Clarel/Part 2/Canto 34

by Herman Melville

34. Mortmain Reappears

While now at poise the wings of shade
Outstretched overhang each ridge and glade,
Mortmain descends from Judah's hight
Through sally-port of minor glens:
Against the background of black dens
Blacker the figure glooms enhanced. 5
  Relieved from anxious fears, the group
In friendliness would have advanced
To greet, but shrank or fell adroop.
  Like Hecla ice inveined with marl
And frozen cinders showed his face 10
Rigid and darkened. Shunning parle
He seated him aloof in place,
Hands clasped about the knees drawn up

As round the cask the binding hoop--
Condensed in self, or like a seer 15
Unconseious of each object near,
While yet, informed, the nerve may reach
Like wire under wave to furthest beach.
    By what brook Cherith had he been,
Watching it shrivel from the scene-- 20
Or voice aerial had heard,
That now he murmured the wild word;
"But, hectored by the impious years,
What god invoke, for leave to unveil
That gulf whither tend these modern fears, 25
And deeps over which men crowd the sail?"
  Up, as possessed, he rose anon,
And crying to the beach went down:
"Repent! repent in every land
Or hell's hot kingdom is at hand! 30
Yea, yea,
In pause of the artillery's boom,
While now the armed world holds its own,
The comet peers, the star dips down;
Flicker the lamps in Syria's tomb, 35
While Anti-Christ and Atheist set
On Anarch the red coronet!"

  "MadJohn," sighed Rolfe, "dost there betray
The dire Vox Clamans of our day?"
  "Why heed him?" Derwent breathed: "alas! 40
Let him alone, and it will pass.--
What would he now?" Before the bay
Low bowed he there, with hand addressed
To scoop. "Unhappy, hadst thou best?"
Djalea it was; then calling low 45
Unto a Bethlehemite whose brow
Was wrinkled like the bat's shrunk hide
"Your salt-song, Beltha: warn and chide."

"Would ye know what bitter drink
      They gave to Christ upon the Tree? 50
    Sip the wave that laps the brink

   Of Siddim: taste, and God keep ye!
It drains the hills where alum's hid--
Drains the rock-salt's ancient bed;
Hither unto basin fall 55
The torrents from the steeps of gall--
Here is Hades' water-shed.
Sinner, would ye that your soul
Bitter were and like the pool?
Sip the Sodom waters dead; 60
But never from thy heart shall haste
The Marah--yea, the after-taste."

  He closed.--Arrested as he stooped,
Did Mortmain his pale hand recall?
No; undeterred the wave he scooped, 65
And tried it--madly tried the gall.