s: Respite of torment was there none. Their frames


s: Forspent lay prone. With silent lips of fear


s: Would Medicine mumble low, the while she saw


s: So many a time men roll their eyeballs round,


s: The heralds of old death. And in those months


s: The intellect of mind by sorrow and dread


s: Fierce and delirious, the tormented ears


s: Beset with ringings, the breath quick and short


s: A-glisten on neck, the spittle in fine gouts


s: Tainted with colour of crocus and so salt,


s: The cough scarce wheezing through the rattling throat.


s: Aye, and the sinews in the fingered hands


s: Were sure to contract, and sure the jointed frame


s: To shiver, and up from feet the cold to mount


s: Inch after inch: and toward the supreme hour


s: At last the pinched nostrils, nose's tip


s: A very point, eyes sunken, temples hollow,


s: Skin cold and hard, the shuddering grimace,


s: The pulled and puffy flesh above the brows!--


s: O not long after would their frames lie prone


s: Resplendent light of sun, or at the most


s: On the ninth flaming of his flambeau, they


s: Had 'scaped the doom of that destruction, yet


s: And black discharges of the belly, or else


s: Through the clogged nostrils would there ooze along


s: Much fouled blood, oft with an aching head:


s: Hither would stream a man's whole strength and flesh.


s: And whoso had survived that virulent flow


s: Of the vile blood, yet into thews of him


s: Would pass the old disease. And some there were,


s: So much, lived on, deprived by the knife


s: Of the male member; not a few, though lopped


s: Of hands and feet, would yet persist in life,


s: And some there were who lost their eyeballs: O


s: So fierce a fear of death had fallen on them!


s: Of all things seized, that even themselves they knew


s: No longer. And though corpse on corpse lay piled


s: Unburied on ground, the race of birds and beasts


s: Would or spring back, scurrying to escape


s: The virulent stench, or, if they'd tasted there,


s: Would languish in approaching death. But yet


s: Appeared a fowl, nor from the woods went forth


s: They languished with disease and died and died.


s: In chief, the faithful dogs, in all the streets


s: Outstretched, would yield their breath distressfully


s: For so that Influence of bane would twist


s: Life from their members. Nor was found one sure


s: For what to one had given the power to take


s: And to gaze upward at the vaults of sky,


s: The same to others was their death and doom.


s: Would lie in wanhope, with a sullen heart,


s: Give up the ghost, O then and there. For, lo,


s: At no time did they cease one from another


s: To catch contagion of the greedy plague,--


s: As though but woolly flocks and horned herds;


s: And this in chief would heap the dead on dead:


s: For who forbore to look to their own sick,


s: O these (too eager of life, of death afeard)


s: Would then, soon after, slaughtering Neglect


s: Visit with vengeance of evil death and base--


s: Themselves deserted and forlorn of help.


s: But who had stayed at hand would perish there


s: By that contagion and the toil which then


s: A sense of honour and the pleading voice


s: Of weary watchers, mixed with voice of wail


s: This kind of death each nobler soul would meet.


s: Like rivals contended to be hurried through.


s: Pile upon pile the throng of their own dead:


s: And weary with woe and weeping wandered home;


s: And then the most would take to bed from grief.


s: Nor could be found not one, whom nor disease


s: Nor death, nor woe had not in those dread times


s: Yea, even the sturdy guiders of curved ploughs,


s: Began to sicken, and their bodies would lie


s: Huddled within back-corners of their huts,


s: Delivered by squalor and disease to death.


s: O often and often couldst thou then have seen


s: On lifeless children lifeless parents prone,


s: Or offspring on their fathers', mothers' corpse


s: Yielding the life. And into the city poured


s: O not in least part from the countryside


s: Sick, sick, brought thither, thronging from every quarter,


s: Plague-stricken mob. All places would they crowd,


s: All buildings too; whereby the more would death


s: Up-pile a-heap the folk so crammed in town.


s: Ah, many a body thirst had dragged and rolled


s: Along the highways there was lying strewn


s: The life-breath choked from that too dear desire


s: Of pleasant waters. Ah, everywhere along


s: And along the highways, O thou mightest see


s: Of many a half-dead body the sagged limbs,


s: Rough with squalor, wrapped around with rags,


s: But skin upon the bones, well-nigh already


s: Buried--in ulcers vile and obscene filth.


s: And stood each fane of the Celestial Ones


s: Places which warders of the shrines had crowded


s: With many a guest. For now no longer men


s: The worship of the gods: the woe at hand


s: Remained those rites of sepulture, with which


s: With sullen sorrow would bury his own dead,


s: As present shift allowed. And sudden stress


s: Impelled; and with a monstrous screaming they


s: Would, on the frames of alien funeral pyres,


s: Place their own kin, and thrust the torch beneath


s: Oft brawling with much bloodshed round about


s: Rather than quit dead bodies loved in life.


s: Gave his broad lawns until the set of sun


s: Up to the people:  thither flocked at noon


s: His tenants, wife and child, and thither half


s: The neighbouring borough with their Institute


s: Of which he was the patron.  I was there


s: From college, visiting the son,--the son


s: Five others:  we were seven at Vivian-place.


s: And me that morning Walter showed the house,


s: Greek, set with busts:  from vases in the hall


s: Flowers of all heavens, and lovelier than their names,


s: Grew side by side; and on the pavement lay


s: Carved stones of the Abbey-ruin in the park,


s: Huge Ammonites, and the first bones of Time;


s: Claymore and snowshoe, toys in lava, fans


s: Laborious orient ivory sphere in sphere,


s: The cursed Malayan crease, and battle-clubs


s: From the isles of palm:  and higher on the walls,


s: Betwixt the monstrous horns of elk and deer,


s: His own forefathers' arms and armour hung.


s: And 'this' he said 'was Hugh's at Agincourt;


s: And that was old Sir Ralph's at Ascalon:


s: With all about him'--which he brought, and I


s: Dived in a hoard of tales that dealt with knights,


s: Half-legend, half-historic, counts and kings


s: Who laid about them at their wills and died;


s: And mixt with these, a lady, one that armed


s: Her own fair head, and sallying through the gate,


s: Had beat her foes with slaughter from her walls.


s: 'O noble heart who, being strait-besieged


s: By this wild king to force her to his wish,


s: Nor bent, nor broke, nor shunned a soldier's death,


s: But now when all was lost or seemed as lost--


s: Her stature more than mortal in the burst


s: Of sunrise, her arm lifted, eyes on fire--


s: Brake with a blast of trumpets from the gate,


s: And, falling on them like a thunderbolt,


s: She trampled some beneath her horses' heels,


s: And some were whelmed with missiles of the wall,


s: And some were pushed with lances from the rock,


s: And part were drowned within the whirling brook:


s: And, I all rapt in this, 'Come out,' he said,


s: And sister Lilia with the rest.'  We went


s: (I kept the book and had my finger in it)


s: Down through the park:  strange was the sight to me;


s: For all the sloping pasture murmured, sown


s: There moved the multitude, a thousand heads:


s: Taught them with facts.  One reared a font of stone


s: And drew, from butts of water on the slope,


s: The fountain of the moment, playing, now


s: A twisted snake, and now a rain of pearls,


s: Or steep-up spout whereon the gilded ball


s: Danced like a wisp:  and somewhat lower down


s: A man with knobs and wires and vials fired


s: From hollow fields:  and here were telescopes


s: For azure views; and there a group of girls


s: In circle waited, whom the electric shock


s: Dislinked with shrieks and laughter:  round the lake


s: A little clock-work steamer paddling plied


s: And shook the lilies:  perched about the knolls


s: Rose gem-like up before the dusky groves


s: And there through twenty posts of telegraph


s: Between the mimic stations; so that sport


s: Went hand in hand with Science; otherwhere


s: Pure sport; a herd of boys with clamour bowled


s: And stumped the wicket; babies rolled about


s: Like tumbled fruit in grass; and men and maids


s: Arranged a country dance, and flew through light


s: Struck up with Soldier-laddie, and overhead


s: The broad ambrosial aisles of lofty lime


s: Made noise with bees and breeze from end to end.


s: Strange was the sight and smacking of the time;


s: And long we gazed, but satiated at length


s: Came to the ruins.  High-arched and ivy-claspt,


s: Through one wide chasm of time and frost they gave


s: The park, the crowd, the house; but all within


s: And Lilia with the rest, and lady friends


s: From neighbour seats:  and there was Ralph himself,


s: Half child half woman as she was, had wound


s: That made the old warrior from his ivied nook


s: Glow like a sunbeam:  near his tomb a feast


s: Shone, silver-set; about it lay the guests,


s: And there we joined them:  then the maiden Aunt


s: Took this fair day for text, and from it preached


s: And all things great; but we, unworthier, told


s: Of college:  he had climbed across the spikes,


s: And he had squeezed himself betwixt the bars,


s: And he had breathed the Proctor's dogs; and one


s: Discussed his tutor, rough to common men,


s: But while they talked, above their heads I saw


s: The feudal warrior lady-clad; which brought


s: My book to mind:  and opening this I read


s: Of old Sir Ralph a page or two that rang


s: With tilt and tourney; then the tale of her


s: That drove her foes with slaughter from her walls,


s: And much I praised her nobleness, and 'Where,'


s: Asked Walter, patting Lilia's head (she lay


s: Beside him) 'lives there such a woman now?'


s: Quick answered Lilia 'There are thousands now


s: Such women, but convention beats them down:


s: It is but bringing up; no more than that:


s: You men have done it:  how I hate you all!


s: Ah, were I something great!  I wish I were


s: Some might poetess, I would shame you then,


s: That love to keep us children!  O I wish


s: That I were some great princess, I would build


s: Far off from men a college like a man's,


s: And I would teach them all that men are taught;


s: We are twice as quick!'  And here she shook aside


s: The hand that played the patron with her curls.


s: And one said smiling 'Pretty were the sight


s: If our old halls could change their sex, and flaunt


s: With prudes for proctors, dowagers for deans,


s: And sweet girl-graduates in their golden hair.


s: I think they should not wear our rusty gowns,


s: But move as rich as Emperor-moths, or Ralph


s: Who shines so in the corner; yet I fear,


s: However deep you might embower the nest,


s: 'That's your light way; but I would make it death


s: Petulant she spoke, and at herself she laughed;


s: A rosebud set with little wilful thorns,


s: And sweet as English air could make her, she:


s: But Walter hailed a score of names upon her,


s: And 'petty Ogress', and 'ungrateful Puss',


s: And swore he longed at college, only longed,


s: They boated and they cricketed; they talked


s: They lost their weeks; they vext the souls of deans;


s: They rode; they betted; made a hundred friends,


s: And caught the blossom of the flying terms,


s: But missed the mignonette of Vivian-place,


s: The little hearth-flower Lilia.  Thus he spoke,


s: 'We doubt not that.  O yes, you missed us much.


s: I'll stake my ruby ring upon it you did.'


s: Up through gilt wires a crafty loving eye,


s: And takes a lady's finger with all care,


s: And bites it for true heart and not for harm,


s: So he with Lilia's.  Daintily she shrieked


s: And wrung it.  'Doubt my word again!' he said.


s: 'Come, listen! here is proof that you were missed:


s: We seven stayed at Christmas up to read;


s: The hard-grained Muses of the cube and square


s: Were out of season:  never man, I think,


s: For while our cloisters echoed frosty feet,


s: And our long walks were stript as bare as brooms,


s: We did but talk you over, pledge you all


s: Sick for the hollies and the yews of home--


s: Charades and riddles as at Christmas here,


s: And _what's my thought_ and _when_ and _where_ and _how_,


s: A pleasant game, she thought:  she liked it more


s: Than magic music, forfeits, all the rest.


