Alice: An Adultery

THE TENTH DAY “ O God ! I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams.” Hamlet. The mere result of all this was a dream. The day passed damned, void of my love’s dear light, And stole acursed to the endless night, Forgotten (as I trust) by God : no beam Of memory lighting it down Time’s dark stream. I dreamt : my shrine was broken and my might Defiled, and all my Gods abased, in sight Of all blind Heaven exenterate and extreme. The foulest traitor of all womankind I ever knew, became my friend* : unclean Sexual abominations floated through, More foul because a golden cord did wind Unspotted through that revel epicene, The pure faith of one woman that was true. * This circumstance was later fulfilled : I having judged her actions on insufficient evidence. 32