THE RITE OF MERCURY
Worship, and liberty, and love.
So be my grave without a name
That earth may swallow up my shame!
[50R. GEMINI ;5103/5 her saddest yet swiflest melody. *
[A þause.
VIRGO. O, who art Thou, most lovely form that killeth
me with the pleasure of Thy Vision?
MERCURY. 1 am thyself—that
which is of thyself and
dependent upon thyself.
VIRGO. Sister and Brother Gemini, kneel ye before the
greatest of all Gods.
FR. GEMINI. Alas, Brother!
15 the Speech greater than
the Silence?
VIRGO. I. Brethren, kneel ye before the greatest of all
Gods
I
[None abey.
MERCURY. I. Silence.
.
.
. Thou hast no followers, Brother.
SOR.
GEMINI. Behold thine handmaiden!
Where thou
goest I will go; thy people shall be my people and thy God
my God I
[She walks ta the throne.
MERCURY. Peace
upon
thee,
beloved!
.
.
.
But
the
Brethren say sooth.
Even Mercury liveth not for ever.
[He recites.
The light streams stronger through the lamps of sense.
Intelligence
Grows as we go.
Alas: its icy glimmer
Shows dimmer, dimmer
The awful vaults we traverse.
Were the sun
Himself the one
Glory of space, he would but illustrate
The night of Fate.
Are not the hosts of heaven in vain arrayed?
Their light dismayed
* Scherzo: Tschaikowski.
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