s: But these--what kind of tales did men tell men,


s: Perched on the pouted blossom of her lips:


s: The rest would follow, each in turn; and so


s: We forged a sevenfold story.  Kind? what kind?


s: Chimeras, crotchets, Christmas solecisms,


s: The tyrant! kill him in the summer too,'


s: Said Lilia; 'Why not now?' the maiden Aunt.


s: And something it should be to suit the place,


s: To something so mock-solemn, that I laughed


s: And Lilia woke with sudden-thrilling mirth


s: (A little sense of wrong had touched her face


s: With colour) turned to me with 'As you will;


s: 'Take Lilia, then, for heroine' clamoured he,


s: 'And make her some great Princess, six feet high,


s: Seven and yet one, like shadows in a dream.--


s: But something made to suit with Time and place,


s: A talk of college and of ladies' rights,


s: And, yonder, shrieks and strange experiments


s: For which the good Sir Ralph had burnt them all--


s: This _were_ a medley! we should have him back


s: Who told the "Winter's tale" to do it for us.


s: And let the ladies sing us, if they will,


s: From time to time, some ballad or a song


s: And the rest followed:  and the women sang


s: And here I give the story and the songs.


s: A prince I was, blue-eyed, and fair in face,


s: With lengths of yellow ringlet, like a girl,


s: For on my cradle shone the Northern star.


s: There lived an ancient legend in our house.


s: Some sorcerer, whom a far-off grandsire burnt


s: Because he cast no shadow, had foretold,


s: Dying, that none of all our blood should know


s: The shadow from the substance, and that one


s: Should come to fight with shadows and to fall.


s: And, truly, waking dreams were, more or less,


s: An old and strange affection of the house.


s: Myself too had weird seizures, Heaven knows what:


s: On a sudden in the midst of men and day,


s: And while I walked and talked as heretofore,


s: I seemed to move among a world of ghosts,


s: Our great court-Galen poised his gilt-head cane,


s: And pawed his beard, and muttered 'catalepsy'.


s: My mother pitying made a thousand prayers;


s: Half-canonized by all that looked on her,


s: So gracious was her tact and tenderness:


s: But my good father thought a king a king;


s: He cared not for the affection of the house;


s: He held his sceptre like a pedant's wand


s: To lash offence, and with long arms and hands


s: Reached out, and picked offenders from the mass


s: While life was yet in bud and blade, bethrothed


s: To one, a neighbouring Princess:  she to me


s: At eight years old; and still from time to time


s: Came murmurs of her beauty from the South,


s: And of her brethren, youths of puissance;


s: And still I wore her picture by my heart,


s: And one dark tress; and all around them both


s: Sweet thoughts would swarm as bees about their queen.


s: But when the days drew nigh that I should wed,


s: And therewithal an answer vague as wind:


s: Besides, they saw the king; he took the gifts;


s: He said there was a compact; that was true:


s: But then she had a will; was he to blame?


s: Among her women; certain, would not wed.


s: That morning in the presence room I stood


s: With Cyril and with Florian, my two friends:


s: (His father's fault) but given to starts and bursts


s: And almost my half-self, for still we moved


s: Together, twinned as horse's ear and eye.


s: Now, while they spake, I saw my father's face


s: Grow long and troubled like a rising moon,


s: Inflamed with wrath:  he started on his feet,


s: Tore the king's letter, snowed it down, and rent


s: The wonder of the loom through warp and woof


s: From skirt to skirt; and at the last he sware


s: That he would send a hundred thousand men,


s: And bring her in a whirlwind:  then he chewed


s: The thrice-turned cud of wrath, and cooked his spleen,


s: At last I spoke.  'My father, let me go.


s: Whom all men rate as kind and hospitable:


s: Or, maybe, I myself, my bride once seen,


s: Whate'er my grief to find her less than fame,


s: May rue the bargain made.'  And Florian said:


s: Who moves about the Princess; she, you know,


s: Through her this matter might be sifted clean.'


s: And Cyril whispered:  'Take me with you too.'


s: Then laughing 'what, if these weird seizures come


s: Upon you in those lands, and no one near


s: To point you out the shadow from the truth!


s: Take me:  I'll serve you better in a strait;


s: I grate on rusty hinges here:'  but 'No!'


s: Roared the rough king, 'you shall not; we ourself


s: Will crush her pretty maiden fancies dead


s: In iron gauntlets:  break the council up.'


s: But when the council broke, I rose and past


s: Through the wild woods that hung about the town;


s: Found a still place, and plucked her likeness out;


s: Laid it on flowers, and watched it lying bathed


s: In the green gleam of dewy-tasselled trees:


s: What were those fancies? wherefore break her troth?


s: Proud looked the lips:  but while I meditated


s: And shook the songs, the whispers, and the shrieks


s: Went with it, 'Follow, follow, thou shalt win.'


s: Then, ere the silver sickle of that month


s: Became her golden shield, I stole from court


s: With Cyril and with Florian, unperceived,


s: Cat-footed through the town and half in dread


s: To hear my father's clamour at our backs


s: With Ho! from some bay-window shake the night;


s: But all was quiet:  from the bastioned walls


s: Like threaded spiders, one by one, we dropt,


s: And flying reached the frontier:  then we crost


s: To a livelier land; and so by tilth and grange,


s: And vines, and blowing bosks of wilderness,


s: We gained the mother city thick with towers,


s: And in the imperial palace found the king.


s: His name was Gama; cracked and small his voice,


s: But bland the smile that like a wrinkling wind


s: On glassy water drove his cheek in lines;


s: Not like a king:  three days he feasted us,


s: And on the fourth I spake of why we came,


s: And my bethrothed.  'You do us, Prince,' he said,


s: 'All honour.  We remember love ourselves


s: In our sweet youth:  there did a compact pass


s: I think the year in which our olives failed.


s: I would you had her, Prince, with all my heart,


s: With my full heart:  but there were widows here,


s: They fed her theories, in and out of place


s: They harped on this; with this our banquets rang;


s: Our dances broke and buzzed in knots of talk;


s: To hear them:  knowledge, so my daughter held,


s: Was all in all:  they had but been, she thought,


s: As children; they must lose the child, assume


s: The woman:  then, Sir, awful odes she wrote,


s: Too awful, sure, for what they treated of,


s: About this losing of the child; and rhymes


s: Beyond all reason:  these the women sang;


s: And they that know such things--I sought but peace;


s: No critic I--would call them masterpieces:


s: They mastered _me_.  At last she begged a boon,


s: Hard by your father's frontier:  I said no,


s: Yet being an easy man, gave it:  and there,


s: For maidens, on the spur she fled; and more


s: We know not,--only this:  they see no men,


s: Not even her brother Arac, nor the twins


s: Her brethren, though they love her, look upon her


s: (Pardon me saying it) were much loth to breed


s: Dispute betwixt myself and mine:  but since


s: (And I confess with right) you think me bound


s: In some sort, I can give you letters to her;


s: And yet, to speak the truth, I rate your chance


s: And I, though nettled that he seemed to slur


s: Our formal compact, yet, not less (all frets


s: But chafing me on fire to find my bride)


s: Went forth again with both my friends.  We rode


s: Many a long league back to the North.  At last


s: From hills, that looked across a land of hope,


s: Set in a gleaming river's crescent-curve,


s: There, entered an old hostel, called mine host


s: To council, plied him with his richest wines,


s: And showed the late-writ letters of the king.


s: As blank as death in marble; then exclaimed


s: Began to mellow, 'If the king,' he said,


s: 'Had given us letters, was he bound to speak?


s: The king would bear him out;' and at the last--


s: The summer of the vine in all his veins--


s: 'No doubt that we might make it worth his while.


s: She once had past that way; he heard her speak;


s: She scared him; life! he never saw the like;


s: She looked as grand as doomsday and as grave:


s: And he, he reverenced his liege-lady there;


s: He always made a point to post with mares;


s: His daughter and his housemaid were the boys:


s: The land, he understood, for miles about


s: Was tilled by women; all the swine were sows,


s: A thought flashed through me which I clothed in act,


s: Or Nymph, or Goddess, at high tide of feast,


s: In masque or pageant at my father's court.


s: We sent mine host to purchase female gear;


s: He brought it, and himself, a sight to shake


s: The midriff of despair with laughter, holp


s: To lace us up, till, each, in maiden plumes


s: To guerdon silence, mounted our good steeds,


s: And rode till midnight when the college lights


s: And linden alley:  then we past an arch,


s: From four winged horses dark against the stars;


s: And some inscription ran along the front,


s: But deep in shadow:  further on we gained


s: A little street half garden and half house;


s: But scarce could hear each other speak for noise


s: Of clocks and chimes, like silver hammers falling


s: On silver anvils, and the splash and stir


s: Of fountains spouted up and showering down


s: And all about us pealed the nightingale,


s: Rapt in her song, and careless of the snare.


s: There stood a bust of Pallas for a sign,


s: By two sphere lamps blazoned like Heaven and Earth


s: A plump-armed Ostleress and a stable wench


s: Came running at the call, and helped us down.


s: Then stept a buxom hostess forth, and sailed,


s: Full-blown, before us into rooms which gave


s: In laurel:  her we asked of that and this,


s: And who were tutors.  'Lady Blanche' she said,


s: 'And Lady Psyche.'  'Which was prettiest,


s: Best-natured?'  'Lady Psyche.'  'Hers are we,'


s: One voice, we cried; and I sat down and wrote,


s: Bows all its ears before the roaring East;


s: 'Three ladies of the Northern empire pray


s: Your Highness would enroll them with your own,


s: And raised the blinding bandage from his eyes:


s: And then to bed, where half in doze I seemed


s: To float about a glimmering night, and watch


s: A full sea glazed with muffled moonlight, swell


s: On some dark shore just seen that it was rich.


s: At break of day the College Portress came:


s: And zoned with gold; and now when these were on,


s: And we as rich as moths from dusk cocoons,


s: She, curtseying her obeisance, let us know


s: I first, and following through the porch that sang


s: All round with laurel, issued in a court


s: Compact of lucid marbles, bossed with lengths


s: Of classic frieze, with ample awnings gay


s: Betwixt the pillars, and with great urns of flowers.


s: The Muses and the Graces, grouped in threes,


s: Enringed a billowing fountain in the midst;


s: And up a flight of stairs into the hall.


s: With two tame leopards couched beside her throne,


s: Of some clear planet close upon the Sun,


s: Than our man's earth; such eyes were in her head,


s: And so much grace and power, breathing down


s: From over her arched brows, with every turn


s: Lived through her to the tips of her long hands,


s: And to her feet.  She rose her height, and said:


s: 'We give you welcome:  not without redound


s: The first-fruits of the stranger:  aftertime,


s: And that full voice which circles round the grave,


s: Will rank you nobly, mingled up with me.


s: What! are the ladies of your land so tall?'


s: 'We of the court' said Cyril.  'From the court'


s: She answered, 'then ye know the Prince?' and he:


s: 'The climax of his age! as though there were


s: One rose in all the world, your Highness that,


s: 'We scarcely thought in our own hall to hear


s: This barren verbiage, current among men,


s: Light coin, the tinsel clink of compliment.


