PHANTASMATA: PROLOGUE by RICHARD SOLOMON GEDNEY

THE Boreal Sea is bathed in golden mist,
Rolling a liquid glory all around,
Which seems to hover, tremulous, o'er the heart
Of tranquil Ocean, throbbing with its pulse;
While, ever and anon, spirations deep,
As from a mighty giant slumbering,
Do breathe across its ever-moving breast.

This living panorama—in extent
Stretching unto the feet of yonder hills,
Whose crystalline domes flash forth a vivid blaze
And whose haught pinnacles seem formed of flame,
(Fit mansions, they, for Elemental Sprites—)
Which seem so poised upon the horizon's verge,
To eastward, westward, and on both sides south,
To bind this inner Sea with loveliness,
As a fair maiden, with her snowy arms
Cast round her lover's neck, restrains his pride,
And high ambition to o'erleap all bounds
And rove in search of Fortune and of Fame—
Sweeps ever, with a constant onward roll,
Round a tall temple, whose pale beryl hue,
Blended with sapphires, amethysts, and rubes,
Edged with light-flashing diamond, does proclaim
The hand that raised it that of Nature's God.

Lovely! most lovely!—
Words can never tell
The beauty of that solemn, silent shrine,
Set in the bosom of that mystic Sea,
Which round it rolls its never-faltering march
As Time moves o'er the ages. Symbol apt
Of that Eternity which has no end,—
A gem upon a gem,—a diamond
Gleaming upon the bosom of proud Beauty,—
An oasis within an oasis.—
So, brother, dost thou cherish in thy heart
@3Her@1 name and memory, round which all thoughts,
All hopes, and all emotions, ever flow,
As planets round their centre.—
Yet fain would I uprear before the sight
Of your Imagination's glowing eye,
That wondrous fabric, ice-gemmed, and besprent
With jewels multiform, that seem to flash
Far-flaming with a radiance from within,
As mighty minds, full-blazing with the lustre
O'erflowing from their affluence of soul,
Stretch forth fire-sceptres o'er the rest of earth,
And dazzled men behold the glorious light,
And bow subject the awe-bewildered head;—
Fain would I paint in words of fire-breath'd life,
This lovely star, as bright as Hesperus,
Gleaming alone in Heaven's immensity
When Sol hath gone to rest. .....
The gorgeous hues that tinge those lucent walls,
Contrasted, and yet harmonised, but sweet
And solemn as the wondrous tones—@3once heard,@1
Floating for @3ever@1 through the gladdened heart,
(So love-memories float through the soul)—
Of that blind Swan whose life was one long hymn,—
The Master-spirit stol'n from Heaven's choir,
Earth-born of Melody!. .....

All shades are there
Of rose and azure; from the lightest blush
Of vermeil tinting that adorns the cheek
Of lovely Modesty,—ev'n to the deep
And rich-red rose of ruby, gently blent
With amethystine hues, into the soft
Cerulean of sapphire, which enframes
Crystals of liquid light, whose every form
Is tipped with living diamond. .....

Ah, no!
My spirit falters, shrinks from such a task,
Oppressed by too much beauty:
So we're told
In German story, that, when by behest
Of the Great God, an angel ministrant
Conducted through Immensity a worm,
Styling itself one of "Creation's Lords,"
And worlds on worlds, passed in their rapid course,
Were shining far behind, like pearly tears
Tracking the face of dark Eternity;
And still before, as far as sight could stretch,
Glowed sun on sun, and glimmered world on world,
Within the mighty Omnitence of Space,
Till with the gathering glories Night seemed fused,
And lost itself amid the nebule sea
Which filled Creation's shores,—
The Angel spoke:
"Behold the Lord's domain.
"Myriads of worlds have passed us on our way.
"Myriads of worlds are sweeping all around.
"Millions of aïons yet we may traverse,
"And we shall be but @3entering@1 His ground."—
The Earth-worm's spirit fainted in its cell,
The Soul was dying 'neath the crushing weight,
It sickened with the excess of majesty,
And scarce could gasp a falt'ring, failing prayer,—
"Oh! set me free! oh! spare me—save me—God!"
As when the Artist, with his heart a-flame,
Builds up his bright conception line by line,
Seeking to rival Nature in his tints,
And when 'tis done finds that his brightest hue
Is dull by Nature's side,——
Ev'n so I fail!
But could I word the marvels that were there,—
The wondrous tracery, the lofty spans
Of frosted arch-work, glowing in that light,
The gorgeous jewelled imag'ry; the spires
Adorned with crystal fret-work—like a belle
Deck't for the ball in sweeping robes of lace;—
Domes, pinnacles, towers, tall fluted columns
Of glittering light, like sunbeams chained
By the magic hand of Frost, that seeking
Still to regain their heavenly source, stretch up
Into the golden air,——
The words would be enshrined within your heart
Like lover's portrait in a maiden's bosom,
To be ta'en forth to look upon and kiss,
To love and ponder o'er, and finally
To be replaced with many heart-breathed sighs,
And cherished there again,—
Could I do this, I were a more than man!

"Arise, Electra! break thy slumber bonds!
"Arise! arise! There's work for thee to do!"
And a bright Form swept through the Empyrean,
And hov'ring, stayed his course above the Shrine.
A glorious Form of might and majesty,
Whose golden hair reached downwards to his feet
In gleaming waves, seeming as though he were
Mantled with sunbeams. In his hand he held
A shell of small size, pearly and rose-lipped.
Wings had he none, but floated through the air
Light as a gossamer,—his will was motion,—
Diffusing pensile lustre like a sun,—
Or as an "Earth Star" of a sweet perfume,
Exhales its odorous breath upon the air.

And this bright Being hover'd o'er the Shrine,
While his loud voice, as of a thunder-harp,
Went forth again—"Arise, Electra!—rise!"—
Then, from within the crystal palace-hall,
Arose a sound as murmuringly sweet
As is the plaintive song of ocean-shell,
Which ever seems to breathe a gentle joy,
Telling of love and happiness,
And on each spire, each pinnacle and tower,
Bright coruscations sparkled, flashing out
A light intense and dazzling;—from the Sea
Arose dun mists, which rolled their volumes on,
And veiled the Shrine in darkness, through the which
Broke, ever and anon, the lightning's glare,
And the fierce pealing thunder, silencing
The gentle murmur that breathed still beneath.

But this is o'er, and all is hushed again,
And the dun cloud uplifteth from the Shrine,
And slowly rising to the bright One's feet,
It rests.—From its dark bosom now there comes,
In accents sweetly liquid, "What would'st thou?"

"Daughter of God, I bear a mission. @3He@1
"Has thus commanded;—that thou do go forth,
"Encorpsèd in this shell, unto the world,
"To give men knowledge of the things that are
"In Heaven and otherwhere,—the Fate to come,—
"The Origin and End.—A lonely Youth,
"On whom His hand in kindness hath pressed hard
"With miseries of heart and mind, shall be
"Thy mouthpiece to awake the souls of Men."
He spake, and cast the shell into the midst
Of the dark cloud, from whose deep bosom now
There came a strange low rumbling,—suddenly,
From different points streamed upward tongues of flame,
Green, purple, red, and blue, and meteors
Of varying tint and bright, thin, flick'ring length. ...
They vanished as they came,—the cloud sank down
Into the depths of Ocean, and the Sprite
Sped swiftly upward through the smiling skies.

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