260

Hubbub increases more they call out "Hush !”
So at Hyperion's words the Phantoms pale
Bestirr❜d themselves, thrice horrible and cold;
And from the mirror'd level where he stood
A mist arose, as from a scummy marsh.
At this, through all his bulk an agony
Crept gradual, from the feet unto the crown,
Like a lithe serpent vast and muscular
Making slow way, with head and neck convuls'd
From over-strained might. Releas'd, he fled
To the eastern gates, and full six dewy hours
Before the dawn in season due should blush,
He breath'd fierce breath against the sleepy portals,
Clear'd them of heavy vapours, burst them wide
Suddenly on the ocean's chilly streams.

The planet orb of fire, whereon he rode.

Each day from east to west the heavens through, 270
Spun round in sable curtaining of clouds;
Not therefore veiled quite, blindfold, and hid,

255 So] So as wind MS., cancelled. 256 horrible] horribly MS., rejected.

257 mirror'd 1820: mirrour'd MS.: glossy MS., cancelled. 258 scummy] stagnant MS., cancelled.

260 gradual] slowly MS., cancelled.

261 lithe] vast MS., cancelled.

263 With spite MS. opening, cancelled: From over strained gripe rejected.

264 six] three MS., cancelled.

267 vapours] clouds, and MS., cancelled.

267-8 Woodhouse has a colon after wide, and reads And, sudden on the Ocean's chilly streams, The planet orb, &c. But the holograph reads clearly

burst them wide

And sudden on the Ocean's chilly streams.
duskest

271 Spun round in blackest curtaining of clouds

Made sweet shap'd lightning: wings this splendent orb Possess for glory, MS., cancelled sare wings this orb Possess for glory. In a second attempt, written opposite, the word hid (272) was only reached after dun, dim, and veil'd had been rejected.

But ever and anon the glancing spheres,
Circles, and arcs, and broad-belting colure,

Glow'd through, and wrought upon the muffling dark
Sweet-shaped lightnings from the nadir deep
Up to the zenith,-hieroglyphics old
Which sages and keen-eyed astrologers

Then living on the earth, with labouring thought
Won from the gaze of many centuries:

280

Now lost, save what we find on remnants huge
Of stone, or marble swart; their import gone,
Their wisdom long since fled.-Two wings this orb
Possess'd for glory, two fair argent wings,

Ever exalted at the God's approach:

And now, from forth the gloom their plumes immense
Rose, one by one, till all outspreaded were;
While still the dazzling globe maintain'd eclipse,
Awaiting for Hyperion's command.

Fain would he have commanded, fain took throne 290
And bid the day begin, if but for change.

He might not :-No, though a primeval God:
The sacred seasons might not be disturb'd.
Therefore the operations of the dawn
Stay'd in their birth, even as here 'tis told.
Those silver wings expanded sisterly,
Eager to sail their orb; the porches wide
Open'd upon the dusk demesnes of night;

throughout the muffling blind MS., rejected.

281 Now lost with all their Wisdom and import MS., cancelled.

283

Their

wisdom long since fled. Wings this And all their Orb MS.

284 Possess'd] Possess MS. 285 Ever] Always MS., cancelled.

287 Rose] Came MS., cancelled.

292 No, though] no, not even though MS., rejected.

293 {Distal through}

the sacred Seasons MS., rejected.

might] could MS., cancelled.

295 here 'tis told] it is writ MS., cancelled.

296 Those Silver wings of the Sun were full outspread MS., rejected.

297 Eager] Ready MS., cancelled.

298 Were opened on the dusk domain of night, MS., rejected for text.

And the bright Titan, phrenzied with new woes,
Unus'd to bend, by hard compulsion bent
His spirit to the sorrow of the time;
And all along a dismal rack of clouds,

Upon the boundaries of day and night,

He stretch'd himself in grief and radiance faint.
There as he lay, the Heaven with its stars
Look'd down on him with pity, and the voice
Of Coelus, from the universal space,

Thus whisper'd low and solemn in his ear.
"O brightest of my children dear, earth-born
"And sky-engendered, Son of Mysteries
"All unrevealed even to the powers
"Which met at thy creating; at whose joys
"And palpitations sweet, and pleasures soft,
"I, Cœlus, wonder, how they came and whence;
"And at the fruits thereof what shapes they be,
"Distinct, and visible; symbols divine,
"Manifestations of that beauteous life

"Diffus'd unseen throughout eternal space:

300

310

320

"Of these new-form'd art thou, oh brightest child! "Of these, thy brethren and the Goddesses! "There is sad feud among ye, and rebellion "Of son against his sire. I saw him fall, "I saw my first-born tumbled from his throne! "To me his arms were spread, to me his voice "Found way from forth the thunders round his head! "Pale wox I, and in vapours hid my face.