s: Your flight from out your bookless wilds would seem


s: As arguing love of knowledge and of power;


s: Your language proves you still the child.  Indeed,


s: We dream not of him:  when we set our hand


s: To this great work, we purposed with ourself


s: Never to wed.  You likewise will do well,


s: Ladies, in entering here, to cast and fling


s: The tricks, which make us toys of men, that so,


s: Some future time, if so indeed you will,


s: You may with those self-styled our lords ally


s: Your fortunes, justlier balanced, scale with scale.'


s: At those high words, we conscious of ourselves,


s: Rose up, and read the statutes, such as these:


s: Not for three years to correspond with home;


s: Not for three years to cross the liberties;


s: Not for three years to speak with any men;


s: And many more, which hastily subscribed,


s: We entered on the boards:  and 'Now,' she cried,


s: 'Ye are green wood, see ye warp not.  Look, our hall!


s: Our statues!--not of those that men desire,


s: Nor stunted squaws of West or East; but she


s: That taught the Sabine how to rule, and she


s: That fought Aurelian, and the Roman brows


s: Of Agrippina.  Dwell with these, and lose


s: Convention, since to look on noble forms


s: Makes noble through the sensuous organism


s: That which is higher.  O lift your natures up:


s: Embrace our aims:  work out your freedom.  Girls,


s: Knowledge is now no more a fountain sealed:


s: Drink deep, until the habits of the slave,


s: Than not be noble.  Leave us:  you may go:


s: For they press in from all the provinces,


s: Dismissal:  back again we crost the court


s: There sat along the forms, like morning doves


s: That sun their milky bosoms on the thatch,


s: A quick brunette, well-moulded, falcon-eyed,


s: And on the hither side, or so she looked,


s: Of twenty summers.  At her left, a child,


s: In shining draperies, headed like a star,


s: Aglaïa slept.  We sat:  the Lady glanced:


s: Then Florian, but not livelier than the dame


s: That whispered 'Asses' ears', among the sedge,


s: 'My sister.'  'Comely, too, by all that's fair,'


s: Said Cyril.  'Oh hush, hush!' and she began.


s: 'This world was once a fluid haze of light,


s: Till toward the centre set the starry tides,


s: And eddied into suns, that wheeling cast


s: The planets:  then the monster, then the man;


s: Tattooed or woaded, winter-clad in skins,


s: Raw from the prime, and crushing down his mate;


s: As yet we find in barbarous isles, and here


s: A bird's-eye-view of all the ungracious past;


s: Appraised the Lycian custom, spoke of those


s: Ran down the Persian, Grecian, Roman lines


s: Of empire, and the woman's state in each,


s: How far from just; till warming with her theme


s: She fulmined out her scorn of laws Salique


s: And little-footed China, touched on Mahomet


s: With much contempt, and came to chivalry:


s: When some respect, however slight, was paid


s: However then commenced the dawn:  a beam


s: Of promise; fruit would follow.  Deep, indeed,


s: Their debt of thanks to her who first had dared


s: Disyoke their necks from custom, and assert


s: None lordlier than themselves but that which made


s: Woman and man.  She had founded; they must build.


s: Here might they learn whatever men were taught:


s: Let them not fear:  some said their heads were less:


s: Some men's were small; not they the least of men;


s: Besides the brain was like the hand, and grew


s: With using; thence the man's, if more was more;


s: First in the field:  some ages had been lost;


s: Was longer; and albeit their glorious names


s: Were fewer, scattered stars, yet since in truth


s: Nor those horn-handed breakers of the glebe,


s: The peasant Joan and others; arts of grace


s: And, last not least, she who had left her place,


s: And bowed her state to them, that they might grow


s: In the arms of leisure, sacred from the blight


s: Who heads in council, two beside the hearth,


s: Two in the tangled business of the world,


s: Two plummets dropt for one to sound the abyss


s: Of science, and the secrets of the mind:


s: Musician, painter, sculptor, critic, more:


s: And everywhere the broad and bounteous Earth


s: Should bear a double growth of those rare souls,


s: Poets, whose thoughts enrich the blood of the world.'


s: She ended here, and beckoned us:  the rest


s: Parted; and, glowing full-faced welcome, she


s: Tacks, and the slackened sail flaps, all her voice


s: Faltering and fluttering in her throat, she cried


s: 'My brother!'  'Well, my sister.'  'O,' she said,


s: 'What do you here? and in this dress? and these?


s: Why who are these? a wolf within the fold!


s: A pack of wolves! the Lord be gracious to me!


s: 'No plot, no plot,' he answered.  'Wretched boy,


s: How saw you not the inscription on the gate,


s: 'And if I had,' he answered, 'who could think


s: O sister, Sirens though they be, were such


s: As chanted on the blanching bones of men?'


s: 'But you will find it otherwise' she said.


s: 'You jest:  ill jesting with edge-tools! my vow


s: Binds me to speak, and O that iron will,


s: The Princess.'  'Well then, Psyche, take my life,


s: 'Let me die too,' said Cyril, 'having seen


s: 'Albeit so masked, Madam, I love the truth;


s: To the Lady Ida:  here, for here she was,


s: And thus (what other way was left) I came.'


s: 'O Sir, O Prince, I have no country; none;


s: Affianced, Sir? love-whispers may not breathe


s: Within this vestal limit, and how should I,


s: Who am not mine, say, live:  the thunderbolt


s: Hangs silent; but prepare:  I speak; it falls.'


s: 'Yet pause,' I said: 'for that inscription there,


s: I think no more of deadly lurks therein,


s: To scare the fowl from fruit:  if more there be,


s: If more and acted on, what follows? war;


s: Your own work marred:  for this your Academe,


s: Will topple to the trumpet down, and pass


s: With all fair theories only made to gild


s: A stormless summer.'  'Let the Princess judge


s: Of that' she said:  'farewell, Sir--and to you.


s: 'The fifth in line from that old Florian,


s: Yet hangs his portrait in my father's hall


s: (The gaunt old Baron with his beetle brow


s: As he bestrode my Grandsire, when he fell,


s: And all else fled? we point to it, and we say,


s: The loyal warmth of Florian is not cold,


s: But branches current yet in kindred veins.'


s: 'Are you that Psyche,' Florian added; 'she


s: With whom I sang about the morning hills,


s: Flung ball, flew kite, and raced the purple fly,


s: And snared the squirrel of the glen? are you


s: That Psyche, wont to bind my throbbing brow,


s: To smoothe my pillow, mix the foaming draught


s: Of fever, tell me pleasant tales, and read


s: My sickness down to happy dreams? are you


s: That brother-sister Psyche, both in one?


s: You were that Psyche, but what are you now?'


s: 'You are that Psyche,' said Cyril, 'for whom


s: 'That on her bridal morn before she past


s: From all her old companions, when the kind


s: Kissed her pale cheek, declared that ancient ties


s: Would still be dear beyond the southern hills;


s: And help them? look! for such are these and I.'


s: 'Are you that Psyche,' Florian asked, 'to whom,


s: In gentler days, your arrow-wounded fawn


s: Came flying while you sat beside the well?


s: The creature laid his muzzle on your lap,


s: And sobbed, and you sobbed with it, and the blood


s: Was sprinkled on your kirtle, and you wept.


s: That was fawn's blood, not brother's, yet you wept.


s: O by the bright head of my little niece,


s: You were that Psyche, and what are you now?'


s: 'You are that Psyche,' Cyril said again,


s: 'The mother of the sweetest little maid,


s: She answered, 'peace! and why should I not play


s: Him you call great:  he for the common weal,


s: As I might slay this child, if good need were,


s: Slew both his sons:  and I, shall I, on whom


s: Of half this world, be swerved from right to save


s: A prince, a brother? a little will I yield.


s: Best so, perchance, for us, and well for you.


s: O hard, when love and duty clash!  I fear


s: My conscience will not count me fleckless; yet--


s: Today, tomorrow, soon:  it shall be said,


s: These women were too barbarous, would not learn;


s: They fled, who might have shamed us:  promise, all.'


s: What could we else, we promised each; and she,


s: Like some wild creature newly-caged, commenced


s: Took both his hands, and smiling faintly said:


s: 'I knew you at the first:  though you have grown


s: You scarce have altered:  I am sad and glad


s: To see you, Florian.  _I_ give thee to death


s: My needful seeming harshness, pardon it.


s: His forehead, then, a moment after, clung


s: About him, and betwixt them blossomed up


s: Sweet household talk, and phrases of the hearth,


s: And far allusion, till the gracious dews


s: Began to glisten and to fall:  and while


s: They stood, so rapt, we gazing, came a voice,


s: 'I brought a message here from Lady Blanche.'


s: Back started she, and turning round we saw


s: The Lady Blanche's daughter where she stood,


s: (Her mother's colour) with her lips apart,


s: And all her thoughts as fair within her eyes,


s: In crystal currents of clear morning seas.


s: So stood that same fair creature at the door.


s: You heard us?' and Melissa, 'O pardon me


s: I heard, I could not help it, did not wish:


s: But, dearest Lady, pray you fear me not,


s: Nor think I bear that heart within my breast,


s: To give three gallant gentlemen to death.'


s: 'I trust you,' said the other, 'for we two


s: Were always friends, none closer, elm and vine:


s: But yet your mother's jealous temperament--


s: Let not your prudence, dearest, drowse, or prove


s: My honour, these their lives.'  'Ah, fear me not'


s: No, not to answer, Madam, all those hard things


s: 'Be it so' the other, 'that we still may lead


s: The new light up, and culminate in peace,


s: (Though, Madam, _you_ should answer, _we_ would ask)


s: Myself for something more.'  He said not what,


s: But 'Thanks,' she answered 'Go:  we have been too long


s: Together:  keep your hoods about the face;


s: They do so that affect abstraction here.


s: Speak little; mix not with the rest; and hold


s: Your promise:  all, I trust, may yet be well.'


s: We turned to go, but Cyril took the child,


s: And held her round the knees against his waist,


s: And blew the swollen cheek of a trumpeter,


s: While Psyche watched them, smiling, and the child


s: Pushed her flat hand against his face and laughed;


s: For half the day through stately theatres


s: Benched crescent-wise.  In each we sat, we heard


s: The grave Professor.  On the lecture slate


s: With flawless demonstration:  followed then


s: With scraps of thunderous Epic lilted out


s: That on the stretched forefinger of all Time


s: That treats of whatsoever is, the state,


s: The morals, something of the frame, the rock,


s: The star, the bird, the fish, the shell, the flower,


s: Electric, chemic laws, and all the rest,


s: Till like three horses that have broken fence,


s: And glutted all night long breast-deep in corn,


s: We issued gorged with knowledge, and I spoke:


s: 'Why, Sirs, they do all this as well as we.'


s: 'They hunt old trails' said Cyril 'very well;


s: 'Ungracious!' answered Florian; 'have you learnt


s: No more from Psyche's lecture, you that talked


s: The trash that made me sick, and almost sad?'


s: 'O trash' he said, 'but with a kernel in it.


s: Should I not call her wise, who made me wise?


s: And learnt?  I learnt more from her in a flash,


s: A thousand hearts lie fallow in these halls,


s: And round these halls a thousand baby loves


s: Fly twanging headless arrows at the hearts,


s: Whence follows many a vacant pang; but O


s: With me, Sir, entered in the bigger boy,


s: The Head of all the golden-shafted firm,


s: The long-limbed lad that had a Psyche too;


s: He cleft me through the stomacher; and now


s: What think you of it, Florian? do I chase


s: The substance or the shadow? will it hold?


s: No ghostly hauntings like his Highness.  I


s: I know the substance when I see it.  Well,


s: Are castles shadows?  Three of them?  Is she


s: The sweet proprietress a shadow?  If not,


s: Shall those three castles patch my tattered coat?


