Then,--while the plague-sore grew [_Ep._ 6. Two darkling decades through, And rankled in the festering flesh of time,-- Where darkness binds and frees The wildest of wild seas In fierce mutations of the unslumbering clime, There, sleepless too, o'er shuddering wrong One hand appointed shook the reddening scourge of song. 240 And through the lightnings of the apparent word Dividing shame's dense night [_Str._ 7. Sounds lovelier than the light And light more sweet than song from night's own bird Mixed each their hearts with other, till the gloom Was glorious as with all the stars in bloom, Sonorous as with all the spheres in chime Heard far through flowering heaven: the sea, sublime Once only with its own Old winds' and waters' tone, 250 Sad only or glad with its own glory, and crowned With its own light, and thrilled with its own sound, Learnt now their song, more sweet than heaven's may be, Who pass away by sea; The song that takes of old love's land farewell, With pulse of plangent water like a knell. And louder ever and louder and yet more loud Till night be shamed of morn [_Ant._ 7. Rings the Black Huntsman's horn Through darkening deeps beneath the covering cloud, 260 Till all the wild beasts of the darkness hear; Till the Czar quake, till Austria cower for fear, Till the king breathe not, till the priest wax pale, Till spies and slayers on seats of judgment quail, Till mitre and cowl bow down And crumble as a crown, Till Caesar driven to lair and hounded Pope Reel breathless and drop heartless out of hope, And one the uncleanest kinless beast of all Lower than his fortune fall; 270 The wolfish waif of casual empire, born To turn all hate and horror cold with scorn. Yea, even at night's full noon [_Ep._ 7. Light's birth-song brake in tune, Spake, witnessing that with us one must be, God; naming so by name That priests have brought to shame The strength whose scourge sounds on the smitten sea; The mystery manifold of might Which bids the wind give back to night the things of night. 280