through postern way the panting crowd he led,
That did essay the entrance proud to reach,
Whose clamour loud enforced him silence preach.
And to their noisy mirth give some restrain;
Though little heeded they what he did teach,
’Till yonder marble porch was seen full plain,
When discord ceased, lest they should no admittance gain.

VIII.

Yon gorgeous structure that they now drew near,
Stood out in vast proportions, huge and bold,
Whose architectural contour did appear
Of various orders formed in beauty’s mould;
Doric and Saxon did the eye behold,
And columns fair Corinthian there uprose;
With windows carved in Gothic semblance old;
More like to what some gnome king would have chose,--
A genii’s palace seen at twilight eve’s repose.

IX.

No sooner had the motley gathered fry,
Like swarm of bees toward the entrance strove,
Than they with speed ’gan mount the steps hard by,
That in one flight continuous rose above;
When lo! the lofty portal ’gan to move,
And ope its ponderous sides ’mid radiance bright.
But ere right leave they had within to rove,
They must be shorn of their ungainly plight,
And doff their garments rude, and show more seemly sight.

X.

With that, the ragged troop were silent led
To ante-room, to change their outward gear.
Their strange conductor courtly bowed his head,
And eke soon furnished each with robes to wear;
While oft his eye, with sprightly gaze and leer,
Watched the deep motion of their wond’ring sight,
As deftly he the costliest made appear;
And like some varlet or mischievous wight,
So chuckled he Sir Page to see their alter’d plight.

XI.

He was, I ween, an elfish-looking wight,
With satin doublet slashed of velvet rare;
Agile in shape, half human and half sprite,
And yet, withal, a page-like look and air,
Showed gracefully, ’neath plumed cap he did wear.
A goodly personage, to boot, was he,
To shine at courts and royal favour share;
Or doff right low, and drop on bended knee,
Where lowly grace yblent with that of high degree.

XII.

Straightway he led them ’long the corridor,
Like guests equipped to meet invite of host;
Nor lingered they, but paced the marble floor,
And followed close the imp-like gliding ghost,
Whose flitting movements quick they almost lost,
And cross’d the hall resplendent once again;
Such circuit made as if exploring coast,
When right before them stood the entrance plain,
While in his pageship went an audience to obtain.

XIII.

He soon returned with gracious beck’ning smile,
That show’d his mission had accomplished been,
When he his lord’s fair pleasure spake awhile,
In words announcing “They might enter in,
And yet discreetly, and withouten din.”
This was the tenor of his high command,
“No Babel discord was allowed within,
On sure infliction of a scourging brand;”
For nought so chafed his Grace, whose nature else was bland.

XIV.

Awhile adjusting their disordered dress,
Late somewhat ruffled by their hurried speed;
The wide saloon admits the eager press,
Who under guidance in slow rank proceed,
When to their ear came dulcet pipe or reed,
That in the distance seem’d to die away,
And thrill’d the heart it did emove indeed
With sounds whose swelling notes brooked no delay,
But took the imprison’d soul and held it in its sway.

XV.

Meantime, upon their vision sudden fell
A lustrous light all dazzling to behold,
As if transported by enchanter’s spell
To scenes like that of famed Aladdin told,
Where lamps aglittering hung like burnish’d gold;
Anon, the lofty and capacious dome
Rose to the view in vast dimensions bold,
Akin to that famed cupola of Rome
That struck frail pigmy man, lost in its greatness dumb.

XVI.

The walls on each side hung with tapestry,
On amber ground in divers colours wove,
By fairy fingers wrought so marvellously,
Liken to what a Linwood’s needle strove
By art to charm, and each emotion move;
There nymphs and fawns half hid ’neath foliage seen,
Alist’ning Pan’s sweet pipe amid the grove,
And flocks white fleeced that cropped th’ unsullied green,
With fair Sicilian maids, made one Arcadian scene.

XVII.

And there were Druids by the gnarled oak,
Attendant seen on their night mysteries deep,
Mid torchlight’s gleam there awful did invoke,
As thro’ their scattered locks the winds did sweep,
Wild were their looks while orgies dread they keep
With blood-stained arms their muttered spells yblent,
And round their victim in contortion leap,
No living voice, nor sound, but theirs ylent,
Save wood, dark-stream, and blast, like genii moaned assent.

XVIII.

