"The only sad one; for thou didst not hear "The soft, lute-finger'd Muses chaunting clear, "Nor even Apollo when he sang alone, "Deaf to his throbbing throat's long, long melodious moan. "I dreamt I saw thee, rob'd in purple flakes, 75 "Break amorous through the clouds, as morning breaks, "Strike for the Cretan isle; and here thou art! "Too gentle Hermes, hast thou found the maid?" Whereat the star of Lethe not delay'd 80 His rosy eloquence, and thus inquired: "Possess whatever bliss thou canst devise, 85 "Telling me only where my nymph is fled,— "Where she doth breathe!" "Bright planet, thou hast said," Return'd the snake, "but seal with oaths, fair God!" "I swear," said Hermes, "by my serpent rod, "And by thine eyes, and by thy starry crown!" 90 Light flew his earnest words, among the blossoms blown. Then thus again the brilliance feminine: \ "Too frail of heart! for this lost nymph of thine, "Free as the air, invisibly, she strays "About these thornless wilds; her pleasant days (78) In the manuscript— And, swiftly as a mission'd phobean dart, 95 a reading which shifts the accent from the second to the first syllable of the word Phabean. (93) Cancelled manuscript reading, Superb of heart! "From weary tendrils, and bow'd branches green, "By the love-glances of unlovely eyes, "Of Satyrs, Fauns, and blear'd Silenus' sighs. "I took compassion on her, bade her steep "Her hair in weird syrops, that would keep "Thou shalt behold her, Hermes, thou alone, Blush'd a live damask, and swift-lisping said, "I was a woman, let me have once more ་་ "A woman's shape, and charming as before. "I love a youth of Corinth-O the bliss! "Give me my woman's form, and place me where he is. 120 Stoop, Hermes, let me breathe upon thy brow, (104) The manuscript has wor in place of grew. (106) In the manuscript, bad, not bade as in the printed text. (114-16) There is an Alexandrine here in the manuscript—Warm, tremulous, devout, bright-ton'd, psalterian. And the next line is Ravish'd she lifted up her circean head, a reading which, like that of line 78, shifts backwards the accent on the last word but one. Line 116 begins with Blush'd to live damask. "And thou shalt see thy sweet nymph even now." The God on half-shut feathers sank serene, She breath'd upon his eyes, and swift was seen Of both the guarded nymph near-smiling on the green. 125 It was no dream; or say a dream it was, Real are the dreams of Gods, and smoothly pass Their pleasures in a long immortal dream. One warm, flush'd moment, hovering, it might seem 135 And towards her stept: she, like a moon in wane, Her fearful sobs, self-folding like a flower But the God fostering her chilled hand, 140 She felt the warmth, her eyelids open'd bland, Nor grew they pale, as mortal lovers do. Left to herself, the serpent now began To change; her elfin blood in madness ran, Her mouth foam'd, and the grass, therewith besprent, Wither'd at dew so sweet and virulent; 145 Her eyes in torture fix'd, and anguish drear, 150 (123) The manuscript reads sunk for sank. (132) The manuscript reads langrous arm. (142) Cancelled manuscript reading, And she like flowers... Flash'd phosphor and sharp sparks, without one cooling tear. The colours all inflam'd throughout her train, She writh'd about, convuls'd with scarlet pain: A deep volcanian yellow took the place And, as the lava ravishes the mead, 155 Of all her milder-mooned body's grace; Spoilt all her silver mail, and golden brede; Made gloom of all her frecklings, streaks and bars, Eclips'd her crescents, and lick'd up her stars: 160 So that, in moments few, she was undrest Still shone her crown; that vanish'd, also she 165 And in the air, her new voice luting soft, Cry'd, "Lycius! gentle Lycius!"-Borne aloft These words dissolv'd: Crete's forests heard no more. 170 Whither fled Lamia, now a lady bright, A full-born beauty new and exquisite ? (155) The manuscript reads vulcanian, the first edition volcanian. It seems to me more likely that the manuscript accords with the poet's intention than that the printed text does, for this old orthography is the more characteristic of the vocabulary of this particular poem, as introducing the more conspicuously the mythic personal origin of the common noun volcano or vulcano. (167-8) The manuscript reads And her new voice, softluting in the air Cried "Lycius! gentle Lycius, where, ah where!" (171-2) In the manuscript, according to a good practical method Keats had in such cases, the note of interrogation is after Lamia, and a full-stop at exquisite. She fled into that valley they pass o'er Ah, happy Lycius !-for she was a maid More beautiful than ever twisted braid, 175 180 185 Or sigh'd, or blush'd, or on spring-flowered lea A virgin purest lipp'd, yet in the lore Of love deep learned to the red heart's core: 190 (173-4) The manuscript reads She fled into that valley they must pass another instance of change for the sake of altering the accent. There is yet another instance in line 176, which stands thus in the manuscript The rugged paps of little Perea's rills, though here there is an additional and perhaps stronger reason for the change. (182) See note to Endymion, Book I, line 248. (185) The manuscript has three lines in place of this one Ah! never heard of, delight never known Save of one happy mortal! only one,- |