Whirl’d round its vast undeviating course:

Nine times the sun (obscured but only twice)

Obey’d the law and paid his sacrifice:

As oft the moon in reverential robes

Stood forth predominant among the globes;[210]

And only once—and that in love it seems—

The halo atmosphere impair’d her beams:

The stars, obedient to the mighty Hand,

Imparted promise to Jane Hollybrand.

But now alas! alas! that dreadful pow’r[211]