The Star in the West

THE VIRGIN 61 wriggling serpent . She bids him seek Zeus , and leaves the rest to him . " To the lascivious shade of Ida's deep recesses ” he wends his way : So fair , her image in the brook might make A passionless old god his hunger slake By plunging in the waters , though he knew His drowning body drowned her image too. " There he , or now she , meets the great god wander ing through the green trees and the cool groves , as Jahveh was wont once to do . Amidst those shades of Ida , where Paris adjudged the prize of beauty , over looking the blue Hellespont , the greatest sacrifice , and thereby the purest that love can make , was to be demanded , and freely given -- the sacrifice of a woman's honour to save her lover ; in fact to become a prosti tute in body , and a virgin in spirit . He , Zeus , is weary of women's old lascivious breed ,” and of “ the large luxurious lips of Ganymede .” No freshness , no restraint , no virgin breast, no lips “ without a taint of lewd imagining ,” all the nymphs of those green wooded slopes , all are as brazen and cold as the meretrices of a suburrian lupanar , the fire of love having burnt itself out to the ashen lassitude of satiety . At length the god finds her asleep under some shady tree , and creeps towards her - little loath To waken her caresses , and let noon Fade into midnight in the amorous swoon .” His voluptuous lips touch her smooth cheek , she wakes , she flees , she is caught ; “ panting , ” “ timid , ” “ tremulous ": 1 The Tale of Archais , vol . i, p . 21 . 2 Ibid . vol . i, p . 21 .