Then the Temple filled with a cloud, 70 Porch bent and pillar bowed: Had filled the House of the Lord. SECOND SPEAKER, as Renan. Gone now! All gone across the dark so far, Sharpening fast, shuddering ever, shutting still, Dwindling into the distance, dies that star Which came, stood, opened once! We gazed our fill With upturned faces on as real a Face Took in our homage, made a visible place gyre, For the dim human tribute. Was this true? Could man indeed avail,mere praise of his, To help by rapture God's own rapture too, Thrill with a heart's red tinge that pure pale bliss? 80 BALAUSTION'S ADVENTURE; INCLUDING A TRANSCRIPT FROM EURIPIDES. 1871. [After the ill-starred expedition under Nikias against Sicily, and the crowning disaster of Syracuse had become known to the inhabitants of Rhodes, a great reaction against the supremacy of Athens set in, and a general determination to side with Sparta was expressed. Against this the girl Balaustion (Wild-pomegranate-flower) vehemently protested, and calling together those whom she could muster, they took ship for Athens. Encountering storms and pursued by pirates, they were driven upon Syracuse Harbour, where, however, they were at first refused admission and thrust back upon the pirates. At the last moment, however, curiosity was expressed as to Euripides, and Balaustion came forward and offered to recite the Alkestis, which she did before the whole listening city.] TO THE COUNTESS COWPER. If I mention the simple truth: that this poem absolutely owes its existence to you, who not only suggested, but imposed on me as a task, what has proved the most delightful of May-month amusements shall seem honest, indeed, but hardly pru dent; for, how good and beautiful ought such a poem to be! Euripides might fear little; but I, also, have an interest in the performance; and what wonder if I beg you to suffer that it make, in another and far easier sense, its nearest possible approach to those Greek qualities of goodness and beauty, by laying itself gratefully at your feet? R. B. LONDON: July 23, 1871. Rather go die at Athens, lie outstretched Of harsh Lakonia! Ours the fasts and Choës and Chutroi; 2 ours the sacred grove, Pnux, Keramikos; Salamis in sight, 1 Athenian. Ours the great Dionusiac theatre, That certain of my kinsfolk crossed the strait And found a ship at Kaunos; well-disposed Because the Captain - where did he draw breath First but within Psuttalia? Thither fled 10 A few like-minded as ourselves. We turned The glad prow westward, soon were out at sea, Pushing, brave ship with the vermilion Proud for our heart's true harbour. And leapt out, bent us from our course. Broke stormless, so broke next blue day "But whither bound in this white waste?" The pilot's old experience: "Cos or Because he promised us the land ahead. 20 While we strained eyes to share in what he saw, The Captain's shout startled us; round we rushed: What hung behind us but a pirate-ship Panting for the good prize! "Row! harder row! Row for dear life!" the Captain cried: Friendly Crete looming large there! Beat Lokrain, or that bad breed off Thessaly! Only, so cruel are such water-thieves, No man of you, no woman, child, or slave, 30 But falls their prey, once let them board our boat!" So, furiously our oarsmen rowed and rowed; And when the oars flagged somewhat, dash and dip, As we approached the coast and safety, so And curses of the pirate panting up me, 40 That song of ours which saved at Salamis: “Ay, but we heard all Athens in one ode For Kaunos' sake, why, carry them unhurt We want no colony from Athens here, And by their own knees, and their fathers' They should not wickedly thrust suppliants But save the innocent on traffic bound To turn and face the foe, as some tired Barbarians pelt at, drive with shouts away From shelter in what rocks, however rude, She makes for, to escape the kindled eye, Split beak, crook'd claw o' the creature, cormorant Or ossifrage, that, hardly baffled, hangs A point, a question raised by somebody, "That song was veritable Aischulos, 10 Familiar to the mouth of man and boy, Old glory: how about Euripides? The newer and not yet so famous bard, He that was born upon the battle-day While that song and the salpinx sounded him 2 By riches, no wise man by wisdom, no 30 Wiser man still (as who loved more the Muse) By storing, at brain's edge and tip of tongue, Old glory, great plays that had long ago Not one such man was helped so at his need At the new knocking of Euripides, And, after Sophokles, be nature dumb!" 40 Such, and I see in it God Bacchos' boon To souls that recognised his latest child, He who himself, born latest of the Gods, Was stoutly held impostor by mankind, Such were in safety: any who could speak A chorus to the end, or prologise, Roll out a rhesis, wield some golden length If he were slave i' the house, for reverence now, And bade him go free, thank Euripides! girl! Strangers, greet the lyric Euripides? Babai! what a word there 'scaped Your teeth's enclosure, quoth my grandsire's song! Why, fast as snow in Thrace, the voyage through, 60 Has she been falling thick in flakes of him! Frequent as figs at Kaunos, Kaunians 70 said. Balaustion, stand forth and, confirm my Now it was some whole passion of a play; She had at fingers' end both cloud and star; Some thought that perched there, tame and tuneable, Fitted with wings; and still, as of it flew, 80 'So sang Euripides,' she said, 'so sang The meteoric poet of air and sea, Planets and the pale populace of heaven, The mind of man, and all that's made to soar!' And so, although she has some other name, We only call her Wild- -pomegranate-flower, Balaustion; since, where'er the red bloom burns |