Swift glides the Ship with gentle motion Across that calm and quiet ocean, That glassy sea, which seem'd to be The mirror of tranquillity. Their pleasant passage soon was o'er ; The Ship hath reach'd its destined shore A level belt of ice, which bound, As with an adamantine mound, The waters of the sleeping Ocean round. Strange forms were on the strand Of earth-born spirits slain before their time; Who, wandering over sea, and sky, and land, Had so fulfill'd their term; and now were met Upon this icy belt, a motley band, Waiting their summons at the appointed hour, When each before the Judgment-seat must stand, And hear his doom from Baly's righteous power. 4. Foul with habitual crimes, a hideous crew Were there, the race of rapine and of blood. Now, having overpass'd the mortal flood, Their own deformity they knew, And knew the meed that to their deeds was due. Therefore in fear and agony they stood, Expecting when the Evil Messenger Among them should appear. But with their fear A hope was mingled now; O'er the dark shade of guilt a deeper hue It threw, and gave a fiercer character To the wild eye, and lip, and sinful brow. They hoped that soon Kehama would subdue The inexorable God, and seize his throne, Reduce the infernal World to his command, And, with his irresistible right hand, Redeem them from the vaults of Padalon. 5. Apart from these, a milder company, The victims of offences not their own, Look'd when the appointed Messenger, should come; Gather'd together some, and some alone Brooding in silence on their future doom. Widows whom, to their husbands' funeral fire, Force or strong error led, to share the pyre, As to their everlasting marriage-bed; And babes, by sin unstain'd, Whom erring parents vow'd To Ganges, and the holy stream profaned With that strange sacrifice, rite unordain'd By Law, by sacred Nature unallow'd; Others more hapless in their destiny, Scarce having first inhaled their vital breath, Whose cradles from some tree Unnatural hands suspended, Then left, till gentle Death, Coming like Sleep, their feeble moanings ended; Or for his prey the ravenous Kite descended; Or marching like an army from their caves, The Pismires blacken'd o'er, then, bleach'd and bare, Left their unharden'd bones to fall asunder there. 6. Innocent Souls! thus set so early free Yon blue serene above 7. And thus these innocents, in yonder sky, Grow and are strengthen'd, while the allotted years Perform their course; then hitherward they fly, And mingle with the blessed company 8. A Gulf profound surrounded But where their heads they hide, Or where their base is founded, None could espy. Above all reach of sight They rose; the second Earth was on their height; Their feet were fix'd in everlasting night. 9. So deep the Gulf, no eye Could plumb its dark profundity, And from below continually 10. Then might be seen who went in hope, and who Trembled to meet the meed Of many a foul misdeed, as wild they threw Yea, with imploring looks and horrent shriek, Still from the verge they strain, And from the dreadful Gulf avert their eyes, In vain; down plunge the Demons, and their cries Feebly, as down they sink, from that profound arise. 11. What heart of living man could undisturb'd Bear sight so sad as this! What wonder there If Kailyal's lip were blanch'd with inmost dread! The chill which from that icy belt Struck through her, was less keen than what she felt With her heart's blood through every limb dispread. Close to the Glendoveer she clung, And clasping round his neck her trembling hands, She closed her eyes, and there in silence hung. 12. Then to Ladurlad said the Glendoveer, These Demons, whom thou seest, the ministers Of Yamen, wonder to behold us here; But for the dead they come, and not for us; Therefore, albeit they gaze upon thee thus, Have thou no fear. A little while thou must be left alone, Till I have borne thy daughter down, And placed her safely by the throne Of him who keeps the Gate of Padalon. 13. Then, taking Kailyal in his arms, he said, Be of good heart, Beloved! it is I Who bear thee. Saying this, his wings he spread, Sprung upward in the sky, and poised his flight, Then plunged into the Gulf, and sought the World of Night. XXII. THE GATE OF PADALON. 