s: For dear are those three castles to my wants,


s: And two dear things are one of double worth,


s: And much I might have said, but that my zone


s: Unmanned me:  then the Doctors!  O to hear


s: The Doctors!  O to watch the thirsty plants


s: Imbibing! once or twice I thought to roar,


s: To break my chain, to shake my mane:  but thou,


s: Make liquid treble of that bassoon, my throat;


s: Abase those eyes that ever loved to meet


s: Star-sisters answering under crescent brows;


s: Abate the stride, which speaks of man, and loose


s: A flying charm of blushes o'er this cheek,


s: Where they like swallows coming out of time


s: Will wonder why they came:  but hark the bell


s: Among the columns, pacing staid and still


s: By twos and threes, till all from end to end


s: With beauties every shade of brown and fair


s: The long hall glittered like a bed of flowers.


s: How might a man not wander from his wits


s: Pierced through with eyes, but that I kept mine own


s: Intent on her, who rapt in glorious dreams,


s: Sat compassed with professors:  they, the while,


s: Discussed a doubt and tost it to and fro:


s: A clamour thickened, mixt with inmost terms


s: Of faded form and haughtiest lineaments,


s: With all her autumn tresses falsely brown,


s: Shot sidelong daggers at us, a tiger-cat


s: Concluded, and we sought the gardens:  there


s: And smoothed a petted peacock down with that:


s: Hung, shadowed from the heat:  some hid and sought


s: In the orange thickets:  others tost a ball


s: With laughter:  others lay about the lawns,


s: Of the older sort, and murmured that their May


s: Was passing:  what was learning unto them?


s: They wished to marry; they could rule a house;


s: Sat muffled like the Fates; and often came


s: That harmed not:  then day droopt; the chapel bells


s: Called us:  we left the walks; we mixt with those


s: Six hundred maidens clad in purest white,


s: Before two streams of light from wall to wall,


s: While the great organ almost burst his pipes,


s: Groaning for power, and rolling through the court


s: The work of Ida, to call down from Heaven


s: A blessing on her labours for the world.


s: While my little one, while my pretty one, sleeps.


s: Father will come to his babe in the nest,


s: Sleep, my little one, sleep, my pretty one, sleep.


s: Came furrowing all the orient into gold.


s: We rose, and each by other drest with care


s: Descended to the court that lay three parts


s: In shadow, but the Muses' heads were touched


s: Above the darkness from their native East.


s: There while we stood beside the fount, and watched


s: Or seemed to watch the dancing bubble, approached


s: Melissa, tinged with wan from lack of sleep,


s: Or grief, and glowing round her dewy eyes


s: 'And fly,' she cried, 'O fly, while yet you may!


s: My mother knows:'  and when I asked her 'how,'


s: 'My fault' she wept 'my fault! and yet not mine;


s: Yet mine in part.  O hear me, pardon me.


s: My mother, 'tis her wont from night to night


s: She says the Princess should have been the Head,


s: And so it was agreed when first they came;


s: Hers more than half the students, all the love.


s: And so last night she fell to canvass you:


s: _Her_ countrywomen! she did not envy her.


s: Girls?--more like men!" and at these words the snake,


s: My secret, seemed to stir within my breast;


s: And oh, Sirs, could I help it, but my cheek


s: Began to burn and burn, and her lynx eye


s: To fix and make me hotter, till she laughed:


s: Men! girls, like men! why, if they had been men


s: You need not set your thoughts in rubric thus


s: For wholesale comment."  Pardon, I am shamed


s: What looks so little graceful:  "men" (for still


s: "And so they are,--very like men indeed--


s: And with that woman closeted for hours!"


s: Then came these dreadful words out one by one,


s: "O ask me nothing," I said:  "And she knows too,


s: And she conceals it."  So my mother clutched


s: The truth at once, but with no word from me;


s: And now thus early risen she goes to inform


s: The Princess:  Lady Psyche will be crushed;


s: But you may yet be saved, and therefore fly;


s: But heal me with your pardon ere you go.'


s: 'What pardon, sweet Melissa, for a blush?'


s: Said Cyril:  'Pale one, blush again:  than wear


s: Those lilies, better blush our lives away.


s: Yet let us breathe for one hour more in Heaven'


s: He added, 'lest some classic Angel speak


s: In scorn of us, "They mounted, Ganymedes,


s: To tumble, Vulcans, on the second morn."


s: To yield us farther furlough:'  and he went.


s: Melissa shook her doubtful curls, and thought


s: He scarce would prosper.  'Tell us,' Florian asked,


s: 'How grew this feud betwixt the right and left.'


s: 'O long ago,' she said, 'betwixt these two


s: Division smoulders hidden; 'tis my mother,


s: Pent in a crevice:  much I bear with her:


s: (God help her) she was wedded to a fool;


s: And still she railed against the state of things.


s: And from the Queen's decease she brought her up.


s: But when your sister came she won the heart


s: (For so they said themselves) inosculated;


s: Consonant chords that shiver to one note;


s: One mind in all things:  yet my mother still


s: Affirms your Psyche thieved her theories,


s: And angled with them for her pupil's love:


s: She calls her plagiarist; I know not what:


s: But I must go:  I dare not tarry,' and light,


s: As flies the shadow of a bird, she fled.


s: If I could love, why this were she:  how pretty


s: Her blushing was, and how she blushed again,


s: As if to close with Cyril's random wish:


s: Not like your Princess crammed with erring pride,


s: Nor like poor Psyche whom she drags in tow.'


s: 'The crane,' I said, 'may chatter of the crane,


s: My princess, O my princess! true she errs,


s: But in her own grand way:  being herself


s: Three times more noble than three score of men,


s: To blind the truth and me:  for her, and her,


s: The nectar; but--ah she--whene'er she moves


s: So saying from the court we paced, and gained


s: The terrace ranged along the Northern front,


s: And leaning there on those balusters, high


s: Above the empurpled champaign, drank the gale


s: That blown about the foliage underneath,


s: Beat balm upon our eyelids.  Hither came


s: Cyril, and yawning 'O hard task,' he cried;


s: 'No fighting shadows here!  I forced a way


s: Better to clear prime forests, heave and thump


s: A league of street in summer solstice down,


s: Than hammer at this reverend gentlewoman.


s: I knocked and, bidden, entered; found her there


s: At point to move, and settled in her eyes


s: The green malignant light of coming storm.


s: Sir, I was courteous, every phrase well-oiled,


s: As man's could be; yet maiden-meek I prayed


s: And why we came?  I fabled nothing fair,


s: Up went the hushed amaze of hand and eye.


s: But when I dwelt upon your old affiance,


s: She answered sharply that I talked astray.


s: I urged the fierce inscription on the gate,


s: And our three lives.  True--we had limed ourselves


s: With open eyes, and we must take the chance.


s: But such extremes, I told her, well might harm


s: The woman's cause.  "Not more than now," she said,


s: I tried the mother's heart.  Shame might befall


s: Her answer was "Leave me to deal with that."


s: I grew discouraged, Sir; but since I knew


s: I recommenced; "Decide not ere you pause.


s: I find you here but in the second place,


s: Some say the third--the authentic foundress you.


s: I offer boldly:  we will seat you highest:


s: Wink at our advent:  help my prince to gain


s: His rightful bride, and here I promise you


s: Some palace in our land, where you shall reign


s: The head and heart of all our fair she-world,


s: And your great name flow on with broadening time


s: For ever."  Well, she balanced this a little,


s: meantime be mute:  thus much, nor more I gained.'


s: He ceasing, came a message from the Head.


s: 'That afternoon the Princess rode to take


s: Would we go with her? we should find the land


s: Out yonder:'  then she pointed on to where


s: Beyond the thick-leaved platans of the vale.


s: Agreed to, this, the day fled on through all


s: Its range of duties to the appointed hour.


s: Then summoned to the porch we went.  She stood


s: Her back against a pillar, her foot on one


s: Of those tame leopards.  Kittenlike he rolled


s: And pawed about her sandal.  I drew near;


s: I gazed.  On a sudden my strange seizure came


s: Her college and her maidens, empty masks,


s: For all things were and were not.  Yet I felt


s: My heart beat thick with passion and with awe;


s: Then from my breast the involuntary sigh


s: Brake, as she smote me with the light of eyes


s: That lent my knee desire to kneel, and shook


s: 'O friend, we trust that you esteemed us not


s: Unwillingly we spake.'  'No--not to her,'


s: I answered, 'but to one of whom we spake


s: Your Highness might have seemed the thing you say.'


s: 'Again?' she cried, 'are you ambassadresses


s: From him to me? we give you, being strange,


s: A license:  speak, and let the topic die.'


s: I stammered that I knew him--could have wished--


s: 'Our king expects--was there no precontract?


s: The bird of passage flying south but longed


s: To follow:  surely, if your Highness keep


s: Your purport, you will shock him even to death,


s: 'Poor boy,' she said, 'can he not read--no books?


s: Quoit, tennis, ball--no games? nor deals in that


s: Methinks he seems no better than a girl;


s: As girls were once, as we ourself have been:


s: We had our dreams; perhaps he mixt with them:


s: We touch on our dead self, nor shun to do it,


s: Being other--since we learnt our meaning here,


s: She paused, and added with a haughtier smile


s: 'And as to precontracts, we move, my friend,


s: At no man's beck, but know ourself and thee,


s: She kept her state, and left the drunken king


s: To brawl at Shushan underneath the palms.'


s: 'Alas your Highness breathes full East,' I said,


s: 'On that which leans to you.  I know the Prince,


s: I prize his truth:  and then how vast a work


s: You grant me license; might I use it? think;


s: Ere half be done perchance your life may fail;


s: Then comes the feebler heiress of your plan,


s: And takes and ruins all; and thus your pains


s: Resmooth to nothing:  might I dread that you,


s: With only Fame for spouse and your great deeds


s: For issue, yet may live in vain, and miss,


s: Meanwhile, what every woman counts her due,


s: 'Peace, you young savage of the Northern wild!


s: What! though your Prince's love were like a God's,


s: You are bold indeed:  we are not talked to thus:


s: Yet will we say for children, would they grew


s: Like field-flowers everywhere! we like them well:


s: But children die; and let me tell you, girl,


s: Howe'er you babble, great deeds cannot die;


s: They with the sun and moon renew their light


s: For ever, blessing those that look on them.


s: Children--that men may pluck them from our hearts,


s: Kill us with pity, break us with ourselves--


s: O--children--there is nothing upon earth


s: And sees him err:  nor would we work for fame;


s: Though she perhaps might reap the applause of Great,


s: Who earns the one POU STO whence after-hands


s: May move the world, though she herself effect


s: But little:  wherefore up and act, nor shrink


s: By frail successors.  Would, indeed, we had been,


s: Of giants living, each, a thousand years,


s: That we might see our own work out, and watch


s: If that strange Poet-princess with her grand


s: And she broke out interpreting my thoughts:


s: 'No doubt we seem a kind of monster to you;


s: We are used to that:  for women, up till this


s: Cramped under worse than South-sea-isle taboo,


s: In high desire, they know not, cannot guess


s: How much their welfare is a passion to us.


s: If we could give them surer, quicker proof--


s: We were as prompt to spring against the pikes,


s: To compass our dear sisters' liberties.'


