How lovelily they move along the side
Of the grey mountain, scattering its mist!
And after the swart savage spirits, whose
Infernal immortality poured forth
Their impious hymn of triumph, they shall be
Welcome as Eden. It may be they come
To tell me the reprieve of our young world,
For which I have so often prayed.--They come! 320
Anah! oh, God! and with her----

_Enter_ SAMIASA, AZAZIEL, ANAH, _and_ AHOLIBAMAH.

_Anah_. Japhet!

_Sam._ Lo!
A son of Adam!

_Aza._ What doth the earth-born here,
While all his race are slumbering?

_Japh._ Angel! what
Dost thou on earth when thou should'st be on high?

_Aza._ Know'st thou not, or forget'st thou, that a part
Of our great function is to guard thine earth?

_Japh._ But all good angels have forsaken earth,
Which is condemned; nay, even the evil fly
The approaching chaos. Anah! Anah! my
In vain, and long, and still to be, beloved! 330
Why walk'st thou with this Spirit, in those hours
When no good Spirit longer lights below?

_Anah_. Japhet, I cannot answer thee; yet, yet
Forgive me----

_Japh._ May the Heaven, which soon no more
Will pardon, do so! for thou art greatly tempted.

_Aho._ Back to thy tents, insulting son of Noah!
We know thee not.

_Japh._ The hour may come when thou
May'st know me better; and thy sister know
Me still the same which I have ever been.

_Sam._ Son of the patriarch, who hath ever been 340
Upright before his God, whate'er thy gifts,
And thy words seem of sorrow, mixed with wrath,
How have Azaziel, or myself, brought on thee
Wrong?

_Japh._ Wrong! the greatest of all wrongs! but, thou
Say'st well, though she be dust--I did not, could not,
Deserve her. Farewell, Anah! I have said
That word so often! but now say it, ne'er
To be repeated. Angel! or whate'er
Thou art, or must be soon, hast thou the power
To save this beautiful--_these_ beautiful 350
Children of Cain?

_Aza._ From what?

_Japh._ And is it so,
That ye too know not? Angels! angels! ye
Have shared man's sin, and, it may be, now must
Partake