Voiceless and wan, we question them in vain; 4 They leave unsolved earth's mighty yesterday. But wave thy wand--they bloom, they breathe again! The link is found!--as _we_ love, so loved _they_! Warm to our clasp our human brothers start, All centuries blend when heart speaks out to heart. Arch Power, of every power most dread, most sweet, 5 Ope at thy touch the far celestial gates; Yet Terror flies with Joy before thy feet, And, with the Graces, glide unseen the Fates. Eos and Hesperus; one, with twofold light, Bringer of day, and herald of the night. But, lo! again, where rise upon the gaze 6 The Tuscan Virgin in the Alpine bower, The steel-clad wanderer, in his rapt amaze, Led through the flowerets to that living flower: Eye meeting eye, as in that blest survey Two hearts, unspeaking, breathe themselves away! Calm on the twain reposed the Augur's eye, 7 A marble stillness on his solemn face; Like some cold image of Necessity When fated hands lay garlands on its base. And slanted sunbeams, through the blossoms stealing, Lit circled Childhood round the Virgin kneeling. Slow from charm'd wonder woke at last the King, 8 Well the mild grace became the lordly mien, As, gently passing through the kneeling ring, The warrior knelt with Childhood to the queen; And on the hand, that thrill'd in his to be, Press'd the pure kiss of courteous chivalry; In the bold music of his mountain tongue, 9 Speaking the homage of his frank delight. Is there one common language to the young That, with each word more troubled and more bright, Stirr'd the quick blush--as when the south wind heaves Into sweet storm the hush of rosy leaves? But now the listening Augur to the side 10 Of Arthur moves; and, signing silently, The handmaid children from the chamber glide, And AEgle followeth slow, with drooping eye.-- Then on the King the soothsayer gazed and spoke, And Arthur started as the accents broke;-- For those dim sounds his mother-tongue express, 11 But in some dialect of remotest age; Like that in which the far SARONIDES[1] Exchanged dark riddles with the Samian sage.[2] Ghostlike the sounds; a founder of his race Seem'd in that voice the haunter of the place. "Guest," said the priest, with labour'd words and slow, 12 "If, as thy language, though corrupt, betrays Thou art of those great tribes our records show As the crown'd wanderers of untrodden ways Whose eldest god, from pole to pole enshrined, Gives Greece her KRONOS and her BOUDH to Ind;