54
THE STAR IN THE WEST
for Angela in a day or so will have just about had her
fill:
Angela .
Die, then , and kiss me dead !
Sir Percy . I die ! I die !
Angela .
Thy flower -life is shed
Into eternity ,
A waveless
lake .1
He sleeps , and she awake
becomes somewhat
weary
of these “jejune platitudes,” these “ ululations
of pre
posterous
puberty ,"these very " eructations
of ginger
bread ” and “flatulence
of calf-sickness ." 2 Soon
he is
kicked
flying out of her ladyship's
bed , and here we
must leave him for a time to meet him again
and
his
first love Molly further on , though
not under the sun
shine of youthful amorosis .
A different
phase and a much more
pleasing
one of
the impulsiveness
of youthful love is given
us in that
glowing story
“
The Tale ofArchais .” There are many
mysteries
in this poem .
Charicles
the desire striving
after Archais the
ideal , failing , and
the ideal seeking
the lost desire ; but outwardly we have , and visible
to
all
,
a
true poem
of
the self
-
sacrifice
of
Love
,
and
as
such
I
think we should
principally read
it,
the poetry
of
life and hope
,
and
not the mystic
throbs
of
some
deep aspiration
.
Charicles
and Archais are the golden
children
of
the
Tree
of
Life
;
she
is
under
the curse
of
Jove
—
as
all
pure love has been under the anathema
of
some god-
and
he
,
blinded
by
his love
,
sets the mystic
key
in
the
secret lock
,
opening
to
his desire the
hidden corridor
of
knowledge
;
the spell falls hissing
as
a
snake
.
The
picture
of
their meeting
is
beautiful
indeed
.
Thus we
find Archais
:
1
Why Jesus Wept
,
vol
.
iii,
p
.
41
.
Ibid
.
vol
.
iii,
p.
41
.