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A Prophecy

Plate 1 Preludium

The shadowy daughter of Urthona stood before red Orc,

When fourteen suns had faintly journey'd o'er his dark abode.

His food she brought in iron baskets, his drink in cups of iron.

Crown'd with a helmet & dark hair the nameless female

stood;

A quiver with its burning stores, a bow like that of night

When pestilence is shot from heaven - no other arms she need;

Invulnerable tho' naked, save where clouds roll round her loins

Their awful folds in the dark air. Silent she stood as night;

For never from her iron tongue could voice or sound arise,

But dumb till that dread day when Orc assay'd his fierce embrace.

'Dark Virgin,' said the hairy Youth, ' thy father stern abhorr'd

Rivets my tenfold chains while still on high my spirit soars.

Sometimes an eagle screaming in the sky, sometimes a lion

Stalking upon the mountains, & sometimes a whale I lash

The raging fathomless abyss; anon a serpent folding

Around the pillars of Urthona, and round thy dark limbs,

On the Canadian wilds I fold; feeble my spirit folds,

For chain'd beneath I rend these caverns. When thou bringest food

I howl my joy, and my red eyes seek to behold thy face.

In vain! these clouds roll to & fro, & hide thee from my sight.'



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