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Аввот.

And wherefore so?

MAN. I could not tame my nature down; for he

Must serve who fain would sway-and soothe-and

sue

And watch all time—and pry into all place

And be a living lie-who would become

A mighty thing amongst the mean, and such
The mass are; I disdained to mingle with

A herd, though to be leader-and of wolves.
The lion is alone, and so am I.

ABBOT. And why not live and act with other men?

MAN. Because my nature was averse from life;

And yet not cruel ; for I would not.make,

But find a desolation:-like the wind,

The red-hot breath of the most lone Simoom,
Which dwells but in the desart, and sweeps o'er
The barren sands which bear no shrubs to blast,

And revels o'er their wild and arid waves,
And seeketh not, so that it is not sought,
But being met is deadly; such hath been
The course of my existence; but there came
Things in my path which are no more.

Аввот.

I 'gin to fear that thou art past all aid

Alas!

From me and from my calling; yet so young,

I still would

MAN.

Look on me! there is an order

Of mortals on the earth, who do become

Old in their youth, and die ere middle age,

Without the violence of warlike death;

Some perishing of pleasure-some of study

Some worn with toil-some of mere weariness

Some of disease-and some insanity

And some of withered, or of broken hearts;
For this last is a malady which slays

VOL. VI.

L

More than are numbered in the lists of Fate,

Taking all shapes, and bearing many names.
Look upon me! for even of all these things
Have I partaken; and of all these things,
One were enough; then wonder not that I
Am what I am, but that I ever was,

Or having been, that I am still on earth.

ABBOT. Yet, hear me still

MAN.

Old man! I do respect

Thine order, and revere thine years; I deem
Thy purpose pious, but it is in vain :

Think me not churlish; I would spare thyself,

Far more than me, in shunning at this time

All further colloquy-and so-farewell.

[Exit MANFRED.

ABBOT. This should have been a noble creature :

he

Hath all the energy which would have made

A goodly frame of glorious elements,

Had they been wisely mingled; as it is,

It is an awful chaos-light and darkness-
And mind and dust-and passions and pure thoughts,
Mix'd, and contending without end or order,
All dormant or destructive: he will perish,

And yet he must not; I will try once more,
For such are worth redemption; and my duty
Is to dare all things for a righteous end.
I'll follow him-but cautiously, though surely.

[Exit ABBOT.

SCENE II.

Another Chamber.

MANFRED and HERMAN.

HER. My Lord, you bade me wait on you at

sunset:

He sinks behind the mountain.

MAN.

I will look on him.

Doth he so?

[MANFRED advances to the Window of the Hall.
Glorious Orb! the idol

Of early nature, and the vigorous race
Of undiseased mankind, the giant sons*

Of the embrace of angels, with a sex
More beautiful than they, which did draw down
The erring spirits who can ne'er return.—

Most glorious orb! that wert a worship, ere
The mystery of thy making was reveal'd!

Thou earliest minister of the Almighty,

Which gladden'd, on their mountain tops, the hearts Of the Chaldean shepherds, till they pour'd

Themselves in orisons! Thou material God!

And representative of the Unknown

Who chose thee for his shadow! Thou chief star!

Centre of many stars! which mak'st our earth

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