s: And up we came to where the river sloped


s: To plunge in cataract, shattering on black blocks


s: A breadth of thunder.  O'er it shook the woods,


s: And danced the colour, and, below, stuck out


s: The bones of some vast bulk that lived and roared


s: Before man was.  She gazed awhile and said,


s: 'As these rude bones to us, are we to her


s: That will be.'  'Dare we dream of that,' I asked,


s: 'Which wrought us, as the workman and his work,


s: That practice betters?'  'How,' she cried, 'you love


s: The metaphysics! read and earn our prize,


s: A golden brooch:  beneath an emerald plane


s: Of hemlock; our device; wrought to the life;


s: For there are schools for all.'  'And yet' I said


s: 'Methinks I have not found among them all


s: One anatomic.'  'Nay, we thought of that,'


s: She answered, 'but it pleased us not:  in truth


s: We shudder but to dream our maids should ape


s: Those monstrous males that carve the living hound,


s: And cram him with the fragments of the grave,


s: Dabbling a shameless hand with shameful jest,


s: Knowledge is knowledge, and this matter hangs:


s: Nor willing men should come among us, learnt,


s: This craft of healing.  Were you sick, ourself


s: Would tend upon you.  To your question now,


s: Which touches on the workman and his work.


s: Let there be light and there was light:  'tis so:


s: For was, and is, and will be, are but is;


s: The birth of light:  but we that are not all,


s: As parts, can see but parts, now this, now that,


s: And live, perforce, from thought to thought, and make


s: Our weakness somehow shapes the shadow, Time;


s: But in the shadow will we work, and mould


s: With kindled eyes; we rode a league beyond,


s: And, o'er a bridge of pinewood crossing, came


s: Full of all beauty.  'O how sweet' I said


s: 'To linger here with one that loved us.'  'Yea,'


s: She answered, 'or with fair philosophies


s: That lift the fancy; for indeed these fields


s: Are lovely, lovelier not the Elysian lawns,


s: Where paced the Demigods of old, and saw


s: The soft white vapour streak the crownèd towers


s: Built to the Sun:'  then, turning to her maids,


s: 'Pitch our pavilion here upon the sward;


s: Lay out the viands.'  At the word, they raised


s: With fair Corinna's triumph; here she stood,


s: The woman-conqueror; woman-conquered there


s: The bearded Victor of ten-thousand hymns,


s: And all the men mourned at his side:  but we


s: Set forth to climb; then, climbing, Cyril kept


s: With mine affianced.  Many a little hand


s: Glanced like a touch of sunshine on the rocks,


s: In the dark crag:  and then we turned, we wound


s: About the cliffs, the copses, out and in,


s: Hammering and clinking, chattering stony names


s: Of shales and hornblende, rag and trap and tuff,


s: Grew broader toward his death and fell, and all


s: The rosy heights came out above the lawns.


s: Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,


s: Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.


s: Blow, let us hear the purple glens replying:


s: And answer, echoes, answer, dying, dying, dying.


s: 'There sinks the nebulous star we call the Sun,


s: Said Ida; 'let us down and rest;' and we


s: Down from the lean and wrinkled precipices,


s: By every coppice-feathered chasm and cleft,


s: Dropt through the ambrosial gloom to where below


s: No bigger than a glow-worm shone the tent


s: Lamp-lit from the inner.  Once she leaned on me,


s: Descending; once or twice she lent her hand,


s: Stirring a sudden transport rose and fell.


s: But when we planted level feet, and dipt


s: There leaning deep in broidered down we sank


s: A fragrant flame rose, and before us glowed


s: Fruit, blossom, viand, amber wine, and gold.


s: Then she, 'Let some one sing to us:  lightlier move


s: The minutes fledged with music:' and a maid,


s: Of those beside her, smote her harp, and sang.


s: 'Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean,


s: Tears from the depth of some divine despair


s: Rise in the heart, and gather to the eyes,


s: And thinking of the days that are no more.


s: 'Fresh as the first beam glittering on a sail,


s: That brings our friends up from the underworld,


s: That sinks with all we love below the verge;


s: So sad, so fresh, the days that are no more.


s: 'Ah, sad and strange as in dark summer dawns


s: The earliest pipe of half-awakened birds


s: The casement slowly grows a glimmering square;


s: So sad, so strange, the days that are no more.


s: And sweet as those by hopeless fancy feigned


s: On lips that are for others; deep as love,


s: Deep as first love, and wild with all regret;


s: O Death in Life, the days that are no more.'


s: She ended with such passion that the tear,


s: She sang of, shook and fell, an erring pearl


s: Lost in her bosom:  but with some disdain


s: Answered the Princess, 'If indeed there haunt


s: So sweet a voice and vague, fatal to men,


s: Well needs it we should cram our ears with wool


s: And so pace by:  but thine are fancies hatched


s: But trim our sails, and let old bygones be,


s: While down the streams that float us each and all


s: To the issue, goes, like glittering bergs of ice,


s: Throne after throne, and molten on the waste


s: Becomes a cloud:  for all things serve their time


s: Toward that great year of equal mights and rights,


s: Nor would I fight with iron laws, in the end


s: Found golden:  let the past be past; let be


s: Their cancelled Babels:  though the rough kex break


s: The starred mosaic, and the beard-blown goat


s: Hang on the shaft, and the wild figtree split


s: Their monstrous idols, care not while we hear


s: Of better, and Hope, a poising eagle, burns


s: 'Know you no song of your own land,' she said,


s: 'Not such as moans about the retrospect,


s: But deals with the other distance and the hues


s: Of promise; not a death's-head at the wine.'


s: What time I watched the swallow winging south


s: From mine own land, part made long since, and part


s: As I could ape their treble, did I sing.


s: 'O Swallow, Swallow, flying, flying South,


s: Fly to her, and fall upon her gilded eaves,


s: And tell her, tell her, what I tell to thee.


s: 'O tell her, Swallow, thou that knowest each,


s: That bright and fierce and fickle is the South,


s: And dark and true and tender is the North.


s: 'O Swallow, Swallow, if I could follow, and light


s: Upon her lattice, I would pipe and trill,


s: And cheep and twitter twenty million loves.


s: 'O were I thou that she might take me in,


s: Would rock the snowy cradle till I died.


s: 'Why lingereth she to clothe her heart with love,


s: To clothe herself, when all the woods are green?


s: 'O tell her, Swallow, that thy brood is flown:


s: Say to her, I do but wanton in the South,


s: But in the North long since my nest is made.


s: 'O tell her, brief is life but love is long,


s: And brief the sun of summer in the North,


s: And brief the moon of beauty in the South.


s: 'O Swallow, flying from the golden woods,


s: Fly to her, and pipe and woo her, and make her mine,


s: And tell her, tell her, that I follow thee.'


s: I ceased, and all the ladies, each at each,


s: Like the Ithacensian suitors in old time,


s: Stared with great eyes, and laughed with alien lips,


s: And knew not what they meant; for still my voice


s: Rang false:  but smiling 'Not for thee,' she said,


s: Shall burst her veil:  marsh-divers, rather, maid,


s: Shall croak thee sister, or the meadow-crake


s: Grate her harsh kindred in the grass:  and this


s: A mere love-poem!  O for such, my friend,


s: We hold them slight:  they mind us of the time


s: That lute and flute fantastic tenderness,


s: And dress the victim to the offering up,


s: And paint the gates of Hell with Paradise,


s: Poor soul!  I had a maid of honour once;


s: She wept her true eyes blind for such a one,


s: I loved her.  Peace be with her.  She is dead.


s: So they blaspheme the muse!  But great is song


s: Used to great ends:  ourself have often tried


s: Valkyrian hymns, or into rhythm have dashed


s: Love is it?  Would this same mock-love, and this


s: Mock-Hymen were laid up like winter bats,


s: Till all men grew to rate us at our worth,


s: Not vassals to be beat, nor pretty babes


s: To be dandled, no, but living wills, and sphered


s: Whole in ourselves and owed to none.  Enough!


s: But now to leaven play with profit, you,


s: Know you no song, the true growth of your soil,


s: That gives the manners of your country-women?'


s: She spoke and turned her sumptuous head with eyes


s: Then while I dragged my brains for such a song,


s: Cyril, with whom the bell-mouthed glass had wrought,


s: Or mastered by the sense of sport, began


s: To troll a careless, careless tavern-catch


s: Of Moll and Meg, and strange experiences


s: Unmeet for ladies.  Florian nodded at him,


s: I frowning; Psyche flushed and wanned and shook;


s: 'Forbear,' the Princess cried; 'Forbear, Sir' I;


s: And heated through and through with wrath and love,


s: I smote him on the breast; he started up;


s: There rose a shriek as of a city sacked;


s: Melissa clamoured 'Flee the death;' 'To horse'


s: Said Ida; 'home! to horse!' and fled, as flies


s: A troop of snowy doves athwart the dusk,


s: When some one batters at the dovecote-doors,


s: With Florian, cursing Cyril, vext at heart,


s: In the pavilion:  there like parting hopes


s: I heard them passing from me:  hoof by hoof,


s: Clanged on the bridge; and then another shriek,


s: For blind with rage she missed the plank, and rolled


s: In the river.  Out I sprang from glow to gloom:


s: There whirled her white robe like a blossomed branch


s: Rapt to the horrible fall:  a glance I gave,


s: Plunged; and the flood drew; yet I caught her; then


s: The weight of all the hopes of half the world,


s: Strove to buffet to land in vain.  A tree


s: Was half-disrooted from his place and stooped


s: To wrench his dark locks in the gurgling wave


s: Mid-channel.  Right on this we drove and caught,


s: And grasping down the boughs I gained the shore.


s: There stood her maidens glimmeringly grouped


s: In the hollow bank.  One reaching forward drew


s: My burthen from mine arms; they cried 'she lives:'


s: They bore her back into the tent:  but I,


s: So much a kind of shame within me wrought,


s: Not yet endured to meet her opening eyes,


s: Nor found my friends; but pushed alone on foot


s: (For since her horse was lost I left her mine)


s: Across the woods, and less from Indian craft


s: Than beelike instinct hiveward, found at length


s: The garden portals.  Two great statues, Art


s: A weight of emblem, and betwixt were valves


s: His rash intrusion, manlike, but his brows


s: Had sprouted, and the branches thereupon


s: Spread out at top, and grimly spiked the gates.


s: A little space was left between the horns,


s: Through which I clambered o'er at top with pain,


s: Dropt on the sward, and up the linden walks,


s: And, tost on thoughts that changed from hue to hue,


s: Now poring on the glowworm, now the star,


s: I paced the terrace, till the Bear had wheeled


s: Through a great arc his seven slow suns.


s: Than female, moving through the uncertain gloom,


s: Disturbed me with the doubt 'if this were she,'


s: But it was Florian.  'Hist O Hist,' he said,


s: 'They seek us:  out so late is out of rules.


s: Moreover "seize the strangers" is the cry.


s: How came you here?' I told him:  'I' said he,


s: To whom none spake, half-sick at heart, returned.


s: With hooded brows I crept into the hall,


s: And, couched behind a Judith, underneath


s: Girl after girl was called to trial:  each


s: Disclaimed all knowledge of us:  last of all,


s: She, questioned if she knew us men, at first


s: Was silent; closer prest, denied it not:


s: From whence the Royal mind, familiar with her,


s: For Psyche, but she was not there; she called


s: For Psyche's child to cast it from the doors;


s: She sent for Blanche to accuse her face to face;


s: And I slipt out:  but whither will you now?


s: And where are Psyche, Cyril? both are fled:


s: What, if together? that were not so well.


s: Would rather we had never come!  I dread


s: His wildness, and the chances of the dark.'


