Of the sweets of Faeries, Peris, Goddesses,
There is not such a treat among them all,
Haunters of cavern, lake, and waterfall,
As a real woman, lineal indeed
From Pyrrha's pebbles or old Adam's seed.
Thus gentle Lamia judg'd, and judg'd aright,
That Lycius could not love in half a fright,
So threw the goddess off, and won his heart
More pleasantly by playing woman's part,
With no more awe than what her beauty gave,
That, while it smote, still guaranteed to save.
Lycius to all made eloquent reply,
Marrying to every word a twinborn sigh;
And last, pointing to Corinth, ask'd her sweet,
If 'twas too far that night for her soft feet.
The way was short, for Lamia's eagerness
Made, by a spell, the triple league decrease
To a few paces; not at all surmised
By blinded Lycius, so in her comprized.

330

335

340

345

They pass'd the city gates, he knew not how,
So noiseless, and he never thought to know.

As men talk in a dream, so Corinth all, Throughout her palaces imperial,

350

And all her populous streets and temples lewd,
Mutter'd, like tempest in the distance brew'd,
To the wide-spreaded night above her towers.
Men, women, rich and poor, in the cool hours,
Shuffled their sandals o'er the pavement white,
Companion'd or alone; while many a light
Flar'd, here and there, from wealthy festivals,

355

(349) Cancelled manuscript reading, never car'd to know.

And threw their moving shadows on the walls,
Or found them cluster'd in the cornic'd shade
Of some arch'd temple door, or dusky colonnade.

360

Muffling his face, of greeting friends in fear, Her fingers he press'd hard, as one came near With curl'd gray beard, sharp eyes, and smooth bald

crown,

Slow-stepp'd, and rob'd in philosophic gown :
Lycius shrank closer, as they met and past,
Into his mantle, adding wings to haste,

365

While hurried Lamia trembled: "Ah," said he, "Why do you shudder, love, so ruefully?

"Why does your tender palm dissolve in dew?"-
"I'm wearied," said fair Lamia: "tell me who
"Is that old man? I cannot bring to mind
"His features:-Lycius! wherefore did you blind
"Yourself from his quick eyes?" Lycius reply'd,
"'Tis Apollonius sage, my trusty guide
"And good instructor; but to-night he seems

370

375

"The ghost of folly haunting my sweet dreams.”

While yet he spake they had arriv'd before

A pillar'd porch, with lofty portal door,
Where hung a silver lamp, whose phosphor glow

380

(363) The manuscript reads

And pressing hard her fingers, one came near...

(371) The manuscript has pray who instead of tell me who. (373) In the manuscript, why did you so blind...

(377) The closing inverted commas, wanting in the first edition,

Reflected in the slabbed steps below,
Mild as a star in water; for so new,
And so unsully'd was the marble's hue,
So through the crystal polish, liquid fine,
Ran the dark veins, that none but feet divine
Could e'er have touch'd there. Sounds Æolian
Breath'd from the hinges, as the ample span
Of the wide doors disclos'd a place unknown
Some time to any, but those two alone,

385

And a few Persian mutes, who that same year

390

Were seen about the markets: none knew where

They could inhabit; the most curious

Were foil'd, who watch'd to trace them to their house:
And but the flitter-winged verse must tell,
For truth's sake, what woe afterwards befel,
'Twould humour many a heart to leave them us,
Shut from the busy world of more incredulous.

(383) This line was originally written thus

And so unsullid was the marble's hue,

and afterwards altered to

And so unsullid did the marble shew,

th
A

395

but either Keats or his publisher gave the preference to the first reading, which however appeared in the first edition with a blemish: the apostrophe and s taken out for the sake of the second reading were not put in again in reverting to the first.

(386) The manuscript reads aolian; the first edition Æolian. (393) Originally written

Who watch'd to maze them home to their house :

but altered to

Were foil'd, Who watch'd to maze them to their house:

and left standing so in the manuscript.

(396) In the manuscript, close stands cancelled at the end of this line, leave them thus being substituted.

LAMIA.

PART II.

LOVE in a hut, with water and a crust,
Is-Love, forgive us !—cinders, ashes, dust;
Love in a palace is perhaps at last

More grievous torment than a hermit's fast:-
That is a doubtful tale from faery land,
Hard for the non-elect to understand.
Had Lycius liv'd to hand his story down,

He might have given the moral a fresh frown,

Or clench'd it quite but too short was their bliss

5

To breed distrust and hate, that make the soft voice hiss. 10

Besides, there, nightly, with terrific glare,

Love, jealous grown of so complete a pair,

Hover'd and buzz'd his wings, with fearful roar,
Above the lintel of their chamber door,

And down the passage cast a glow upon the floor.

15

For all this came a ruin: side by side They were enthroned, in the even tide, Upon a couch, near to a curtaining Whose airy texture, from a golden string,

(10) The manuscript reads makes for make.

Floated into the room, and let appear

Unveil'd the summer heaven, blue and clear,
Betwixt two marble shafts :—there they reposed,
Where use had made it sweet, with eyelids closed,
Saving a tythe which love still open kept,

20

That they might see each other while they almost slept; 25
When from the slope side of a suburb hill,

Deafening the swallow's twitter, came a thrill
Of trumpets-Lycius started-the sounds fled,
But left a thought, a buzzing in his head.
For the first time, since first he harbour'd in
That purple-lined palace of sweet sin,
His spirit pass'd beyond its golden bourn
Into the noisy world almost forsworn.
The lady, ever watchful, penetrant,
Saw this with pain, so arguing a want

30

35

Of something more, more than her empery

Of joys; and she began to moan and sigh

Because he mus'd beyond her, knowing well

That but a moment's thought is passion's passing bell. "Why do you sigh, fair creature?" whisper'd he :

"

40

Why do you think?" return'd she tenderly:

"You have deserted me ;—where am I now?

"Not in your heart while care weighs on your brow: "No, no, you have dismiss'd me; and I go

"From your breast houseless: aye, it must be so." He answer'd, bending to her open eyes,

45

Where he was mirror'd small in paradise,

My silver planet, both of eve and morn!

(45) In the manuscript, this speech has another couplet

Too fond was I believing, fancy fed

In high deliriums, and blossoms never shed!