No More Learning

LXIIII.

MARRIAGE OF PELEUS AND THETIS.

(Fragment of an Epos. )

Pine-trees gendered whilome upon soaring Peliac summit
Swam (as the tale is told) through liquid surges of Neptune
Far as the Phasis-flood and frontier-land AEetean;
Whenas the youths elect, of Argive vigour the oak-heart,
Longing the Golden Fleece of the Colchis-region to harry, 5
Dared in a poop swift-paced to span salt seas and their shallows,
Sweeping the deep blue seas with sweeps a-carven of fir-wood.
She, that governing Goddess of citadels crowning the cities,
Builded herself their car fast-flitting with lightest of breezes,
Weaving plants of the pine conjoined in curve of the kelson; 10
Foremost of all to imbue rude Amphitrite with ship-lore.
Soon as her beak had burst through wind-rackt spaces of ocean,
While th'oar-tortured wave with spumy whiteness was blanching,
Surged from the deep abyss and hoar-capped billows the faces
Seaborn, Nereids eyeing the prodigy wonder-smitten. 15
There too mortal orbs through softened spendours regarded
Ocean-nymphs who exposed bodies denuded of raiment
Bare to the breast upthrust from hoar froth capping the sea-depths.
Then Thetis Peleus fired (men say) a-sudden with love-lowe,
Then Thetis nowise spurned to mate and marry wi' mortal, 20
Then Thetis' Sire himself her yoke with Peleus sanctioned.
Oh, in those happier days now fondly yearned-for, ye heroes
Born; (all hail! ) of the Gods begotten, and excellent issue
Bred by your mothers, all hail! and placid deal me your favour.
Oft wi' the sound of me, in strains and spells I'll invoke you;
Thee too by wedding-torch so happily, highly augmented, 25
Peleus, Thessaly's ward, whomunto Jupiter's self deigned
Yield of the freest gree his loves though gotten of Godheads.
Thee Thetis, fairest of maids Nereian, vouchsafed to marry?
Thee did Tethys empower to woo and wed with her grandchild;
Nor less Oceanus, with water compassing th' Earth-globe? 30
But when ended the term, and wisht-for light of the day-tide
Uprose, flocks to the house in concourse mighty convened,
Thessaly all, with glad assembly the Palace fulfilling:
Presents afore they bring, and joy in faces declare they.
Scyros desert abides: they quit Phthiotican Tempe, 35
Homesteads of Crannon-town, eke bulwarkt walls of Larissa;
Meeting at Pharsalus, and roof Pharsalian seeking.
None will the fields now till; soft wax all necks of the oxen,
Never the humble vine is purged by curve of the rake-tooth,
Never a pruner's hook thins out the shade of the tree-tufts, 41
Never a bull up-plows broad glebe with bend of the coulter, 40
Over whose point unuse displays the squalor of rust-stain.
But in the homestead's heart, where'er that opulent palace
Hides a retreat, all shines with splendour of gold and of silver.
Ivory blanches the seats, bright gleam the flagons a-table, 45
All of the mansion joys in royal riches and grandeur.
But for the Diva's use bestrewn is the genial bedstead,
Hidden in midmost stead, and its polisht framework of Indian
Tusk underlies its cloth empurpled by juice of the dye-shell.
This be a figured cloth with forms of manhood primeval 50
Showing by marvel-art the gifts and graces of heroes.
Here upon Dia's strand wave-resonant, ever-regarding
Theseus borne from sight outside by fleet of the fleetest,
Stands Ariadne with heart full-filled with furies unbated,
Nor can her sense as yet believe she 'spies the espied, 55
When like one that awakes new roused from slumber deceptive,
Sees she her hapless self lone left on loneliest sandbank:
While as the mindless youth with oars disturbeth the shallows,
Casts to the windy storms what vows he vainly had vowed.
Him through the sedges afar the sad-eyed maiden of Minos, 60
Likest a Bacchant-girl stone-carven, (O her sorrow! )
'Spies, a-tossing the while on sorest billows of love-care.
Now no more on her blood-hued hair fine fillets retains she,
No more now light veil conceals her bosom erst hidden,
Now no more smooth zone contains her milky-hued paplets: 65
All gear dropping adown from every part of her person
Thrown, lie fronting her feet to the briny wavelets a sea-toy.
But at such now no more of her veil or her fillet a-floating
Had she regard: on thee, O Theseus! all of her heart-strength,
All of her sprite, her mind, forlorn, were evermore hanging. 70
Ah, sad soul, by grief and grievance driven beside thee,
Sowed Erycina first those brambly cares in thy bosom,
What while issuing fierce with will enstarkened, Theseus
Forth from the bow-bent shore Piraean putting a-seawards
Reacht the Gortynian roofs where dwelt th' injurious Monarch. 75
For 'twas told of yore how forced by pestilence cruel,
Eke as a blood rite due for th' Androgeonian murthur,
Many a chosen youth and the bloom of damsels unmarried
Food for the Minotaur, Cecropia was wont to befurnish.
Seeing his narrow walls in such wise vexed with evils, 80
Theseus of freest will for dear-loved Athens his body
Offered a victim so that no more to Crete be deported
Lives by Cecropia doomed to burials burying nowise;
Then with a swifty ship and soft breathed breezes a-stirring,
Sought he Minos the Haughty where homed in proudest of Mansions. 85
Him as with yearning glance forthright espied the royal
Maiden, whom pure chaste couch aspiring delicate odours
Cherisht, in soft embrace of a mother comforted all-whiles,
(E'en as the myrtles begot by the flowing floods of Eurotas,
Or as the tincts distinct brought forth by breath of the springtide) 90
Never the burning lights of her eyes from gazing upon him
Turned she, before fierce flame in all her body conceived she
Down in its deepest depths and burning amiddle her marrow.