V.

Then a humor more great took its place
At the thought of his face,

The droop, the low cares of the mouth,
The trouble uncouth

'Twixt the brows, all that air one is fain
To put out of its pain.

And, "no!" I admonished myself, "Is one mocked by an elf,

Is one baffled by toad or by rat?

The gravamen 's in that!

How the lion, who crouches to suit

His back to my foot,

Would admire that I stand in debate!

But the small turns the great

If it vexes you, that is the thing!

Toad or rat vex the king?

Though I waste half my realm to unearth
Toad or rat, 't is well worth!"

VI.

So, I soberly laid my last plan

To extinguish the man.

Round his creep-hole, with never a break

Ran my fires for his sake ;

Over-head, did my thunder combine

With my under-ground mine:

Till I looked from my labor content
To enjoy the event.

VII.

When sudden . . . how think ye, the end?

Did I say "without friend"?

Say rather, from marge to blue marge

The whole sky grew his targe

With the sun's self for visible boss,

While an Arm ran across

Which the earth heaved beneath like a breast

Where the wretch was safe prest!

Do you see? Just my vengeance complete,

The man sprang to his feet,

Stood erect, caught at God's skirts, and prayed!

So, I was afraid!

MESMERISM

I.

All I believed is true!
I am able yet

All I want, to get

By a method as strange as new:
Dare I trust the same to you?

II.

If at night, when doors are shut,
And the wood-worm picks,
And the death-watch ticks,
And the bar has a flag of smut,
And a cat's in the water-butt

III.

And the socket floats and flares,
And the house-beams groan,
And a foot unknown

Is surmised on the garret-stairs,
And the locks slip unawares

IV.

And the spider, to serve his ends,

By a sudden thread,

Arms and legs outspread,

On the table's midst descends,

Comes to find, God knows what friends!

V.

If since eve drew in, I say,
I have sat and brought
(So to speak) my thought

To bear on the woman away,
Till I felt my hair turn gray —

VI.

Till I seemed to have and hold,
In the vacancy
"Twixt the wall and me,

From the hair-plait's chestnut-gold
To the foot in its muslin fold

Out of doors into the night!

On to the maze

Of the wild wood-ways,

Not turning to left nor right

From the pathway, blind with sight —

XVIII.

Making through rain and wind
O'er the broken shrubs,

"Twixt the stems and stubs,

With a still, composed, strong mind, Nor a care for the world behind

XIX.

Swifter and still more swift,
As the crowding peace
Doth to joy increase

In the wide blind eyes uplift
Through the darkness and the drift!

Ha! was the hair so first?

What, unfilleted,

Made alive, and spread

Through the void with a rich outburst, Chestnut gold-interspersed ?