The Star which rules thy destiny no 110 Was ruled, ere earth began, by me: It was a World as fresh and fair As e'er revolved round Sun in air; Its course was free and regular, Space bosomed not a lovelier star. The Hour arrived--and it became A wandering mass of shapeless flame, A pathless Comet, and a curse, The menace of the Universe; Still rolling on with innate force, 120 Without a sphere, without a course, A bright deformity on high, The monster of the upper sky! And Thou! beneath its influence born-- Thou worm! whom I obey and scorn-- Forced by a Power (which is not thine, And lent thee but to make thee mine) For this brief moment to descend, Where these weak Spirits round thee bend And parley with a thing like thee-- 130 What would'st thou, Child of Clay! with me?[112] _The_ SEVEN SPIRITS. Earth--ocean--air--night--mountains--winds--thy Star, Are at thy beck and bidding, Child of Clay! Before thee at thy quest their Spirits are-- What would'st thou with us, Son of mortals--say? _Man_. Forgetfulness---- _First Spirit_. Of what--of whom--and why? _Man_. Of that which is within me; read it there-- Ye know it--and I cannot utter it. _Spirit_. We can but give thee that which we possess: Ask of us subjects, sovereignty, the power 140 O'er earth--the whole, or portion--or a sign Which shall control the elements, whereof We are the dominators,--each and all, These shall be thine. _Man_. Oblivion--self-oblivion! Can ye not wring from out the hidden realms Ye offer so profusely--what I ask? _Spirit_. It is not in our essence, in our skill; But--thou may'st die. _Man_. Will Death bestow it on me? _Spirit_. We are immortal, and do not forget; We are eternal; and to us the past 150 Is, as the future, present. Art thou answered? _Man_. Ye mock me--but the Power which brought ye here Hath made you mine. Slaves, scoff not at my will! The Mind--the Spirit--the Promethean spark,[at] The lightning of my being, is as bright, Pervading, and far darting as your own, And shall not yield to yours, though cooped in clay! Answer, or I will teach you what I am.[au] _Spirit_. We answer--as we answered; our reply Is even in thine own words. _Man_. Why say ye so? 160 _Spirit_. If, as thou say'st, thine essence be as ours, We have replied in telling thee, the thing Mortals call death hath nought to do with us. _Man_. I then have called ye from your realms in vain; Ye cannot, or ye will not, aid me.