Page:Hellas, a Lyrical Drama - Shelley (1822).djvu/26

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6
HELLAS.
Caught like mountains beacon-lighted,
The springing Fire.—The winged glory
On Philippi half-alighted,
Like an eagle on a promontory.
Its unwearied wings could fan
The quenchless ashes of Milan. (1)
From age to age, from man to man,
It lived; and lit from land to land,
Florence, Albion, Switzerland.
Then night fell; and, as from night,
Re-assuming fiery flight,
From the West swift Freedom came,
Against the course of Heaven and doom,
A second sun array'd in flame,
To burn, to kindle, to illume.
From far Atlantis its young beams
Chased the shadows and the dreams
France, with all her sanguine steams,
Hid, but quench'd it not; again
Through clouds its shafts of glory rain
From utmost Germany to Spain.
As an eagle fed with morning
Scorns the embattled tempests warning,
When she seeks her aiëry hanging
In the mountain-cedar’s hair,
And her brood expect the clanging
Of her wings through the wild air,