LYRICAL AND DRAMATIC. 167
II.
Lust, impotence, and knowledge of thy soul,
And that foreknowledge, fill the fiery lake
Of lava where thy lazar corpse shall break
The burning surface to seek out a goal
More horrible, unspeakable. The scroll
Opens, and “ coward, liar, monster” shake
Those other names of “goat” and “swine” and
“snake”
Wherewith Hell’s worms caress thee and control.
Nay, but alone, intolerably alone,
Alone, as here, thy carrion soul shall swelter,
Yearning in vain for sleep, or death, or shelter ;
No release possible, no respite known,
Self-damned, without a friend, thy eternal place
Sweats through the painting of thy harlot’s face.
At the hour of the eclipse, Wednesday, Dec. 28.