Fast and far the chariot flew : The mighty globes that rolled Around the gate of the Eternal Fane Lessened by slow degrees, and soon appeared Such tiny twinklers as the planet orbs With borrowed light pursued their narrower way. Earth floated then below: The chariot paused a moment; The Spirit then descended: And from the earth departing The shadows with swift wings Speeded like thought upon the light of Heaven. The Body and the Soul united then, A gentle start convulsed Ianthe's frame: Moveless awhile the dark blue orbs remained: Henry, who kneeled in silence by her couch, 315 820 325 Watching her sleep with looks of speechless love, That through the casement shone. 330 THE SUNSET.1 THERE late was One within whose subtle being, There now the sun had sunk, but lines of gold That night the youth and lady mingled lay In love and sleep-but when the morning came 1 Mrs. Shelley says this poem was written in the Spring of the year 1816, while Shelley was residing at Bishopgate, near Windsor Forest. It first occurs in the Posthumous Poems. 5 10 15 20 25 The lady found her lover dead and cold. Her eyelashes were worn1 away with tears, 30 35 Her lips and cheeks were like things dead-so pale; Day's ruddy light. The tomb of thy dead self Inheritor of more than earth can give, Whether the dead find, oh, not sleep! but rest, rupted, and that we should read I never saw the sun-rise? We will wake here... As the passage stands the youth's statement and proposal both seem preposterous,- -one by reason of improbability, the other by reason of tameness as leading up to the violent close. That two young people should take it into their heads to sleep out of doors to see the sun-rise would be an idea likely to commend itself to 40 45 50 Shelley; and that he within whose being "genius and death contended " should die in the cold night air is eminently probable. 1 In the Posthumous Poems, worn; but in the first edition of 1839 and onwards, torn, certainly a misprint, but followed by Mr. Rossetti. 2 There is a comma at Passionless in the Posthumous Poems; but not in later editions. FRAGMENT ON HOME.1 DEAR home, thou scene of earliest hopes and joys, FRAGMENT OF A GHOST-STORY.2 A SHOVEL of his ashes took But Helen clung to her brother's arm, |