THE HAUNTED PALACE. IN the greenest of our valleys Once a fair and stately palace Radiant palace-reared its head. In the monarch Thought's dominion It stood there ! Never seraph spread a pinion Over fabric half so fair! Banners yellow, glorious, golden, Time long ago); And every gentle air that dallied, In that sweet day, Along the ramparts plumed and pallid, A winged odour went away. Wanderers in that happy valley, Through two luminous windows, saw Spirits moving musically, To a lute's well-tuned law, Round about a throne where, sitting (Porphyrogene!) In state his glory well befitting, The ruler of the realm was seen. And all with pearl and ruby glowing Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing, And sparkling evermore, A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty Was but to sing, In voices of surpassing beauty, The wit and wisdom of their king. But evil things, in robes of sorrow, * V. 1. sorrow, an obvious misprint. * And round about his home the glory Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed. And travellers, now, within that valley, Vast forms, that move fantastically While, like a ghastly rapid river, A hideous throng rush out forever, |