His beauteous wings The dragon fluttered, cursed awhile, then turned And moaned with lamentable voice, "I thirst, Give me to drink." Thereon stepped out in haste, From inner chambers, lovely ministrants, Young boys, with radiant locks and peaceful eyes, And poured out liquor from their cups, to cool His parched tongue, and kneeling held it nigh In jewelled basins sparkling; and he lapped, And was appeased, and said, "I will not hide Longer, my much desired face from men.
Draw back the web of separation." Then With cries of gratulation ran they forth, And flung it wide, and all the watch fell low, Each on his face, as drunk with sudden joy.
Thus marked he, glowing on the branched moss, Those red rare moons, and let his serpent eyes Consider them full subtly, "What be these ?" Enquiring: and the little spirits said, "As we for thy protection (having heard That wrathful sons of darkness walk, to-night, Such as do oft ill use us), clustered here, We marked a boat a-fire that sailed the skies, And furrowed up like spray a billowy cloud, And, lo, it went to pieces, scattering down A rain of sparks and these two angry moons." Then said the dragon, "Let my guard, and you, Attendant hosts, recede"; and they went back, And formed about the cave a widening ring, Then halting, stood afar; and from the cave The snaky wonder spoke, with hissing tongue, "If ye were Tartis and Deleisonon, Be Tartis and Deleisonon once more." Then egg-like cracked the glowing balls, and forth Started black angels, trampling hard to free Their fettered feet from out the smoking shell.
And he said, "Tartis and Deleisonon, Your lord I am: draw nigh." "Thou art our lord," They answered, and with fettered limbs full low They bent, and made obeisance.

Furthermore, "O fiery flying serpent, after whom The nations go, let thy dominion last," They said, "forever." And the serpent said, "It shall: unfold your errand." They replied, One speaking for a space, and afterward His fellow taking up the word with fear And panting, "We were set to watch the mouth Of great Methuselah.

There came to him The son of Lamech two days since.

My lord, They prophesied, the Elder prophesied, Unwitting, of the flood of waters,--ay, A vision was before him, and the lands Lay under water drowned: he saw the ark,-- It floated in the Enemy's right hand." Lord of the lost, the son of Lamech fled Into the wilderness to meet His voice That reigneth; and we, diligent to hear Aught that might serve thee, followed, but, forbid To enter, lay upon its boundary cliff, And wished for morning.
"When the dawn was red, We sought the man, we marked him; and he prayed,-- Kneeling, he prayed in the valley, and he said--" "Nay," quoth the serpent, "spare me, what devout He fawning grovelled to the All-powerful; But if of what shall hap he aught let fall, Speak that." They answered, "He did pray as one That looketh to outlive mankind,--and more, We are certified by all his scattered words, That HE will take from men their length of days, And cut them off like grass in its first flower: From henceforth this shall be." That when he heard, The dragon made to the night his moan.
"And more," They said, "that He above would have men know That He doth love them, whoso will repent, To that man he is favorable, yea, Will be his loving Lord." The dragon cried, "The last is worse than all.

O, man, thy heart Is stout against His wrath.