Thalaba the Destroyer Author:Robert Southey Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: BOOK VI. " Then did I sec a pleasant Paradise, Full of sweet flowers and daintiest delights, Such as on earth man could not more devise With pleasure... more »s choice to feed his cheerful sprighta ; Not that which Merlin by his magic slights Made for the gentle squire to entertain His fair Belphnobc, could this garden stain." —Spenser, Ruins of Time. So from the inmost cavern, Thalaba Retrod the windings of the rock. Still on the ground the giant limbs Of Zohak were outstretch'd; The spell of sleep had ceas'd, And his broad eyes were glaring on the Youth : Yet raised he not his arm to bar the way, Fearful to rouse the snakes Now lingering o'er their meal. Oh then, emerging from that dreadful cave, How grateful did the gale of night Salute his freshen'd sense ! How full of lightsome joy, Thankful to Heaven, he hastens by the verge Of that bitumen lake, Whose black and heavy fumes, Surge heaving after surge, Roll'd like the billowy and tumultuous sea. The song of many a bird at morn Arous'd him from his rest. Lo ! by his side a courser stood! More animate of eye, Of form more faultless never had he seen, More light of limbs and beautiful in strength, Among the race whose blood, Pure and unmingled, from the royal steeds Of Solomon came down.'14 The chosen Arab's eye Glanced o'er his graceful shape, His rich caparisons, His crimson trappings gay. But when he saw the mouth Uncurb'd, the unbridled neck, Then flush'd his cheek, and leapt his heart; For sure he deem'd that Heaven had sent The courser, whom no erring hand should guide. And lo ! the eager steed Throws his head, and paws the ground, Impatient of delay ! Then up leapt Thalaba, And away went the self-go vern'd steed. Far over the plain Away went the...« less