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mentions eight； and Strabo thirteeen； （engulphed） … but the last is out of
all reason。
It is said； （Tacitus； Strabo； Josephus； Daniel of St。 Saba； Nau；
Maundrell； Troilo； D'Arvieux） that after an excessive drought； the
vestiges of columns； walls； &c。 are seen above the surface。 At _any_
season； such remains may be discovered by looking down into the
transparent lake； and at such distances as would argue the existence of
many settlements in the space now usurped by the 'Asphaltites。'
*That stole upon the ear； in Eyraco；
Of many a wild star…gazer long ago …
That stealeth ever on the ear of him
Who； musing； gazeth on the distance dim。
And sees the darkness coming as a cloud …
嘔s not its form … its voice … most palpable and loud ？
But what is this ？ … it cometh … and it brings
A music with it … 'tis the rush of wings …
A pause … and then a sweeping； falling strain
And Nesace is in her halls again。
From the wild energy of wanton haste
Her cheeks were flushing； and her lips apart ；
And zone that clung around her gentle waist
Had burst beneath the heaving of her heart。
Within the centre of that hall to breathe
She paus'd and panted； Zanthe ！ all beneath；
The fairy light that kiss'd her golden hair
And long'd to rest； yet could but sparkle there ！
？Young flowers were whispering in melody
To happy flowers that night … and tree to tree ；
Fountains were gushing music as they fell
In many a star…lit grove； or moon…lit dell ；
Yet silence came upon material things …
Fair flowers； bright waterfalls and angel wings …
And sound alone that from the spirit sprang
Bore burthen to the charm the maiden sang ：
* Eyraco … Chaldea。
？I have often thought I could distinctly hear the sound of the
darkness as it stole over the horizon。
？Fairies use flowers for their charactery。 … _Merry Wives of
Windsor_。 ＇William Shakespeare＇
〃 'Neath blue…bell or streamer …
Or tufted wild spray
That keeps； from the dreamer；
*The moonbeam away …
Bright beings ！ that ponder；
With half closing eyes；
On the stars which your wonder
Hath drawn from the skies； ＇in the original； this
line is slightly out of alignment＇
Till they glance thro' the shade； and
Come down to your brow
Like eyes of the maiden
Who calls on you now …
Arise ！ from your dreaming
In violet bowers；
To duty beseeming
These star…litten hours …
And shake from your tresses
Encumber'd with dew
The breath of those kisses
That cumber them too …
（O ！ how； without you； Love ！
Could angels be blest ？）
Those kisses of true love
That lull'd ye to rest ！
Up ！ … shake from your wing
Each hindering thing ：
The dew of the night …
It would weigh down your flight ；
And true love caresses …
O ！ leave them apart ！
* In Scripture is this passage … 〃The sun shall not harm thee by day；
nor the moon by night。〃 It is perhaps not generally known that the moon；
in Egypt； has the effect of producing blindness to those who sleep with
the face exposed to its rays； to which circumstance the passage evidently
alludes。
They are light on the tresses；
But lead on the heart。
Ligeia ！ Ligeia ！
My beautiful one ！
Whose harshest idea
Will to melody run；
O ！ is it thy will
On the breezes to toss ？
Or； capriciously still；
*Like the lone Albatross；
Incumbent on night
（As she on the air）
To keep watch with delight
On the harmony there ？
Ligeia ！ whatever
Thy image may be；
No magic shall sever
Thy music from thee。
Thou hast bound many eyes
In a dreamy sleep …
But the strains still arise
Which _thy_ vigilance keep …
The sound of the rain
Which leaps down to the flower；
And dances again
In the rhythm of the shower …
員he murmur that springs
From the growing of grass
* The Albatross is said to sleep on the wing。
？I met with this idea in an old English tale； which I am now unable
to obtain and quote from memory ： … 〃The verie essence and； as it were；
springe…heade； and origine of all musiche is the verie pleasaunte sounde
which the trees of the forest do make when they growe。〃
Are the music of things …
But are modell'd； alas ！ …
Away； then my dearest；
O ！ hie thee away
To springs that lie clearest
Beneath the moon…ray …
To lone lake that smiles；
In its dream of deep rest；
At the many star…isles
That enjewel its breast …
