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viii THE TALE OF ARCHAIS Turn from my book, the poet prayed, And look to Heaven, an hour to spend Before His throne who spake and bade The fountains of the deep descend And bade the earth uproot and rend To pitch like tents the mountains high, And gave him language who hath penned This pleasant tale of Thessaly. ENVOI Fair maiden, who hast rightly weighed The message of the morning sky, Think kindly of the man who made This pleasant tale of Thessaly.
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THE AUTHORS BALLADE OF HIS TALE Go to the woodlands, English maid, Or where the downs to seaward bend, When autumn is in gold arrayed, Or spring is green, or winters send A frosty sun, or summers blend Their flowers in every dainty dye, And take, as you would take a friend, This pleasant tale of Thessaly. Lie on the greensward, while the shade Shortens as morning doth ascend The gates of Heaven, and bud and blade Laugh at the dawn, while breezes lend Their music, till you comprehend The meaning of the world, and sigh— Yet love makes happy in t…
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THE TALE OF ARCHAIS
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THE TALE OF ARCHAIS
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TO THE WHITE MAIDENS OF ENGLAND THIS TALE OF GREECE IS DEDICATED.
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THE TALE OF ARCHAIS A ROMANCE IN VERSE BY A GENTLEMAN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE LONDON KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER & CO. MDCCCXCVIII
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THE TALE OF ARCHAIS 17 But I am born of gods, and turn My eyes to thee, thyself divine. My vigorous heart and spirit yearn With love, my cheeks with passion burn— As thy clear eyes may well discern By gazing into mine. Thy heart is cool, thy cheeks are pale, Nor blush with shame like winter wine To understand my amorous tale, For words and looks of Love must fail To touch thee, since a snowy veil Is twixt my mind and thine. Dear goddess, at whose early breast I drank in all desires and woes ; Most reverend god, who oft caressed Her pale chaste…
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THE TALE OF ARCHAIS 33 Until the glint and glory of the place Grew oer the blue dim line of ocean. It was a temple never built of man, Being of marble white, and all unhewn, Above a cliff, about whose base were strewn Boulders of amethyst or malachite. Save these the cliffs rose sheer, a dazzling white, Six hundred feet from ocean ; so divine Was the tall precipice, that from the shrine A child might fling a stone and splash it in the brine. Within whose silver courts and lily bowers The Queen of Love led Charicles ; white flowers Blushed ever…
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THE TALE OF ARCHAIS 89 Now to me remain in the doubtful twilight Stretches bare of flower, but touched with whispers, Grey with huddled rocks, and a space of wood- land, Pine-tree and poplar. Now a stream to ford and a stile to clamber ; Last the inn, a book, and a quiet corner . . . Fresh as Spring, there kisses me on the forehead Sleep, like a sister. CHISWICK PRESS :—CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO. TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON
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THE TALE OF ARCHAIS 81 ARCHAIS Not a flower of them shall die That compose our canopy ; Beech and chestnut, poplar tall, Birch and elm shall flourish all Dewed with ever-living spring. Song and dance shall close the day, CHORUS Close this happy, happy day. CHARICLES Of your revels Ill be king, ARCHAIS I the queen of your array. Both Foot it nimbly in the ring ! CHORUS Stay, stars, and dance with us. Our songs compel The very gods to tremble, Banish the ill ghosts of hell,
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84 THE TALE OF ARCHAIS In the arms of love we lie ; Music from the sky Tunes the hymeneal lyre that will echo till we die. God we feel is very nigh ; Soft, breeze, sigh While we kiss at last to slumber, And the varied number Of the forest songsters cry : This is immortality ; this is happiness for aye. Hush ! the music swells apace, Rolls its silver billows up Through the void demesne of space To the heavens azure cup ! Hush, my love, and sleep shall sigh This is immortality !
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80 THE TALE OF ARCHAIS While the gold planets toward the sunlight roll, Weave, weave the dance ! Weave, weave the eager measure ! CHARICLES Of your revels Ill be king. ARCHAIS I the queen of your array. Foot it nimbly in the ring, CHARICLES Strewn with violet and may. ARCHAIS Apple-blossom pile on high, Till the bridal bed is duly Panoplied with blooms that sigh. CHARICLES Not a flower of them shall die, Every one shall blossom newly ; Stars shall lend them of their beauty, Rain and sunshine know their duty.
