Forth from their caves old Zazel and his sons ran, when they

saw

Their tyrant prince blind, and his daughter howling and leading him.

They laughed and mocked; some threw dirt and stones as they passed by.

But, when Tiriel turned around and raised his awful voice,
Some fled away; but Zazel stood still, and thus began :—

** Bald tyrant, wrinkled cunning, listen to Zazel's chains; Twas thou that chained thy brother Zazel! Where are now thine eyes?

Shout, beautiful daughter of Tiriel; thou singest a sweet song!

Where are you going? Come and eat some roots, and drink

some water.

Thy crown is bald, old man ; the sun will dry thy brains away, And thou wilt be as foolish as thy foolish brother Zazel.'

The blind man heard, and smote his breast, ard trembling passed on.

They threw dirt after them, till to the covert of a wood
The howling maiden led her father, where wild beasts resort,
Hoping to end her woes; but from her cries the tigers fled.
All night they wandered through the wood; and, when the sun

arose,

They entered on the mountains of Har. At noon the happy

tents

Were frighted by the dismal cries of Hela on the mountains.

But Har and Heva slept fearless as babes on loving breasts. Mnetha awoke; she ran and stood at the tent-door, and saw The aged wanderer led towards the tents. She took her bow, And chose her arrows, then advanced to meet the terrible pair.

8.

And Mnetha hasted, and met them at the gate of the lower

garden.

'Stand still, or from my bow receive a sharp and winged death I'

Then Tiriel stood, saying: 'What soft voice threatens such

bitter things?

Lead me to Har and Heva: I am Tiriel, King of the West.'

And Mnetha led them to the tent of Har; and Har and Heva
Ran to the door. When Tiriel felt the ankles of aged Har,
He said: 'O weak mistaken father of a lawless race,
Thy laws, O Har, and Tiriel's wisdom, end together in a curse.
Why is one law given to the lion and the patient ox,

And why men bound beneath the heavens in a reptile form,
A worm of sixty winters creeping on the dusty ground?

The child springs from the womb; the father ready stands to form

The infant head, while the mother idly plays with her dog on her couch.

The young bosom is cold for lack of mother's nourishment, and milk

Is cut off from the weeping mouth with difficulty and pain.
The little lids are lifted, and the little nostrils opened;

The father forms a whip to rouse-the sluggish senses to act,
And scourges off all youthful fancies from the new-born man.
Then walks the weak infant in sorrow, compelled to number
footsteps

Upon the sand. And, when the drone has reached his crawling length,

Black berries appear that poison all round him. Such was Tiriel,

Compelled to pray repugnant and to humble the immortal spirit,

Till I am subtle as a serpent in a paradise,

Consuming all-both flowers and fruits, insects and warbling

birds.

And now my paradise is fallen, and a drear sandy plain
Returns my thirsty hissings in a curse on thee, O Har,
Mistaken father of a lawless race !—My voice is past."

He ceased, outstretched at Har and Heva's feet in awful death.

THE Daughters of [the] Seraphim led round their sunny flocks-
All but the youngest: she in paleness sought the secret air,
To fade away like morning beauty from her mortal day.
Down by the river of Adona her soft voice is heard,

And thus her gentle lamentation falls like morning dew.
'O life of this our Spring! why fades the lotus of the water?
Why fade these children of the Spring, born but to smile and
fall?

Ah! Thel is like a watery bow, and like a parting cloud,
Like a reflection in a glass, like shadows in the water,
Like dreams of infants, like a smile upon an infant's face,
Like the dove's voice, like transient day, like music in the air.
Ah! gentle may I lay me down, and gentle rest my head,
And gentle sleep the sleep of death, and gentle hear the voice
Of Him that walketh in the garden in the evening time!'

The Lily of the Valley, breathing in the humble grass,
Answered the lovely maid, and said: 'I am a watery weed,
And I am very small, and love to dwell in lowly vale;
So weak, the gilded butterfly scarce perches on my head.
Yet I am visited from heaven; and He that smiles on all
Walks in the valley, and each morn over me spreads His hand,
Saying, "Rejoice, thou humble grass, thou new-born lily-flower,
Thou gentle maid of silent valleys and of modest brooks;
For thou shalt be clothed in light and fed with morning manna,
Till summer's heat melts thee beside the fountains and the
springs,

To flourish in eternal vales." Then why should Thel complain?
Why should the mistress of the vales of Har utter a sigh?'

She ceased, and smiled in tears, then sat down in her silver shrine.

Thel answered: "O thou little virgin of the peaceful valley, Giving to those that cannot crave, the voiceless, the o'ertired: Thy breath doth nourish the innocent lamb; he smells thy milky garments,

He crops thy flowers, while thou sittest smiling in his face, Wiping his mild and meekin mouth from all contagious taints. Thy wine doth purify the golden hohey; thy perfume,

Which thou dost scatter on every little blade of grass that springs,

Revives the milkèd cow, and tames the fire-breathing steed.
But Thel is like a faint cloud kindled at the rising sun:

I vanish from my pearly throne, and who shall find my place?'

'Queen of the vales,' the Lily answered, ask the tender Cloud,

And it shall tell thee why it glitters in the morning sky,

And why it scatters its bright beauty through the humid air. Descend, O little Cloud, and hover before the eyes of Thel.'. The Cloud descended; and the Lily bowed her modest head, And went to mind her numerous charge among the verdant grass.

2.

'O little cloud,' the virgin said, 'I charge thee tell to me Why thou complainest not, when in one hour thou fad'st away:

Then we shall seek thee, but not find. Ah! Thel is like to thee

I pass away; yet I complain, and no one hears my voice.'

The Cloud then showed his golden head, and his bright form emerged,

Hovering and glittering on the air, before the face of Thel.

'O virgin, know'st thou not our steeds drink of the golden

springs

Where Luvah doth renew his horses! Look'st thou on my

youth,

And fearest thou because I vanish and am seen no more?
Nothing remains. O maid, I tell thee, when I pass away,
It is to tenfold life, to love, to peace, and raptures holy.
Unseen descending weigh my light wings upon balmy flowers,
And court the fair-eyed Dew to take me to her shining tent:
The weeping virgin trembling kneels before the risen sun,
Till we arise, linked in a golden band, and never part,
But walk united, bearing food to all our tender flowers.'

'Dost thou, O little Cloud? I fear that I am not like thee; For I walk through the vales of Har, and smell the sweetest

flowers,

But I feed not the little flowers: I hear the warbling birds,
But I feed not the warbling birds, they fly and seek their food.
But Thel delights in these no more! because I fade away,
And all shall say, "Without a use this shining woman lived;
Or did she only live to be at death the food of worms? "*

The Cloud reclined upon his airy throne, and answered thus:
• Then if thou art the food of worms, O virgin of the skies,
How great thy use, how great thy blessing! Every thing that
lives

Lives not alone nor for itself. Fear not, and I will call

The weak Worm from its lowly bed, and thou shalt hear its voice.

Come forth, Worm of the silent valley, to thy pensive queen.'

The helpless Worm arose, and sat upon the Lily's leaf,
And the bright Cloud sailed on to find his partner in the vale.

3.

Then Thel, astonished, viewed the Worm upon its dewy bed. 'Art thou a worm, image of weakness? art thou but a worn? I see thee, like an infant, wrapped in the Lily's leaf.

Ah! weep not, little voice; thou canst not speak, but thou

canst weep.

Is this a worm? I see thee lay helpless and naked, weeping, And none to answer, none to cherish thee with mother's smiles.