menace of the Universe;
Still rolling on with innate force, 120
Without a sphere, without a course,
A bright deformity on high,
The monster of the upper sky!
And Thou! beneath its influence born--
Thou worm! whom I obey and scorn--
Forced by a Power (which is not thine,
And lent thee but to make thee mine)
For this brief moment to descend,
Where these weak Spirits round thee bend
And parley with a thing like thee-- 130
What would'st thou, Child of Clay! with me?[112]

_The_ SEVEN SPIRITS.

Earth--ocean--air--night--mountains--winds--thy Star,
Are at thy beck and bidding, Child of Clay!
Before thee at thy quest their Spirits are--
What would'st thou with us, Son of mortals--say?

_Man_. Forgetfulness----

_First Spirit_. Of what--of whom--and why?

_Man_. Of that which is within me; read it there--
Ye know it--and I cannot utter it.

_Spirit_. We can but give thee that which we possess:
Ask of us subjects, sovereignty, the power 140
O'er earth--the whole, or portion--or a sign
Which shall control the elements, whereof
We are the dominators,--each and all,
These shall be thine.

_Man_. Oblivion--self-oblivion!
Can ye not wring from out the hidden realms
Ye offer so profusely--what I ask?

_Spirit_. It is not in our essence, in our skill;
But--thou may'st die.

_Man_. Will Death bestow it on me?

_Spirit_. We are immortal, and do not forget;
We are eternal; and to us the past 150
Is, as the future, present. Art thou answered?

_Man_. Ye mock me--but the Power which brought ye here
Hath made you mine. Slaves, scoff not at my will!
The Mind--the Spirit--the Promethean spark,[at]
The lightning of my being, is as bright,
Pervading, and far darting as your own,
And shall not yield to yours, though cooped in clay!
Answer, or I will teach you what I am.[au]

_Spirit_. We answer--as we answered; our reply
Is even in thine own words.

_Man_. Why say ye so? 160

_Spirit_. If, as thou say'st, thine essence be as ours,
We have replied in telling thee, the thing
Mortals call death hath nough