135 The SEVEN SPIRITS. Earth, ocean, air, night, mountains, winds, thy star, say? Man. Of that which is within me; read it there Ye know it, and I cannot utter it. Spirit. We can but give thee that which we possess: 140 Ask of us subjects, sovereignty, the power O'er earth, the whole, or portion, or a sign Man. Oblivion, self-oblivion www 145 Can ye not wring from out the hidden realms Ye offer so profusely what I ask? 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; 150 We are eternal; and to us the past Is, as the future, present. Art thou answered? Man. Ye mock me but the power which brought ye here Hath made you mine. Slaves, scoff not at my will! The mind, the spirit, the Promethean spark, 155 The lightning of my being, is as bright, 160 165 Pervading, and far-darting as your own, And shall not yield to yours, though coop'd in clay! Spirit. We answer as we answered; 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. Man. I then have call'd ye from your realms in vain; Ye cannot, or ye will not, aid me. Spirit. Say; Kingdom, and sway, and strength, and length of days 170 They are too long already. - Hence - begone! Spirit. Yet pause: being here, our will would do thee service; Bethink thee, is there then no other gift Which we can make not worthless in thine eyes? Man. No, none: yet stay- one moment, ere we part- The steady aspect of a clear large star; Spirit. We have no forms beyond the elements Of which we are the mind and principle: But choose a form in that we will appear. Man. I have no choice; there is no form on earth 185 Hideous or beautiful to me. Let him, Who is most powerful of ye, take such aspect As unto him may seem most fitting. Come! Seventh Spirit. (Appearing in the shape of a beautiful female figure.) Behold! Art not a madness and a mockery, Oh God! if it be thus, and thou 190 I yet might be most happy. I will clasp thee, And we again will be — (The figure vanishes.) My heart is crush'd! (Manfred falls senseless.) Though thy slumber may be deep, Thou canst never be alone; Thou art wrapt as with a shroud, 210 And for ever shalt thou dwell Though thou seest me not pass by, Thou shalt marvel I am not 220 And the power which thou dost feel And a magic voice and verse 225 Hath begirt thee with a snare; 230 And the day shall have a sun, From thy false tears I did distil An essence which hath strength to kill; 240 In proving every poison known, I found the strongest was thine own. By thy cold breast and serpent smile, 245 By thy shut soul's hypocrisy; Which pass'd for human thine own heart; And by thy brotherhood of Cain, 250 I call upon thee! and compel Thyself to be thy proper Hell! Adel lean ma And on thy head I pour the vial Which doth devote thee to this trial; 255 Shall be in thy destiny; Though thy death shall still seem near To thy wish, but as a fear; Lo! the spell now works around thee, And the clankless chain hath bound thee; 260 O'er thy heart and brain together Hath the word been pass'd now wither! 12 From DON JUAN. I. Canto II, Stanzas 27-39 (1819): The Shipwreck. At one o'clock the wind with sudden shift One gang of people instantly was put Upon the pumps, and the remainder set At last they did get at it really, but Still their salvation was an even bet: The water rush'd through in a way quite puzzling, 16 While they thrust sheets, shirts, jackets, bales of muslin, 20 Into the opening; but all such ingredients Would have been vain, and they must have gone down, But for the pumps: I'm glad to make them known By them per hour, and they had all been undone, 24 But for the maker, Mr. Mann, of London. 28 As day advanced the weather seem'd to abate, A squall came on, and while some guns broke loose, 36 There she lay, motionless, and seem'd upset; Or any other thing that brings regret, Or breaks their hopes, or hearts, or heads, or necks; Thus drownings are much talk'd of by the divers, 40 And swimmers, who may chance to be survivors. ૧૨ 44 Immediately the masts were cut away, 52 It may be easily supposed, while this Was going on, some people were unquiet, To lose their lives, as well as spoil their diet; Days nearly o'er, might be disposed to riot, 56 For grog, and sometimes drink rum from the cask. 60 There's nought, no doubt, so much the spirit calms Some plunder'd, some drank spirits, some sung psalms, The hoarse harsh waves kept time; fright cured the qualms Perhaps more mischief had been done, but for Of fire than water, spite of oaths and tears, 76 'Give us more grog,' they cried, 'for it will be All one an hour hence.' Juan answer'd, 'No! "Tis true that death awaits both you and me, But let us die like men, not sink below Like brutes:' and thus his dangerous post kept he, And none liked to anticipate the blow; And even Pedrillo, his most reverend tutor, 80 Was for some rum a disappointed suitor. |