Left to herself, the serpent now began  
To change; her elfin blood in madness ran,  
Her mouth foam’d, and the grass, therewith besprent,  
Wither’d at dew so sweet and virulent;  
Her eyes in torture fix’d, and anguish drear,
Hot, glaz’d, and wide, with lid-lashes all sear,  
Flash'd phosphor and sharp sparks, without one cooling tear.  
The colours all inflam’d throughout her train,  
She writh’d about, convuls’d with scarlet pain:  
A deep volcanian yellow took the place 
Of all her milder-mooned body’s grace;  
And, as the lava ravishes the mead,  
Spoilt all her silver mail, and golden brede;  
Made gloom of all her frecklings, streaks and bars,  
Eclips’d her crescents, and lick’d up her stars:
So that, in moments few, she was undrest  
Of all her sapphires, greens, and amethyst,  
And rubious-argent: of all these bereft,  
Nothing but pain and ugliness were left.

    Out went the taper as she hurried in; 
    Its little smoke, in pallid moonshine, died: 
    She closed the door, she panted, all akin 
    To spirits of the air, and visions wide: 
    No utter'd syllable, or, woe betide! 
    But to her heart, her heart was voluble, 
    Paining with eloquence her balmy side; 
    As though a tongueless nightingale should swell 
Her throat in vain, and die, heart-stifled, in her dell.