Collected Works (Vol. III)

LIBER TERTIUS VEI. LABORIS 197 ALECYo. Mother of the Sphinx and snake Of Colchus, and the marsh-beast of the lake Lernean, of Chimaera and Flell’s hound— TISIPHONE. Answer ! ALECTO. Arise ! MEGARA. Awake from the profound ! TISIPHONE, Here is a worthy partner unto thee To wake thy womb with monst:ous progeny, Yet more detested and detestable Than all the shapeless brood of hate and Hell. ECHIDNA. Ha! rose-lipped lover! Welcome to this bed ! MEGARA. She plays with words of love! ALECTO. Her black eyes shed Disease for tears. TISIPHONE. Her fangs and lips are red With gouts of putrid blood. MEG-ERA. Her guile employs The sweet soft shape of words of upper joys More bitterly to rack his soul. ALECTO. Ha, sister, The embrace ! TISIPHONE, She conquers. MEGAERA. Ile hath moved. ALECTO. [le hath kissed her! TISIPHONE. Ifa! the worse hate of hate in love’s white dress. MiGAERA. And lewdness tricked to look like loveliness. ALECTO., Uttermost pain in pleasure’s hour supreme. MEG-ERA. Hate’s nightmare waking love’s unreal dream. ALECTO. Claws, teeth, and poison! TISIPHONE, How she plies her pest ! MEGARA. Strangling she holds him. ALECTO. In the inmost breast Her hands defile him. TISIPHONE., In his rotting brain IIe teeth, her breath, pass all imagined pain. MEG-ERA, Sisters ! ALECTO. We conquer ! TISIPHONE, Have we power?