1653. Robert Southey to Walter Savage Landor, 13 July 1809*

16.

When the broad Ocean on Ladurlad’s head,Had closed & arch’d him oer,With steady tread he held his wayAdown the sloping shore.The dark-green waves with emerald hueImbue the beams of day;And on the wrinkled sand below.Rolling their mazy network to & fro,Light shadows shift & play.The hungry shark at scent of preyToward Ladurlad darted,Beholding then that human form erect,How like a God the depths he trodAppalld the sea-wolf startedAnd in his fear departedOnward Ladurlad went with heart elateAnd now hath reachd the ancient Citys gate

Wondering awhile he stood to gazeUpon the works of elder days.The brazen portals open stoodEven as the fearful multitude Had left them when they fledBefore the rising flood.High overhead sublimeThe mighty arch its storied vault outspreadWhich dwarfd the puny piles of younger time.With the deeds of days of yoreThe ample arch was sculpturd oerAnd many a godlike form there met his eye,And many an emblem dark of mystery.Thro these wide portals oft had Bali rodeTriumphant from his proud abode,When in his greatness he bestrodeThe Aullay, hugest of four-footed kind,The Aullay-horse that in his forceWith elephantine trunk could bindAnd lift the elephant, & on the windWhirl him away, with sway & swingEven like a pebble from the practised sling.

Those streets which never since the days of yoreBy human footstep had been visited,These streets which never moreA human foot shall tread,Ladurlad trod. In sunlight & sea-greenThe thousand palaces were seenOf that proud city whose superb abodesSeemd reard by Giants for the immortal Gods.How silent & how beautiful they standLike Kings of Nature, – the eternal rocksThemselves not firmer. Neither hath the sandDrifted within their gates & choakd their doors,Nor slime defild their pavements & their floorsDid then the Ocean wageHis war for love & envy, not in rageO thou fair City, that he spares thee thus?Art thou Varounins capital & CourtWhere all the Sea-Gods for delight resort,A place too godlike to be held by usThe poor degenerate children of the earth?A feeble wretched race of dwarfish birth.So thought Ladurlad, & he lookd around,Weening to hear the soundOf mermaids shell, & songOf choral throng, from some imperial hallWherein the Immortal Powers at festivalTheir high carousals keep.But all is silence dread,Silence profound & deadThe everlasting stillness of the deep.

Thro many a solitary streetAnd silent market-place & lonely square,Armd with the mighty curse, behold him fare.And now his feet attain the imperial faneWhere Bali held of old his aweful reignWhat once had been the Garden spread around,Fair Gardens, once which wore perpetual greenWhere all sweet flowers thro all the year were foundAnd all fair fruits were thro all seasons seenA place of Paradise where each deviceOf emulous Art with Nature sought to vie,And Nature on her partDisplayd new powers wherewith to vanquish ArtThe Swerga-God himself with envious eyeSurveyd those peerless Gardens in their primeNor ever did the Lord of LightWho circles Earth & Heaven upon his wayBehold from eldest time a goodlier sightThan where the groves which Bali in his mightMade for his chosen palace of solace & delight

It was a Garden still beyond all priceEven yet it was a place of ParadiseFor where the mighty Ocean could not spareThere had he with his own creationSought to repair his work of devastationAnd here were coral bowersAnd grots of madrepores,And beds of sponge as soft & fairAs moss which erst grew there.And here were living flowersWhich like a bud compactedTheir purple cups contractedAnd now in open blossom spread.Stretched like green anthers many a seeking headAnd arborets of jointed stone were there,And plants of fibres fine as silkworms threadYea beautiful as mermaids golden hairUpon the waves dispread;Others that like the broad banana growingRaisd their long wrinkled leaves of purple hueLike streamers wide out-flowing.And whatsoeer the depths of Ocean hideFrom human eyes, Ladurlad there espied,Trees of the deep, & shrubs & fruits, & flowersAs fair as oursWherewith the Sea-Nymphs love their locks to braid,When to their Fathers hall at festivalRepairing, they in emulous arrayTheir charms displayTo grace the banquet & the solemn day.

