(_Rocking to and fro in insane pain._) To my right hand and to my left! Above me, and beneath! Before me, and behind! Out--on! Harry! Destroy! Cease, Time! Be nothing, Space! Oh, ho, ho, ho! Oh, ho, ho, ho! End thou me the weariness of this! (_He weeps in frenetic misery._) A CLOUD OF SERAPHIM (_Faded to but pale rays._) Oh, Measureless Wonder of all Wonders! Oh, Creator of all Things! Canst thou not think on us? We die! We die! (_They begin to fade._) A CLOUD OF CHERUBIM (_Shrunken to a thin line._) Nor on us--on us? We die! We die! (_They slowly fade also._) BEAUTY (_Rising and viewing all with weary eyes._) He dreams on me no more--on Beauty no more! Oh, mad, mad, Lord! Oh, fevered, useless dreams! Gone all the sweet Seraphim and Cherubim--the halls of light and wonder--his suns and jewel-stars! His dreams have changed. These his horrors are now his mood. And death--and nothingness--for all of us, his mood! (_To_ DESPAIR.) Hail! Hail! thou unutterable one. (_To_ AMBITION, _glowering near_.) And thou, great evil one, his torturous swelling thought! Now is thy dark hour! But sleep and nothingness is the end of this for thee and all! Thou wouldst destroy even me, oh evil thing! Yet if he but thought on me, how different! His singing world again! But wait, wait! If he think on thee for long comes death and the end of all this--of thee, as of me! By death, sleep! And by sleep, if he sleep--where then is his thought of thee or me? Pray that he change! AMBITION (_Arrogantly._) Avaunt, thin thing! Now is my Lord awake--he thinks on me, not thee! To harry, burn, slay! To his right hand and to his left! Above him, and beneath! Before him, and behind! He is for strife, strength, conflict! To harry, slay, lay waste! It is as it is! He knows thee not! (_The destroying legions rumble._) PITY (_Drawing near to_ BEAUTY.) He thinks not on me again! I am grown so thin! Is there no change? Is peace worth nothing--the tender heart--the end of agonies and storms? AMBITION Avaunt! He knows thee not! (PITY _shrinks exceeding small_.) LOVE (_Drawing near, a pale shadow._) Or all the lovely thoughts that fluttered into happiness--are they worth nothing? AMBITION Avaunt! He knows thee not, thin wraith! (_She fades to a point._) REASON Nor me? Not even order? AMBITION Hence! (REASON _steps aside_.) HOPE Nor yet the thought he had in me? Can he not remember me? AMBITION Vanish! Thy Lord is for destruction! He thinks not on thee--but on me! Hence! (HOPE _pales to a thin flame_.) BEAUTY (_Proudly._) Yet am I Beauty, his first thought! Rage on, thou evil one! Of what avail, since thou wilt end also? Destroy as thou wilt, he will not forget me! I am that which he is--Beauty! His first thought! Think madly as he may, yet will his last thought, as his first, be of me. I am in him, and he in me. From him, when he wake, if ever, will I come! I will be worshiped! I will be worshiped! THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE