(PLATES 25-27) 1. The eternal female groan'd! It was heard all over the earth.

2. Albion's coast is sick silent; the American meadows faint! 3. Shadows of

prophecy shiver along by the lakes and the rivers and mutter across the ocean:

France, rend down thy dungeon; 4. Golden Spain burst the barriers of old Rome;

5. Cast thy keys, O Rome, into the deep falling, even to eternity down

falling, 6. And weep [and bow thy reverend locks.] 7. In her trembling hands

she took the new born terror, howling; 8. On those infinite mountains of

light, now barr'd out by the Atlantic sea, the new born fire stood before the

starry king! 9. Flag'd with grey brow'd snows and thunderous visages, the

jealous wings wav'd over the deep. 10. The speary hand burned aloft, unbuckled

was the shield; forth went the hand of jealousy among the flaming hair, and

hurl'd the new born wonder thro' the starry night. 11. The fire, the fire is

falling! 12. Look up! Look up! O citizen of London, enlarge thy countenance:

O Jew. Leave counting gold! Return to thy oil and wine. O African! Black

African! (Go, winged thought, widen his forehead) 13. The fiery limbs, the

flaming hair, shot like the sinking sun into the western sea. 14. Wak'd from

his eternal sleep, the hoary element roaring fled away; 15. Down rush'd,

beating his wings in vain, the jealous king; his grey brow'd councellors,

thunderous warriors, curl'd veterans, among helms, and shields, and chariots,

horses, elephants: banners, castles, slings, and rocks. 16. Falling, rushing,

ruining! Buried in the ruins, on Urthona's dens; 17. All night beneath the

ruins, then, their sullen flames faded, emerge round the gloomy king. 18.

With thunder and fire, leading his starry hosts thro' the waste wilderness,

he promulgat