Nature delineates her whole chart at large, 610 On soaring souls, that sail among the spheres; And man how purblind, if unknown the whole! Who circles spacious earth, then travels here, Shall own, he never was from home before! Come, my Prometheus,[56] from thy pointed rock Of false ambition; if unchain'd, we'll mount; We'll, innocently, steal celestial fire, And kindle our devotion at the stars; A theft, that shall not chain, but set thee free. Above our atmosphere's intestine[57] wars, 620 Rain's fountain-head, the magazine of hail; Above the northern nests of feather'd snows, The brew of thunders, and the flaming forge That forms the crooked lightning; 'bove the caves Where infant tempests wait their growing wings, And tune their tender voices to that roar, Which soon, perhaps, shall shake a guilty world; 627 Above misconstrued omens of the sky, Far-travell'd comets' calculated blaze; Elance[58] thy thought, and think of more than man. Thy soul, till now, contracted, wither'd, shrunk, Blighted by blasts of earth's unwholesome air, Will blossom here; spread all her faculties To these bright ardours; every power unfold, And rise into sublimities of thought. Stars teach, as well as shine. At Nature's birth, Thus their commission ran--"Be kind to Man." Where art thou, poor benighted traveller? The stars will light thee, though the moon should fail. Where art thou, more benighted! more astray! 640 In ways immoral? The stars call thee back; And, if obey'd their counsel, set thee right. This prospect vast, what is it?--Weigh'd aright, 'Tis Nature's system of divinity, And every student of the Night inspires. 'Tis elder Scripture, writ by God's own hand: Scripture authentic! uncorrupt by man. Lorenzo! with my radius (the rich gift Of thought nocturnal!) I'll point out to thee Its various lessons; some that may surprise 650 An un-adept in mysteries of Night; Little, perhaps, expected in her school, Nor thought to grow on planet, or on star. Bulls, lions, scorpions, monsters here we feign; Ourselves more monstrous, not to see what here Exists indeed;--a lecture to mankind. What read we here?--Th' existence of a God? Yes; and of other beings, man above; Natives of ether! sons of higher climes! And, what may move Lorenzo's wonder more, 660 Eternity is written in the skies. 661 And whose eternity?--Lorenzo! thine Mankind's eternity. Nor Faith alone, Virtue grows here; here springs the sovereign cure Of almost every vice; but chiefly thine; Wrath, Pride, Ambition, and impure Desire. Lorenzo! thou canst wake at midnight too, Though not on morals bent: Ambition, Pleasure! Those tyrants I for thee so lately fought,[59] Afford their harass'd slaves but slender rest.