" FACILE credo, plures esso Naturas invisibiles quam visibiles in rerum universitate. Sed horum omnium familiam quis nobis enarrabit, et gradus et cognationes et discrimina et singulorum munera? Quid agunt? quæ loca habitant? Harum rerum notitiam semper ambivit ingenium humanum, nunquam attigit. Juvat, interea, non diffiteor, quandoque in animo, tanquam in tabula, majoris et melioris mundi imaginem contemplari: ne mens assuefacta hodiernæ vitæ minutiis se contrahat nimis, et tota subsidat in pusillas cogitationes. Sed veritati interea invigilandum est, modusque servandus, ut certa ab incertis, diem a nocte, distinguamus.-T. BURNET. ARCHEOL. PHIL. p. 68. THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER.* IN SEVEN PARTS. PART I. IT is an ancient Mariner, And he stoppeth one of three. "By thy long grey beard and glittering eye, Now wherefore stopp'st thou me? The Bridegroom's doors are opened wide, And I am next of kin; The guests are met, the feast is set: May'st hear the merry din." He holds him with his skinny hand, "There was a ship," quoth he. "Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon!" He holds him with his glittering eye- * See Note. An ancient Mariner meeteth three gallants bidden to a weddingfeast, and detaineth one. The WeddingGuest is spellbound by the eye of the old seafaring man, and constrained to hear his tale. The Mariner tells how the ship sailed southward with a good wind and fair weather, till it reached the line. The Wedding-Guest heareth the bridal music; but the Mariner continueth his tale. The ship drawn by a storm toward the south pole. The Wedding-Guest sat on a stone: And thus spake on that ancient man, The bright-eyed Mariner. "The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared, Merrily did we drop Below the kirk, below the hill, Below the light-house top. The sun came up upon the left,- And he shone bright, and on the right Higher and higher every day, Till over the mast at noon The Wedding-Guest here beat his breast, The bride hath paced into the hall, Nodding their heads before her goes The Wedding-Guest he beat his breast, And thus spake on that ancient man, The bright-eyed Mariner. "And now the storm-blast came, and he He struck with his o'ertaking wings, With sloping masts and dipping prow, The ship drove fast, loud roared the blast, And now there came both mist and snow, And ice, mast-high, came floating by, And through the drifts the snowy cliffs Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken- The ice was here, the ice was there, The ice was all around: It cracked and growled, and roared and howled, At length did cross an Albatross, As if it had been a Christian soul, It ate the food it ne'er had eat, And a good south wind sprung up behind; The land of ice, and of fearful sounds where no living thing was to be seen. Till a great sea-bird, called the Al batross, came through the snow-fog, and was received with great joy and hospitality. And lo! the Albatross proveth a bird of good omen, and followeth the ship as it returned northward through fog and floating ice. The ancient inhospitably And every day, for food or play, In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud, Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white, "God save thee, ancient Mariner ! PART 11. THE Sun now rose upon the right: Out of the sea came he, Still hid in mist, and on the left Went down into the sea. And the good south wind still blew behind, But no sweet bird did follow, Nor any day for food or play Came to the mariners' hollo! His ship mates cry out against the ancient Mari And I had done a hellish thing, And it would work 'em woe: ner, for killing For all averred, I had killed the bird the bird of good luck. That made the breeze to blow. |