Page:Life of William Blake, Gilchrist.djvu/142

'Art thou a flower? Art thou a nymph? I see thee now a flower;
'And now a nymph! I dare not pluck thee from thy dewy bed!'

The golden nymph replied, 'Pluck thou my flower, Oothoon the mild,
'Another flower shall spring, because the soul of sweet delight
'Can never pass away,'—She ceased and closed her golden shrine.

Then Oothoon plucked the flower, saying,—'I pluck thee from thy bed,
'Sweet flower, and put thee here to glow between my breasts,
'And thus I turn my face to where my whole soul seeks.'

Over the waves she went, in wing'd exulting swift delight.
And over Theotormon's reign took her impetuous course.

But she is taken in the 'thunders,' or toils of Bromion, who appears the evil spirit of the soil. Theotormon, in jealous fury, chains them—'terror and meekness'—together, back to back, in Bromion's cave, and seats himself sorrowfully by. The lamentations of Oothoon, and her appeals to the incensed divinity, with his replies, form the burthen of the poem. The Daughters of Albion, who are alluded to in the opening lines as enslaved, weeping, and sighing towards America, 'hear her woes and echo back her cries;' a recurring line or refrain, which includes all they have to do.

We subjoin another extract or two:—

Oothoon weeps not: she cannot weap! her tears are locked up!
But she can howl incessant, writhing her soft, snowy limbs.
And calling Theotormon's eagles to prey upon her flesh!

'I call with holy voice! kings of the sounding air!
'Rend away this defiled bosom that I may reflect
'The image of Theotormon on my pure transparent breast!'

The eagles at her call descend and rend their bleeding prey.
Theotormon severely smiles; her soul reflects the smile,
As the clear spring mudded with feet of beasts grows pure and smiles.

The Daughters of Albion hear her woes and echo back her sighs.