Collected Works (Vol. III)

LIBER TERTIUS VEL LABORIS 183 Minos, A passionate being ! No weal to the light of his head In the place of the seeing ! sHACUS. Awake, wild justice of dread ! Lest shadows be fleeing In fear of the portent to lurk In a deeper-detested Cave, ere we wake to the work. RHADAMANTHUS, Black snakes many-crested, Arise ! lest the calm of the murk From our places be wrested. MINOS. Who art thou ? AL ACUS, “Vhat ails thee to irk From earth tender-breasted To the milkless dugs of the grave And the iron breasts of the pit? RHADAMANTHUS, Can a bodily presence save Against a shadowy wilt? MINOs. Thy hope doth dwell, O slave, Where thy mother fashioned it, Oh heart of a fool, in thy breast. EACUS. Away, away to the skies! RHADAMANTHUS. That our dead may take their rest. MINOS. Arise to the air, arise ! cEACUS. Away to the mountain crest ! RHADAMANTHUS. Veil, veil from the awful eyes ! MINOS. Endure thy heart as it may, And steel thine heart, Thou shalt hear and know and obey As I say ‘‘ Depart” ; Lest the arrow find its way And the sternly-shapen dart. AL ACUS. A second our justice waits. RHADAMANTHUS. It falleth anon. MINOS. O fool of hopes and hates Arise and begone ! AL ACUS. O toy of the mirthless fates! Who art thou to con The mysteries of the dead in the black-souled bastion ? MINOs, ASACUS, RHADAMANTHUS. Away ! away! to the light of day! Now as it may: then as it must. We are loath to pardon, and loath to slay, Void of greed and anger and lust,— But we are iron and thou art clay ; We are marble and thou but dust. ORPHEUS. O iron, bow to silver’s piercing note |! O marble, see the shape of ivory! My justice fountains from a sweeter throat; My death is bound beyond eternity. O wise and just, hear ye the voice of man, Not seeking to involve in woven spells Or trickery the decree Tartarean, By words to blink that justice which is Hell’s!