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36 THE TALE OF ARCHAIS Love that is lighter than scorn, Love, that is strong as a king, Love, through the gate that is horn, Sing ! Then Charicles rejoicing quickly ran And chose a lyre, and thus his song began Rippling through melodies unheard of man. SONG OF CHARICLES Wake, fairy maid, for the day Blushes our curtain to shake ; Summer and blossoms of May Wake ! Lilies drink light on the lake, Laughter drives dreamland away, Kisses shall woo thee, and slake Passion with amorous play, Clip thee and love, for Loves sake. Wake and caress me, I p…
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THE TALE OF ARCHAIS 83 Shall be shot at bold intruders who would violate your peace ; Lightning shall keep watch and warden through the sea-born isles of Greece. Sleep ! Sleep ! Sleep, ye happy lovers, sleep, Soft and dreamless, sweet and deep, Sleep ! Sleep ! We will steal away Till the break of day. ARCHAIS In the arms of love at last Love is anchored fast, Firm beyond the rage of Heaven, safe beyond the ocean blast. CHARICLES In the arms of love close prest, And thy tender breast Pillows now my happy head ; softly breezes from the west Both …
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10 THE TALE OF ARCHAIS Across the velvet sward, towards the brook, That now sang dances over pebble bed, Now sighs of vain love-longing whisperéd, Now broke in madrigals, and now forsook The cadence of its various melody For musics deepest mooda silence dim, Now under willows bubbled to the brim, Now over mosses murmured quietly, And now spread out into an azure pool Whose floor was pearl, whose walls were adamant, Behold there came a sylph, whose dreamy eyes Lit all the lawn, clear-glancing, deep and cool ; Whose curls were billowy gold luxu…
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42 THE TALE OF ARCHAIS There sounded : Boldest mortal, have thy will ! I do reverse the doom of Archais And lay it on thyself ; nor ever this Shall lift its curse from off thee, this I swear. And Cypris looked upon him and was ware His form did change, and, writhing from her clasp, Fled hissing outward, a more hateful asp Than India breeds to-day, so terrible Was his despair, so venomous as hell The sudden hate that filled him. So away Knowing not whither, did he flee, till day Dropped her blue pinions, and the night drew on, And sable cloud…
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THE TALE OF ARCHAIS 77 CHARICLES Join our chorus, tread the turf To the beating of the surf. Dance together, ere we part, And Selenes dart Give the signal for your slumber and the rapture of our heart. Semi-Chorus of Men Exalted with immeasurable gladness ; Bonds touched with tears and melted like the snow, Wake the song loudly ; loose the leash of madness, Beat the loud drum, and bid the trumpet blow. Semi-Chorus of Women Let the lute thrill divinely low, Let the harp strike a tender note of sad- ness ; Louder and louder, till the full song f…
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THE TALE OF ARCHAIS 79 CHARICLES Night her bright bow-string has bended ; Fast flies her arrow unsparing Through the beech-leaves, Æher it cleaves Rapid and daring. Ah! how it strikes as with silver ! how the suns laughter is ended ! ARCHAIS How the moons arms are extended ! Semi-Chorus of Men Rejoicing, inarticulate with pleasure, Joy streams a comet in the strong control Of the suns love ; weave, weave the eager measure, Fill the seas brim from pleasures foaming bowl ! Semi-Chorus of Women Weave, weave the dance ; the stars are not your …
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THE TALE OF ARCHAIS 37 Snow-hills and streams, dew-diamonded, Call us from silvery dreams To where the morning kindles red Snow-hills and streams. See, breezes whisper, sunlight gleams With gentle kissings ; flowers shed Pale scents, the whole sweet meadow steams. Forth, glittering shoulders, golden head, And tune our lutes to tender themes Among the lost loves of the dead, Snow-hills and streams. The queen clapped dainty hands, caressed of dew, And bade the love-lorn wanderer sing anew. His muse came trembling, soon through starry air it flew.…
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22 THE TALE OF ARCHAIS The mists pass slowly on the uplands steep, Far snows are luminous with rosy flecks Of lambent light, and shadow tints and decks Their distant hollows with black radiance, While the delivered fountains flash and glance Adown the hills and through the woods of pine And stately larch, with cadences divine And trills and melodies instinct with light and wine. The sun, arising, sees the sleeping youth And lumes his locks with evanescent gold, While birds and breezes, watching, hold them mute, And light and silence, the twin-b…