Volume I Part 11 (1/2)
FOOTNOTES:
[B] Adam recognizes in _Aquarius_, the Water-bearer, and _Sagittarius_, the Archer, distinct types of the man bearing and the man combating,--the pa.s.sive and active forms of human labour. I hope that the preceding zodiacal signs--transferred to the earthly shadow and representative purpose--of Aries, Taurus, Cancer, Leo, Libra, Scorpio, Capricornus, and Pisces, are sufficiently obvious to the reader.
[C] Her maternal instinct is excited by Gemini.
THE SERAPHIM
I look for Angels' songs, and hear Him cry.
GILES FLETCHER.
THE SERAPHIM.
PART THE FIRST.
[_It is the time of the Crucifixion; and the Angels of Heaven have departed towards the Earth, except the two Seraphim, ADOR the Strong and ZERAH the Bright One._ _The place is the outer side of the shut Heavenly Gate._]
_Ador._ O Seraph, pause no more!
Beside this gate of heaven we stand alone.
_Zerah._ Of heaven!
_Ador._ Our brother hosts are gone--
_Zerah._ Are gone before.
_Ador._ And the golden harps the angels bore To help the songs of their desire, Still burning from their hands of fire, Lie without touch or tone Upon the gla.s.s-sea sh.o.r.e.
_Zerah._ Silent upon the gla.s.s-sea sh.o.r.e!
_Ador._ There the Shadow from the throne Formless with infinity Hovers o'er the crystal sea Awfuller than light derived, And red with those primeval heats Whereby all life has lived.
_Zerah._ Our visible G.o.d, our heavenly seats!
_Ador._ Beneath us sinks the pomp angelical, Cherub and seraph, powers and virtues, all,-- The roar of whose descent has died To a still sound, as thunder into rain.
Immeasurable s.p.a.ce spreads magnified With that thick life, along the plane The worlds slid out on. What a fall And eddy of wings innumerous, crossed By trailing curls that have not lost The glitter of the G.o.d-smile shed On every prostrate angel's head!
What gleaming up of hands that fling Their homage in retorted rays, From high instinct of wors.h.i.+pping, And habitude of praise!
_Zerah._ Rapidly they drop below us: Pointed palm and wing and hair Indistinguishable show us Only pulses in the air Throbbing with a fiery beat, As if a new creation heard Some divine and plastic word, And trembling at its new-found being, Awakened at our feet.
_Ador._ Zerah, do not wait for seeing!
HIS voice, his, that thrills us so As we our harpstrings, uttered _Go_, _Behold the Holy in his woe!_ And all are gone, save thee and--
_Zerah._ Thee!
_Ador._ I stood the nearest to the throne In hierarchical degree, What time the Voice said _Go_!
And whether I was moved alone By the storm-pathos of the tone Which swept through heaven the alien name of _woe_, Or whether the subtle glory broke Through my strong and s.h.i.+elding wings, Bearing to my finite essence Incapacious of their presence, Infinite imaginings, None knoweth save the Throned who spoke; But I who at creation stood upright And heard the G.o.d-breath move Shaping the words that lightened, ”Be there light, Nor trembled but with love, Now fell down shudderingly, My face upon the pavement whence I had towered, As if in mine immortal overpowered By G.o.d's eternity.
_Zerah._ Let me wait!--let me wait!--
_Ador._ Nay, gaze not backward through the gate!
G.o.d fills our heaven with G.o.d's own solitude Till all the pavements glow: His G.o.dhead being no more subdued, By itself, to glories low Which seraphs can sustain.