Page:Poems - Southey (1799) volume 2.djvu/23

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

11

Rose wavering, now just gleaming from the earth,And now in darkness drown'd. An aged manSat near, seated on what in long-past daysHad been some sculptur'd monument, now fallenAnd half-obscured by moss, and gathered heapsOf withered yew-leaves and earth-mouldering bones;And shining in the ray was seen the trackOf slimy snail obscene. Composed his look,His eye was large and rayless, and fix'd fullUpon the Maid; the blue flames on his faceStream'd a pale light; his face was of the hueOf death; his limbs were mantled in a shroud.
Then with a deep heart-terrifying voice,Exclaim'd the Spectre, "Welcome to these realms,These regions of Despair! O thou whose stepsBy Grief conducted to these sad abodesHave pierced; welcome, welcome to this gloomEternal, to this everlasting night,Where never morning darts the enlivening ray,
This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.