Loving--and, scarce stauncht the Blood of Shame
By flying from his Love--then, worst of all,
Love's back-blow of Revenge for having fled!

Salaman heard--he rent the Robe of Peace--
He came to loathe his Life, and long for Death,
(For better Death itself than Life in Death)--
He turn'd his face with Absal to the Desert--
Enter'd the deadly Plain; Branch upon Branch
Cut down, and gather'd in a lofty Pile,
And fired. They look'd upon the Flames, those Two--
They look'd, and they rejoiced; and hand in hand
They sprang into the Fire. The Shah who saw
In secret all had order'd; and the Flame,
Directed by his Self-fulfilling Will,
Devouring utterly Absal, pass'd by
Salaman harmless--the pure Gold return'd
Entire, but all the baser Metal burn'd.

XXIV.

Heaven's Dome is but a wondrous House of Sorrow,
And Happiness therein a lying Fable.
When first they mix'd the Clay of Man, and cloth'd
His Spirit in the Robe of Perfect Beauty,
For Forty Mornings did an Evil Cloud
Rain Sorrows over him from Head to Foot;
And when the Forty Mornings pass'd to Night,
Then came one Morning-Shower--one Morning-Shower
Of Joy--to Forty of the Rain of Sorrow!--
And though the better Fortune came at last
To seal the Work, yet every Wise Man knows
Such Consummation never can be here!

Salaman fired the Pile; and in the Flame
That, passing him, consumed Absal like Straw,
Died his Divided Self, and there survived
His Individual; and, like a Body
From which the Soul is parted, all alone.
Then rose his Cry to Heaven--his Eyelashes
Dropt Blood--his Sighs stood like a Smoke in Heaven,
And Morning rent her Garment at his Anguish.
He tore his Bosom with his Nails--he smote
Stone on his Bosom--looking then on hands
No longer lockt in hers, and lost their Jewel,
He tore them with his Teeth. And when came Night,
He hid him in some Corner of the House,
And communed with the Fantom of his Love.
"Oh Thou whose Presence so long sooth'd my Soul,
Now burnt with thy Remembrance! Oh so long
The Light that fed these Eyes now dark with Tears!
Oh Long, Long Home of Love now lost for Ever!
We were Together--that was all Enough--
We two rejoicing in each other's Eyes,
Infinitely rejoicing--all the World
Nothing to Us, nor We to all the World--
No Roa