When straight the minstrel bard his girdle sought, Whereon a brazen key with others slung, Which he at once, as if by custom taught, Essayed to use, when back, loud grating, flung The portal wide, on massy hinges hung; That to a flight of lengthened steps ylead, Down which their way groped cautiously ymong Deep vaulted chambers, by the pale ray shed, Of flickering lamps disclosed a subterranean bed. XXXIX. O’er whose rough, rugged, surface, straggling went The wand’ring troop, like pioneers in search If outlet could be found; thus vent’rous bent, So hardy missing seamen left in lurch, Thro’ weary cavern’s length do wend their march; Until an opening they descried in view, Thus they with toil hard struggling sought to reach, And gladly hail’d it, as they nearer drew, Like coast explorers, when the right track they pursue. XL. Escaped the dark and vaulted cavern way, Before their ken a wondrous scene arose, Stretching far off, a wide extended bay, Like that of Naples, sunk in soft repose; The silvery wave, did there itself ylose ’Mong coral reefs, heard murm’ring sweet to run; And pearly sands that did that beach compose, There seen to glow the newly risen sun Tracking yon orient sky his bright march had begun. XLI. High overhead on one side shaggy frowned, With horrid front, a huge promont’ry bold, Around whose base a shelt’ring cove was found, Where treasured heaps, deposited of old, Here in their bed hath slumbered where they rolled; Things prized of earth,--the miser’s glittering hoard, Vessels of silver, ingots, bars of gold; Caskets of dazzling gems, once lost, appeared, The hoardings of the deep, that glittered undisturbed. XLII. Wending their course by path to them unknown, The bard still led with thoughtful steps the way, Until they gained a causeway faced with stone, O’er which they passed withouten more delay, Between two cliffs upreared that frowned dismay; That to a giant archway straightway led, Diluvian old, that did invite to stray, Through which a dimly burning light was shed, Like that sepulchral gleam that hovers o’er the dead. XLIII. This hollow way, cut through the womb of earth, Wrought out alone by Nature’s secret hand, In elder time primeval took its birth, That cast in shade the work of delving band, Of earth’s industrious miners, wondrous plann’d; Showing the various strata ’bove arrayed, Layer of clay, with marl, and chalky land, With petrifactions curious time hath made, In undisturbed repose, as they had ever laid. XLIV.