The Poetical Works Of Robert Bridges Part 7

Praising him to-day who came Bearing far his heavenly flame: Came to crown our king's desire With his gift of golden fire.

SEMICHORUS. My heart, my heart is freed.

Now can I sing. I loose a shaft from my bow, 1430 A song from my heart to heaven, and watch it speed.

It revels in the air, and straight to its goal doth go.

I have no fear. I praise distinguis.h.i.+ng duly: I praise the love that I love and I wors.h.i.+p truly.

Goodness I praise, not might, Nor more will I speak of wrong, But of lovingkindness and right; And the G.o.d of my love shall rejoice at the sound of my song.

I praise him whom I have seen: As a man he is beautiful, blending prime and youth, 1440 Of gentle and lovely mien, With the step and the eyes of truth, As a G.o.d,--O were I a G.o.d, but thus to be man!

As a G.o.d, I set him above The rest of the G.o.ds; for his gifts are pledges of love, The words of his mouth rare and precious, His eyes' glance and the smile of his lips are love.

He is the one Alone of all the G.o.ds, Of righteous Themis the lofty-spirited son, 1450 Who hates the wrongs they have done.

He is the one I adore.

For if there be love in heaven with evil to cope,-- And he promised us more and more,-- For what may we not hope?

_ODE._

My soul is drunk with joy, her new desire In far forbidden places wanders away.

Her hopes with free bright-coloured wings of fire Upon the gloom of thought Are sailing out. 1460 Awhile they rise, awhile to rest they softly fall, Like b.u.t.terflies, that flit Across the mountains, or upon a wall Winking their idle fans at pleasure sit.

O my vague desires!

Ye lambent flames of the soul, her offspring fires: That are my soul herself in pangs sublime Rising and flying to heaven before her time: What doth tempt you forth To melt in the south or s.h.i.+ver in the frosty north? 1470 What seek ye or find ye in your random flying, For ever soaring aloft, soaring and dying?

Joy, the joy of flight; They hide in the sun, they flare and dance in the night.

Gone up, gone out of sight--and ever again Follow fresh tongues of fire, fresh pangs of pain.

Ah! could I control These vague desires, these leaping flames of the soul: Could I but quench the fire, ah! could I stay My soul that flieth, alas, and dieth away! 1480

[_Enter other part of_ CHORUS.

_Part of_ CHOR. Here is wood to feed the fire-- Never let its flames expire.

Sing ye still while we advance Round the fire in measured dance, While the sun in heaven descending Sees our happy feast have ending.

Weave ye still your joyous song, While we bear the wood along.

SEMICHORUS. But O return, Return, thou flower of the G.o.ds! 1490 Remember the limbs that toil and the hearts that yearn, Remember, and soon return!

To prosper with peace and skill Our hands in the works of pleasure, beauty and use.

Return, and be for us still Our s.h.i.+eld from the anger of Zeus.

And he, if he raise his arm in anger to smite thee, And think for the good thou hast done with pain to requite thee, Vengeance I heard thee tell, And the curse I take for my own, 1500 That his place is prepared in h.e.l.l, And a greater than he shall hurl him down from his throne Down, down from his throne!

For the G.o.d who shall rule mankind from the deathless skies By mercy and truth shall be known, In love and peace shall arise.

For him,--if again I hear him thunder above, O then, if I crouch or start, I will press thy lovingkindness more to my heart, Remember the words of thy mouth rare and precious, 1510 Thy heart of hearts and gifts of divine love.

