Of whitest ripples o'er the reef--found place For much display; not gathered up and, hurled Right from its heart, encompassing the world. So had Sordello been, by consequence, Without a function: others made pretence To strength not half his own, yet had some core Within, submitted to some moon, before Them still, superior still whate'er their force,-- Were able therefore to fulfil a course, Nor missed life's crown, authentic attribute. To each who lives must be a certain fruit Of having lived in his degree,--a stage, Earlier or later in men's pilgrimage, To stop at; and to this the spirits tend Who, still discovering beauty without end, Amass the scintillations, make one star --Something unlike them, self-sustained, afar,-- And meanwhile nurse the dream of being blest By winning it to notice and invest Their souls with alien glory, some one day [Sidenote: As more appreciable in its entirety.] Whene'er the nucleus, gathering shape alway, Round to the perfect circle--soon or late; According as themselves are formed to wait; Whether mere human beauty will suffice --The yellow hair and the luxurious eyes, Or human intellect seem best, or each Combine in some ideal form past reach On earth, or else some shade of these, some aim, Some love, hate even, take their place, the same, So to be served--all this they do not lose, Waiting for death to live, nor idly choose What must be Hell--a progress thus pursued Through all existence, still above the food That 's offered them; still fain to reach beyond The widened range, in virtue of their bond Of sovereignty. Not that a Palma's Love, A Salinguerra's Hate, would equal prove To swaying all Sordello: but why doubt [Sidenote: Strong, he needed external strength:] Some love meet for such strength, some moon without Would match his sea?--or fear, Good manifest, Only the Best breaks faith?--Ah, but the Best Somehow eludes us ever, still might be And is not! Crave we gems? No penury Of their material round us! Pliant earth And plastic flame--what balks the mage his birth --Jacinth in balls or lodestone by the block? Flinders enrich the strand, veins swell the rock; Naught more! Seek creatures? Life 's i' the tempest, thought Clothes the keen hill-top, mid-day woods are fraught With fervors: human forms are well enough! But we had hoped, encouraged by the stuff Profuse at nature's pleasure, men beyond These actual men!--and thus are over-fond In arguing, from Good--the Best, from force Divided--force combined, an ocean's course From this our sea whose mere intestine pants Might seem at times sufficient to our wants. External power? If none be adequate, And he stand forth ordained (a prouder fate) Himself a law to his own sphere?--remove