There eftsoons pricked his way thro’ forest glade,
A belted knight intent on val’rous deed,
With coat of mail well armed and trusty blade,
Borne graceful onward by his snorting steed,
Proud curveting impatient to proceed;
While merry woodsman with sharp bill and bow,
Blithe as the lark that carols ’bove his head;
Ere chariot wheels of Phœbus ’gan to glow,
Is seen thro’ brushwood copse to start the bounding roe.

XIX.

The caravan of Eastern climes was there,
O’er desert sands pursued its lengthened rout,
With stately camels bearing burthen rare,
Led in advance by wild accoutred scout,
Armed to protect or track the streamlet sought,
Certes to them a cheering welcome sound,
Delicious more to those who suffer drought
From barren soil where stream can scarce be found,
No bale so sad have they, whose land with springs abound.

XX.

Daughters of Ind’ were seen with glossy skin,
And Hindoo maids in deep prostration knelt,
Where wide spread Ganges’ rolling waves did shine,
Besides its banks the sacred influence felt,
Whose treasured stream the adoring soul ymelt;
There devotees in thronging groups repair,
While others sought where lonely Dervise dwelt,
Him to engage and lead devotion’s prayer
’Neath palm trees lovely shade, skreened from the noontide glare.

XXI.

For tapestry, pictorial grace displayed,
Creative art wrought out by sylvan hand,
Not painter’s skill like Angelo’s portrayed,
Colours more brilliant than did there expand,
In sooth there rose as if by fairy’s wand,
That legion fair yclept mount Helicon,
Where pearly streams enriched that pleasant land,
That flowed from Hippocrene’s pure fountain known,
And kiss’d the flow’ry mead in dalliance as it roune.

XXII.

While round about that rugged mountain side,
Some climb’d the steep, to breathe empyrean air,
And did essay to view the landscape wide,
Tho’ few could in that dainty prospect share,
Save gifted spirits born with genius rare,
Who soaring ’mid the clouds empurpled hue
Their pastime joy’d in that ethereal sphere,
Where floating shapes yblent in that clear blue,
That light as gossamer each other did pursue.

XXIII.

There straight the moving crowd did eke behold,
A spot of land that overhung the sea,
That bounded sparkling to that nook like gold,
So bright the waves ran murm’ring pleasantly,
While there uprose a lofty promont’ry,
On which a tall and sable figure stood,
And yet withal a startling dignity,
As one not ’habitant of earth:--the flood
Drew fixed that being’s gaze, who seemed not flesh and blood.

XXIV.

And there the eye it fell on frowning wood,
On mountain blue that did its form disclose,
With precipice and rugged causeway rude,
Where plunged the restless stream without repose;
That from its pebbly bed in spray uprose,
Seen thro’ yon vale of loveliness to wind
Thro’ ’bosky dell,’ its sinuous course to lose,
There wandered lone the thoughtful lettered hind,
’Mid sylvan glades and scenes whose charm delight the mind.

XXV.

And they had longer gazed the wond’ring crowd,
As with emblazoned skill each picture rose,
Had not the varlet troop heard summons loud,
That, hastening, urged their audience not ylose;
Which gracious mandate they may not refuse,
As they at once quick marshall’d by Sir Page,
No parley held, but did the offer choose,
Right glad such condescension did engage
Them as his honour’s guests, who seemed both lord and sage.

XXVI.

There sat Dan Fantasy in lofty state,
To whose ascending throne the group drew near,
On each side ranged the Graces on him wait,
Aonian maidens of the fountain clear;
While he a crown of dazzling stars did wear,
Like to Urania’s diadem of night,
His brows with laurel graced did eke appear,
A sky-blue tunic formed his vestment bright,
O’er which a saffron robe, like summer’s air, fell light.

XXVII.

And there were instruments of music brought,
With dulcet sounds that could enchantment wake;
But chief the lyre, the soul enthrilling caught,
And all its tones of sweetness did partake,
Harmonic chords, that one Elysium make;
The Thalian sock and buskin were displayed,
And mask, that caused the sides with laughter shake,
The lyric song, and pastoral, scattered laid,
And there the Homeric muse, the lofty mind portrayed.

XXVIII.