299 bright] enraged MS., cancelled.

300 hard] stern MS., cancelled.

304 He laid himself supine, and in radiance faint-MS., rejected. 306 Look'd] Look MS.

314 came] could come MS., rejected.

316 and visible] in form MS., cancelled.

317 beauteous life] Life and Beauty MS., cancelled.

319 art] at MS.

819-20 Against these lines in the Woodhouse transcript is a pencilled "Qy." On the blank page opposite are written the following words: Of these new formd thou art one

Of these also are thy brethren and the goddesses. The writing seems to be Keats's in its loose pencilled form; and his intent was, of course, not thus to revise the lines of the text, but to answer the question put to him as to the meaning, by Woodhouse, or perhaps Taylor. 323 tumbled] hurtled MS., cancelled.

330

"Art thou, too, near such doom? vague fear there is: "For I have seen my sons most unlike Gods. "Divine ye were created, and divine "In sad demeanour, solemn, undisturb'd, "Unruffled, like high Gods, ye liv'd and ruled: "Now I behold in you fear, hope, and wrath; "Actions of rage and passion; even as "I see them, on the mortal world beneath, "In men who die.-This is the grief, O Son! "Sad sign of ruin, sudden dismay, and fall! "Yet do thou strive; as thou art capable, "As thou canst move about, an evident God; "And canst oppose to each malignant hour "Ethereal presence:-I am but a voice; "My life is but the life of winds and tides, "No more than winds and tides can I avail:"But thou canst.-Be thou therefore in the van "Of circumstance; yea, seize the arrow's barb "Before the tense string murmur.-To the earth! "For there thou wilt find Saturn, and his woes. "Meantime I will keep watch on thy bright sun, "And of thy seasons be a careful nurse."Ere half this region-whisper had come down, Hyperion arose, and on the stars

310

350

Lifted his curved lids, and kept them wide
Until it ceas'd; and still he kept them wide:
And still they were the same bright, patient stars.
Then with a slow incline of his broad breast,
Like to a diver in the pearly seas,

Forward he stoop'd over the airy shore,

And plung'd all noiseless into the deep night.

331 Unruffled] Passionless MS., cancelled.

332 Woodhouse reads ye for you; but in the holograph Keats has actually altered ye into you.

334 In widest speculation I do see MS., cancelled.

337 art] wert MS., cancelled.

343 But] Yet MS., cancelled.

345 murmur] murmurs MS. and Woodhouse.

349 come down] gone by MS., cancelled.

351 Lifted] Opened MS., cancelled.

353 And still they all were the same patient stars

And still he saw the same bright patient stars

MS., rejected for text.

HYPERION. BOOK II

JUST at the self-same beat of Time's wide wings
Hyperion slid into the rustled air,

And Saturn gain'd with Thea that sad place
Where Cybele and the bruised Titans mourn'd.
It was a den where no insulting light

Could glimmer on their tears; where their own groans
They felt, but heard not, for the solid roar
Of thunderous waterfalls and torrents hoarse,
Pouring a constant bulk, uncertain where.

Crag jutting forth to crag, and rocks that seem'd 10
Ever as if just rising from a sleep,

Forehead to forehead held their monstrous horns;
And thus in thousand hugest phantasies

Made a fit roofing to this nest of woe.
Instead of thrones, hard flint they sat upon,
Couches of rugged stone, and slaty ridge
Stubborn'd with iron. All were not assembled:
Some chain'd in torture, and some wandering.
Cous, and Gyges, and Briareüs,
Typhon, and Dolor, and Porphyrion,
With many more, the brawniest in assault,
Were pent in regions of laborious breath;
Dungeon'd in opaque element, to keep

20

Their clenched teeth still clench'd, and all their limbs Lock'd up like veins of metal, crampt and screw'd;

Book II] Canto and MS.

}

1 Upon that very point of winged time

That saw Hyperion...

Hyperion slid... MS., two cancelled openings. 1 beat] struck out in MS. and move substituted.

4 Cybele and her bruised children MS., rejected.

5 It was a den] It was a place was first written, and was left

standing in the holograph, but with Den written above the line.

16 Rough stones...cancelled opening.

slaty ridge] edge of slate and shoulder (?) of slate MS.,

rejected.

17 assembled] here and hidden here MS., cancelled.

21 brawniest in] brawniest of MS.: hugest of rejected.

23 to keep] that keep MS., cancelled.

25 Metal veins with cramp and screw MS., rejected.