Therewith his wizard wand he waved in air, As who wrote viewless words upon the wind. A hollow reed the wand he wielded was, With secret seed asleep of fire enclosed. This, at the end that in his hand he held; Powder of sulphur at the other end Was hidden in the hollow of the reed. The sulphur and the fire, unconscious each Of other, had, though neighboring, since apart, Slept; for the sorcerer's minion brought the rod, As first the sorcerer held it, levelled true. But with the motion of the magian's hand, The dipping virgule sent the ember down The polished inner of its chamber-walls, And breath let in to blow it living red, Until it touched the sulphur at the tip. Issue of fume there followed, edged with flame, And wafting pungent odor from the vent, Which, woven in circlet and in crescent, seemed To knit a melting legend on the air. "So vanish and be not, thou hateful spell, And leave this late so vexéd spirit free!" With mutter of which words, the sorcerer turned To Felix, and thus farther spoke: "Breathe thou, Lord Felix, from that bond emancipate. Yet, that thou fall not unawares again Beneath its power, use well a countercharm I give thee, which, both night and day, wear thou A prophylactic to thy menaced mind. Gold--let the thought, the motive, the desire, The purpose, and the fancy, and the dream, Not leave thee nor forsake thee till thou die. The sight, the sound, the touch, the clutch, of gold Is sovereign absolution to a soul Beset like thine with fear of things to be Beyond the limit of this mortal state; But, failing that, the thought itself will serve. The thought at least must never absent be, If thou wouldst live a freeman in thy mind." 'Freedman,' he would have said, but did not dare; He had dared much already in his word, 'Freeman,' so nigh overt allusion glanced At the opprobrious quality of slave, Out of which Felix sprang to be a king. To that, contempt and hatred of a lord Served but from hard self-interest and from fear Had irresistibly pressed Simon on Beyond the bound of calculated speech. Therewith, and waiting not dismissal, both, The sorcerer and his minion, silently Slid out of presence, and left Felix there To rally as he might to his true self. But, not too trustful to his sorcery, Simon thought well to follow and confirm The influence won on Felix through his art, With worldly wisdom suited to his end. He bade Drusilla open all access Ever for Shimei to her husband's ear, And even from her own treasure help him ply Felix's avid mind with hope of gold-- Assured to him through earnest oft in hand-- An ample guerdon in due time to come From Paul's rich friends to buy release for Paul.