THE VIRGIN
63
The
god has fallen , the
god
is caught , caught
and
bound in the
lusts of the manhood he assumed .
No
Galilean is he to be crucified
for his
own or others '
sins , and he wins his freedom at the price of Charicles '
liberty.
Nature
breaks
into a welcome chant of joy ,
the lovers are reunited , the men's praise is for Archais ,
and the
eyes
of the
maidens are fixed on Charicles .
The
tale is nearly ended , the lovers wend their way
through
the joyous
throng
midst
song and chorus ,
then from the lips of Archais
rises :
Light and dark are wed together
Into golden weather :
Sun and moon
have kissed , and built
Palaces star -gilt
Whence a crystal stream
of joy, love's
eternal wine , is spilt. '
Such is one of the most pleasing of Aleister Crowley's
poems
; touched by the genuine
breath of adoration
for the beautiful , a jewel
set in fiery gold , a crimson
sash
embroidered
with
the
pearls of
the
glowing
orient ;
Archais
is
one
of
the
tenderest
and
most
touching
of
women ,
wholly
pure ,
not
like
Molly
Tyson , who afterwards fell to the lot of a worldly old
lecher.
The
rosy couch of her first fiery experience
soon withered
to
a thorny
briar
bed ,
as it has for
most of us .
Her curse was a god's , Molly's
Society's
-poor Molly !
Charicles ' love was
the
love of the
hurricane , which
carries
all
before
it,
typhoonic
;
he
knew
no
fears
,
no
bonds
,
he
cursed the god who had
defrauded
him
of
his
loved
one
;
and plunged
un
daunted into the ocean
of
adversity
;
to
win back their
former
state
he sacrificed
himself
.
He was
no Sir
Percy
,
flatulent with wind
,
who could not tell
a
harlot
1
The Tale
of
Archais
,
vol
.
i,
p
.
24
.