1. THE strong foundations of this inmost Earth Ice in the regions of the upper air, Whose strength sufficed to bear The weight of all this upper World of ours, And with its rampart closed the Realm of Woe. Eight gates hath Padalon; eight heavenly Powers Have them in charge, each alway at his post, Lest from their penal caves the accursed host, Maugre the might of Baly and the God, Should break, and carry ruin all abroad. 2. Those gates stand ever open, night and day, Some from the dolorous den, 3. Others there were whom Baly's voice condemn'd, Dread Azyoruca, where she sat involved In darkness as a tent, received, and dealt To each the measure of his punishment; Till, in the central springs of fire, the Will Impure is purged away; and the freed soul, Thus fitted to receive a second birth, Imbodied once again, revisits Earth. 4. But they whom Baly's righteous voice absolved, And Yamen, viewing with benignant eye, Dismiss'd to seek their heritage on high, How joyfully they leave this gloomy bourn, The dread sojourn Of Guilt and twin-born Punishment and Woe, And wild Remorse, here link'd with worse Despair! They to the eastern Gate rejoicing go: The Ship of Heaven awaits their coming there; And on they sail, greeting the blessed light Through realms of upper air, Bound for the Swerga once; but now no more Their voyage rests upon that happy shore, Since Indra, by the dreadful Rajah's might Compell'd, hath taken flight; On to the second World their way they wend, And there, in trembling hope, await the doubtful end. 5. For still in them doth hope predominate, Faith's precious privilege, when higher Powers Give way to fear in these portentous hours. Behold the Wardens eight Each silent at his gate Expectant stands; they turn their anxious eyes Within, and listening to the dizzy din Of mutinous uproar, each in all his hands Holds all his weapons, ready for the fight. For, hark! what clamorous cries Upon Kehama, for deliverance, call! Come, Rajah they exclaim; too long we groan In torments. Come, Deliverer! yonder throne Awaits thee. Now, Kehama! Rajah, now! Earthly Almighty, wherefore tarriest thou?Such were the sounds that rung, in wild uproar, O'er all the echoing vaults of Padalon; And as the Asuras from the brazen floor, Struggling against their fetters, strove to rise, Their clashing chains were heard, and shrieks and But as he thus departed, The Maid, who at Neroodi's feet was lying, Recovering strength from sudden terror, started; To win him back from flight. Yea, she had shaped his name For utterance, to recall and bid him stay, Nor leave her thus alone; but virtuous shame Repress'd the unbidden sounds upon their way; And calling faith to aid, Even in this fearful hour, the pious Maid The awful will of Fate with equal mind, 11. Even the stern trouble of Neroodi's brow Dawn'd in his brightening countenance, the while He gazed on her with wonder and delight. The blessing of the Powers of Padalon, Virgin, be on thee! said the admiring God; And blessed be the hour that gave thee birth, Daughter of Earth! For thou to this forlorn abode hast brought Hope, who too long hath been a stranger here. And surely for no lamentable lot, Nature, that erreth not, To thee that heart of fortitude hath given, Those eyes of purity, that face of love :If thou beest not the inheritrix of Heaven, There is no truth above. 12. Thus as Neroodi spake, his brow severe Shone with an inward joy; for sure he thought, When Seeva sent so fair a creature here, In this momentous hour, Erelong the World's deliverance would be wrought, And Padalon escape the Rajah's power. With pious mind the Maid, in humble guise Inclined, received his blessing silently, And raised her grateful eyes A moment, then again Abased them at his presence. Hark! on high The sound of coming wings! — her anxious ears Have caught the distant sound. Ereenia brings His burden down! Upstarting from her seat, How joyfully she rears Her eager head! and scarce upon the ground Ladurlad's giddy feet their footing found, When with her trembling arms she clasp'd him round. No word of greeting, No other sign of joy at that strange meeting; Expectant of their fate, The Father and his pious Daughter stand. 13. Then to Neroodi said the Glendoveer, Lord of the Gate, to whom these realms are known, 14. Bring forth my Chariot, Carmala! quoth then The Keeper of the way. When all the Powers of Hell attend their King, Poised on a single wheel, it mov'd along, As if with life indued, The Car miraculous supported stood. 