s: 'And yet,' I said, 'you wrong him more than I


s: That struck him:  this is proper to the clown,


s: Though smocked, or furred and purpled, still the clown,


s: To harm the thing that trusts him, and to shame


s: That which he says he loves:  for Cyril, howe'er


s: Might have been worse and sinned in grosser lips


s: These flashes on the surface are not he.


s: Though anchored to the bottom, such is he.'


s: Scarce had I ceased when from a tamarisk near


s: Two Proctors leapt upon us, crying, 'Names:'


s: He, standing still, was clutched; but I began


s: And double in and out the boles, and race


s: By all the fountains:  fleet I was of foot:


s: Before me showered the rose in flakes; behind


s: And secret laughter tickled all my soul.


s: And falling on my face was caught and known.


s: They haled us to the Princess where she sat


s: High in the hall:  above her drooped a lamp,


s: Burn like the mystic fire on a mast-head,


s: Prophet of storm:  a handmaid on each side


s: Bowed toward her, combing out her long black hair


s: Damp from the river; and close behind her stood


s: Eight daughters of the plough, stronger than men,


s: Huge women blowzed with health, and wind, and rain,


s: And labour.  Each was like a Druid rock;


s: Or like a spire of land that stands apart


s: Cleft from the main, and wailed about with mews.


s: Then, as we came, the crowd dividing clove


s: An advent to the throne:  and therebeside,


s: Half-naked as if caught at once from bed


s: And tumbled on the purple footcloth, lay


s: The lily-shining child; and on the left,


s: Bowed on her palms and folded up from wrong,


s: Her round white shoulder shaken with her sobs,


s: 'It was not thus, O Princess, in old days:


s: You prized my counsel, lived upon my lips:


s: I loved you like this kneeler, and you me


s: Your second mother:  those were gracious times.


s: Then came your new friend:  you began to change--


s: I saw it and grieved--to slacken and to cool;


s: You turned your warmer currents all to her,


s: To me you froze:  this was my meed for all.


s: Yet I bore up in part from ancient love,


s: And partly that I hoped to win you back,


s: And chiefly you were born for something great,


s: When time should serve; and thus a noble scheme


s: Grew up from seed we two long since had sown;


s: In us true growth, in her a Jonah's gourd,


s: We took this palace; but even from the first


s: You stood in your own light and darkened mine.


s: What student came but that you planed her path


s: I your old friend and tried, she new in all?


s: But still her lists were swelled and mine were lean;


s: Yet I bore up in hope she would be known:


s: Then came these wolves:  _they_ knew her:  _they_ endured,


s: To tell her what they were, and she to hear:


s: And me none told:  not less to an eye like mine


s: Last night, their mask was patent, and my foot


s: Was to you:  but I thought again:  I feared


s: To meet a cold "We thank you, we shall hear of it


s: She told, perforce; and winning easy grace


s: No doubt, for slight delay, remained among us


s: In our young nursery still unknown, the stem


s: Less grain than touchwood, while my honest heat


s: To push my rival out of place and power.


s: But public use required she should be known;


s: And since my oath was ta'en for public use,


s: I broke the letter of it to keep the sense.


s: I spoke not then at first, but watched them well,


s: Saw that they kept apart, no mischief done;


s: And yet this day (though you should hate me for it)


s: I came to tell you; found that you had gone,


s: Ridden to the hills, she likewise:  now, I thought,


s: That surely she will speak; if not, then I:


s: Did she?  These monsters blazoned what they were,


s: According to the coarseness of their kind,


s: For thus I hear; and known at last (my work)


s: I grant in her some sense of shame, she flies;


s: And I remain on whom to wreak your rage,


s: I, that have lent my life to build up yours,


s: I that have wasted here health, wealth, and time,


s: And talent, I--you know it--I will not boast:


s: Divorced from my experience, will be chaff


s: For every gust of chance, and men will say


s: We did not know the real light, but chased


s: The wisp that flickers where no foot can tread.'


s: She ceased:  the Princess answered coldly, 'Good:


s: Your oath is broken:  we dismiss you:  go.


s: For this lost lamb (she pointed to the child)


s: Our mind is changed:  we take it to ourself.'


s: Thereat the Lady stretched a vulture throat,


s: And shot from crooked lips a haggard smile.


s: 'The plan was mine.  I built the nest' she said


s: 'To hatch the cuckoo.  Rise!' and stooped to updrag


s: Melissa:  she, half on her mother propt,


s: Half-drooping from her, turned her face, and cast


s: Which melted Florian's fancy as she hung,


s: Appealing to the bolts of Heaven; and while


s: Stared in her eyes, and chalked her face, and winged


s: Her transit to the throne, whereby she fell


s: Delivering sealed dispatches which the Head


s: Took half-amazed, and in her lion's mood


s: Regarding, while she read, till over brow


s: And cheek and bosom brake the wrathful bloom


s: When the wild peasant rights himself, the rick


s: Flames, and his anger reddens in the heavens;


s: For anger most it seemed, while now her breast,


s: Beaten with some great passion at her heart,


s: Palpitated, her hand shook, and we heard


s: In the dead hush the papers that she held


s: Rustle:  at once the lost lamb at her feet


s: The plaintive cry jarred on her ire; she crushed


s: The scrolls together, made a sudden turn


s: As if to speak, but, utterance failing her,


s: She whirled them on to me, as who should say


s: 'Read,' and I read--two letters--one her sire's.


s: 'Fair daughter, when we sent the Prince your way,


s: We knew not your ungracious laws, which learnt,


s: We, conscious of what temper you are built,


s: Came all in haste to hinder wrong, but fell


s: Into his father's hands, who has this night,


s: Slipt round and in the dark invested you,


s: And here he keeps me hostage for his son.'


s: The second was my father's running thus:


s: 'You have our son:  touch not a hair of his head:


s: Render him up unscathed:  give him your hand:


s: Cleave to your contract:  though indeed we hear


s: Would make all women kick against their Lords


s: Through all the world, and which might well deserve


s: That we this night should pluck your palace down;


s: And we will do it, unless you send us back


s: And then stood up and spoke impetuously.


s: Your precinct; not a scorner of your sex


s: All that it might be:  hear me, for I bear,


s: Though man, yet human, whatsoe'er your wrongs,


s: From the flaxen curl to the gray lock a life


s: Less mine than yours:  my nurse would tell me of you;


s: I babbled for you, as babies for the moon,


s: Vague brightness; when a boy, you stooped to me


s: From all high places, lived in all fair lights,


s: Came in long breezes rapt from inmost south


s: And blown to inmost north; at eve and dawn


s: Would clang it, and lapt in wreaths of glowworm light


s: Because I would have reached you, had you been


s: Sphered up with Cassiopëia, or the enthroned


s: Not in this frequence can I lend full tongue,


s: O noble Ida, to those thoughts that wait


s: On you, their centre:  let me say but this,


s: And landskip, have I heard of, after seen


s: The dwarfs of presage:  though when known, there grew


s: Made them worth knowing; but in your I found


s: My boyish dream involved and dazzled down


s: And mastered, while that after-beauty makes


s: Such head from act to act, from hour to hour,


s: Within me, that except you slay me here,


s: I cannot cease to follow you, as they say


s: The seal does music; who desire you more


s: Than growing boys their manhood; dying lips,


s: The breath of life; O more than poor men wealth,


s: Than sick men health--yours, yours, not mine--but half


s: Without you; with you, whole; and of those halves


s: You worthiest; and howe'er you block and bar


s: Your heart with system out from mine, I hold


s: That it becomes no man to nurse despair,


s: But in the teeth of clenched antagonisms


s: Kneeling, I gave it, which she caught, and dashed


s: Invective seemed to wait behind her lips,


s: Ready to burst and flood the world with foam:


s: And so she would have spoken, but there rose


s: Gathered together:  from the illumined hall


s: Long lanes of splendour slanted o'er a press


s: Of snowy shoulders, thick as herded ewes,


s: And rainbow robes, and gems and gemlike eyes,


s: And gold and golden heads; they to and fro


s: Fluctuated, as flowers in storm, some red, some pale,


s: All open-mouthed, all gazing to the light,


s: Some crying there was an army in the land,


s: And some that men were in the very walls,


s: And some they cared not; till a clamour grew


s: And worse-confounded:  high above them stood


s: Not peace she looked, the Head:  but rising up


s: Robed in the long night of her deep hair, so


s: To the open window moved, remaining there


s: Fixt like a beacon-tower above the waves


s: Of tempest, when the crimson-rolling eye


s: Glares ruin, and the wild birds on the light


s: Dash themselves dead.  She stretched her arms and called


s: 'What fear ye, brawlers? am not I your Head?


s: On me, me, me, the storm first breaks:  _I_ dare


s: All these male thunderbolts:  what is it ye fear?


s: Peace! there are those to avenge us and they come:


s: If not,--myself were like enough, O girls,


s: To unfurl the maiden banner of our rights,


s: And clad in iron burst the ranks of war,


s: Die:  yet I blame you not so much for fear:


s: Six thousand years of fear have made you that


s: From which I would redeem you:  but for those


s: That stir this hubbub--you and you--I know


s: Your faces there in the crowd--tomorrow morn


s: We hold a great convention:  then shall they


s: That love their voices more than duty, learn


s: With whom they deal, dismissed in shame to live


s: No wiser than their mothers, household stuff,


s: Live chattels, mincers of each other's fame,


s: Full of weak poison, turnspits for the clown,


s: The drunkard's football, laughing-stocks of Time,


s: Whose brains are in their hands and in their heels


s: But fit to flaunt, to dress, to dance, to thrum,


s: To tramp, to scream, to burnish, and to scour,


s: For ever slaves at home and fools abroad.'


s: She, ending, waved her hands:  thereat the crowd


s: Muttering, dissolved:  then with a smile, that looked


s: A stroke of cruel sunshine on the cliff,


s: When all the glens are drowned in azure gloom


s: Of thunder-shower, she floated to us and said:


s: 'You have done well and like a gentleman,


s: And like a prince:  you have our thanks for all:


s: And you look well too in your woman's dress:


s: Well have you done and like a gentleman.


s: You saved our life:  we owe you bitter thanks:


s: Better have died and spilt our bones in the flood--


s: Then men had said--but now--What hinders me


s: To take such bloody vengeance on you both?--


s: Yet since our father--Wasps in our good hive,


s: You would-be quenchers of the light to be,


s: Barbarians, grosser than your native bears--


s: You that have dared to break our bound, and gulled


s: Our servants, wronged and lied and thwarted us--


s: _I_ wed with thee!  _I_ bound by precontract


s: Your bride, our bondslave! not though all the gold


s: That veins the world were packed to make your crown,


s: And every spoken tongue should lord you.  Sir,


s: Your falsehood and yourself are hateful to us:


s: Begone:  we will not look upon you more.


s: Then those eight mighty daughters of the plough


s: Bent their broad faces toward us and addressed


s: Their motion:  twice I sought to plead my cause,


s: But on my shoulder hung their heavy hands,


s: The weight of destiny:  so from her face


s: They pushed us, down the steps, and through the court,


s: And with grim laughter thrust us out at gates.


s: We crossed the street and gained a petty mound


s: On a sudden the weird seizure and the doubt:


s: I seemed to move among a world of ghosts;


s: The Princess with her monstrous woman-guard,


s: The jest and earnest working side by side,


s: The cataract and the tumult and the kings


s: Were shadows; and the long fantastic night


s: With all its doings had and had not been,


s: As strangely as it came, and on my spirits


s: Not long; I shook it off; for spite of doubts


s: To whom the touch of all mischance but came


s: Sees the midsummer, midnight, Norway sun


s: Thy voice is heard through rolling drums,


s: And strikes him dead for thine and thee.


