Henceforth, on equal footing we engage,
Alike immortal now, and we shall wage
Our warfare, God to God!

Joy fill'd his impious soul,

And to his lips he raised the fatal bowl.

15.

Thus long the Glendoveer had stood Watching the wonders of the eventful hour, Amazed but undismay'd; for in his heart Faith, overcoming fear, maintain'd its power. Nor had that faith abated, when the God Of Padalon was beaten down in fight; For then he look'd to see the heavenly might Of Seeva break upon them. But when now He saw the Amreeta in Kehama's hand, An impulse which defied all self-command In that extremity

Stung him, and he resolved to seize the cup, And dare the Rajah's force in Seeva's sight. Forward he sprung to tempt the unequal fray, When lo! the Anatomy,

With warning arm, withstood his desperate way, And from the Golden Throne the fiery Three Again, in one accord, renew'd their song, Kehama, come! we wait for thee too long.

16.

O fool of drunken hope and frantic vice! Madman to seek for power beyond thy scope

Of knowledge, and to deem

Less than Omniscience could suffice
To wield Omnipotence! O fool, to dream
That immortality could be

The meed of evil!.. yea thou hast it now, Victim of thine own wicked heart's device, Thou hast thine object now, and now must pay the price.

17.

He did not know the holy mystery Of that divinest cup, that as the lips Which touch it, even such its quality, Good or malignant: Madman! and he thinks The blessed prize is won, and joyfully he drinks.

18.

Then Seeva open'd on the Accursed One
His Eye of Anger: upon him alone

The wrath-beam fell. He shudders. . but too late ;
The deed is done,

The dreadful liquor works the will of Fate.
Immortal he would be,

Immortal he is made; but through his veins
Torture at once and immortality,

A stream of poison doth the Amreeta run,
And while within the burning anguish flows,
His outward body glows

Like molten ore, beneath the avenging Eye,

19.

The fiery Three,

Beholding him, set up a fiendish cry,
A song of jubilee ;

Come, Brother, come! they sung; too long
Have we expected thee,

Henceforth we bear no more

The unequal weight; Come, Brother, we are Four!

20.

Vain his almightiness, for mightier pain Subdued all power; pain ruled supreme alone; And yielding to the boney hand

The unemptied cup, he moved toward the Throne, And at the vacant corner took his stand. Behold the Golden Throne at length complete, And Yamen silently ascends the Judgement-seat.

21.

For two alone, of all mankind, to me
The Amreeta Cup was given,

Then said the Anatomy;

The Man hath drank, the Woman's turn is next. Come, Kailyal, come, receive thy doom, And do the Will of Heaven!..

Wonder, and Fear, and Awe at once perplext The mortal Maiden's heart, but over all Hope rose triumphant. With a trembling hand, Obedient to his call,

She took the fated Cup; and, lifting up

Her eyes,

where holy tears began to swell, Is it not your command,

Ye heavenly Powers? as on her knees she fell, The pious Virgin cried ;

Ye know my innocent will, my heart sincere, Ye govern all things still,

And wherefore should I fear!

22.

She said, and drank. The Eye of Mercy beam'd
Upon the Maid: a cloud of fragrance steam'd
Like incense-sınoke, as all her mortal frame
Dissolved beneath the potent agency
Of that mysterious draught; such quality,
From her pure touch, the fated Cup partook.
Like one entranced she knelt,
Feeling her body melt

Till all but what was heavenly pass'd away:
Yet still she felt

Her Spirit strong within her, the same heart, With the same loves, and all her heavenly part Unchang'd, and ripen'd to such perfect state In this miraculous birth, as here on Earth, Dimly our holiest hopes anticipate.

23.

Mine! mine! with rapturous joy Ereenia cried, Immortal now, and yet not more divine; Mine, mine, for ever mine!

...

The immortal Maid replied,

24.

Then Yamen said, O thou to whom by Fate, Alone of all mankind, this lot is given, Daughter of Earth, but now the Child of Heaven! Go with thy heavenly Mate,

Partaker now of his immortal bliss ;
Go to the Swerga Bowers,

And there recall the hours
Of endless happiness.

25.

But that sweet Angel, for she still retain'd
Her human loves and human piety,
As if reluctant at the God's commands,
Linger'd, with anxious eye

Upon her Father fix'd, and spread her hands
Toward him wistfully.

Go! Yamen said, nor cast that look behind
Upon Ladurlad at this parting hour,
For thou shalt find him in thy Mother's Bower.

26.

The Car, for Carmala his word obey'd,
Moved on, and bore away the Maid,

While from the Golden Throne the Lord of Death
With love benignant on Ladurlad smiled,
And gently on his head his blessing laid.
As sweetly as a Child,

Whom neither thought disturbs nor care encumbers,
Tired with long play, at close of summer day,
Lies down and slumbers,