They spread their soft wings in the sunny beam; They spread their wings and chant the hymn of joy; For the bright Sun, he is the lord of all.

The beasts of earth lift up their patient eyes;

They lift their eyes and utter deep-voiced words;
They cry to him, giver of light and food,

For the bright Sun; he is the lord of all.

The nations rise and bow them to the earth; They bow them to the earth; they wake the chant; They praise the god, giver of light and joy; For the bright Sun; he is the lord of all.

The ragged mountains raise their awful heads; They raise their heads and gaze upon his face; They raise their heads rejoicing in his beams; For the bright Sun; he is the lord of all.

The cloud kings seated high on empty air,
The cloud kings sit and watch to see his ray;
They see his ray; they glow fulfilled with fire;
For the bright Sun; he is the lord of all.

The star-gods at his shining quit their thrones,
They lay their golden sceptres at his feet-
They lay their sceptres down; they pass away;
For the bright Sun; he is the lord of all.

Praise ye the Sun; for he is lord of earth.
Praise ye the Sun; for he is lord of heaven.
Men and the gods are subject unto him.
Praise ye him therefore he is lord of all."

There the chant paused, and all the tumult died, While a deep voiceless calm oppressed the air

It was a calm like that of sultry day,

When the whole heaven is black with tempest clouds,

Ere the white bolt of heaven destroying falls;

, when the praise-hymn died,
nder failed from out the air,
-king turned slowly round,
ern monarch coldly said,
filled; therefore prepare to die."
captive king on Arvan's face
ubled eyes that feared not death,
spake to him a warning word,
ughterer of many men,

ar the vengeance of the gods,
neying, walketh o'er the earth,
of men, repaying wrong.
ow before the bright-faced god,
ight's golden-sceptred ones,—
read the splendour of the sun,
ient shining of the stars?
and my hands are bound,
onqueror, must work thy will,
es are on thee." Cold the king
ey wait to see the sacrifice."

I's priests laid hold on the South king,
bound on the black slaughter-stone.
rled high through the shrinking air,
iling where the falchion past,
sword. Flashing it fell,

outh king's breast, piercing the heart. ts took the corpse with ready hands, embling yet with parting life,

sive altar of the Sun,

unto the shining god.

two score and nineteen men, otives, prisoners ta'en in war,

Were done to death on the black slaughter-stone;
For that the Sun claimed a full gift of men.
And Arvan stood, while they were offered up,
Watching their pangs with cold, indifferent eyes;
For he had gazed so oft on mortal woe,

And been acquaint so long with deeds of blood,

That his heart was within him as a stone.

Now when all these were slain, the black-robed priests.

Laid by the body of the southern king

Five other victims, chiefest of the slain,
Each one a prince, leader of many men,
Upon the mighty pile of cloven wood,
Upheaped on the black altar of the Sun.
But all the rest, being of lesser note,
Were borne adown the steps, a horrid train,
By the broad-shouldered servants of the sun.
Then upon twenty mountainous pyres of pine,
That at due intervals, studded the plain,
Fulfilled with fiery juice, eager to burn,
They placed the corpses of the meaner slain.
Afterwards came they all, being five score,
All the Sun's servants, venerable priests,
And knelt full low before the holy mount,
Soiling their reverent foreheads in the dust,
Adoring him who rules the azure fields.

This the High Priest, the old man, when he saw,

He held aloft the consecrated dish,

Brazen that held the coals of sacred fire,
Entreating rightly the majestic Sun

To look upon the precious sacrifice.

Then kindled he the wood with holy flame;

And first the fire burned low; but soon it rose,

1, forming the lengthened line. the High Priest and the king, he dark procession moved, their breasts the life of fire. imes, like fiery-crested snakes ads above the vanquished foes, le corpses, soiled with ruddy blood 1 even as pleasant meat.

se the adoring multitude

rth worshipped the mighty Sun, one great voice, "The Sun is God." prostrate thousands, o'er the ranks n, over the holy fane,

palace, dwelling of the king, yal city's farthest homes, clouds funereal, black as night, wide earth in a shroud of gloom.

CANTO IV.

THE sacrifice was o'er. The victims' blood Showed black and clotted 'neath the silver Moon, Who now, girt by the star-gods, ruled in heaven; Great God of death, white herald of the months, That, slowly circling, build the perfect year, Lover of men, averse to misery,

That meeteth weary mortals on life's way,

Is he; therefore he sendeth sleep and death,
Dispensing either gift with lavish hand;

For that he gladly giveth easeful rest.

Thence doth he, silver-sceptred, mount his throne Of thrice-bleached ivory, when holy night

With dew-wet hands hath cooled the hearts of men, And wrought in them great longings after peace. Now did he oversilver all the roofs

Uncounted of the city of the Rha;

And glanced from Arvan's marble palace-walls,
And flung white fire-flakes on the tossing waves,
That broke full softly on its sea-ward face,
Where the great stream strove ever with the main.
But in the inner darkness Arvan sat:
Within his palace-hall, girt round with gloom;
A mighty hall, panelled with cedarn wood,
And painted o'er with curious coloured work,