The golden fountains had not ceasd to flow,And where they mingled with the briny sea,There was a sight of wonder & delightTo see the fish, like birds in airAbove Ladurlad flying.Round those strange waters they repair;Their scarlet fins outspread & flyingThey float with gentle motion there;And now upon those little wings,As if to dare forbidden thingsWith xxx wilful purpose bent,Swift as an arrow from a bowThey dart across, & to & froIn rapid glance like lightning goThro that unwonted element.Almost at scenes so wonderous fairLadurlad had forgotThe mighty cause which led him there;His busy eye was every where,His mind had lost all thought,His heart surrendered to the joysOf sight was happy as a boys.But soon the awakening thought recursOf him who in the sepulchresHopeless of human aid in chains is laid,And her who on the shoreBy night & day her weary watch will keepTill she shall see them issue from the deep.

Now hath Ladurlad reached the CourtOf the Great Palace of the King; its floorWas of the solid rock, & there beforeThe imperial doorA mighty Image on the steps was laid,Of stature huge, of countenance serene;A crown & sceptre at his feet were laid;One hand a scroll displayd,The other pointed there, that all might see,My name is Death, it said,In mercy have the Gods appointed me.Two brazen gates beneath him night & dayStood open; & within them you beholdDescending steps which in the living stoneWere hewn, a spacious wayDown to the Chambers of the Kings of old.

Trembling with hope the adventurous man descendsThe sea green light of dayNot far along the vault extended;But where the slant reflection endedAnother light was seenOf red & fiery hue,That with the water blendedAnd gave the secrets of the Tombs to view

Deep in the marble rock the HallOf Death was hollowed out, a chamber wideLow-roofd & long. On either sideEach in his own alcove & on his throneThe Kings of old were seated; in his handEach held the sceptre of commandFrom whence across the scene of endless nightA carbuncle diffused its everlasting light

So well had the embalmers done their partWith spice & precious unguents to imbueThe perfect corpse, that each had still the hueOf living man; & every limb was stillSupple & firm & full, as when of yoreIts motion answered to the moving will.The robes of royalty which once they woreLong since had mouldered off & left themNaked upon their thrones behold them thereStatues of actual flesh. – a fearful sightTheir large & ray less eyesDimly reflecting to that gem-born light,Glazd, fixd & meaningless, yet opend wideTheir ghastly balls beliedThe mockery of life in all beside.

But if amid these Chambers drearDeath were a sight of shuddering & of fearLife was a thing of stranger horror hereFor at the farther end in yon alcoveWhere Bali should have lain had he obeydMans common lot, behold Ereenia laidStrong fetters link him to the rock; his eyeNow rolls & widens as with effort vainHe strives to break the chain,Now seems to brood upon his misery:Before his place of durance, on the floorCoil couchant upon coil a serpent layOne of the mighty monsters of the deep,Whom Lorrinite encountering on the wayThere stationed his perpetual guard to keepIn the sport of wanton power she charmd him thereAs if to mock the Glendoveers despair.

With red & kindling eyeThe enormous Snake beholdsA living man draw nigh,And rushing on his foldsStretches & stoops his head from side to sideHis dreadful teeth unsheathd, his jaws extended wideNaked Ladurlad stood, yet not for thatDismayd, the Curse was his strong panoply.In haste he glances round with eager eyeIf chance he might espyWeapon wherewith to meet the arduous fight.Exulting at the sightFallen on the throne its lifeless lord besideThe broad moon-bending scymetar he spied,And the death-doing creesWhose very blade had lain so many an age in peace.

On both he seizes, one in either handLo! he advances to that dreadful foe,And full upon his head he deals the blow.But not as if thro yielding air,Past the descending scymeter,Its deadened way the heavy water broke;And that great serpent clothd with scale on scaleAs in impenetrable mailUninjured might have met its mightiest stroke;Aslant the monster turnd his headAnd with his armed jaws outspreadWide for their banquet seizd Ladurlads side.As easily as in the blithesome hourOf spring a child doth crop the meadow flower.So easily had then those armed jawsSnapt him in twain, but for the mighty powerWhich had exempted him from Natures laws.

