Tiriel

TIRIEL

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And Aged Tiriel. stood before the Gates of his beautiful palace With Myratana. once the Queen of all the western plains But now his eyes were darkned. & his wife fading in death They stood before their once delightful palace. & thus the Voice Of aged Tiriel. arose. that his sons might hear in their gates Accursed race of Tiriel. behold your father Come forth & look on her that bore you. come you accursed sons. In my weak arms. I here have borne your dying mother Come forth sons of the Curse come forth. see the death of Myratana His sons ran from their gates. & saw their aged parents stand And thus the eldest son of Tiriel raisd his mighty voice Old man unworthy to be calld. the father of Tiriels race For evry one of those thy wrinkles. each of those grey hairs Are cruel as death. & as obdurate as the devouring pit Why should thy sons care for thy curses thou accursed man Were we not slaves till we rebeld. Who cares for Tiriels curse His blessing was a cruel curse. His curse may be a blessing He ceast the aged man raisd up his right hand to the heavens His left supported Myratana shrinking in pangs of death The orbs of his large eyes he opend. & thus his voice went forth Serpents not sons. wreathing around the bones of Tiriel Ye worms of death feasting upon your aged parents flesh Listen & hear your mothers groans. No more accursed Sons She bears. she groans not at the birth of Heuxos or Yuva These are the groans of death ye serpents These are the groans of death Nourishd with milk ye serpents. nourishd with mothers tears & cares Look at my eyes blind as the orbless scull among the stones Look at my bald head. Hark listen ye serpents listen What Myratana. What my wife. O Soul O Spirit O fire What Myratana. art thou dead. Look here ye serpents look The serpents sprung from her own bowels have draind her dry as this[.] Curse on your ruthless heads. for I will bury her even here So saying he began to dig a grave with his aged hands But Heuxos calld a son of Zazel. to dig their mother a grave Old cruelty desist & let us dig a grave for thee Thou hast refusd our charity thou hast refusd our food Thou hast refusd our clothes our beds our houses for thy dwelling Chusing to wander like a Son of Zazel in the rocks Why dost thou curse. is not the curse now come upon your head Was it not you enslavd the sons of Zazel. & they have cursd And now you feel it. Dig a grave & let us bury our mother There take the body. cursed sons. & may the heavens rain wrath As thick as northern fogs. around your gates. to choke you up That you may lie as now your mother lies. like dogs. cast out The stink. of your dead carcases. annoying man & beast Till your white bones are bleachd with age for a memorial. No your remembrance shall perish. for when your carcases Lie stinking on the earth. the buriers shall arise from the east And. not a bone of all the soils of Tiriel remain Bury your mother but you cannot bury the curse of Tiriel He ceast & darkling oer the mountains sought his pathless way

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He wander'd day & night to him both day & night were dark The sun he felt but the bright moon was now a useless globe O'er mountains & thro' vales of woe. the blind & aged man Wanderd till he that leadeth all. led him to the vales of Har. And Har & Heva like two children sat beneath the Oak Mnetha now aged waited on them. & brought them food & clothing But they were as the shadow of Har. & as the years forgotten Playing with flowers. & running after birds they spent the day And in the night like infants slept delighted with infant dreams.

Soon as the blind wanderer enter'd the pleasant gardens of Har They ran weeping like frighted infants for refuge in Mnethas arms The blind man felt his way & cried "peace to these open doors "Let no one fear for poor blind Tiriel hurts none but himself "Tell me O friends where am I now. & in what pleasant place?"

"This is the valley of Har", said Mnetha, "& this the tent of Har. "Who art thou, poor blind man. that takest the name of Tiriel on thee?" "Tiriel is king of all the west: who art thou? I am Mnetha, "And this is Har & Heva, trembling like infants by my side."

"I know Tiriel is king of the west & there he lives in joy. "No matter who I am; O Mnetha, if thou hast any food, "Give it me. for I cannot stay; my journey is far from hence."

Then Har said: "O my mother Mnetha, venture not so near him "For he is the king of rotten wood & of the bones of death "He wanders. without eyes. & passes thro' thick walls & doors. "Thou shalt not smite my mother Mnetha O thou eyeless man!" "A wanderer. I beg for food. you see I cannot weep: I cast away my staff the kind companion of my travel, And I kneel down that you may see I am a harmless man." He kneeled down & Mnetha said: "Come, Har & Heva, rise! "He is an innocent old man & hungry with his travel."

Then Har arose & laid his hand upon old Tiriels head.