DEMETER

_A Mask_

"_Dreams & the light imaginings of men_"

[Ill.u.s.tration: decoration]

WRITTEN FOR THE LADIES AT SOMERVILLE COLLEGE & ACTED BY THEM AT THE INAUGURATION OF THEIR NEW BUILDING IN 1904

[Ill.u.s.tration: decoration]

_PREVIOUS EDITION_

_Oxford: at the Clarendon Press, 1905_

ARGUMENT OF THE PLAY

_The scene is in the flowery valley below Enna. Hades prologizes, and tells how he has come with consent of Zeus to carry off Persephone to be his queen. The Chorus of Ocean nymphs entering praise Sicily and the spring. Persephone enters with Athena and Artemis to gather flowers for the festival of Zeus. Persephone being left alone is carried off by Hades._

_In the second act, which is ten days later, the Chorus deplore the loss of Persephone. Demeter entering upbraids them in a choric scene and describes her search for Persephone until she learnt her fate from Helios. Afterwards she describes her plan for compelling Zeus to restore her. Hermes brings from Zens a command to Demeter that she shall return to Olympus.

She sends defiance to Zeus, and the Chorus end the scene by vowing to win Poseidon to aid Demeter._

_In the third act, which is a year later, the Chorus, who have been summoned by Demeter to witness the restoration of Persephone, lament Demeter's anger. Demeter narrates the Eleusinian episode of her wanderings, until Hermes enters leading Persephone. After their greeting Demeter hears from Hermes the terms of Persephone's restoration; she is reconciled thereto by Persephone, and invites her to Eleusis. The Chorus sing and crown Persephone with flowers._

DRAMATIS PERSONae

_HADES._ } _DEMETER._ } _PERSEPHONE._ _ATHENA._ _ARTEMIS._ } _HERMES._ } _Chorus of OCEANIDES._

DEMETER

_HADES._

I am the King of h.e.l.l, nor p.r.o.ne to vex Eternal destiny with weak complaint; Nor when I took my kingdom did I mourn My lot, from heav'n expell'd, deny'd to enjoy Its radiant revelry and ambrosial feast, Nor blamed our mighty Sisters, that not one Would share my empire in the shades of night.

But when a younger race of G.o.ds arose, And Zeus set many sons on heav'nly seats, And many daughters dower'd with new domain, 10 And year by year were multiply'd on earth Their temples and their statu'd sanct.i.ties, Mirrors of man's ideas that grow apace, Yea, since man's mind was one with my desire That h.e.l.l should have a queen,--for heav'n hath queens Many, nor on all earth reigns any king In unkind isolation like to me,-- I claimed from Zeus that of the fair immortals One should be given to me to grace my throne.

Willing he was, and quick to praise my rule, 20 And of mere justice there had granted me Whome'er I chose: but 'Brother mine,' he said, 'Great as my power among the G.o.ds, this thing I cannot compa.s.s, that a child of mine, Who once hath tasted of celestial life, Should all forgo, and dest.i.tute of bliss Descend into the shades, albeit to sit An equal on thy throne. Take whom thou wilt; But by triumphant force persuade, as erst I conquer'd heav'n.' Said I 'My heart is set: 30 I take Demeter's child Persephone; Dost thou consent?' Whereto he gave his nod.

And I am come to-day with hidden powers, Ev'n unto Enna's fair Sicilian field, To rob her from the earth. 'Tis here she wanders With all her train: nor is this flow'ry vale Fairer among the fairest vales of earth, Nor any flower within this flow'ry vale Fair above other flowers, as she is fairest Among immortal G.o.ddesses, the daughter 40 Of gentle-eyed Demeter; and her pa.s.sion Is for the flowers, and every tenderness That I have long'd for in my fierce abodes.

But she hath always in attendant guard The dancing nymphs of Ocean, and to-day The wise Athena and chaste Artemis Indulge her girlish fancy, gathering flowers To deck the banner of my golden brother, Whose thought they guess not, tho' their presence here Affront his will and mine. If once alone 50 I spy her, I can s.n.a.t.c.h her swiftly down: And after shall find favour for my fault, When I by gentle means have won her love.

I hear their music now. Hither they come: I'll to my ambush in the rocky cave. [_Exit._

ACT I

_Enter Chorus of Oceanides, with baskets._

_OCEANIDES._