Strange power of charms! for arms of strongest steelThat ever yet were forged by human handMight not those fangs withstand;Yet harmless on his naked side they glideTheir grip inflicts no bruise withinNor have their keen points edge razed the tender skin.Up rose the snake, & round the impassive foeWith supple motion wreathd his lengthening coils;Then tightened all their folds with stress & strain.Nought would the raging Tygers strength availIf once involved with those dreadful coils <mighty toils>;The armd Rhinoceros so claspd, in vainHad trusted to his hide of rugged mail.His bones all broken & the breath of lifeDriven out from his crushd lungs in that unequal strife.

Ereenia groand in anguish at the sightOf this dread fight. Once more the GlendoveerEssayd to break his bonds, & fearsFor that brave spirit who had sought him hereStung him to wilder strugglings. From the rockHalf up he raisd himself; with might & mainPluckd at the adamantine chain,And now with long & unrelaxing strainIn obstinate effort of indignant strengthLabourd & strove in vainTill his immortal sinews faild at length,And yielding with an inward groan to FateHe let himself againFall on his prison bed of stone.Body & chain, alike, with lifeless weight,There motionless he layAnd watchd the end of that portentous fray.

Claspt in the coils of his huge enemyBehold Ladurlad standUninjurd, undismayed,He dropt the useless scymetar to take The crees in his right handAnd with its short sharp blade essaydBetween the jointed scales to stab the snakeSlight hurt that little weapon madeIn the huge bulk of his involving foe,Yet blood was on the blade;Ladurlad saw it tinge with purple stainThe water, & again he drove the blow.The briny water entering in the woundSpurrd the fierce snake with prick of sudden painA moment he relaxd in every round,Then knit his coils again with closer strain,And forcing forward bore him to the ground

Struggling they lay in mortal frayAll day, while day was in the upper sphere,For light of dayAnd natural darkness never entered here.All night with unabated mightThey waged the unremitting fight.In vain on that impenetrable foeThe angry Serpent still essays to bite;In vain Ladurlad still with many a blowThe incumbent Snake assails,The crees glides off with baffled strokeUpon the impervious scales,Or gliding in to reach the skinGives wounds which weaken less than they provoke

A second day a second nightThey grappled still in useless fight.The third comes on, the fourth is gone.Another comes, another goes,And still no respite, no reposeBut day & night, & night & dayStruggling in mortal grief they lay,And still they wage with mutual rageThe unremitting fray.But when the seventh morning came,The Serpents worn & weary frameAt length in that dread combat fails,And weaker weaker every hourHe yields beneath strong Natures powerFor now the Curse prevails

The exhausted Snake no more can keepHis painful watch; his eyes opprestAre fainting for their natural sleepHis living flesh & blood must restThe snake must sleep or die.Then he full faint & languidlyUnwreathes his rings to fly.And slowly oer the floor he trailsHis stiff & heavy length of scales.But that unweariable foeWhom sleep came never nigh,Pursues him still with many a blow.He will not let the combat cease;No respite, not a moments peace He gives, & plants at last the creesWithin the monsters eye.That mortal blow concludes the fight.No more the spell of LorriniteCan hold the monster in his agony.Death breaks her spell: he turns for flightHis pangs supply the strength to fly,And darting from the cellHe rushes to the upper lightThere undisturbd to die.

So! cried Ladurlad, when he sees himselfRid of the dreadful foe,That obstinate work is done. One labour more!Awhile he stood & eyedEreenias chain, & triedThe rivets, deep in-driven. Then from the floorThe scymetar he took, in both his handsUplifted, & with mighty strokeHewd at the chain; the baser metal yieldsTo its fine edge; & lo the GlendoveerRises & snaps the half severed links, & standsFreed from his broken bands

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17.