"God bless thy poor bald pate. God bless. thy hollow winking eyes "God bless thy shriveld beard. God. bless. thy many wrinkled forehead "Thou hast no teeth old man & thus I kiss thy sleek bald head "Heva come kiss his bald head for he will not hurt us Heva." Then Heva came & took old Tiriel in her mothers arms. "Bless thy poor eyes old man. & bless the old father of Tiriel! "Thou art my Tiriels old father. I know thee thro thy wrinkles, "Because thou smellest. like the figtree. thou smellest like ripe figs. "How didst thou lose thy eyes old Tiriel. bless thy wrinkled face!" Mnetha said come in aged wanderer tell us of thy name. "Why shouldest thou conceal thyself from those of thine own flesh?" "I am not of this region. said Tiriel dissemblingly, "I am an aged wanderer once father of a race "Far in the north. but they were wicked & were all destroy'd, "And I their father sent an outcast. I have told you all Ask me no more I pray for grief hath seald my precious sight." "O Lord!" said Mnetha how I tremble! are there then more people, "More human creatures on this earth beside the sons of Har?" "No more," said Tiriel, "but I, remain on all this globe; "And I remain an outcast; hast thou any thing to drink?" Then Mnetha gave him milk & fruits. & they sat down together.

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They sat & eat & Har & Heva smild on Tiriel Thou art a very old old man but I am older than thou How came thine hair to leave thy forehead how came thy face so brown My hair is very long my beard. doth cover all my breast God bless thy piteous face. to count the wrinkles in thy face Would puzzle Mnetha. bless thy face for thou art Tiriel Tiriel I never saw but once I sat with him & eat He was as chearful as a prince & gave me entertainment But long I staid not at his palace for I am forcd to wander What wilt thou leave us too said Heva thou shalt not leave us too For we have many sports to shew thee & many songs to sing And after dinner we will walk into the cage of Har And thou shalt help us to catch birds. & gather them ripe cherries Then let thy name be Tiriel & never leave us more If thou dost go said Har I wish thine eyes may see thy folly My sons have left me did thine leave thee O twas very cruel No venerable man said Tiriel ask me not such things For thou dost make my heart to bleed my sons were not like thine But worse O never ask me more or I must flee away Thou shalt not go said Heva till thou hast seen our singing birds And heard Har sing in the great cage & slept upon our fleeces Go not for thou art so like Tiriel. that I love thine head Tho it is wrinkled like the earth parchd with the summer heat Then Tiriel rose up from the seat & said god bless these tents My Journey is oer rocks & mountains. not in pleasant vales I must not sleep nor rest because of madness & dismay And Mnetha said Thou must not go to wander dark. alone But dwell with us & let us be to thee instead of eyes And I will bring thee food old man. till death shall call thee hence Then Tiriel frownd & answerd. Did I not command you saying Madness & deep dismay posses[s] the heart of the blind man The wanderer who seeks the woods leaning upon his staff Then Mnetha trembling at his frowns led him to the tent door And gave to him his staff & blest him. he went on his way But Har & Heva stood & watchd him till he enterd the wood And then they went & wept to Mnetha. but they soon forgot their tears

