THE LIBERA L. No. II. HEAVEN AND EARTH, A MYSTERY, FOUNDED ON THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE IN GENESIS, CHAP. VI. "And it came to pass.... that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose." "And woman wailing for her demon lover."-Coleridge, Chorus of Spirits of the Earth.-Chorus of Mortals. SCENE I. A woody and mountainous district near Mount Ararat.-Time, midnight.-Enter ANAH and AнOLIBAMAH. Anah. Our father sleeps: it is the hour when they Who love us are accustomed to descend Through the deep clouds o'er rocky Ararat : How my heart beats! M What was I going to say? my heart grows impious. Anah. But, Aholibamah, I love our God less since his angel loved me: This cannot be of good; and though I know not That I do wrong, I feel a thousand fears. Which are not ominous of right. Aho. Then wed thee Unto some son of clay, and toil and spin! There's Japhet loves thee well, hath loved thee long; Marry, and bring forth dust! Anah. I should have loved Azaziel not less were he mortal; yet I am glad he is not. I can not outlive him. Will one day hover o'er the sepulchre Of the poor child of clay which so adored him, His grief will be of ages, or at least Mine would be such for him, were I the Seraph, That he will single forth some other daughter Anah. And if it should be so, and she so loved him, Better thus than that he should weep for me. Aho. If I thought thus of Samiasa's love, All Seraph as he is, I'd spurn him from me. But to our invocation! "Tis the hour. From thy sphere ! Whatever star contain thy glory; Albeit thou watchest with "the seven," Oh! think of her who holds thee dear! And though she nothing is to thee, Eternity is in thine years, Unborn, undying beauty in thine eyes; Thou walk'st thy many worlds, thou see'st As he hath made me of the least Of those cast out from Eden's gate: Yet, Seraph dear! Oh hear! * The Archangels, said to be seven in number. For thou hast loved me, and I would not die Her whose heart death could not keep from For thee, immortal essence as thou art! Forgive, my Seraph! that such thoughts appear, Delight An Eden kept afar from sight, Though sometimes with our visions blent. Which tells me we are not abandoned quite.- My own Azaziel! be but here, And leave the stars to their own light. Aho. Wheresoe'er Thou rulest in the upper air Or warring with the spirits who may dare Who made all empires, empire; or recalling Some wandering star, which shoots through the abyss, Whose tenants dying, while their world is falling, Share the dim destiny of clay in this Or joining with the inferior cherubim, I call thee, I await thee, and I love thee. Many may worship thee, that will I not : Though I be formed of clay, And thou of beams More bright than those of day Thine immortality can not repay With love more warm than mine My love. There is a ray In me, which, though forbidden yet to shine, I feel was lighted at thy God's and thine. It may be hidden long: death and decay Our mother Eve bequeath'd us-but my heart Defies it: though this life must pass away, Is that a cause for thee and me to part? Thou art immortal-so am I: I feel I feel my immortality o'ersweep All pains, all tears, all time, all fears, and peal, Like the eternal thunders of the deep, Into my ears this truth-"thou liv'st for ever!" But if it be in joy I know not, nor would know; That secret rests with the Almighty giver Who folds in clouds the fonts of bliss and woe. I can share all things, even immortal sorrow; For thou hast ventured to share life with me, And shall I shrink from thine eternity? |