Upon the whirl, where sank the ship, I moved my lips-the Pilot shriek'd The holy Hermit raised his eyes, 45 50 I took the oars: the Pilot's boy, Who now doth crazy go, Laugh'd loud and long, and all the while His eyes went to and fro. "Ha! ha!" quoth he, “full plain I see, The Devil knows how to row." 55 And now, all in my own countree, I stood on the firm land! The Hermit stepp'd forth from the boat, And scarcely he could stand. 60 "O shrieve me, shrieve me, holy man!" The hermit cross'd his brow. "Say quick," quoth he, “I bid thee say— What manner of man art thou ?" Forthwith this frame of mine was wrench'd 65 With a woful agony, Which forced me to begin my tale; And then it left me free. Since then, at an uncertain hour, That agony returns: And till my ghastly tale is told, 70 This heart within me burns. I pass, like night, from land to land; I have strange power of speech; That moment that his face I see, 75 O sweeter than the marriage-feast, To walk together to the kirk To walk together to the kirk, While each to his great Father bends, Farewell, farewell! but this I tell He prayeth best, who loveth best For the dear God who loveth us, The Mariner, whose eye is bright, He went like one that hath been stunn'd, And is of sense forlorn : A sadder and a wiser man, He rose the morrow morn. 105 110 COLERIDGE. ASTROLOGY. (Translation from Schiller's Wallenstein.) Countess. The Astrological tower!-How happens it That this same sanctuary, whose access Is to all others so impracticable, Opens before you ev'n at your approach ? Thekla. A dwarfish old man with a friendly face 5 And snow-white hairs, whose gracious services Were mine at first sight, open'd me the doors. Max. That is the Duke's astrologer, old Seni. Thekla. He question'd me on many points; for instance, When I was born, what month, and on what day, 10 Countess. Thekla. My hand too he examined, shook his head With much sad meaning, anu the lines, methought, 15 Did not square over truly with his wishes. [tower? Countess. Well, Princess, and what found you in this My highest privilege has been to snatch 20 Thekla. Colossal statues, and all kings, stood round me A sceptre bore, and on his head a star; And in the tower no other light was there 30 35 But from these stars: all seem'd to come from them. Max. O never rudely will I blame his faith 40 45 In the might of stars and angels! 'Tis not merely 50 Since likewise for the stricken heart of Love 55 For fable is Love's world, his home, his birth-place; Delightedly dwells he 'mong fays and talismans, Divinities, being himself divine. 60 The intelligible forms of ancient poets, The fair humanities of old religion, The power, the beauty, and the majesty, That had their haunts in dale, or piny mountain, 65 Or chasms and watery depths; all these have vanish'd: Doth the old instinct bring back the old names, I too, with glad and zealous industry, At our first birth, the wreath of love was woven, COLERIDGE. 70 75 80 |