Page:The poems of George Eliot (Crowell, 1884).djvu/309

 As our young brother doth, whom yet we see

Fallen and slain, but reigning in our will

By that one image of him pale and still."

For Lamech's sons were heroes of their race:

Jabal, the eldest, bore upon his face

The look of that calm river-god, the Nile,

Mildly secure in power that needs not guile.

But Tubal-Cain was restless as the fire

That glows and spreads and leaps from high to higher

Where'er is aught to seize or to subdue;

Strong as a storm he lifted or o'erthrew,

His urgent limbs like rounded granite grew,

Such granite as the plunging torrent wears

And roaring rolls around through countless years.

But strength that still on movement must be fed,

Inspiring thought of change, devices bred,

And urged his mind through earth and air to rove

For force that he could conquer if he strove,

For lurking forms that might new tasks fulfil

And yield unwilling to his stronger will.

Such Tubal-Cain. But Jubal had a frame

Fashioned to finer senses, which became

A yearning for some hidden soul of things,

Some outward touch complete on inner springs

That vaguely moving bred a lonely pain,

A want that did but stronger grow with gain

Of all good else, as spirits might be sad

For lack of speech to tell us they are glad.

Now Jabal learned to tame the lowing kine,

And from their udders drew the snow-white wine

That stirs the innocent joy, and makes the stream

Of elemental life with fulness teem;

The star-browed calves he nursed with feeding hand,