So　stedfastly；　that　the　new　denizen
  Had　time　to　keep　him　in　amazed　ken；
  To　mark　these　shadowings；　and　stand　in　awe。
  The　old　man　rais'd　his　hoary　head　and　saw
  The　wilder'd　stranger…　seeming　not　to　see；
  His　features　were　so　lifeless。　Suddenly
  He　woke　as　from　a　trance；　his　snow…white　brows
  Went　arching　up；　and　like　two　magic　ploughs
  Furrow'd　deep　wrinkles　in　his　forehead　large；
  Which　kept　as　fixedly　as　rocky　marge；
  Till　round　his　wither'd　lips　had　gone　a　smile。
  Then　up　he　rose；　like　one　whose　tedious　toil
  Had　watch'd　for　years　in　forlorn　hermitage；
  Who　had　not　from　mid…life　to　utmost　age
  Eas'd　in　one　accent　his　o'er…burden'd　soul；
  Even　to　the　trees。　He　rose：　he　grasp'd　his　stole；
  With　convuls'd　clenches　waving　it　abroad；
  And　in　a　voice　of　solemn　joy；　that　aw'd
  Echo　into　oblivion；　he　said：…
  〃Thou　art　the　man！　Now　shall　I　lay　my　head
  In　peace　upon　my　watery　pillow：　now
  Sleep　will　come　smoothly　to　my　weary　brow。
  O　Jove！　I　shall　be　young　again；　be　young！
  O　shell…borne　Neptune；　I　am　pierc'd　and　stung
  With　new…born　life！　What　shall　I　do？　Where　go；
  When　I　have　cast　this　serpent…skin　of　woe？…
  I'll　swim　to　the　syrens；　and　one　moment　listen
  Their　melodies；　and　see　their　long　hair　glisten；
  Anon　upon　that　giant's　arm　I'll　be；
  That　writhes　about　the　roots　of　Sicily：
  To　northern　seas　I'll　in　a　twinkling　sail；
  And　mount　upon　the　snortings　of　a　whale
  To　some　black　cloud；　thence　down　I'll　madly　sweep
  On　forked　lightning；　to　the　deepest　deep；
  Where　through　some　sucking　pool　I　will　be　hurl'd
  With　rapture　to　the　other　side　of　the　world！
  O；　I　am　full　of　gladness！　Sisters　three；
  I　bow　full　hearted　to　your　old　decree！
  Yes；　every　god　be　thank'd；　and　power　benign；
  For　I　no　more　shall　wither；　droop；　and　pine。
  Thou　art　the　man！〃　Endymion　started　back
  Dismay'd；　and；　like　a　wretch　from　whom　the　rack
  Tortures　hot　breath；　and　speech　of　agony；
  Mutter'd：　〃What　lonely　death　am　I　to　die
  In　this　cold　region？　Will　he　let　me　freeze；
  And　float　my　brittle　limbs　o'er　polar　seas？
  Or　will　he　touch　me　with　his　searing　hand；
  And　leave　a　black　memorial　on　the　sand？
  Or　tear　me　piece…meal　with　a　bony　saw；
  And　keep　me　as　a　chosen　food　to　draw
  His　magian　fish　through　hated　fire　and　flame？
  O　misery　of　hell！　resistless；　tame；
  Am　I　to　be　burnt　up？　No；　I　will　shout；
  Until　the　gods　through　heaven's　blue　look　out！…
  O　Tartarus！　but　some　few　days　agone
  Her　soft　arms　were　entwining　me；　and　on
  Her　voice　I　hung　like　fruit　among　green　leaves：
  Her　lips　were　all　my　own；　and…　ah；　ripe　sheaves
  Of　happiness！　ye　on　the　stubble　droop；
  But　never　may　be　garner'd。　I　must　stoop
  My　head；　and　kiss　death's　foot。　Love！　love；　farewell！
  Is　there　no　hope　from　thee？　This　horrid　spell
  Would　melt　at　thy　sweet　breath。…　By　Dian's　hind
  Feeding　from　her　white　fingers；　on　the　wind
  I　see　thy　streaming　hair！　and　now；　by　Pan；
  I　care　not　for　this　old　mysterious　man！〃
  He　spake；　and　walking　to　that　aged　form；
  Look'd　high　defiance。　Lo！　his　heart　'gan　warm
  With　pity；　for　the　grey…hair'd　creature　wept。
  Had　he　then　wrong'd　a　heart　where　sorrow　kept？
  Had　he；　though　blindly　contumelious；　brought
  Rheum　to　kind　eyes；　a　sting　to　humane　thought；
  Convulsion　to　a　mouth　of　many　years？
  He　had　in　truth；　and　he　was　ripe　for　tears。
  The　penitent　shower　fell；　as　down　he　knelt
  Before　that　care…worn　sage；　who　trembling　felt
  About　his　large　dark　locks；　and　faultering　spake：
  〃Arise；　good　youth；　for　sacred　Phoebus'　sake！
  I　know　thine　inmost　bosom；　and　I　feel
  A　very　brother's　yearning　for　thee　steal
  Into　mine　own：　for　why？　thou　openest
  The　prison　gates　that　have　so　long　opprest
  My　weary　watching。　Though　thou　know'st　it　not；
  Thou　art　commission'd　to　this　fated　spot
  For　great　enfranchisement。　O　weep　no　more；
  I　am　a　friend　to　love；　to　loves　of　yore：
  Aye；　hadst　thou　never　lov'd　an　unknown　power；
