Those vermin of the night, this moment sung,

Who crawl on earth, and on her venom feed! 972

Those ancient sages, human stars! They met

Their brothers of the skies, at midnight hour;

Their counsel ask’d; and, what they ask’d, obey’d.

The Stagirite, and Plato, he who drank[63]

The poison’d bowl, and he of Tusculum,[64]

With him of Corduba,[65] (immortal names!)

In these unbounded, and Elysian, walks,

An area fit for gods, and godlike men, 980