s: So Lilia sang:  we thought her half-possessed,


s: She struck such warbling fury through the words;


s: And, after, feigning pique at what she called


s: The raillery, or grotesque, or false sublime--


s: Like one that wishes at a dance to change


s: The music--clapt her hands and cried for war,


s: Or some grand fight to kill and make an end:


s: Half turning to the broken statue, said,


s: 'Sir Ralph has got your colours:  if I prove


s: Your knight, and fight your battle, what for me?'


s: It chanced, her empty glove upon the tomb


s: She took it and she flung it.  'Fight' she said,


s: 'And make us all we would be, great and good.'


s: He knightlike in his cap instead of casque,


s: Arranged the favour, and assumed the Prince.


s: Now, scarce three paces measured from the mound,


s: And 'Stand, who goes?'  'Two from the palace' I.


s: 'The second two:  they wait,' he said, 'pass on;


s: His Highness wakes:' and one, that clashed in arms,


s: By glimmering lanes and walls of canvas led


s: Threading the soldier-city, till we heard


s: The drowsy folds of our great ensign shake


s: From blazoned lions o'er the imperial tent


s: Dazed me half-blind:  I stood and seemed to hear,


s: As in a poplar grove when a light wind wakes


s: A lisping of the innumerous leaf and dies,


s: Each hissing in his neighbour's ear; and then


s: On all sides, clamouring etiquette to death,


s: Unmeasured mirth; while now the two old kings


s: Began to wag their baldness up and down,


s: The fresh young captains flashed their glittering teeth,


s: The huge bush-bearded Barons heaved and blew,


s: And slain with laughter rolled the gilded Squire.


s: At length my Sire, his rough cheek wet with tears,


s: Panted from weary sides 'King, you are free!


s: If this be he,--or a dragged mawkin, thou,


s: That tends to her bristled grunters in the sludge:'


s: For I was drenched with ooze, and torn with briers,


s: More crumpled than a poppy from the sheath,


s: And all one rag, disprinced from head to heel.


s: Then some one sent beneath his vaulted palm


s: A whispered jest to some one near him, 'Look,


s: He has been among his shadows.'  'Satan take


s: The old women and their shadows! (thus the King


s: Roared) make yourself a man to fight with men.


s: From ferule and the trespass-chiding eye,


s: From what was left of faded woman-slough


s: To sheathing splendours and the golden scale


s: Leapt from the dewy shoulders of the Earth,


s: And hit the Northern hills.  Here Cyril met us.


s: We twain, with mutual pardon asked and given


s: For stroke and song, resoldered peace, whereon


s: Through the dark land, and later in the night


s: Had come on Psyche weeping:  'then we fell


s: Into your father's hand, and there she lies,


s: A stone-shot off:  we entered in, and there


s: Among piled arms and rough accoutrements,


s: Pitiful sight, wrapped in a soldier's cloak,


s: Like some sweet sculpture draped from head to foot,


s: And pushed by rude hands from its pedestal,


s: All her fair length upon the ground she lay:


s: A charred and wrinkled piece of womanhood,


s: Sat watching like the watcher by the dead.


s: Then Florian knelt, and 'Come' he whispered to her,


s: 'Lift up your head, sweet sister:  lie not thus.


s: What have you done but right? you could not slay


s: Me, nor your prince:  look up:  be comforted:


s: Sweet is it to have done the thing one ought,


s: When fallen in darker ways.'  And likewise I:


s: 'Be comforted:  have I not lost her too,


s: In whose least act abides the nameless charm


s: That none has else for me?'  She heard, she moved,


s: She moaned, a folded voice; and up she sat,


s: And raised the cloak from brows as pale and smooth


s: As those that mourn half-shrouded over death


s: In deathless marble.  'Her,' she said, 'my friend--


s: Parted from her--betrayed her cause and mine--


s: Where shall I breathe? why kept ye not your faith?


s: O base and bad! what comfort? none for me!'


s: Take comfort:  live, dear lady, for your child!'


s: At which she lifted up her voice and cried.


s: 'Ah me, my babe, my blossom, ah, my child,


s: My one sweet child, whom I shall see no more!


s: And either she will die from want of care,


s: The child is hers--for every little fault,


s: The child is hers; and they will beat my girl


s: Or they will take her, they will make her hard,


s: With some cold reverence worse than were she dead.


s: Ill mother that I was to leave her there,


s: To lag behind, scared by the cry they made,


s: Ah! what might that man not deserve of me


s: Who gave me back my child?'  'Be comforted,'


s: Said Cyril, 'you shall have it:' but again


s: She veiled her brows, and prone she sank, and so


s: Like tender things that being caught feign death,


s: Through all the camp and inward raced the scouts


s: With rumour of Prince Arab hard at hand.


s: Found the gray kings at parle:  and 'Look you' cried


s: My father 'that our compact be fulfilled:


s: You have spoilt this child; she laughs at you and man:


s: She wrongs herself, her sex, and me, and him:


s: But red-faced war has rods of steel and fire;


s: 'We fear, indeed, you spent a stormy time


s: With our strange girl:  and yet they say that still


s: You love her.  Give us, then, your mind at large:


s: O king,' I said, 'lest from the abuse of war,


s: The desecrated shrine, the trampled year,


s: The smouldering homestead, and the household flower


s: Torn from the lintel--all the common wrong--


s: A smoke go up through which I loom to her


s: Three times a monster:  now she lightens scorn


s: At him that mars her plan, but then would hate


s: (And every voice she talked with ratify it,


s: And every face she looked on justify it)


s: The general foe.  More soluble is this knot,


s: By gentleness than war.  I want her love.


s: What were I nigher this although we dashed


s: She would not love;--or brought her chained, a slave,


s: The lifting of whose eyelash is my lord,


s: Not ever would she love; but brooding turn


s: The book of scorn, till all my flitting chance


s: Were caught within the record of her wrongs,


s: And crushed to death:  and rather, Sire, than this


s: I would the old God of war himself were dead,


s: Rotting on some wild shore with ribs of wreck,


s: Or like an old-world mammoth bulked in ice,


s: My father, 'Tut, you know them not, the girls.


s: Boy, when I hear you prate I almost think


s: The sleek and shining creatures of the chase,


s: We hunt them for the beauty of their skins;


s: They love us for it, and we ride them down.


s: Wheedling and siding with them!  Out! for shame!


s: Boy, there's no rose that's half so dear to them


s: As he that does the thing they dare not do,


s: Breathing and sounding beauteous battle, comes


s: With the air of the trumpet round him, and leaps in


s: Among the women, snares them by the score


s: Flattered and flustered, wins, though dashed with death


s: Worth winning; but this firebrand--gentleness


s: To such as her! if Cyril spake her true,


s: 'Wild natures need wise curbs.  The soldier?  No:


s: What dares not Ida do that she should prize


s: The soldier?  I beheld her, when she rose


s: The yesternight, and storming in extremes,


s: Stood for her cause, and flung defiance down


s: Gagelike to man, and had not shunned the death,


s: No, not the soldier's:  yet I hold her, king,


s: As oak from elm:  one loves the soldier, one


s: The silken priest of peace, one this, one that,


s: And some unworthily; their sinless faith,


s: Glorifying clown and satyr; whence they need


s: More breadth of culture:  is not Ida right?


s: Of earth and heaven? and she of whom you speak,


s: My mother, looks as whole as some serene


s: Of sovereign artists; not a thought, a touch,


s: But pure as lines of green that streak the white


s: Of the first snowdrop's inner leaves; I say,


s: Bursts of great heart and slips in sensual mire,


s: But whole and one:  and take them all-in-all,


s: Were we ourselves but half as good, as kind,


s: As truthful, much that Ida claims as right


s: Had ne'er been mooted, but as frankly theirs


s: As dues of Nature.  To our point:  not war:


s: In our sweet youth; we did not rate him then


s: This red-hot iron to be shaped with blows.


s: You talk almost like Ida:  _she_ can talk;


s: And there is something in it as you say:


s: But you talk kindlier:  we esteem you for it.--


s: He seems a gracious and a gallant Prince,


s: I would he had our daughter:  for the rest,


s: Our own detention, why, the causes weighed,


s: Fatherly fears--you used us courteously--


s: We would do much to gratify your Prince--


s: Upon the skirt and fringe of our fair land,


s: you did but come as goblins in the night,


s: Nor in the furrow broke the ploughman's head,


s: Nor burnt the grange, nor bussed the milking-maid,


s: Nor robbed the farmer of his bowl of cream:


s: But let your Prince (our royal word upon it,


s: He comes back safe) ride with us to our lines,


s: And speak with Arac:  Arac's word is thrice


s: As ours with Ida:  something may be done--


s: I know not what--and ours shall see us friends.


s: You, likewise, our late guests, if so you will,


s: Follow us:  who knows? we four may build some plan


s: White hands of farewell to my sire, who growled


s: An answer which, half-muffled in his beard,


s: Then rode we with the old king across the lawns


s: Beneath huge trees, a thousand rings of Spring


s: Of birds that piped their Valentines, and woke


s: In the old king's ears, who promised help, and oozed


s: And blossom-fragrant slipt the heavy dews


s: Gathered by night and peace, with each light air


s: On our mailed heads:  but other thoughts than Peace


s: Burnt in us, when we saw the embattled squares,


s: And squadrons of the Prince, trampling the flowers


s: With clamour:  for among them rose a cry


s: As if to greet the king; they made a halt;


s: The horses yelled; they clashed their arms; the drum


s: Beat; merrily-blowing shrilled the martial fife;


s: And in the blast and bray of the long horn


s: The banner:  anon to meet us lightly pranced


s: Such thews of men:  the midmost and the highest


s: Of the East, that played upon them, made them glance


s: Like those three stars of the airy Giant's zone,


s: That glitter burnished by the frosty dark;


s: Their morions, washed with morning, as they came.


s: And I that prated peace, when first I heard


s: War-music, felt the blind wildbeast of force,


s: Stir in me as to strike:  then took the king


s: His three broad sons; with now a wandering hand


s: And now a pointed finger, told them all:


s: A common light of smiles at our disguise


s: Broke from their lips, and, ere the windy jest


s: Had laboured down within his ample lungs,


s: Thrice in the saddle, then burst out in words.


s: 'Our land invaded, 'sdeath! and he himself


s: Your captive, yet my father wills not war:


s: And, 'sdeath! myself, what care I, war or no?


s: but then this question of your troth remains:


s: And there's a downright honest meaning in her;


s: She flies too high, she flies too high! and yet


s: She asked but space and fairplay for her scheme;


s: What know I of these things? but, life and soul!


s: I thought her half-right talking of her wrongs;


s: I say she flies too high, 'sdeath! what of that?


s: And so I often told her, right or wrong,


s: And, Prince, she can be sweet to those she loves,


s: And, right or wrong, I care not:  this is all,


s: I stand upon her side:  she made me swear it--


s: 'Sdeath--and with solemn rites by candle-light--


s: Swear by St something--I forget her name--


s: Her that talked down the fifty wisest men;


s: _She_ was a princess too; and so I swore.


s: Come, this is all; she will not:  waive your claim:


s: If not, the foughten field, what else, at once


s: Decides it, 'sdeath! against my father's will.'