This is the appointed nightThe night of joy & consecrated mirthWhen from his judgement-seat in PadalonBy Yamens throne,Bali goes forth, that he may walk the earthUnseen, & hear his nameStill hymnd & honourd by the grateful voiceOf humankind, & in his fame rejoice.Therefore from door to door & street to streetWith willing feetShaking their fire brands the glad children run;Bali, great Bali they acclaimWhereer they run they bear the mighty nameWhereer they meetBali, great Bali still their choral tongues repeatTherefore at every door the votive flamesThro pendant lanthorns sheds its painted lightAnd rockets hissing upward thro the skyFall like a shower of starsFrom Heavens black canopy.Therefore on yonder mountainous temple heightThe brazen cauldron blazes thro the night.Huge as a ship that travels the main seaIs that capacious brass, its wick as tallAs is the mast of some great admiral.Ten thousand votaries bringCamphor & ghee to feed the sacred flame,And while thro regions round the nations seeIts fiery pillar curling high in heavenBali, great Bali! they exclaimFor ever hallowed to his blessed nameHonour & praise to him for evermore be given.

Why art thou not among the festive throngBali, O Mighty One! to hear thy fame?Still as of yore with pageantry & songThe glowing streets alongThey celebrate thy nameBali, great Bali! stillThe grateful habitants of earth acclaimBali! great Bali! stillThe ringing walls & echoing towers proclaim.From yonder mountain the portentous flameStill blazes to the nations as before,All things appear to human eyes the same,As perfect as of yore,To human eyes, – but how unlike to thineFor thou wert wont to seeThe Company divineThat with their presence came to honour theeFor all the blessed ones of mortal birthWho have been clothed with immortalityFrom the eight-corners of the EarthFrom the seven Worlds assembling, allWont to attend the solemn festival.Then did thine eyes beholdThe wide air peopled with that glorious trainNow mayst thou seek the blessed ones in vainFor Earth & Air are now beneath the Rajahs reign.

Therefore the Mighty One hath walk’d the earthIn sorrow & solitude to night,The sound of human mirthTo him is no delight;He turns away from that ungrateful sight,Hallowed not now by visitants divine;And there he bends his melancholy way,Where in yon full-orbd moons refulgent lightThe golden towers of his old city shineAbove the silver sea. The mighty ChiefThere bent his way in griefAs if sad thought indulgd would work their own relief

There he beholds upon the sandA lonely Maiden in the moonlight stand.The sea<land>-breeze lifts her locks of jet,The waves around her polishd ancles play,Her bosom with the salt sea-spray is wet;Her arms were crost unconsciously to foldThat bosom from the cold,While statue-like she seems her watch to keepGazing intently on the restless deep.

Seven miserable days had Kalyal thereFrom earliest dawn till evening watchd the deep.Six nights within the chamber of the rockHad laid her down & found in prayersThat comfort which she sought in vain from sleepBut when the seventh night came,Never should she behold her father moreThe wretched Maiden said in her despair;Yet would not quit the shore,Nor turn her eyes one moment from the sea,Never beforeHad Kalyal watchd it so impatiently,Never so eagerly had hoped before,As now when she believed & said all hope was oer.

Beholding her how beautiful she stoodIn that strange solitude,Bali from his invisibilityHad x issued then to know her cause of woe.But that in the air beside her he espiedTwo powers of evil for her hurt allied,Foul Arvalan & dreadful LorriniteThe Mighty One they could not see,And marking with what demon-like delight They kept their innocent prey in sightHe waits expecting what the end may be.

She starts – there is a loud & strange commotion!It seems as if some monster lashd the ocean –And lo the glittering sprayRises like dust beneath a whirlwinds sway.Appalld the Maiden stood,Anon the mighty uproar dies away.The foam showers up no more,And floating many a roodA monster, hugest of the ocean brood,Weltering & lifeless drifts toward the shore.Backward she starts in fear before the flood,And when the waves retreatThey leave their hideous burthen at her feet.

