XXV.

  Now dimly seen—­now toiling out of sight,
  Eclipsed and cover’d by the envious wall;
  Now fair and spangled in the sudden light,
  And clinging with wide arms for fear of fall;
  Now dark and shelter’d by a kindly pall
  Of dusky shadow from his wakeful foe;
  Slowly he winds adown—­dimly and small,
  Watch’d by the gentle Swan that sings below,
Her hope increasing, still, the larger he doth grow.

XXVI.

  But nine times nine the serpent folds embrace
  The marble walls about—­which he must tread
  Before his anxious foot may touch the base: 
  Long in the dreary path, and must be sped! 
  But Love, that holds the mastery of dread,
  Braces his spirit, and with constant toil
  He wins his way, and now, with arms outspread,
  Impatient plunges from the last long coil;
So may all gentle Love ungentle Malice foil!

XXVII.

  The song is hush’d, the charm is all complete,
  And two fair Swans are swimming on the lake: 
  But scarce their tender bills have time to meet,
  When fiercely drops adown that cruel Snake—­
  His steely scales a fearful rustling make,
  Like autumn leaves that tremble and foretell
  The sable storm;—­the plumy lovers quake—­
  And feel the troubled waters pant and swell,
Heaved by the giant bulk of their pursuer fell.

XXVIII.

  His jaws, wide yawning like the gates of Death,
  Hiss horrible pursuit—­his red eyes glare
  The waters into blood—­his eager breath
  Grows hot upon their plumes:—­now, minstrel fair! 
  She drops her ring into the waves, and there
  It widens all around, a fairy ring
  Wrought of the silver light—­the fearful pair
  Swim in the very midst, and pant and cling
The closer for their fears, and tremble wing to wing.

XXIX.

  Bending their course over the pale gray lake,
  Against the pallid East, wherein light play’d
  In tender flushes, still the baffled Snake
  Circled them round continually, and bay’d
  Hoarsely and loud, forbidden to invade
  The sanctuary ring—­his sable mail
  Roll’d darkly through the flood, and writhed and made
  A shining track over the waters pale,
Lash’d into boiling foam by his enormous tail.

XXX.

  And so they sail’d into the distance dim,
  Into the very distance—­small and white,
  Like snowy blossoms of the spring that swim
  Over the brooklets—­follow’d by the spite
  Of that huge Serpent, that with wild affright
  Worried them on their course, and sore annoy,
  Till on the grassy marge I saw them ’light,
  And change, anon, a gentle girl and boy,
Lock’d in embrace of sweet unutterable joy!