15. Then Carmala brought forth two mantles, white The sun, late rising, shines upon the height, For neither mortal stain, Nor parts corruptible, remain, Nor aught that time could touch, or force destroy, Children of Earth, Neroodi cried, 16. Of other frame, O son of Heaven, art thou! Through regions which thy heavenly mould will try. Glories unutterably bright, I know, And beams intense of empyrean light, Thine eye divine can bear; but fires of woe, The sight of torments, and the cry Of absolute despair, Might not these things dismay thee on thy flight, And thy strong pennons flag and fail thee there? Trust not thy wings, celestial though thou art, Nor thy good heart, which horror might assail, And pity quail, Pity in these abodes of no avail; But take thy seat this mortal pair beside, And Carmala the infernal Car will guide. Go, and may happy end your way betide! So, as he spake, the self-moved Car roll'd on; And lo! they pass the Gate of Padalon. XXIII. PADALON. 1. WHOEVER hath loved, with venturous step, to tread The chambers dread Of some deep cave, and seen his taper's beam Playing afar upon the sunless stream, Whoe'er hath trod such caves of endless night, He knows, when measuring back the gloomy way, With what delight refresh'd, his eye Perceives the shadow of the light of day, Through the far portal slanting, where it falls Dimly reflected on the watery walls; How heavenly seems the sky; And how, with quicken'd feet, he hastens up, Eager again to greet The living World and blessed sunshine there, And drink, as from a cup Of joy, with thirsty lips, the open air. 2. Far other light than that of day there shone A glow, as of a fiery furnace light, A thing of comfort, and the sight, dismay'd, Shrunk inward from the molten atmosphere. Their way was through the adamantine rock Which girt the World of Woe; on either side Its massive walls arose, and overhead Arch'd the long passage; onward as they ride, With stronger glare the light around them spread, And lo! the regions dread, The World of Woe before them, opening wide. 3. There rolls the fiery flood, Girding the realms of Padalon around. For neither mortal nor immortal sight Could pierce across through that intensest light. A single rib of steel, Keen as the edge of keenest cimeter, Spann'd this wide gulf of fire. The infernal Car Roll'd to the Gulf, and, on its single wheel Self-balanced, rose upon that edge of steel. Red-quivering float the vapors overhead; The fiery gulf, beneath them spread, Tosses its billowing blaze with rush and roar; Steady and swift the self-moved Chariot went, Winning the long ascent, Then, downward rolling, gains the farther shore. 4. But, oh! what sounds and sights of woe, Those wondrous winged alchemists infold Thick walls of adamant divide Of rightful torments for the accursed brood. 5. These were the rebel race, who, in their might And wield their arms again in happier hour; Following Kehama's triumph, to press on From World to World, and Heaven to Heaven, and Sphere To Sphere, till Hemakoot shall be their own, Amid the Milky Sea they force their way. The highest, holiest Seeva, they defy, Such impious hopes torment Their raging hearts, impious and impotent; And now, with unendurable desire And lust of vengeance, that, like inward fire, Doth aggravate their punishment, they rave Upon Kehama; him the accursed rout Acclaim; with furious cries and maddening shout They call on him to save; Kehama! they exclaim; Thundering the dreadful echo rolls about, And Hell's whole vault repeats Kehama's name. 7. Over these dens of punishment, the host Of Padalon maintain eternal guard, Keeping upon the walls their vigilant ward. At every angle stood A watch-tower, the decurion Demon's post, Where raised on high he view'd with sleepless eye His trust, that all was well. And over these, Such was the perfect discipline of Hell, — Captains of fifties and of hundreds held Authority, each in his loftier tower; And chiefs of legions over them had power; And thus all Hell with towers was girt around. Aloft the brazen turrets shone In the red light of Padalon; And on the walls between, Dark moving, the infernal Guards were seen, Gigantic Demons, pacing to and fro; |