With hurried glance they scarce had time to scan
Those fond pursuits that did Sir Dan employ,
Ere through the long saloon a whisp’ring ran,
That did delight them with a pleasing joy;
Not children blithe so hankered after toy,
When known it was his Grace would shortly speak,
And give them full invite without annoy,
Whose thought did o’er their weary spirits break,
Like cheerful matin dawn, that doth th’ horizon streak.

XXIX.

“Ye care-worn, toiling race,” he thus began,
“In moody dulness doomed to moil for bread,
Children of earth, to soothe, if soothe I can,
Your thorny path, and cheer your drooping head;
And if my art have power, some sunshine shed;
For you my anxious breast oft heav’d the sigh,
When to your fate my roving thoughts were led;
Sad fate! like brutes immured in filthy sty,
Ye seemed to grovel on, nor cared to live or die.

XXX.

“What could entice ye pent in loathsome den,
From dawn of day to shadowy close of eve,
A charnel-house of labour, choked with men,
Women, and children wan; ye may perceive
The factory stalking-ghosts, here doomed to weave
For their employer’s wealth; poor recompense
The dole dealt out, for loss of health to grieve,
And ling’ring groan, sad poverty’s offence,
Their shorten’d thread of life ’neath want and abstinence.

XXXI.

“What pleasure is there in your drudgery found,
Like mere machines in motion set, I trow,
That go the same unvaried, sick’ning round,
The mind as dull, without an ebb or flow,
Stagnant, that scarce the vital spark doth show,
Like him, immersed in wildering ledger huge,
Pores o’er the page, to cast if right or no,
With addled brain, that few can envious grudge,
His unrequited pains, poor pate-disturbed drudge!

XXXII.

“’Twas thus in pity I beheld your state,
Abject, forlorn, without one cheering ray;
A very mole, as blind, with sluggish gait,
That seemed to burrow on your plodding way;
A cold existence, dragging through the day;
Which led me thus some pastime search for you,
Creation of my brain that sometimes stray,
And doth its airy pageantry pursue,
Till Fiction’s ideal dream starts into life anew.

XXXIII.

“And tho’ I would your leaden thoughts engage,
And thro’ their darken’d cell some light infuse,
To lead the spirit to th’ illumed page
Of Fancy’s scroll, immortal to amuse;
For you unroll its mysteries to peruse
Like that of Herculanean hidden found,
Yet without guidance sooth to wander loose
My rule forbids; your flight Pegasian bound,
Nor too adventurous be to soar the deep profound.

XXXIV.

“One have I chosen as your trusty guide,
The dear companion of my lonely hours;
Whose converse soothe like waters heard to glide,
Gurgling melodious ’mong Aonian flowers;
He will conduct you to my pleasant bowers,
And thread the windings of my loved retreat
As with a silken clue; whose playful powers
With bland discourse your ravished ear shall greet,
That ye, ymolten, will hang on his words, I weet.”

XXXV.

With that, Dan Fantasy, with beck’ning smile
That caught the twinkling eye of gifted bard,
Who left his darling pastime to beguile
The fleeting hours (his unalloyed reward),
To give attendance and bestow regard,
As his right honoured lord would have him show;
In troth he felt it was a boon conferr’d
He would not slight or willingly forego,
But do his best to please, and all his art bestow.

XXXVI.

Clad in a costume loose, half _negligée_,
In flowing robe like scribe he did appear;
His forehead high o’ergraced with fadeless bay,
While stray wild locks did ’neath his bonnet peer,
Which he unconscious seemed to careless wear;
His thoughts engaged seen in his dark fixed eye,
That dwelt enraptured on the ideal near
Creations of the mind that flitted by,
Whom he dismiss’d anon, to lead the company.

XXXVII.

Led by the bard the press fast followed close,
Whose voices heard to marvel as they went,
Wond’ring the winding passages he chose,
As tho’ he would the building circumvent;
Marshalling the way as one on purpose bent
Softly descending on an inclined plane,
’Mid glimmering light, and mute astonishment,
Until a high-arched doorway straight they gain,
At which they waiting stood admittance to obtain.

XXXVIII.

When straight the minstrel bard his girdle sought,
Whereon a brazen key with others slung,
Which he at once, as if by custom taught,
Essayed to use, when back, loud grating, flung
The portal wide, on massy hinges hung;
That to a flight of lengthened steps ylead,
Down which their way groped cautiously ymong
Deep vaulted chambers, by the pale ray shed,
Of flickering lamps disclosed a subterranean bed.

