THEPARTINGSPEECHOFTHECELESTIALMESSENGERTOTHEPOET

thepartingspeechofthecelestialmessengertothepoet

fromthelatinofpalingenius,inthezodiacusvitae

(1832)

butnowtimewarns(mymissionatanend)

thattojove'sstarrycourtire-ascend;

fromwhosehighbattlementsitakedelight

toscanyourearth,diminish'dtothesight,

pendant,andround,and,asanapple,small;

self-propt,self-balanced,andsecurefromfall

byherownweight:andhowwithliquidrobe

blueoceangirdlesroundhertinyglobe,

whilelessernereus,glidinglikeasnake,

betwixtherhandshisflexilecoursedothtake,

shrunktoarivulet;andhowthepo,

themightyganges,tanais,ister,show

noerthanaditchwhichrainshaveswell'd.

oldnilus'sevenproudmouthsilatebeheld,

andmock'dthewaterypuddles.hostssteel-clad

ofttimesithencebehold;andhowthesad

peoplesarepunish'dbythefaultofkings,

whichfromthepurplefiendambitionsprings.

forgetfulofmortality,theylive

inhotstrifeforpossessionsfugitive,

atwhichtheangelsgrieve.sometimesitrace

offountains,rivers,seas,thechangeofplace;

byevershiftingcourse,andtime'sunrest,

thevaleexalted,andthemountdeprest

toaningloriousvalley;plough-sharesgoing

wheretalltreesrear'dtheirtops;andfreshtreesgrowing

inantiquepastures.citieslosetheirsite.

oldthingswaxnew.owhatararedelight

tohim,whofromthisvantagecansurvey

atoncesternafric,andsoftasia,

witheurope'sculturedplains;andintheirturns

theirscatter'dtribes:thosewhomthehotcrabburns,

thetawnyethiops;orientindians;

getulians;ever-wanderingscythians;

swifttartarhordes;ciliciansrapacious,

andparthianswithback-bendedbowpugnacious;

sabeansincense-bringing,menofthrace,

italian,spaniard,gaul,andthatroughrace

ofbritons,rigidastheirnativecolds;

withalltherestthecirclingsunbeholds!

butclouds,andelementalmists,deny

thesevisionsblesttoanyfleshlyeye.