THE EARTH: Misery, Oh misery to me, That Jove at length should vanquish thee. Wail, howl aloud, Land and Sea, The Earth’s rent heart shall answer ye. Howl, Spirits of the living and the dead, _310 Your refuge, your defence, lies fallen and vanquished. FIRST ECHO: Lies fallen and vanquished! SECOND ECHO: Fallen and vanquished! IONE: Fear not: ’tis but some passing spasm, The Titan is unvanquished still. _315 But see, where through the azure chasm Of yon forked and snowy hill Trampling the slant winds on high With golden-sandalled feet, that glow Under plumes of purple dye, _320 Like rose-ensanguined ivory, A Shape comes now, Stretching on high from his right hand A serpent-cinctured wand. PANTHEA: ’Tis Jove’s world-wandering herald, Mercury. _325 IONE: And who are those with hydra tresses And iron wings that climb the wind, Whom the frowning God represses Like vapours steaming up behind, Clanging loud, an endless crowd— _330 PANTHEA: These are Jove’s tempest-walking hounds, Whom he gluts with groans and blood, When charioted on sulphurous cloud He bursts Heaven’s bounds. IONE: Are they now led, from the thin dead _335 On new pangs to be fed? PANTHEA: The Titan looks as ever, firm, not proud. FIRST FURY: Ha! I scent life! SECOND FURY: Let me but look into his eyes! THIRD FURY: The hope of torturing him smells like a heap Of corpses, to a death-bird after battle. _340 FIRST FURY: Darest thou delay, O Herald! take cheer, Hounds Of Hell: what if the Son of Maia soon Should make us food and sport—who can please long The Omnipotent? MERCURY: Back to your towers of iron, And gnash, beside the streams of fire and wail, _345 Your foodless teeth. Geryon, arise! and Gorgon, Chimaera, and thou Sphinx, subtlest of fiends Who ministered to Thebes Heaven’s poisoned wine, Unnatural love, and more unnatural hate: These shall perform your task. FIRST FURY: Oh, mercy! mercy! _350 We die with our desire: drive us not back!