s: My precontract, and loth by brainless war


s: To cleave the rift of difference deeper yet;


s: Till one of those two brothers, half aside


s: And fingering at the hair about his lip,


s: The woman's garment hid the woman's heart.'


s: A taunt that clenched his purpose like a blow!


s: For fiery-short was Cyril's counter-scoff,


s: And sharp I answered, touched upon the point


s: Where idle boys are cowards to their shame,


s: 'Decide it here:  why not? we are three to three.'


s: Then spake the third 'But three to three? no more?


s: No more, and in our noble sister's cause?


s: More, more, for honour:  every captain waits


s: More, more some fifty on a side, that each


s: May breathe himself, and quick! by overthrow


s: Of these or those, the question settled die.'


s: 'Yea,' answered I, 'for this wreath of air,


s: This flake of rainbow flying on the highest


s: Foam of men's deeds--this honour, if ye will.


s: Since, what decision? if we fail, we fail,


s: And if we win, we fail:  she would not keep


s: Her compact.'  ''Sdeath! but we will send to her,'


s: Said Arac, 'worthy reasons why she should


s: Bide by this issue:  let our missive through,


s: And you shall have her answer by the word.'


s: 'Boys!' shrieked the old king, but vainlier than a hen


s: To her false daughters in the pool; for none


s: Regarded; neither seemed there more to say:


s: Back rode we to my father's camp, and found


s: He thrice had sent a herald to the gates,


s: To learn if Ida yet would cede our claim,


s: With her own people's life:  three times he went:


s: The first, he blew and blew, but none appeared:


s: He battered at the doors; none came:  the next,


s: An awful voice within had warned him thence:


s: The third, and those eight daughters of the plough


s: Came sallying through the gates, and caught his hair,


s: They made him wild:  not less one glance he caught


s: Through open doors of Ida stationed there


s: Though compassed by two armies and the noise


s: Of arms; and standing like a stately Pine


s: When storm is on the heights, and right and left


s: Sucked from the dark heart of the long hills roll


s: The torrents, dashed to the vale:  and yet her will


s: But when I told the king that I was pledged


s: To fight in tourney for my bride, he clashed


s: Himself would tilt it out among the lads:


s: With reasons drawn from age and state, perforce


s: He yielded, wroth and red, with fierce demur:


s: And many a bold knight started up in heat,


s: And sware to combat for my claim till death.


s: All on this side the palace ran the field


s: Flat to the garden-wall:  and likewise here,


s: Above the garden's glowing blossom-belts,


s: A columned entry shone and marble stairs,


s: And great bronze valves, embossed with Tomyris


s: But now fast barred:  so here upon the flat


s: All that long morn the lists were hammered up,


s: And all that morn the heralds to and fro,


s: With message and defiance, went and came;


s: But shaken here and there, and rolling words


s: 'O brother, you have known the pangs we felt,


s: Of those that iron-cramped their women's feet;


s: Of lands in which at the altar the poor bride


s: Gives her harsh groom for bridal-gift a scourge;


s: Of living hearts that crack within the fire


s: Where smoulder their dead despots; and of those,--


s: Mothers,--that, with all prophetic pity, fling


s: Their pretty maids in the running flood, and swoops


s: The vulture, beak and talon, at the heart


s: That equal baseness lived in sleeker times


s: With smoother men:  the old leaven leavened all:


s: Millions of throats would bawl for civil rights,


s: No woman named:  therefore I set my face


s: Against all men, and lived but for mine own.


s: Far off from men I built a fold for them:


s: I fenced it round with gallant institutes,


s: And biting laws to scare the beasts of prey


s: And prospered; till a rout of saucy boys


s: Brake on us at our books, and marred our peace,


s: Masked like our maids, blustering I know not what


s: Of insolence and love, some pretext held


s: Sealed not the bond--the striplings! for their sport!--


s: I tamed my leopards:  shall I not tame these?


s: Or you? or I? for since you think me touched


s: In honour--what, I would not aught of false--


s: Is not our case pure? and whereas I know


s: Your prowess, Arac, and what mother's blood


s: You draw from, fight; you failing, I abide


s: What end soever:  fail you will not.  Still


s: Take not his life:  he risked it for my own;


s: His mother lives:  yet whatsoe'er you do,


s: Fight and fight well; strike and strike him.  O dear


s: Brothers, the woman's Angel guards you, you


s: The sole men to be mingled with our cause,


s: The sole men we shall prize in the after-time,


s: Your very armour hallowed, and your statues


s: Reared, sung to, when, this gad-fly brushed aside,


s: With claim on claim from right to right, till she


s: Whose name is yoked with children's, know herself;


s: And Knowledge in our own land make her free,


s: And, ever following those two crownèd twins,


s: Commerce and conquest, shower the fiery grain


s: Between the Northern and the Southern morn.'


s: Then came a postscript dashed across the rest.


s: See that there be no traitors in your camp:


s: We seem a nest of traitors--none to trust


s: Almost our maids were better at their homes,


s: Than thus man-girdled here:  indeed I think


s: Our chiefest comfort is the little child


s: She shall not have it back:  the child shall grow


s: To prize the authentic mother of her mind.


s: This morning:  there the tender orphan hands


s: Felt at my heart, and seemed to charm from thence


s: The wrath I nursed against the world:  farewell.'


s: I ceased; he said, 'Stubborn, but she may sit


s: Upon a king's right hand in thunder-storms,


s: And breed up warriors!  See now, though yourself


s: Be dazzled by the wildfire Love to sloughs


s: That swallow common sense, the spindling king,


s: When the man wants weight, the woman takes it up,


s: And topples down the scales; but this is fixt


s: As are the roots of earth and base of all;


s: Man for the field and woman for the hearth:


s: Man for the sword and for the needle she:


s: Man with the head and woman with the heart:


s: All else confusion.  Look you! the gray mare


s: Is ill to live with, when her whinny shrills


s: From tile to scullery, and her small goodman


s: Shrinks in his arm-chair while the fires of Hell


s: Mix with his hearth:  but you--she's yet a colt--


s: Take, break her:  strongly groomed and straitly curbed


s: She might not rank with those detestable


s: That let the bantling scald at home, and brawl


s: Their rights and wrongs like potherbs in the street.


s: They say she's comely; there's the fairer chance:


s: _I_ like her none the less for rating at her!


s: But suffers change of frame.  A lusty brace


s: Of twins may weed her of her folly.  Boy,


s: I took my leave, for it was nearly noon:


s: And on the little clause 'take not his life:'


s: I mused on that wild morning in the woods,


s: And on the 'Follow, follow, thou shalt win:'


s: I thought on all the wrathful king had said,


s: And how the strange betrothment was to end:


s: Then I remembered that burnt sorcerer's curse


s: That one should fight with shadows and should fall;


s: And like a flash the weird affection came:


s: King, camp and college turned to hollow shows;


s: And ere I woke it was the point of noon,


s: The lists were ready.  Empanoplied and plumed


s: Opposed to fifty, till the trumpet blared


s: At the barrier like a wild horn in a land


s: The trumpet, and again:  at which the storm


s: Of galloping hoofs bare on the ridge of spears


s: And riders front to front, until they closed


s: In conflict with the crash of shivering points,


s: And thunder.  Yet it seemed a dream, I dreamed


s: Of fighting.  On his haunches rose the steed,


s: And into fiery splinters leapt the lance,


s: And out of stricken helmets sprang the fire.


s: Part sat like rocks:  part reeled but kept their seats:


s: Part rolled on the earth and rose again and drew:


s: Part stumbled mixt with floundering horses.  Down


s: From those two bulks at Arac's side, and down


s: From Arac's arm, as from a giant's flail,


s: The large blows rained, as here and everywhere


s: He rode the mellay, lord of the ringing lists,


s: And all the plain,--brand, mace, and shaft, and shield--


s: Shocked, like an iron-clanging anvil banged


s: With hammers; till I thought, can this be he


s: From Gama's dwarfish loins? if this be so,


s: The mother makes us most--and in my dream


s: I glanced aside, and saw the palace-front


s: Alive with fluttering scarfs and ladies' eyes,


s: And highest, among the statues, statuelike,


s: With Psyche's babe, was Ida watching us,


s: Like a Saint's glory up in heaven:  but she


s: Too hard, too cruel:  yet she sees me fight,


s: Yea, let her see me fall! and with that I drave


s: Among the thickest and bore down a Prince,


s: And Cyril, one.  Yea, let me make my dream


s: All that I would.  But that large-moulded man,


s: Made at me through the press, and, staggering back


s: With stroke on stroke the horse and horseman, came


s: Flaying the roofs and sucking up the drains,


s: And shadowing down the champaign till it strikes


s: On a wood, and takes, and breaks, and cracks, and splits,


s: And twists the grain with such a roar that Earth


s: Reels, and the herdsmen cry; for everything


s: That loved me closer than his own right eye,


s: Thrust in between; but Arac rode him down:


s: And Cyril seeing it, pushed against the Prince,


s: With Psyche's colour round his helmet, tough,


s: Strong, supple, sinew-corded, apt at arms;


s: But tougher, heavier, stronger, he that smote


s: And threw him:  last I spurred; I felt my veins


s: Stretch with fierce heat; a moment hand to hand,


s: And sword to sword, and horse to horse we hung,


s: Till I struck out and shouted; the blade glanced,


s: I did but shear a feather, and dream and truth


s: Flowed from me; darkness closed me; and I fell.


s: Though, if I saw not, yet they told me all


s: For so it seemed, or so they said to me,


s: That all things grew more tragic and more strange;


s: That when our side was vanquished and my cause


s: For ever lost, there went up a great cry,


s: The Prince is slain.  My father heard and ran


s: In on the lists, and there unlaced my casque


s: With Psyche's babe in arm:  there on the roofs


s: Like that great dame of Lapidoth she sang.


s: 'Our enemies have fallen, have fallen:  the seed,


s: The little seed they laughed at in the dark,


s: Has risen and cleft the soil, and grown a bulk


s: Of spanless girth, that lays on every side


s: 'Our enemies have fallen, have fallen:  they came;


s: The leaves were wet with women's tears:  they heard


s: A noise of songs they would not understand:


s: They marked it with the red cross to the fall,


s: And would have strown it, and are fallen themselves.


s: 'Our enemies have fallen, have fallen:  they came,


s: The woodmen with their axes:  lo the tree!


s: And shape it plank and beam for roof and floor,


s: And boats and bridges for the use of men.


s: 'Our enemies have fallen, have fallen:  they struck;


s: With their own blows they hurt themselves, nor knew


s: There dwelt an iron nature in the grain:


s: The glittering axe was broken in their arms,


s: Their arms were shattered to the shoulder blade.


s: 'Our enemies have fallen, but this shall grow


s: A night of Summer from the heat, a breadth


s: Of Autumn, dropping fruits of power:  and rolled


s: With music in the growing breeze of Time,


s: The tops shall strike from star to star, the fangs


s: Shall move the stony bases of the world.


s: Is violate, our laws broken:  fear we not


s: To break them more in their behoof, whose arms


s: Championed our cause and won it with a day


s: Blanched in our annals, and perpetual feast,


s: When dames and heroines of the golden year


s: Shall strip a hundred hollows bare of Spring,


s: Their statues, borne aloft, the three:  but come,


s: We will be liberal, since our rights are won.


s: Let them not lie in the tents with coarse mankind,


s: Ill nurses; but descend, and proffer these


s: The brethren of our blood and cause, that there


s: Lie bruised and maimed, the tender ministries


s: She spoke, and with the babe yet in her arms,