The Poetical Works Of Robert Bridges Part 13

PER. Suppose, dear Mother, there wer' a temple in heaven, Which, dedicated to the unknown Cause And wors.h.i.+p of the unseen, had power to draw All that was worthy and good within its gate: And that the spirits who enter'd there became Not only purified and comforted, But that the mysteries of the shrine were such, That the initiated bathed in light 1010 Of infinite intelligence, and saw The meaning and the reason of all things, All at a glance distinctly, and perceived The origin of all things to be good, And the end good, and that what appears as evil Is as a film of dust, that faln thereon, May,--at one stroke of the hand,-- Be brush'd away, and show the good beneath, Solid and fair and s.h.i.+ning: If moreover This blessed vision were of so great power 1020 That none coud e'er forget it or relapse To doubtful ignorance:--I say, dear Mother, Suppose that there were such a temple in heaven.

DEM. O child, my child! that were a temple indeed.

'Tis such a temple as man needs on earth; A holy shrine that makes no pact with sin, A worthy shrine to draw the worthy and good, A shrine of wisdom trifling not with folly, A shrine of beauty, where the initiated Drank love and light.... Strange thou shouldst speak of it.

I have inaugurated such a temple 1031 These last days in Eleusis, have ordain'd These very mysteries!--Strange thou speakest of it.

But by what path return we to the Cave Of Cacophysia?

PER. By this path, dear Mother.

The Cave of Cacophysia is in all things T'ward evil, as that temple were t'ward good.

I enter'd in. Outside the darkness was But as acc.u.mulated sunlessness; Within 'twas positive as light itself, 1040 A blackness that extinguished: Yet I knew, For Hades told me, that I was to see; And so I waited, till a forking flash Of sudden lightning dazzlingly reveal'd All at a glance. As on a pitchy night The warder of some high acropolis Looks down into the dark, and suddenly Sees all the city with its roofs and streets, Houses and walls, clear as in summer noon, And ere he think of it, 'tis dark again,-- 1050 So I saw all within the Cave, and held The vision, 'twas so burnt upon my sense.

DEM. What saw'st thou, child? what saw'st thou?

PER. Nay, the things Not to be told, because there are no words Of G.o.ds or men to paint the inscrutable And full initiation of h.e.l.l.--I saw The meaning and the reason of all things, All at a glance, and in that glance perceiv'd The origin of all things to be evil, And the end evil: that what seems as good 1060 Is as a bloom of gold that spread thereo'er May, by one stroke of the hand, Be brush'd away, and leave the ill beneath Solid and foul and black....

DEM. Now tell me, child, If Hades love thee, that he sent thee thither.

PER. He said it coud not harm me: and I think It hath not. [_Going up to Demeter, who kisses her._

DEM. Nay it hath not, ... and I know The power of evil is no power at all Against eternal good. 'Tis fire on water, As darkness against sunlight, like a dream 1070 To waken'd will. Foolish was I to fear That aught coud hurt thee, Cora. But to-day Speak we no more.... This mystery of h.e.l.l Will do me service: I'll not tell thee now: But sure it is that Fate o'erruleth all For good or ill: and we (no more than men) Have power to oppose, nor any will nor choice Beyond such wisdom as a fisher hath Who driven by sudden gale far out to sea Handles his fragile boat safe thro' the waves, 1080 Making what harbour the wild storm allows.

To-day hard-featured and inscrutable Fate Stands to mine eyes reveal'd, nor frowns upon me.

I thought to find thee as I knew thee, and fear'd Only to find thee sorrowful: I find thee Far other than thou wert, nor hurt by h.e.l.l.

I thought I must console thee, but 'tis thou Playest the comforter: I thought to teach thee, And had prepared my lesson, word by word; But thou art still beyond me. One thing only 1090 Of all my predetermin'd plan endures: My purpose was to bid thee to Eleusis For thy spring festival, which three days hence Inaugurates my temple. Thou wilt come?

PER. I come. And art thou reconcil'd, dear Mother?

DEM. Joy and surprise make tempest in my mind; When their bright stir is o'er, there will be peace.

But ere we leave this flowery field, the scene Of strange and beauteous memories evermore, I thank thee, Hermes, for thy willing service. 1100

PER. I thank thee, son of Maia, and bid farewell.

HER. Have thy joy now, great Mother; and have thou joy, Fairest Persephone, Queen of the Spring.

_CHORUS._

Fair Persephone, garlands we bring thee, Flow'rs and spring-tide welcome sing thee.

Hades held thee not, Darkness quell'd thee not.

Gay and joyful welcome!

Welcome, Queen, evermore.

Earth shall own thee, 1110 Thy nymphs crown thee, Garland thee and crown thee, Crown thee Queen evermore.

EROS & PSYCHE

_A narrative Poem in twelve measures_

[Ill.u.s.tration: decoration]

THE STORY DONE INTO ENGLISH FROM THE LATIN OF APULEIUS

[Ill.u.s.tration: decoration]

_L'anima semplicetta che sa nulla._

_O latest born, O loveliest vision far Of all Olympus' faded hierarchy._

_PREVIOUS EDITIONS_

1. _Chiswick Press for Bell & Sons._ 1885.

2. _Do. do. revised._ 1894.

3. _Smith, Elder & Co. Vol. I_. 1898.

FIRST QUARTER

SPRING

PSYCHE'S EARTHLY PARENTAGE WORs.h.i.+PPED BY MEN & PERSECUTED BY APHRODITE SHE IS LOVED & CARRIED OFF BY EROS

MARCH

1

In midmost length of hundred-citied Crete, The land that cradl'd Zeus, of old renown, Where grave Demeter nurseried her wheat, And Minos fas.h.i.+on'd law, ere he went down To judge the quaking hordes of h.e.l.l's domain, There dwelt a King on the Omphalian plain Eastward of Ida, in a little town.

2

Three daughters had this King, of whom my tale Time hath preserved, that loveth to despise The wealth which men misdeem of much avail, Their glories for themselves that they devise; For clerkly is he, old hard-featured Time, And poets' fabl'd song and lovers' rhyme He storeth on his shelves to please his eyes.

3

These three princesses all were fairest fair; And of the elder twain 'tis truth to say That if they stood not high above compare, Yet in their prime they bore the palm away; Outwards of loveliness; but Nature's mood, Gracious to make, had grudgingly endued And marr'd by gifting ill the beauteous clay.

4

And being in honour they were well content To feed on lovers' looks and courtly smiles, To hang their necks with jewel'd ornament, And gold, that vanity in vain beguiles, And live in gaze, and take their praise for due, To be the fairest maidens then to view Within the sh.o.r.es of Greece and all her isles.