Atalanta in Calydon Part 3

ALTHAEA.

Who are these s.h.i.+ning like one sundered star?

MELEAGER.

Thy sister's sons, a double flower of men.

ALTHAEA.

O sweetest kin to me in all the world, O twin-born blood of Leda, gracious heads Like kindled lights in untempestuous heaven, Fair flower-like stars on the iron foam of fight, With what glad heart and kindliness of soul, Even to the staining of both eyes with tears And kindling of warm eyelids with desire, A great way off I greet you, and rejoice Seeing you so fair, and moulded like as G.o.ds.

Far off ye come, and least in years of these, But lordliest, but worth love to look upon.

MELEAGER.

Even such (for sailing hither I saw far hence, And where Eurotas hollows his moist rock Nigh Sparta with a strenuous-hearted stream) Even such I saw their sisters; one swan-white, The little Helen, and less fair than she Fair Clytaemnestra, grave as pasturing fawns Who feed and fear some arrow; but at whiles, As one smitten with love or wrung with joy, She laughs and lightens with her eyes, and then Weeps; whereat Helen, having laughed, weeps too, And the other chides her, and she being chid speaks nought, But cheeks and lips and eyelids kisses her, Laughing; so fare they, as in their bloomless bud And full of unblown life, the blood of G.o.ds.

ALTHAEA.

Sweet days befall them and good loves and lords, And tender and temperate honours of the hearth, Peace, and a perfect life and blameless bed.

But who shows next an eagle wrought in gold?

That flames and beats broad wings against the sun And with void mouth gapes after emptier prey?

MELEAGER.

Know by that sign the reign of Telamon Between the fierce mouths of the encountering brine On the strait reefs of twice-washed Salamis.

ALTHAEA.

For like one great of hand he bears himself, Vine-chapleted, with savours of the sea, Glittering as wine and moving as a wave.

But who girt round there roughly follows him?

MELEAGER.

Ancaeus, great of hand, an iron bulk, Two-edged for fight as the axe against his arm, Who drives against the surge of stormy spears Full-sailed; him Cepheus follows, his twin-born, Chief name next his of all Arcadian men.

ALTHAEA.

Praise be with men abroad; chaste lives with us, Home-keeping days and household reverences.

MELEAGER.

Next by the left unsandalled foot know thou The sail and oar of this Aetolian land, Thy brethren, Toxeus and the violent-souled Plexippus, over-swift with hand and tongue; For hands are fruitful, but the ignorant mouth Blows and corrupts their work with barren breath.

ALTHAEA.

Speech too bears fruit, being worthy; and air blows down Things poisonous, and high-seated violences, And with charmed words and songs have men put out Wild evil, and the fire of tyrannies.

MELEAGER.

Yea, all things have they, save the G.o.ds and love.

ALTHAEA.

Love thou the law and cleave to things ordained.

MELEAGER.

Law lives upon their lips whom these applaud.

ALTHAEA.

How sayest thou these? what G.o.d applauds new things?

MELEAGER.

Zeus, who hath fear and custom under foot.

ALTHAEA.

But loves not laws thrown down and lives awry.

MELEAGER.

Yet is not less himself than his own law.

ALTHAEA.

Nor s.h.i.+fts and shuffles old things up and down.