"And now there came both mist and snow, And it grew wondrous cold: And ice, mast-high, came floating by, As green as emerald.[32-7] "And through the drifts, the snowy clifts[32-8] Did send a dismal sheen: Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken-- The ice was all between. "The ice was here, the ice was there, The ice was all around: It cracked and growled, and roared and howled, Like noises in a swound![32-9] "At length did cross an Albatross, Thorough[32-10] the fog it came; As if it had been a Christian soul, We hailed it in God's name.[32-11] "It ate the food it ne'er had eat, And round and round it flew. The ice did split with a thunder-fit; The helmsman steered us through. [Illustration: I SHOT THE ALBATROSS] "And a good south wind sprung up behind;[34-12] The Albatross did follow, And every day, for food or play, Came to the mariner's hollo! "In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud, It perched for vespers nine; Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white, Glimmered the white moonshine." "God save thee, ancient Mariner, From the fiends that plague thee thus!-- Why look'st thou so?"--"With my cross-bow I shot the Albatross." PART II "The Sun now rose upon the right:[34-13] Out of the sea came he, Still hid in mist, and on the left Went down into the sea. "And the good south wind still blew behind, But no sweet bird did follow, Nor any day for food or play Came to the mariner's hollo! "And I had done a hellish thing, And it would work 'em woe: For all averred I had killed the bird That made the breeze to blow,-- Ah wretch! said they, the bird to slay, That made the breeze to blow. "Nor dim, nor red, like God's own head, The glorious Sun uprist:[35-14] Then all averred I had killed the bird That brought the fog and mist. 'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay, That bring the fog and mist.[35-15] "The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, The furrow followed free;[35-16] We were the first that ever burst Into that silent sea. "Down dropt the breeze, the sails dropt down, 'Twas sad as sad could be; And we did speak only to break The silence of the sea! "All in a hot and copper sky, The bloody Sun, at noon, Right up above the mast did stand,[35-17] No bigger than the Moon.[35-18] "Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean. "Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink. "The very deep did rot: O Christ! That ever this should be! Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs Upon the slimy sea.