She ventures to approach with timid tread.She starts & half draws back in fear,Then stops & stretches forth her headTo see if that huge Snake indeed be dead.Now growing bold the Maid advances nearAnd when she views his bloody scales, & sees Still in his eye the deadly creesInfixed & deeply driven,She lifts her hands exultinglyIn gratitude to Heaven.Then spreading them towards the sea,While joyful tears bedim her streaming eyes,Come! come my Father – come to me!Ereenia come! she cries.Lo! from the opening deep they riseAnd to her Fathers arms the happy Kalyal flies.

She turnd from him to meet with beating heartThe Glendoveers embrace,Now turn to me, for mine thou art!Foul Arvalan exclaimd, his loathsome faceCame forth & from the airIn fleshy form he burstAlway in terror & despairHad Kaylal seen that form & face accurstBut yet so sharp a pang had neerShot with a thrill like death thro all her frame,As now when in her hour of joy the Spectre came

Vain is resistance now,The fiendish laugh of Lorrinite is heardAnd at her dreadful wordThe Asuras once again appearAnd seize Ladurlad & the Glendoveer –Hold your accursed hands!A voice exclaimd, whose dread commandsWere feard thro all the realms of Padalon,And there among them in the midnight airThe presence of the mighty Bali shone,He making manifest his mightinessPut forth on every side an hundred arms,And seizd the Sorceress, maugre all her charmsHer & her fiendish ministers he caughtWith force as irresistible as fate,And that unhappy soul to whomThe Almighty Rajahs power availeth notLiving to avert, nor dead to mitigate his righteous doomHelp – help – Kehama – Father help! he cried –But Bali tarried not to abideThat mightier one, – with irresistible feetHe stampt & cleft the earth: it opened wideAnd gave him way to his own judgement seat.Down like a plummet to the world belowHe sunk & bore his preyTo righteous punishment & endless woe.

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18.

The Earth by Balis feet dividedClosed oer his way, as to the judgement seatHe plunged & bore his prey.Scarce had the shock subsided,When darting from the Swergas heavenly heightsKehama like a thunderbolt alights.In wrath he came, a bickering flameFlashd from his eyes which made the moonlight dim,And passion forcing way from every limbLike furnace smoke with terrors wrapt him round.He smote the ground,Earth trembled underneath the dreadful strokeAgain in sunder riven.He hurld in rage his whirling weapon down.But lo the flamy chuckra to his feetReturnd, by some resisting force redriven,And from the abyss the voice of Bali came.Not yet O Rajah hast thou wonThe realms of Padalon!Earth & the Swerga are thine own.But till Kehama shall subdue the throneOf Hell, in torments Yemen holds his son.

Fool that he is! in torments let him lie!Kehama, wrathful at his son, replied.But what am I That thou shouldst brave me? – Kindling in his prideThe dreadful Rajah cried.Ho! Yamen! Hear me! God of PadalonPrepare thy throneAnd let the Amreeta cupBe ready for my lips when I anonTriumphantly shall take my seat thereonAnd plant upon thy neck my royal feet.

In voice like thunder thus the Rajah criedImpending oer the abyss with menacing handPut forth, as in the action of commandAnd eyes which darted their red anger down.Then drawing back, he let the earth subsideAnd as his wrath relaxd, surveydThoughtful & silently the Maid.Her eye the while was on the farthest sky,Where like a meteor, up the etherial heightEreenia rose, & past away from sight.Never had she so joyfullyBeheld the coming of the Glendoveer.Dear as he was & he deserved to be,As now she saw him rise & disappear.Come now what will, within her heart said sheFor thou art safe, & what should Kalyal fear?

Meantime the Almighty Rajah, lateIn power & majesty & wrath cl arrayd,Had laid his terrors by,And gazed upon the Maid.Pride could not quit his eye,Nor that relentless nature from his frontDepart, yet whoso had beheld him there,Had felt some admiration mixd with dreadAnd might have said,That sure he seemd to be the Lord of MenLess than the greatest that he could not beWho carried in his port such might & majesty

