–Brave with great swooping wings to swim the sky
Steered a blind journey to the windy North
Till his strange shadows darkened Cumæ's rock.
He, there alighting, there to Earth returned,
To Phœbus sacrificed those oars, his wings.
• • • •
(ll 264-547)
Gods of the ghostly Empire and ye shades
So still, Chaos and Phlegethon so still
With leagues of night around you, me empower
Heard tales to tell: me with high aid empower
Earth’s deep—embowelled secret to betray!
They went obscure in lowering lone night
Through lodges of King Dis, untenanted,–
Featureless lands. Thus goes a forest pathway
Beneath the curst light of the wav’ring moon,
When Jove has gloomed the sky, and pitchy dark
Uncoloured all the world. In Hell’s first reach
Fronting the very vestibule of Orcus
Griefs and the Cares have set their couches down–
The vengeful Cares. There pale Diseases dwell,
Sad Eld and Fear and loathsome Poverty
And Hunger, that bad counsellor,–dire shapes–
And Death and Toil, and Sleep brother of Death
And soul-corrupting joys. Opposed he viewed
War the great murderer, and those steel bowers
The Furies deck for bridal, and Discord
Daft, with blood-ribbons on her serpent hair.
But straight in front a huge black knotted elm
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