Collected Works (Vol. I)

122 THE TALE OF ARCHAIS Righteous in ange:, doomed, for fiery sin Kindled by hell-flames, cherishéd within TTer lustful heart, for sin most damnable, To suffer torment in remotest hell, Where the grim fiend grinds down with fiery stones The unrepentant marrow of men’s bones, Or chills their blood with poisonous vials of death, Or dooms them tu the tooth and venomous breath Of foul black worms; and on the earth to dwell For a long space, and there (most terrible !) To change her shape at times, and on her take The fierce presentment of a loathly snake To wander curst and lonely through the dire black brake. And this thing is my mother, whose foul tomb Is a black serpent, spotted with the gloom Of venomous red flecks, and poisonous sweat, While on her flat lewd head the mark is set Of utter loathsomeness ; and I, her child Born of incestuous lust, and sore defiled With evil parentage, am now (Most just Unpitying Zeus!) condemned with her, I must The hated semblance of a serpent wear When noon rides forth upon the crystal air.” While yet she spake, the dwindling shadow ran Beneath the feet of Charicles, the wan Waste water glinted free, and to the deep Cool pebbles did the kiss of sunshine creep ; The busy lark forgot for joy to sing, And all the woods with fairy voices ring; The hills in dreamy languor seem tu swoon Through the blue haze! behold, the hour of noon! And lo! there came to pass the dreadful fate Her lips had shuddered out; her pulses bate Their quick sweet movement; on the ground she lies Struggling, and rending Heaven with her cries. Like light, in one convulsive pang the snake Leapt in the sunlight, and its body brake With glistening scales that golden skin of hers, And writhing with pure shame, the long grass whirrs With her sharp flight of fury and despair. Vhen Charicles at last became aware Of the fell death that had him by the throat To mar his music ; like one blind he sinote The quivering air with cries of sorrow ; then, Jisdaining fear and sorrow, cried to men And gods to help him ; then, resolved to dare All wrath and justice, he rose up to swear (Lifting his right hand to the sky, that glowed Deadly vermilion, like the poisonous toad That darts an angry red from out its eye,) By sword and spear, by maze and mystery, By Zeus’ high house, and by his godhead great, By his own soul, no ardour to abate Until he freed Archais. Like a star Rebellious, thrust beyond the morning’s bar, Erect, sublime, he swore so fierce an oath That the sea flashed with blasphemy, and loath Black thunder broke from out the shudder- ing deep. Ife swore again, and from its century’s sleep Earthquake arose, and rocked and raved and roared. He swore the third time. Lord Curbed their black wrath, Heaven’s vault Had rushed to whelm the sun with vehement assault. But that Heaven’s the stars of The heavens stood still, but o’er the quaking earth, That groaned and shrank with the untimely birth . Of fury and freedom, Charicles strode on With fervid foot, to Aphrodite’s throne In seagirt Paphos, to exact her aid— The sun stood still, creation grew afraid At his firm step and mien erect and un- dismayed.