  I　had　been　grieving　at　this　joyous　hour。
  But　even　now　most　miserable　old；
  I　saw　thee；　and　my　blood　no　longer　cold
  Gave　mighty　pulses：　in　this　tottering　case
  Grew　a　new　heart；　which　at　this　moment　plays
  As　dancingly　as　thine。　Be　not　afraid；
  For　thou　shalt　hear　this　secret　all　display'd；
  Now　as　we　speed　towards　our　joyous　task。〃
  So　saying；　this　young　soul　in　age's　mask
  Went　forward　with　the　Carian　side　by　side：
  Resuming　quickly　thus：　while　ocean's　tide
  Hung　swollen　at　their　backs；　and　jewel'd　sands
  Took　silently　their　foot…prints。
  〃My　soul　stands
  Now　past　the　midway　from　mortality；
  And　so　I　can　prepare　without　a　sigh
  To　tell　thee　briefly　all　my　joy　and　pain。
  I　was　a　fisher　once；　upon　this　main；
  And　my　boat　danc'd　in　every　creek　and　bay；
  Rough　billows　were　my　home　by　night　and　day；…
  The　sea…gulls　not　more　constant；　for　I　had
  No　housing　from　the　storm　and　tempests　mad；
  But　hollow　rocks；…　and　they　were　palaces
  Of　silent　happiness；　of　slumberous　ease：
  Long　years　of　misery　have　told　me　so。
  Aye；　thus　it　was　one　thousand　years　ago。
  One　thousand　years！…　Is　it　then　possible
  To　look　so　plainly　through　them？　to　dispel
  A　thousand　years　with　backward　glance　sublime？
  To　breathe　away　as　'twere　all　scummy　slime
  From　off　a　crystal　pool；　to　see　its　deep；
  And　one's　own　image　from　the　bottom　peep？
  Yes：　now　I　am　no　longer　wretched　thrall；
  My　long　captivity　and　moanings　all
  Are　but　a　slime；　a　thin…pervading　scum；
  The　which　I　breathe　away；　and　thronging　come
  Like　things　of　yesterday　my　youthful　pleasures。
  〃I　touch'd　no　lute；　I　sang　not；　trod　no　measures：
  I　was　a　lonely　youth　on　desert　shores。
  My　sports　were　lonely；　'mid　continuous　roars；
  And　craggy　isles；　and　sea…mew's　plaintive　cry
  Plaining　discrepant　between　sea　and　sky。
  Dolphins　were　still　my　playmates；　shapes　unseen
  Would　let　me　feel　their　scales　of　gold　and　green；
  Nor　be　my　desolation；　and；　full　oft；
  When　a　dread　waterspout　had　rear'd　aloft
  Its　hungry　hugeness；　seeming　ready　ripe
  To　burst　with　hoarsest　thunderings；　and　wipe
  My　life　away　like　a　vast　sponge　of　fate；
  Some　friendly　monster；　pitying　my　sad　state；
  Has　dived　to　its　foundations；　gulph'd　it　down；
  And　left　me　tossing　safely。　But　the　crown
  Of　all　my　life　was　utmost　quietude：
  More　did　I　love　to　lie　in　cavern　rude；
  Keeping　in　wait　whole　days　for　Neptune's　voice；
  And　if　it　came　at　last；　hark；　and　rejoice！
  There　blush'd　no　summer　eve　but　I　would　steer
  My　skiff　along　green　shelving　coasts；　to　hear
  The　shepherd's　pipe　come　clear　from　aery　steep；
  Mingled　with　ceaseless　bleatings　of　his　sheep：
  And　never　was　a　day　of　summer　shine；
  But　I　beheld　its　birth　upon　the　brine：
  For　I　would　watch　all　night　to　see　unfold
  Heaven's　gates；　and　AEthon　snort　his　morning　gold
  Wide　o'er　the　swelling　streams：　and　constantly
  At　brim　of　day…tide；　on　some　grassy　lea；
  My　nets　would　be　spread　out；　and　I　at　rest。
  The　poor　folk　of　the　sea…country　I　blest
  With　daily　boon　of　fish　most　delicate：
  They　knew　not　whence　this　bounty；　and　elate
  Would　strew　sweet　flowers　on　a　sterile　beach。
  〃Why　was　I　not　contented？　Wherefore　reach
  At　things　which；　but　for　thee；　O　Latmian！
  Had　been　my　dreary　death？　Fool！　I　began
  To　feel　distemper'd　longings：　to　desire
  The　utmost　privilege　that　ocean's　sire
  Could　grant　in　benediction：　to　be　free
  Of　all　his　kingdom。　Long　in　misery
  I　wasted；　ere　in　one　extremest　fit
  I　plung'd　for　life　or　death。　To　interknit
  One's　senses　with　so　dense　a　breathing　stuff
  Might　seem　a　work　of　pain；　so　not　enough
  Can　I　admire　how　crystal…smooth　it　felt；
  And　buoyant　round　my　limbs。　At　first　I　dwelt
  Whole　days　and　days　in　sheer　astonishment；
  Forgetful　utterly　of　self…intent；
  Moving　but　with　the　mighty　ebb　and　flow。
  Then；　like　a　new　fledg'd　bird　that　first　doth　show
  His　spreaded　feathers　to　the　morrow　chill；
  I　tried　in　fea