Page:The complete poetical works of Percy Bysshe Shelley, including materials never before printed in any edition of the poems.djvu/367

Rh When between her and her foes A mist, a light, an image rose, Small at first, and weak, and frail Like the vapour of a vale:

Till as clouds grow on the blast. Like tower-crowned giants striding fast, And glare with lightnings as they fly, And speak in thunder to the sky,

It grew— a Shape arrayed in mail Brighter than the viper's scale, And upborne on wings whose grain Was as the light of sunny rain.

On its helm, seen far away, A planet, like the Morning's, lay; And those plumes its light rained through Like a shower of crimson clew.

With step as soft as wind it passed O'er the heads of men— so fast That they knew the presence there, And looked,—but all was empty air.

As flowers beneath May's footstep waken, As stars from Night's loose hair are shaken, As waves arise when loud winds call. Thoughts sprung where'er that step did fall.

And the prostrate multitude Looked— and ankle-deep in blood, Hope, that maiden most serene, Was walking with a quiet mien:

And Anarchy, the ghastly birth, Lay dead earth upon the earth; The Horse of Death tameless as wind Fled, and with his hoofs did grind To dust the murderers thronged behind.

A rushing light of clouds and splendour, A sense awakening and yet tender Was heard and felt— and at its close These words of joy and fear arose

As if their own indignant Earth Which gave the sons of England birth Had felt their blood upon her brow, And shuddering with a mother's throe

Had turned every drop of blood By which her face had been bedewed To an accent unwithstood,— As if her heart had cried aloud:

'Men of England, heirs of Glory, Heroes of unwritten story, Nurslings of one mighty Mother, Hopes of her, and one another;

'Rise like Lions after slumber In unvanquishable number, Shake your chains to earth like dew Which in sleep had fallen on you— Ye are many— they are few.

'What is Freedom?— ye can tell That which slavery is, too well— For its very name has grown To an echo of your own.