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48 THE WORLD’S TRAGEDY. IST NYMPH From what a lash ! 2ND NYMPH O the monstrous travail—gape In the belly of the sky ! IST NYMPH Shall the man beget the ape, All the wine of time run dry ? 2ND NYMPH Ah ! the grisly spoil of rape Dark with vilest ecstasy ! IST NYMPH Listen, how shall life escape From such death it breedeth by ? 2ND NYMPH Hangs there not a single grape From that nightshade galaxy ?
THE RED STAR. 49 IST NYMPH Name the sharp accursed shape, Stigma of its prodigy ! 2ND NYMPH Is it but a whirling storm ? ALEXANDER Nay ! the star is cruciform. IST NYMPH Thus the holy cross is cloven From Pan’s purpose purple-woven. Even for centuries nine and ten, Life of women — death of men ! In that sinister sad star Men shall bear the upright bar, Hanged for honesty and truth, Wisdom, courage, love, or youth. Women bear the cross-bar, living In the filth beyond believing. Svelte or buxom, fair or dark, Go to the maw of the greedy shark
46 THE WORLD’S TRAGEDY. Ah ! my pan, if blood suffice, Crush the world as in a vice ! IST NYMPH King of kings, the world shall bleed In the vilest vice of vices. 2ND NYMPH While the riddle thou hast ree’d Mocks them with its “ Blood suffices ”. ALEXANDER Know ye, bright ones, who I am ? I have slain a thing adored At this altar to its Lord, As a butcher kills a lamb. IST NYMPH That shall be — thou rightly fearest — Till the Balance weigh the Ram. 2ND NYMPH Men shall even slay their dearest For the sake of that slain lamb.
42 THE WORLD’S TRAGEDY. The god hath on harsh face. Take me home now ! ALEXANDER to the Ist satyr What next ? How shall a babe scarce- sexed Avail when the dread offering Of the world’s mightiest king Is not received ? IST SATYR Impale You trembling fawn too frail Upon that ivory ruby rod That juts from the azure throne of God ! Then — as the scream chills the blue air, Draw the curved steel along The snow-pure throat ! Hold the bright hair Firm in one swarthy grip ; And ere the blood leap strong Suck with insensate lip That wine of Pan ! Ah, d…
THE GREY NIGHT. I29 AGRIPPA What was that cry ? IST SOLDIER I hardly heard it. 2ND SOLDIER I heard, sir, but I could not word it. MAGDA I understood, my lord. AGRIPPA Well, slattern ? MAGDA He called for a prophet. PUBLIUS A Priest of Saturn That is, I fancy. These barbarians Are really like our Unitarians.
…rder from the prefect. MIRIAM, to a bystander. Knave Wilt earn a penny ? Beg this grace, For the death-dews stand on the bloodless face. IST BYSTANDER What is the name of the criminal ? A GREEK DISCIPLE FROM ALEXANDRIA Say, Logos, or Homoiousios ! JOHN Nay, Fool! Homoousios — lippis et nota ! THE GREEK Homoiousios, with the iota !
…35 PUBLIUS How very surprising, For the sun shews devil a sign of rising ! AGRIPPA The guard should have come an hour ago To relieve us. IST SOLDIER By Zeus ! ’twas a foul throw ! 2ND SOLDIER Throw again ! 3RD SOLDIER It’s Venus ! The coat is mine. Silky-soft and rainbow-fine ! Would the world were never duller Than this cool cascade of colour ! AGRIPPA Something serious is occurring. All the town is lighted, stirring. We had best bring reinforcement.
…ipe loveliness. The acid of thine immaturity Shall be a sharpness in his mouth Cloyed with too clinging sweet Of the full-bosomed South. IST SATYR Beside those rose-fair feet Dimpled with fairy kisses There’s no bright-tinted bird In all the blue abysses Worth even a plumeless word. THE CHILD I do not like this place.
…sible to man, That our perfect peace in Pan Hide from us the knowledge of This eclipse of joy and love ! ALEXANDER Is there nothing but distress In the mystic vision lurking ? IST NYMPH Ah ! but were thy loveliness With the God supremely working ! ALEXANDER Nymph, thy face is like a flower Fairer than the driven foam ! Shining like an honeycomb Is thy body — and thy soul Shoots me to the gilded goal. I shall master yet the hour. SATYRS King of Kings, we bow before Thee ; As our Master we adore Thee.
… He was softer than a dove ; He was made for human love. I have given him for food To the lusty panic rood, And the obscure brotherhood. IST NYMPH So the doves of men begotten Shall be plucked, and bruised, and rotten. 2ND NYMPH So shall full-fed brothel-knaves Kick them to indecent graves In the name of the sweet Dove That is God — for God is Love. ALEXANDER See ye naught but cruelty In the infinite To-Be ? Look you, I have seen a star Threatening pestilence or war In the vault that hangs — a splash Like a scar.
THE RED STAR. 45 IST SATYR O the rich red blood that swims on Over all the malachite ! 2ND SATYR Ah ! the banquet gold and crimson Like the sun afeast at night ! ALEXANDER Out of the fume of the blood arise Two lithe nymphs with amethyst eyes, Sparkling with the wanton pleasure That their small and laughing scarlet Mouths betrayed, as overmeasure Bubbled out the dancing harlot Music of them, snaky slim, Panther-smooth and light of limb Wreathed with wealth of mystic berry, As they leap, divinely drunken On the very blood that gat them, Insolent…
… tears the reeling ships. His fingers clutch the golden hair. The head goes back, and the neck is bare. Now for the sweep of the steel ! IST SATYR Pan ! Pan !
…ed : The light of life shall shrink dismayed At the dawn of prostitute and prude ; And the pagan glory fade From the brows of womanhood. IST SATYR But the boy shall thrust the maid From the sunlight to the shade. He shall make her passion good. 2ND SATYR Nay ! for all the world-decay Rots from sapphirine to grey. All the leprous lichen clings Round the comeliness of things. Brothers ! sisters ! fauns and elves ! Dryads ! Oreads ! Undines ! Fairies, let us hide ourselves
…eas Ringing the icy North Thus suddenly sprung forth Come ye to mar mine — ease ? For I was nigh at peace With the great soul of things. IST SATYR Hail, king of Kings ! It is our Master’s will That thou partake Of — this ! So do the goat and snake Dance on the pavement of sapphire To the sound of the wind-haunted lyre. And the light of a lewd understanding Shines in them, and they lick their lips, and spill Slaver of the stars ! Hail, king ! With Him fulfil The sacrament of earth Imperiously commanding That leaps again to birth At the divided f…