In fear no longer for the Glendoveer,Now toward the Rajah Kalyal glanced her eyesAs if to ask what doom awaited her;Once raised & they revert not, for surprizeAs tho with fascination held them there,So strange it was to see the changeOf purport in that all-commanding browThat thoughtfully was bent upon her now.Wondering, she gazd, the while her Fathers eyeWas fixd upon Kehama haughtily:–It spake defiance to him, high disdain,Stern patience unsubduable by pain,And pride triumphant over agonyLadurlad, said the Rajah, thou & IAlike have done the will of DestinyUnknowing each to what the impulse tendedBut now that over Earth & Heaven my reignIs stablished & the ways of Fate are plainBefore me, here our enmity is ended.I take away the curse. As this he saidThe fire which in Ladurlads heart & brainWas burning, fled, & left him free from pain.So rapidly his torments were departedThat at the sudden ease he startedAs with a shock, & to his headHis hands up-fledLike one who felt thro every failing limbThe power & sense of life forsaking him.

Then turning to the Maid the Rajah cried,O Virgin above all of mortal birthFavourd alike in beauty & in worth,And in the glories of thy destiny,Now let thy happy heart exult with pride,For Fate hath chosen theeTo be Kehamas brideTo be the Queen of Heaven & EarthAnd of whatever worlds besideInfinity may hide. For I can see The writing which at thy nativityAll knowing Nature wrought upon thy brain,In branching veins which to the gifted eye,Map out the mazes of futurity.There is it written, Maid, that thou shalt shareThe Amreeta cup, that drink divineWhich giveth immortality.Come Maiden mine.High-fated one ascend the subject sky,And by Kehamas sideSit on the Swerga throne his equal bride.

Oh never – never – Father! Kalyal cried,It is not as he saith, it cannot be, –I – I – his bride?Nature is never false – he wrongeth herMy heart belies such lines of destiny, –There is no other true interpreter!

At that reply Kehamas darkening browBewrayed the anger which he yet supprest.Counsel thy daughter, – tell her thou art nowFree from thy curse, he said, & bid her bowIn thankfulness to Fates benign behest –Bid her her stubborn will restrainFor Destiny at last must be obeyed,And tell her while obedience is delaydThy Curse will turn again.

Rajah, Ladurlad cried, she needeth notMy counsel; she hath answered as she oughtTalk not to us of Destiny,For tho all other thingsWere subject to the starry influencings,And bowd submissive to thy tyranny,The virtuous heart & absolute will are free.Thus in their wisdom did the Gods decreeWhen they created man. Let come what willThis is our rock of strength: in every ill, –Sorrow – oppression, pain & agony,The spirit of the good is unsubdued,And suffer as they may they triumph still.

Obstinate fools exclaimd the offen Dreadful OneFate & my pleasure must be doneAnd ye resist in vain,Take your fit guerdon till we meet againSo saying his vindictive hand he flungTowards them, filld with curses, then on highAloft he sprung & vanished thro the sky.

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19.

The Rajah scattering curses as he roseSoard to the Swerga & resumd his throne.Not for his own redoubled agonyWhich now thro heart & brainWith renovated painRushd to its seat, Ladurlad breathes that groan.That groan is for his child; he groand to seeThe lovely one defil’d with leprosy,Which as the Enemy vindictive fledOer all her frame with quick contagion spread.She wondering at events so passing strange,And filld with hope & fearAnd joy to see the Tyrant disappear,And glad expectance of her Glendoveer,Perceivd not in herself the hideous change.His burning pain she thought, had forced the groanHer father breathd, his agonies aloneWere present to her mind, she claspt her kneesWept for his Curse, & did not feel her own.

Nor when she saw her plague, did her good heart,True to itself, even for a moment fail.Ha! Rajah, – with disdainful smile she criesMighty & wise & wicked as thou artShall thy blind vengeance act a friendly part!Shall I not thank thee for this scurf & scaleOf dire deformity, whose loathsomeness,Safer than panoply of strongest mail,Arms me against all foes? Oh – better so,Better such foul disgraceThan that this innocent faceShould tempt thy wooing, .. that I need not dread;Nor ever impious foeWill offer outrage now, nor farther woeWill beauty draw on my unhappy head –Safe thro the unholy world may Kalyal go!

