THE COURT OF THE PROFANE. 
7 
For, swooning at the fervid lips 
 Of Artemis, the maiden kisses 
Sob, and the languid body slips 
 Down to enamelled wildernesses. 
 Fallen and loose the shaken tresses ; 
Fallen the sandal and girdling gold, 
Fallen the music manifold 
 Of moving limbs and strange caresses, 
 And deadly passion that possesses 
The magic ecstasy of these 
Mad maidens, tender as blue seas. 
 
Night spreads her yearning pinions, 
 The baffled day sinks blind to sleep ; 
The evening breeze outswoons the sun’s 
 Dead kisses to the swooning deep. 
 Upsoars the moon ;  the flashing steep 
Of heaven is fragrant for her feet ; 
The perfume of the grove is sweet 
 As slumbering women furtive creep 
 To bosoms where small kisses weep, 
And find in fervent dreams the kiss 
Most memoried of Artemis. 
 
Impenetrable pleasure dies 
 Beneath the madness of new dreams ; 
The slow sweet breath is turned to sighs 
 More musical than many streams 
 Under the moving silver beams,