ALL THE SPIRITS. Prostrate thyself, and thy condemned clay, Child of the Earth! or dread the worst. On the bare ground, have I bow'd down my face, And strew'd my head with ashes; I have known The fulness of humiliation, for I sunk before my vain despair, and knelt To my own desolation. FIFTH SPIRIT. Dost thou dare Refuse to Arimanes on his throne What the whole earth accords, beholding not The terror of his Glory MAN. Bid him bow down to that which is above Who made him not for worship — let him kneel, And we will kneel together. THE SPIRITS. Crush the worm! Hence! Avaunt! he's mine. Tear him in pieces! — FIRST DES. Prince of the Powers invisible! This man 鎏 Is of no common order, as his port Our own; his knowledge and his powers and will, Which clogs the etherial essence, have been such But an exchange of ignorance for that Which is another kind of ignorance. This is not all the passions, aftributes Of earth and heaven, from which no power, nor being, Nor breath from the worm upwards is exempt, Have pierced his heart; and in their consequence Made him a thing, which I, who pity not, Yet pardon those who pity. He is mine, And thine, it may be No other Spirit in this region hath A soul like his be it so, or not, or power upon his soul. Let him answer that. NEM. Whath doth he here then? FIRST DES. MAN. Ye know what I have known; and without power I could not be amongst ye: but there are Powers deeper still beyond I come in quest Of such, to answer unto what I seek NEM. What wouldst thou? MAN. Call up the dead Thou canst not reply to me. - my question is for them. NEM, Great Arimanes, doth thy will avouch The wishes of this mortal? NEMES1 S. Shadow! or Spirit! Whatever thou art, Which still doth inherit The whole or a part Of the mould of thy clay, Bear what thou borest, The heart and the form, Redeem from the worm. Appear! Appear! Appear! Who sent thee there requires thee here! (The Phantom of ASTARTE rises and stands in the midst.) MAR. Can this be death? there's bloom upon her cheek; But now I see it is no living hue, But a strange hectic like the unnatural red By the power which hath broken MAN. She is silent, And in that silence I am more than answered. NEм. My power extends no further. Prince of air! It rests with thee alone command her voice. ARI. Spirit -obey this sceptre! NEM. Silent still! She is not of our order, but belongs To the other powers. Mortal! thy quest is vain, And we are baffled also. Look on me! the grave hath not changed thee more This punishment for both that I do bear that thou wilt be One of the blessed and that I shall die; I know not what I ask, nor what I seek: And I would hear yet once before I perish Speak to me! For I have call'd on thee in the still night, Startled the slumbering birds from the hush'd boughs, |