Her face in virtuous prideWas lifted to the skies.As him & his poor vengeance she defied.But earthward as she ceasd, she turned her eyesAs if she sought to hideThe tear which in her own despite would rise? ..Did then the thought of her own GlendoveerCall forth that natural tear?Was it a womans fearA thought of earthly love which troubled her?Like yon thin cloud along the moonlight skyThat flits before the windAnd leaves no trace behindThe womanly pang past over Kalyals mindThis is a loathsome sight to human eye,Half shrinking at herself the Maiden thought,Will it be so to him? – oh surely not!The immortal Powers who seeThro the poor wrapping of mortality,Behold the soul, the beautiful soul within,Exempt from age & withering malady,And undeformd while pure & free from sin.A loathsome sight, – but not to eyes divine –Ereenia not to thine!

The wrongful thought of fear, the womanly painHad past away, her heart was calm again.She raisd her head expecting now to seeThe Glendoveer appearWhere hath he fled, quoth sheThat he should tarry now? Oh had she knownWhither the adventurous Son of Heaven was flownStrong as her spirit was it had not borneThe aweful thought, nor dar’d to hope for his return.

For he in search of Seevas throne was x goneTo tell his tale of wrong,To let the dread Destroyer knowThat tyranny reignd paramount below.In search of Seevas own abode,The daring one began his heavenly road,Oh wild emprize! above the farthest skiesHe hoped to rise!Him who thron’d beyond the reach of thoughtThe Alone, the Inaccessible he sought!Oh wild emprize! for when in days of yoreFor proud preeminence of powerBrama & Veeshnoo wild with rage contendedAnd Seeva in his mightTheir dread contention endedBefore their sightIn form a fiery column did he tower,Whose head above the highest height extended,Whose base below the deepest depth descended.Downward its depth to soundVeeshnoo a thousand years explordThe fathomless profoundAnd yet no base he found,Upward to reach its headTen myriad years the ambitious Brama soar’dAnd still as up he fledAbove him still the Immeasurable spread;The rivals ownd their LordAnd trembled & adord..How shall the Glendoveer attainWhat Brama & what Veeshnoo sought in vain.

Neer did such thought of lofty daring enterCelestial Spirits mind.. Oh wild adventureThat throne to find!For he must leave behindThis World that in the centreWithin its salt sea girdle lies confin’d;Yea the seven Earths, that each with its own Ocean,Ring clasping ring, compose the mighty round.What power of motionIn less than endless years shall bear him there<Along the limitless extent>To the utmost bound of the remotest spheres?What strength of wingSuffice to pierce the golden FirmamentThat closes all within?Yet he hath past the measureless extentAnd pierced the golden Firmament.For Faith hath given him power, & Space & TimeVanish before that energy sublime.Nor doth eternal NightAnd outer Darkness check his resolute flight.By strong desire thro all he makes his wayTill Seeva’s seat appears; – behold Mount Calasay.

Behold the Silver Mountain! round aboutSeven ladders stand, so high the aching eyeSeeking their top in vain amid the skyMight deem they led from earth to highest heaven.Ages would pass awayAnd Worlds with age decay,Ere one whose patient feet from ring to ringMust win their upward wayCould reach the summit of Mount Calasay.But that strong power which nervd his wingThat all-surmounting will,Intensity of faith & holiest loveSustaind Ereenia still,And he hath gaind the plain, the sanctuary above.

Lo there the Silver BellThat self-sustaind hangs buoyant in the air,Lo the broad Table there too brightFor mortal sight,From whose four sides the bordering gems uniteTheir hamonizing rays,In one mid fount of many-colourd light.The stream of splendour, flashing as it flowsPlays round & feeds the stem of yon celestial RoseWhere is the Sage whose wisdom can declareThe hidden things of that mysterious flower,The secret Triangle is there Holding the Emblem which no Tongue may tell.Is this the Heaven of Heavens where Seeva’s self doth dwell?