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Over the weary hills the blind man took his lonely way To him the day & night alike was dark & desolate But far he had not gone when Ijim from his woods come down Met him at entrance of the forest in a dark & lonely way Who art thou Eyeless wretch that thus obstructst the lions path Ijim shall rend thy feeble joints thou tempter of dark Ijim Thous hast the form of Tiriel but I know thee well enough Stand from my path foul fiend is this the las of thy deceits To be a hypocrite & stand in shape of a blind beggar The blind man heard his brothers voice & kneeld down on his knee O brother Ijim if it is thy voice that speaks to me Smite not thy brother Tiriel tho weary of his life My sons have smitten me already. and if thou smitest me The curse that rolls over their heads will rest itself on thine Tis now seven years since in my palace I beheld thy face Come thou dark fiend I dare thy cunning know that Ijim scorns To smite the[e] in the form of helpless age & eyeless policy Rise up for I discern thee & I dare thy eloquent tongue Come I will lead thee on thy way & use thee as a scoff O Brother Ijim thou beholdest wretched Tiriel Kiss me my brother & then leave me to wander desolate No artful fiend. but I will lead thee dost thou want to go Reply not lest I bind thee with the green flags of the brook Ay now thou art discoverd I will use thee like a slave When Tiriel heard the words of Ijim he sought not to reply He knew twas vain for Ijims words were as the voice of Fate And they went on together over hills thro woody dales Blind to the pleasures of the sight & deaf to warbling birds All day they walkd & all the night beneath the pleasant Moon Westwardly journeying till Tiriel grew weary with his travel O Ijim I am faint & weary for my knees forbid To bear me further. urge me not lest I should die with travel A little rest I crave a little water from a brook Or I shall soon discover that I am a mortal man And you will lose your once lovd Tiriel alas how fain I am Impudent fiend said Ijim hold thy glib & eloquent tongue Tiriel is a king. & thou the tempter of dark Ijim Drink of this runing brook. & I will bear thee on my shoulders He drank & Ijim raisd him up & bore him on his shoulders All day he bore him & when evening drew her solemn curtain Enterd the gates of Tiriels palace. & stood & calld aloud Heuxos come forth I here have brought the fiend that troubles Ijim Look knowst thou aught of this grey beard. or of these blinded eyes Heuxos & Lotho ran forth at the sound of Ijims voice And saw their aged father borne upon his mighty shoulders Their eloquent tongues were dumb & sweat stood on. their trembling limbs They knew twas vain to strive with Ijim they bowd & silent stood What Heuxos call thy father for I mean to sport to night This is the Hypocritc that sometimes roars a dreadful lion Then I have rent his limbs & left him rotting in the forest For birds to eat but I have scarce departed from the place But like a tyger he would come & so I rent him too Then like a river be would seek to drown me in his waves But soon I buffetted the torrent anon like to a cloud Fraught with the swords of lightning. but I bravd the vengeance too Then he would creep like a bright serpent till around my neck While I was Sleeping he would twine I squeezd his poisnous soul Then like a toad or like a newt. would whisper in my ears Or like a rock stood in my way. or like a poisnous shrub At last I caught him in the form of Tiriel blind & old And so Ill keep him fetch your father fetch forth Myratana They stood confounded. and Thus Tiriel raisd his silver voice Serpents not sons why do you stand fetch hither Tiriel Fetch hither Myratana & delight yourselves with scoffs For poor blind Tiriel is returnd & this much injurd head Is ready for your bitter taunts. come forth sons of the curse Mean time the other sons of Tiriel ran around their father Confounded at the terrible strength of Ijim they knew twas vain Both spear & shield were useless & the coat of iron mail When Ijim stretchd his mighty arm. the arrow from his limbs Rebounded & the piercing sword broke on his naked flesh Then is it true Heuxos that thou hast turnd thy aged parent To be the sport of wintry winds. (said Ijim) is this true It is a lie & I am like the tree torn by the wind Thou eyeless fiend. & you dissemblers. Is this Tiriels house It is as false [as] Matha. & as dark as vacant Orcus Escape ye fiends for Ijim will not lift his hand against ye So saying. Ijim gloomy turnd his back & silent sought The secret forests & all night wanderd in desolate ways

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And aged Tiriel stood & said where does the thunder sleep Where doth he hide his terrible head & his swift & fiery daughters Where do they shroud their fiery wings & the terrors of their hair Earth thus I stamp thy bosom rouse the earthquake from his den To raise his dark & burning visage thro the cleaving ground To thrust these towers with his shoulders. let his fiery dogs Rise from the center belching flames & roarings. dark smoke Where art thou Pestilence that bathest in fogs & standing lakes Rise up thy sluggish limbs. & let the loathsomest of poisons Drop from thy garments as thou walkest. wrapt in yellow clouds Here take thy seat. in this wide court. let it be strewn with dead And sit & smile upon these cursed sons of Tiriel Thunder & fire & pestilence. here you not Tiriels curse He ceast the heavy clouds confusd rolld round the lofty towers Discharging their enormous voices. at the fathers curse The earth trembled fires belched from the yawning clefts And when the shaking ceast a fog possest the accursed clime The cry was great in Tiriels palace his five daughters ran And caught him by the garments weeping with cries of bitter woe Aye now you feel the curse you cry. but may all ears be deaf As Tiriels & all eyes as blind as Tiriels to your woes May never stars shine on your roofs may never sun nor moon Visit you but eternal fogs hover around your walls Hela my youngest daughter you shall lead me from this place And let the curse fall on the rest & wrap them up together He ceast & Hela led her father from the noisom place In haste they fled while all the sons & daughters of Tiriel Chaind in thick darkness utterd cries of mourning all the night And in the morning Lo an hundred men in ghastly death The four daughters stretchd on the marble pavement silent all falln by the pestilence the rest moped round in guilty fears And all the children in their beds were cut off in one night Thirty of Tiriels sons remaind. to wither in the palace Desolate. Loathed. Dumb Astonishd waiting for black death

