„My blood reflow'd, though thick and chill; „My ear with uncoath noises rang,

„My heart began once more to thrill; „My sight return'd, though dim; alas! „And thicken'd, as it were, with glass. ,,Methought the dash of waves was nigh; There was a gleam too of the sky,

580 ,,Studded with stars; it is no dream; „The wild horse swims the wilder stream! „The bright broad river's gushing tide ,,Sweeps, winding onward, far and wide, „And we are half-way, struggling o'er „To yon unknown and silent shore. „The waters broke my hollow trance, ,,And with a temporary strength

„My stiffen'd limbs were rebaptized. „My courser's broad breast proudly braves, 590 „And dashes off the ascending waves, „And onward we advance! „We reach the slippery shore at length,

„A haven I but little prized, „For all behind was dark and drear,

,,And all before was ' night and fear.
„How many hours of night or day
„In those suspended pangs I lay,
„I could not tell; I scarcely knew
„If this were human breath I drew.

600

XV.

With glossy skin, and dripping mane,

„And reeling limbs, and reeking flank, „The wild steed's sinewy nerves still strain

„Up the repelling bank. „We gain the top: a boundless plain „Spreads through the shadow of the night,

„And onward, onward, onward, seems

„Like precipices in our dreams, „To stretch beyond the sight; „And here and there a speck of white,

„Or scatter'd spot of dusky green, ,,In masses broke into the light, „As rose the moon upon my right.

„But nought distinctly seen a;In the dim waste, would indicato

610

„The omen of a cottage gate;
„No twinkling taper from afar
„Stood like an hospitable star;
„Not even an ignis-fatuus rose
„To make him

my woes:
very

cheat had cheer'd me then! „Although detected, welcome still, „Reminding me, through every ill,

„Of the abodes of men.

merry with

620

„That

XVI.

„Onward we went --but slack and slow;

„His savage force at length o'erspent, „The drooping courser, faint and low,

„All feebly foaming went. ,,A sickly infant had had power „To guide him forward in that hour;

„But useless all to me. His new-born tameness nought avail'd, „My limbs were bound; my force had faild,

„Perchance, had they been free. „With feeble effort still I tried

630 640

,,To rend the bonds so starkly tied

„But still it was in vain; „My limbs were only wrung the more, „And soon the idle strife gave o'er,

„Which but prolong'd their pain: „The dizzy race seem'd almost done, „Although no goal was nearly won: „Some streaks announced the coming sun

„How slow, alas ! he came ! „Methought that mist of dawning gray „Would never dapple into day; „How heavily it roll'd away

„Before the eastern flame „Rose crimson, and deposed the stars, „And call'd the radiance from their cars,

And fill'd the earth, from his deep throne, With lonely lustre, all his own.

650

XVI.

,,Up rose the sun; the mists were curl'd
„Back from the solitary world
Which lay around behind - before:

660

„What booted it to traverse o'er
„Plain, forest, river ? Man nor brute,
„Nor dint of hoof, nor print of foot,
„Lay in the wild luxuriant soil;
„No sign of travel - none of toil;
„The very air was mute;
„And not an insect's shrill small horn,
„Nor matin bird's new voice was borne
„From herb nor thieket. Many a werst,
„Panting as if his heart would burst,
„The weary brute still stagger'd on;
„And still we were -- or seem'd -- alone:
At length, while reeling on our way
„Methought I heard a courser neigh,
„From out yon tuft of blaekening firs.
„Is it the wind those branches stirs ?
„No, no! from out the forest prance

„A trampling troop; I see them come! „In one vast squadron they advance!

„I strove to cty - my lips were dumb. „The steeds rush on in plunging pride ; „But where are they the reins to guide ?

670