Here first the GlendoveerFelt his wing flag & paus’d upon his flight.Was it that fear came over him when hereHe saw the imagined throne appear?Not so for his immortal sightEndured the Table’s light.Distinctly he beheld all things around,And doubt & wonder rose within his mindThat this was all he found.Howbeit he raisd his voice & spake,There is Oppression in the world below,Earth groans beneath the yoke, yea in her woeShe asks if the Avengers eye is bland.Awake O Lord awake!Too long thy vengeance sleepeth! Holy OnePut thou thy terrors on for mercy’s sakeAnd strike the blow in justice to mankind

So as he pray’d, interior faith he feltHis spirit it seem’d to meltWith ardent yearnings of increasing loveUpward he turnd his eyesAs if there should be something yet above,Let me not, Seeva, seek in vain! he criesThou art not here, – for how should these contain theeThou art not here, – for how should I sustain theeBut thou whereer thou artCanst hear the voice of prayerCanst hear the humble heartThy dwelling who can tell,Or who, O Lord, hath seen thy secret throne?But thou art not alone,Not unapproachable!O all-embracing MindThou who art every where,When all who seek shall find,Hear me O Seeva! hear the supplicants prayer!

So saying up he sprangAnd struck the Bell which self-suspended, hungBefore the mystic Rose.From side to side the silver tongueMelodious swung, & far & wide Soul-thrilling tones of heavenly music rung.Abashd confounded,It left the Glendoveer, –Yea all astounded.In overpowering fear & deep dismay.For when that Bell had soundedThe Rose with all the Mysteries it surroundedThe Bell, the Table & Mount CalasayThe Holy Hill itself with all thereon,When as a morning dream before the dayDissolves away, they faded & were gone.

Where shall he rest his wing, where turn for flight,For all around is Light,Primal, essential, all-pervading Light!Heart cannot think, nor tongue declareNor eyes of Angel bearThat glory, unimaginably bright;The Sun himself had seemdA speck of darkness thereAmid that Light of Light.

Down fell the Glendoveer.Down thro all regions to our mundane sphereHe fell; but in his earA voice which from within him came was heard,The indubitable wordOf Him to whom all secret things are known,Go ye who suffer, go to Yamens throne,He hath the remedy for every woeHe setteth right whateer is wrong below.¹

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[MS torn] more sections will conclude the poem, & I expected to have finished them six weeks ago, but since my mind has been in a right state my body has not. My summer cold is upon me, & I lie abed as late as I possibly can, because the moment I wake it wakes with me, & it is better to be asleep than to be wholly employed in sneezing & blowing an excoriated nose. About half the next section however is written, & a weeks work, as soon as I get a weeks comfort, will carry me triumphantly to the end.

Scott was detained so long in London that I could not accompany him back to Edinburgh as we intended. In May I could have gone, & he was detained till the end of June. My visit therefore is prorogued sine die, – but probably it will take place early in the winter. His bookseller Ballantyne was here lately, & his advice to me was to sell the copy right of whatever I wrote, because he said booksellers repaid themselves by selling off shares of the copy-right, – more persons were thus interested in the success of the book, & consequently greater efforts were made to sell it. This may be true, but it is a truth which is not applicable to my case, for it is utterly impossible that the Poem should become popular now, – the copy right therefore is worth little or nothing at present, & my yet if it be as good as I believe it to be, there will come a time when it has its reward. The better way I think will be to print it in a pocket volume, & let it take its chance. 200 pages will hold the poem & about 150 more the notes.

Saving the obstinate catarrh which comes every year for six or eight weeks with the warm weather, – we are going on well. Thank you for your Letters to G. Riquelmi,² – it vexes me that you should have spoken unjustly of the Portugueze, a people whom I know & love as much as you do the Spaniards. – I have offered to defend Frere against the friends of Sir John Moore, in the shape of a reviewal of James Moores books,³ in the Quarterly, & if this offer be accepted I shall make some use of these letters of yours. Wordsworth has written upon the Cintra Convention & the affairs of Spain,⁴ – in spite of a difficult style you will admire his true eloquence & true philosophy.

God bless you RS.

Keswick. July 13. 1809.