“And dar’st thou, stranger, brave his glance of fire? Dar’st thou confront the terror of his charms? Confront grim Chepian in the dread attire Of the great Sesek, whose unearthly arms Wake fear in Sachems? O, thou fool! retire-- Bear off thy gods; for robed in all their harms Thou art unsafe.--No power we yield to thee, Or to thy gods; for Chepian rules by me.” XXXVI. Williams replied, “Thou Priest of Beelzebub! Chepian, I mean, if that’s his better name-- I come not hither to assume thy robe Pontifical, or emulate thy fame; Or yet to trouble, with the warrior’s club, Such saints as thou and thy dark demon claim; For be but peaceful, and I let thee still Worship thy manit dark, as suits thy will. XXXVII. “But here I sit, to prove thee to thy face A foul impostor, and thy charms a cheat;-- To ope the eyes of a deluded race, Strangely misled by thine infernal feat, That in thy foe they confidence may place, And him, in friendship, as a neighbor greet; So try thy spells, thine utmost powers essay, And if I blench, be thine the victor’s day.” XXXVIII. “Die, then!” he said, and down with fury cast The magic casket, and wide open flew Its fur-lined cavern. Forth his volumes vast, Fold following fold, the monstrous serpent drew; Flashed on his burnished scales, the sunbeams past Along his flexuous form in many a hue; Proud of his freedom, o’er the glade he rolled, And mocked the rainbow in his hues of gold. XXXIX. High towered his head; in many an ample fold He coiled his volumes, spires o’er spires ascending And lessening as they rose and inward rolled; His rustling scales, their various colors blending, Surpassed the hues of diamond and of gold; Till, from the top pyramidal extending, Swam forth on crooked neck his eyes of flame, Rang his sharp buzz, and on he slowly came. XL. Shouted the crowds, as they beheld him rise, “The manittoo! The manittoo!” they cried. In sooth, their demon, from his burning eyes, Seemed looking forth, and his unlabored glide Scarce earthly seemed, the while his glistering dyes In mingling brilliance changed and multiplied, And scarce the curves that moved him did untwist; But o’er them floating, like a globe of mist, XLI. His quivering rattles buzzed. With curious eyes, Williams beheld him gradually advance, Then grasped a wand, then paused with fixed surprise, To see the gorgeous radiance, moving, glance The hues of heaven;--to see, now sink, now rise, His bending spires,--his wavering colors dance; And at each change of that deep thrilling hum The motions change--the colors go and come. XLII.