"Trust no foul, to frame best end, Lest some taint the high Stars rue, Dark infect all fresher True, Subtly foil its yet portend; And, twice blind with brute unheed, Life's close cypher harder read: Lest unto all after time, With the burden of my rhyme, The unholy jar do foully blend, Grudge and mar its noblest chime: Burden, with whose nameless Deep, Tho' sad paths dim courses keep, Yet repeats, invoking still, Anthemed, the responsive will, Suffered federate with the Prime." "Have thy ways confess me just, Lest the Fate, whose hand unfolds Devious what the world-lust holds, Shut out all bound twixt thee and dust: Lest large things, that she did write, Tricked of faith and worthy scope-- Hence, unmusicked of the Hope-- Juggling blot my tablet's white; Nay, in her despair to shape the Soul, She report ye foul, and tear my Scroll." AVE PAX. From forth the hidden, brooding heart of Nature lifts a sigh, A wordless, dim beseech, as if of tremulous Life, A heave that groaning speaks, withal: "And what am I, And all my stars, and myriad thing, and Breath arife As with some doom that hears not, some blind call to be? Shall my mute yearning ever rend the pall of Night? This bond be lifted, and those wills be free? My heart swell holy t'ward some only Light?" "And shall my pains unburden, some glad voice be mine? The feuds surcease them--the brutal onset and the bitter stress? This chalice sweeten, flow with heavenly wine? My brood uncurse me, who how fain would bless, Till, O, some angeled Pity from these bowels leap, A sweeter wisdom of all ills make ease, And those dreams fulfil them that fond-haunt my sleep: Shall ever on my sore, o'erwatched brow sit promised Peace?" And out of stillier Deeps--unfathomed, shrouded than the tomb-hush came-- A Vision rose upon her stony, sad, beblinded eyes:-- A passioned Shrine, where smiling lay, in chastening flame, The white child, Truth--a seraph winging, 'gainst its mighty Rise, Past Pain and Evil, all fierce brood they bore; While Justice in the holy fire saints her purging rod For infinite Ruth: But 'bove them all, in state no other heaven wore, Abounding Patience sat, in likeness of unutterable God! ALPHA. Primer than all the Ages, One with the Evermore, Key to Life's sybil pages, Prophet whose only lore, Time, tho' he muse the Writing-- Why so crabbed the cypher run, Shall yet word to the heart's inviting Clear-copied than myriad Sun. * * * * * Vaster than all relation, Divine, tho' mid Dark he grew, Lest, paltering the fierce negation, Unblest come the only True! OMEGA.