Where wild flowers； creeping；
Have mingled their shade；
On its margin is sleeping
Full many a maid …
Some have left the cool glade； and
* Have slept with the bee …
Arouse them my maiden；
On moorland and lea …
Go ！ breathe on their slumber；
All softly in ear；
The musical number
They slumber'd to hear …
For what can awaken
An angel so soon
* The wild bee will not sleep in the shade if there be moonlight。
The rhyme in this verse； as in one about sixty lines before； has an
appearance of affectation。 It is； however； imitated from Sir W。 Scott； or
rather from Claud Halcro … in whose mouth I admired its effect ：
O ！ were there an island；
Tho' ever so wild
Where woman might smile； and
No man be beguil'd； &c。
Whose sleep hath been taken
Beneath the cold moon；
As the spell which no slumber
Of witchery may test；
The rythmical number
Which lull'd him to rest ？〃
Spirits in wing； and angels to the view；
A thousand seraphs burst th' Empyrean thro'；
Young dreams still hovering on their drowsy flight …
Seraphs in all but 〃Knowledge；〃 the keen light
That fell； refracted； thro' thy bounds； afar
O Death ！ from eye of God upon that star：
Sweet was that error … sweeter still that death …
Sweet was that error … ev'n with _us_ the breath
Of science dims the mirror of our joy …
To them 'twere the Simoom； and would destroy …
For what （to them） availeth it to know
That Truth is Falsehood … or that Bliss is Woe ？
Sweet was their death … with them to die was rife
With the last ecstacy of satiate life …
Beyond that death no immortality …
But sleep that pondereth and is not 〃to be〃 …
And there … oh ！ may my weary spirit dwell …
*Apart from Heaven's Eternity … and yet how far from Hell ！
* With the Arabians there is a medium between Heaven and Hell； where
men suffer no punishment； but yet do not attain that tranquil and even
happiness which they suppose to be characteristic of heavenly enjoyment。
Un no rompido sueno …
Un dia puro … allegre … libre
Quiera …
Libre de amor … de zelo …
De odio … de esperanza … de rezelo。 … _Luis Ponce de Leon_。
Sorrow is not excluded from 〃Al Aaraaf；〃 but it is that sorrow which
the living love to cherish for the dead； and which； in some minds；
resembles the delirium of opium。 The passionate excitement of Love and the
buoyancy of spirit attendant upon intoxication are its less holy pleasures
… the price of which； to those souls who make choice of 〃Al Aaraaf〃 as
their residence after life； is final death and annihilation。
What guilty spirit； in what shrubbery dim；
Heard not the stirring summons of that hymn ？
But two ： they fell ： for Heaven no grace imparts
To those who hear not for their beating hearts。
A maiden…angel and her seraph…lover …
O ！ where （and ye may seek the wide skies over）
Was Love； the blind； near sober Duty known ？
*Unguided Love hath fallen … 'mid 〃tears of perfect moan。〃
He was a goodly spirit … he who fell ：
A wanderer by moss…y…mantled well …
A gazer on the lights that shine above …
A dreamer in the moonbeam by his love ：
What wonder ？ For each star is eye…like there；
And looks so sweetly down on Beauty's hair …
And they； and ev'ry mossy spring were holy
To his love…haunted heart and melancholy。
The night had found （to him a night of wo）
Upon a mountain crag； young Angelo …
Beetling it bends athwart the solemn sky；
And scowls on starry worlds that down beneath it lie。
Here sate he with his love … his dark eye bent
With eagle gaze along the firmament：
Now turn'd it upon her … but ever then
It trembled to the orb of EARTH again。
〃Iante； dearest； see ！ how dim that ray ！
How lovely 'tis to look so far away ！
* There be tears of perfect moan
Wept for thee in Helicon。… _Milton。_
She seem'd not thus upon that autumn eve
I left her gorgeous halls … nor mourn'd to leave。
That eve … that eve … I should remember well …
The sun…ray dropp'd； in Lemnos； with a spell
On th'Arabesque carving of a gilded hall
Wherein I sate； and on the draperied wall …
And on my eye…lids … O the heavy light ！
How drowsily it weigh'd them into night ！
On flowers； before； and mist； and love they ran
With Persian Saadi in his Gulistan ：
But O that light！ … I slumber'd … Death； the while；
Stole o'er my senses in that lovely isle
So sof