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And Hela led her father thro the silent of the night Astonishd silent. till the morning beams began to spring Now Hela I can go with pleasure & dwell with Har & Heva Now that the curse shall clean devour all those guilty sons This is the right & ready way I know it by the sound That our feet make. Remember Hela I have savd thee from death Then be obedient to thy father for the curse is taken off thee I dwelt with Myratana five years in the desolate rock And all that time we waited for the fire to fall from heaven Or for the torrents of the sea to overwhelm you all But now my wife is dead & all the time of grace is past You see the parents curse. Now lead me where I have commanded O Leagued with evil spirits thou accursed man of sin True I was born thy slave who askd thee to save me from death— Twas for thy self thou cruel man because thou wantest eyes True Hela this is the desert of all those cruel ones Is Tiriel cruel look. his daughter & his youngest daughter Laughs at affection glories in rebellion. scoffs at Love:— I have not eat these two days lead me to Har & Hevas tent Or I will wrap the[e] up in such a terrible fathers curse That thou shalt feel worms in thy marrow creeping thro thy bones Yet thou shalt lead me. Lead me I command to Har & Heva O cruel O destroyer O consumer. O avenger To Har & Heva I will lead thee then would that they would curse Then would they curse as thou hast cursed but they are not like thee O they are holy. & forgiving filld with loving mercy Forgetting the offences of their most rebellious children Or else thou wouldest not have livd to curse thy helpless children Look on my eyes Hela & see for thou has eyes to see The tears swell from my stony fountains. wherefore do I weep Wherefore from my blind orbs art thou not siezd with poisnous stings Laugh serpent youngest venomous reptile of the flesh of Tiriel Laugh. for thy father Tiriel shall give the[e] cause to laugh Unless thou lead me to the tent of Har child of the curse Silence thy evil tongue thou murderer of thy helpless children I lead thee to the tent of Har not that I mind thy curse But that I feel they will curse thee & hang upon thy bones Fell shaking agonies. & in each wrinkle of that face Plant worms of death to feast upon the tongue of terrible curses Hela my daughter listen. thou art the daughter of Tiriel Thy father calls. Thy father lifts his hand unto the heavens For thou hast laughed at my tears. & curst thy aged father Let snakes rise from thy bedded locks & laugh among thy curls He ceast her dark hair upright stood while snakes infolded round Her madding brows. her shrieks apalld the soul of Tiriel What have I done Hela my daughter fearst thou now the curse Or wherefore dost thou cry Ah wretch to curse thy aged father Lead me to Har & Heva & the curse of Tiriel Shall fail. If thou refuse howl in the desolate mountains

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She howling led him over mountains & thro frighted vales Till to the caves of Zazel they approachd at even tide Forth from their caves old Zazel & his sons ran. when they saw Their tyrant prince blind & his daughter howling & leading him They laughd & mocked some threw dirt & stones as they passd by But when Tiriel turnd around & raisd his awful voice Some fled away but Zazel stood still & thus began Bald tyrant. wrinkled cunning listen to Zazels chains Twas thou that chaind thy brother Zazel where are now thine eyes Shout beautiful daughter of Tiriel. thou singest a sweet song Where are you going. come & eat some roots & drink some water Thy crown is bald old man. the sun will dry thy brains away And thou wilt be as foolish as thy foolish brother Zazel The blind man heard. & smote his breast & trembling passed on They threw dirt after them. till to the covert of a wood The howling maiden led her father where wild beasts resort Hoping to end her woes. but from her cries the tygers fled All night they wanderd thro the wood & when the sun arose They enterd on the mountains of Har at Noon the happy tents Were frighted by the dismal cries of Hela on the mountains But Har & Heva slept fearless as babes. on loving breasts Mnetha awoke she ran & stood at the tent door & saw The aged wanderer led towards the tents she took her bow And chose her arrows then advancd to meet the terrible pair

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And Mnetha hasted & met them at the gate of the lower garden Stand still or from my bow receive a sharp & winged death Then Tiriel stood. saying what soft voice threatens such bitter things Lead me to Har & Heva I am Tiriel King of the west And Mnetha led them to the tent of Har. and Har & Heva Ran to the door. when Tiriel felt the ankles of aged Har He said. O weak mistaken father of a lawless race Thy laws O Har & Tiriels wisdom end together in a curse Why is one law given to the lion & th patient Ox And why men bound beneath the heavens in a reptile form A worm of sixty winters creeping on the dusky ground The child springs from the womb. the father ready stands to form The infant head while the mother idle plays with her dog on her couch The young bosom is cold for lack of mothers nourishment & milk Is cut off from the weeping mouth with difficulty & pain The little lids are lifted & the little nostrils opend The father forms a whip to rouze the sluggish senses to act And scourges off all youthful fancies from the newborn man Then walks the weak infant in sorrow compelld to number footsteps Upon the sand. &c And when the drone has reachd his crawling length Black berries appear that poison all around him. Such was Tiriel Compelld to pray repugnant & to humble the immortal spirit Till I am subtil as a serpent in a paradise Consuming all both flowers & fruits insects & warbling birds And now my paradise is falln & a drear sandy plain Returns my thirsty hissings in a curse on thee O Har Mistaken father of a lawless race my voice is past He ceast outstretchd at Har & Hevas feet in awful death