XXXIX.

O’er whose rough, rugged, surface, straggling went
The wand’ring troop, like pioneers in search
If outlet could be found; thus vent’rous bent,
So hardy missing seamen left in lurch,
Thro’ weary cavern’s length do wend their march;
Until an opening they descried in view,
Thus they with toil hard struggling sought to reach,
And gladly hail’d it, as they nearer drew,
Like coast explorers, when the right track they pursue.

XL.

Escaped the dark and vaulted cavern way,
Before their ken a wondrous scene arose,
Stretching far off, a wide extended bay,
Like that of Naples, sunk in soft repose;
The silvery wave, did there itself ylose
’Mong coral reefs, heard murm’ring sweet to run;
And pearly sands that did that beach compose,
There seen to glow the newly risen sun
Tracking yon orient sky his bright march had begun.

XLI.

High overhead on one side shaggy frowned,
With horrid front, a huge promont’ry bold,
Around whose base a shelt’ring cove was found,
Where treasured heaps, deposited of old,
Here in their bed hath slumbered where they rolled;
Things prized of earth,--the miser’s glittering hoard,
Vessels of silver, ingots, bars of gold;
Caskets of dazzling gems, once lost, appeared,
The hoardings of the deep, that glittered undisturbed.

XLII.

Wending their course by path to them unknown,
The bard still led with thoughtful steps the way,
Until they gained a causeway faced with stone,
O’er which they passed withouten more delay,
Between two cliffs upreared that frowned dismay;
That to a giant archway straightway led,
Diluvian old, that did invite to stray,
Through which a dimly burning light was shed,
Like that sepulchral gleam that hovers o’er the dead.

XLIII.

This hollow way, cut through the womb of earth,
Wrought out alone by Nature’s secret hand,
In elder time primeval took its birth,
That cast in shade the work of delving band,
Of earth’s industrious miners, wondrous plann’d;
Showing the various strata ’bove arrayed,
Layer of clay, with marl, and chalky land,
With petrifactions curious time hath made,
In undisturbed repose, as they had ever laid.

XLIV.

Through archway rude an outlet last they found,
Like some old porch by Saxon built of yore,
By which amazed, they entering gazed around,
Scene of enchantment that did on them pour;
From whose high dazzling roof, and pearly floor,
There flashed a radiance wondrous to behold,
Liken to romance read in ancient lore,
Of fell magician, or enchanter bold,
Who doth with waving wand a fairy scene unfold.

XLV.

From that o’erfretted roof suspended hung,
Fair lustres bright, with crystal branches spread,
A thousand lights from each their radiance flung,
That fairy-like a dazzling whiteness shed
On what seemed temples reared with spiral head,
Towers and glorious fanes, with nodding groves,
Landscapes far seen, with waters’ glassy bed,
In every form of beauty, fancy roves,
Where Nature secret works, moulds, fashions as she loves.

XLVI.

Colossal-like, the sparry columns rose,
Tow’ring above in awful grandeur seen,
Magnificent as Staffa in repose,
When gliding moonbeams gild its glorious scene,
Resting in shadow of a deep serene;
Whose span of arch, more beautiful to gaze,
Did seem against the blue vault sky to lean,
That bade th’ abstracted spirit upward raise
One full entranced look of wonder and amaze.

XLVII.

From their revering gaze called off straightway,
By hast’ning footsteps of delighted bard,
Who bade the troop behold without delay,
These hidden marvels of the earth’s deep hoard,
Which time ere long would them no sight afford,
As other scenes the surface globe would claim,
Himself their Cicerone, his proud reward,
Thro’ fancy’s medium point man’s highest aim;
To one supreme great Cause, ah! this the poet’s fame.

XLVIII.

The threshold passed of that awe-stricken cave,
They wend their way that to a grotto led,
Inlaid with that light roamer of the wave,
The pearl-white nautilus, where conches spread
In wild profusion glitt’ring overhead
That formed a concave roof of sea-shells rare,
Like fair Calypso’s grot with moss-green bed,
And overhanging woodbine did appear,
A cool inviting spot, screened from the noon-tide glare.

XLIX.

