O what a cry was Saturn’s then!—­it made
The fairies quake.  “What care I for their pranks,
However they may lovers choose to aid,
Or dance their roundelays on flow’ry banks?—­
Long must they dance before they earn my thanks,—­
So step aside, to some far safer spot,
Whilst with my hungry scythe I mow their ranks,
And leave them in the sun, like weeds, to rot,
And with the next day’s sun to be forgot.”

CII.

Anon, he raised afresh his weapon keen;
But still the gracious Shade disarm’d his aim,
Stepping with brave alacrity between,
And made his sore arm powerless and tame. 
His be perpetual glory, for the shame
Of hoary Saturn in that grand defeat!—­
But I must tell how here Titania, came
With all her kneeling lieges, to entreat
His kindly succor, in sad tones, but sweet.

CIII.

Saying, “Thou seest a wretched queen before thee,
The fading power of a failing land,
Who for a kingdom kneeleth to implore thee,
Now menaced by this tyrant’s spoiling hand;
No one but thee can hopefully withstand
That crooked blade, he longeth so to lift. 
I pray thee blind him with his own vile sand,
Which only times all ruins by its drift,
Or prune his eagle wings that are so swift.”

CIV.

“Or take him by that sole and grizzled tuft,
That hangs upon his bald and barren crown;
And we will sing to see him so rebuff’d,
And lend our little mights to pull him down,
And make brave sport of his malicious frown,
For all his boastful mockery o’er men. 
For thou wast born, I know, for this renown,
By my most magical and inward ken,
That readeth ev’n at Fate’s forestalling pen.”

CV.

“Nay, by the golden lustre of thine eye,
And by thy brow’s most fair and ample span,
Thought’s glorious palace, framed for fancies high,
And by thy cheek thus passionately wan,
I know the signs of an immortal man,—­
Nature’s chief darling, and illustrious mate,
Destined to foil old Death’s oblivious plan,
And shine untarnish’d by the fogs of Fate,
Time’s famous rival till the final date!”

CVI.

“O shield us then from this usurping Time,
And we will visit thee in moonlight dreams;
And teach thee tunes, to wed unto thy rhyme,
And dance about thee in all midnight gleams,
Giving thee glimpses of our magic schemes,
Such as no mortal’s eye hath ever seen;
And, for thy love to us in our extremes,
Will ever keep thy chaplet fresh and green,
Such as no poet’s wreath hath ever been!”

CVII.