"All excellently urged! Yet - spite of all, 600 Except I make thee angry with me, so!" 605 "But I persist, because I have my spice Of intuition likewise: take the dame! יי "Be thou the victor then! But certainly Thou dost thy friend no pleasure in the act!" 66 Oh, time will come when thou shalt praise me! Only obey!" 66 Then, servants, since my house 610 Must needs receive this woman, take her there! "I shall not trust this woman to the care Of servants." 66 If that seem preferable!" "Why, conduct her in, thyself, “I prefer, With thy good leave, to place her in thy hands!” "I would not touch her! Entry to the house That, I concede thee." "To thy sole right hand I mean to trust her!" "King! Thou wrenchest this 615 Out of me by main force, if I submit!" 66 Courage, friend! Come, stretch hand forth! Good! Now touch As though it meant to cut off Gorgon's head!" 620 "Hast hold of her? 66 Fast hold." 66 "Why, then, hold fast And have her! and, one day, asseverate 625 Thou wilt, I think, thy friend, the son of Zeus, He was the gentle guest to entertain ! Look at her! See if she, in any way, Present thee with resemblance of thy wife! " Ah, but the tears come, find the words at fault! There is no telling how the hero twitched 630 The veil off: and there stood, with such fixed eyes And such slow smile, Alkestis' silent self! It was the crowning grace of that great heart, Until the wife, who had made proof and found 635 The husband wanting, might essay once more, Able to do, now, all herself had done, Risen to the height of her: so, hand in hand, The two might go together, live and die. 640 Beside, when he found speech, you guess the speech. He could not think he saw his wife again: It was some mocking God that used the bliss To make him mad! Till Herakles must help: Assure him that no spectre mocked at all; 645 And Herakles said, smiling, "All was truth. 650 655 so spoke Take care, nor wake the envy of the Gods!" "Oh thou, of greatest Zeus true son,". Admetos when the closing word must come, "Go ever in a glory of success, And save, that sire, his offspring to the end! For thou hast only thou- raised me and mine And Herakles said little, but enough. 660 665 By the tomb's self: how he sprung from ambuscade, But all the time, Alkestis moved not once 670 Out of the set gaze and the silent smile;. "Why does she stand and front me, silent thus?" Herakles solemnly replied, "Not yet 675 Is it allowable thou hear the things That consecration to the lower Gods, And on our upper world the third day rise! Lead her in, meanwhile; good and true thou art, Good, true, remain thou! Practise piety 680 To stranger-guests the old way! So, farewell! Since forth I fare, fulfil my urgent task Set by the king, the son of Sthenelos." 66 Fain would Admetos keep that splendid smile "At some other day! Now, of necessity, I haste!" smiled he. "But mayst thou prosper, go forth on a foot Sure to return! Through all the tetrarchy, Command my subjects that they institute 685 690 Thanksgiving-dances for the glad event, Whereupon all the friendly moralists Drew this conclusion: chirped, each beard to each: "Manifold are thy shapings, Providence! 695 Many a hopeless matter Gods arrange. What we expected never came to pass: 700 What we did not expect Gods brought to bear; So have things gone, this whole experience through!" Ah, but if you had seen the play itself! They say, my poet failed to get the prize: Sophokles got the prize, — great name! They say, 705 Sophokles also means to make a piece, Model a new Admetos, a new wife: Success to him! One thing has many sides. The great name! But no good supplants a good, Nor beauty undoes beauty. Sophokles 710 Will carve and carry a fresh cup, brimful Of beauty and good, firm to the altar-foot, And glorify the Dionusiac shrine: Not clash against this crater in the place Where the God put it when his mouth had drained, 715 And praised Euripides forevermore The Human with his droppings of warm tears. TENNYSON. OENONE. THERE lies a vale in Ida, lovelier The swimming vapor slopes athwart the glen, In cataract after cataract to the sea. Behind the valley topmost Gargarus Stands up and takes the morning: but in front Troas and Ilion's column'd citadel, The crown of Troas. Mournful Enone, wandering forlorn Hither came at noon Of Paris, once her playmate on the hills. Her cheek had lost the rose, and round her neck 5 IO 15 Floated her hair or seem'd to float in rest. She, leaning on a fragment twined with vine, 20 Sloped downward to her seat from the upper cliff. "O mother Ida, many-fountain'd Ida, Dear mother Ida, harken ere I die. 25 |