There sat them down their weary limbs to rest,
While on their ear a sound of waters played,
Melodious rippling that becalmed the breast,
As the fresh fountain from its channel laved,
Each several spring there stood a nymph-clad naiad
Of brook and stream, Aonian sisters fair,
Who here, the cool translucent wave conveyed
From its pure source, their pastime-tending care,
O’er which they did preside, with glossy, dripping hair.

L.

Fair deities of limpid pool and spring,
The watercourse that through the valleys run;
Cold, dropping wells, that give their offering,
With rivulets that sparkle in the sun,
Wind among hills the sunny glare to shun,
From these fresh virgin founts, rivers arise,
The rolling Danube’s swelling course began,
Wide spreading Ganges, found ’neath eastern skies,
While dark Missouri flowed, proud as the swarth Ind’s eyes.

LI.

“Thus have I shown ye,” spake at last their guide,
“The hidden wonders of the earth’s deep veins,
To where my Lord Dan Fantasy doth glide,
When the calm spirit of reflection reigns;
And lonely solitude, here sought, obtains;
Marvels of Nature’s secret working seen,
Which I have e’en disclosed with muckle pains,
Knowledge with pleasure as ye scann’d each scene,
This was the object dear unto my heart I ween.”

LII.

With that the attentive group he onward led,
By other path, a steep ascending way,
Travelling thro’ gloom, a dusky twilight spread;
Nor dark, nor light, an intermittent ray,
That show’d far off a speck like glimpse of day;
To which wished point their eager footsteps bend,
Like those who thro’ a lengthened cavern stray,
Right pleased when they can just descry the end,
Then urge their laggard speed, with freshened spirits wend.

LIII.

Th’ outlet found of this their arduous toil,
Far distant seen, though now at last attained,
With expectation raised ’neath sweat and moil,
As those who through a wood intricate, gained
Some lofty eminence; where, unrestrained,
The widening prospect opened to their view;
Such champaign fair the eager troop far-kenned,
Luxuriant spread, hill, mountain, valley drew
The eyes’ fond gaze; that swept the deep unclouded blue.

LIV.

Cities and towns with lofty turrets rose,
The busy haunts of man with commerce spread,
Seen on the horizon’s verge in soft repose,
With forest huge that lifts its waving head,
And sinuous course of mighty streams thus led,
That fertile flowed to irrigate the land,
Majestic bounding swell’d the ocean bed;
To these the kindling poet waved the hand,
Their panoramic beauties drew with accents bland.

LV.

“To these I will your mute attention claim,”
(At which his listening audit’ry gave ear),
“While thus I draw by pleasant paths my aim,
And make instruction more invite appear;
I do propose to bring your vision near,
That we descend this green mount’s sloping side,
Myself each object may define more clear,
For ’tis my _art_, in which I do confide,
To give the ideal life a local name beside.

LVI.

“But fain, I must, before ye make descent,
Direct your vision’s utmost farthest gaze,
To Andes’ lofty chain in wonderment;
Let fancy’s pinion have her flights amaze,
And here her eager sight enchanted raise,
Lost in the greatness of its vast extent,
Of Chimborazo’s height commanding praise,
Loftiest ’mong lesser hills of beauty blent;
Yet now I would call off on further progress bent.

LVII.

With that he led them down the vale beneath,
Sweet spot like Enna’s soft enchanting scene,
Where flushed Adonis flow’r with perfumed breath,
And roses wild sprang up ’mong hillocks green;
In loveliness of beauty, gathering seen
To pluck half hid Sicilia’s flowery mead,
Persephone herself, the fairest queen,
Who drew the gloomy eye of Pluto dread,
Thus snatched from violet banks to dwell among the dead.

CANTO II.

ARGUMENT.

Four ways leading to Nature, Literature, Art, and Science--The
Entrance Porch of Nature Portrayed--Alpine Scenery--Polar
Regions--The Torrent--The Atlantic Ocean--A Ship tossed by the
Waves, and a Calm--The Gorge, Jungfrau--Floating Islands and Hot
Wells--Staffa--Fingal’s Cave--Lake of Killarney--The Isle of
Skye--Jura and the Lake of Geneva--Digression--Object and Aim
proposed--Progress continued--The Forest--Wild Beasts’ Lair--The
Constrictor--The Contrast in reference to Eden--Millennium--The
Discourse--The Grove and Lovely Valley--Variety of Nature
unexplored--The Poet’s Instruction.