16

And when they water'd were and gone, the breeze Floated the freighted thorn where Psyche lay: Whence she unhook'd the golden wool at ease, And back to heaven for pa.s.sage swift gan pray.

And Hermes, who was sent to be her guide Ifso she lived, came down at eventide, And bore her thither ere the close of day.

17

But when the G.o.ddess saw the locks of gold Held to her hands, her heart with wrath o'erran: 'Most desperate thou, and by abetting bold, That dost outwit me, prove thee as I can.

Yet this work is not thine: there is but one Of all the G.o.ds who coud the thing have done.

Hast thou a friend too in the l.u.s.ty Pan?

18

'I'll give thee trial where he cannot aid.'

Which said, she led her to a torrid land, Level and black, but not with flood or shade, For nothing coud the mighty heat withstand, Which aye from morn till eve the naked sun Pour'd on that plain, where never foot had run, Nor any herb sprung on its molten sand.

19

Far off a gloomy mountain rose alone: And Aphrodite, thither pointing, said 'There lies thy task. Out of the topmost stone Of yonder hill upwells a fountain head.

Take thou this goblet; br.i.m.m.i.n.g must thou bring Its cup with water from that sacred spring, If ever to my son thou wouldst be wed.'

20

Saying, she gave into her hands a bowl Cut of one crystal, open, broad and fair; And bade her at all hazard keep it whole, For heaven held nought beside so fine or rare.

Then was she gone; and Psyche on the plain Now doubted if she ever should regain The love of Eros, strove she howsoe'er.

21

Yet as a helmsman, at the word to tack, Swiftly without a thought puts down his helm, So Psyche turn'd to tread that desert black, Since was no fear that coud her heart o'erwhelm; Nor knew she that she went the fount to seek Of cold Cocytus, springing to the peak, Secretly from his source in Pluto's realm.

22

All night and day she journey'd, and at last Come to the rock gazed up in vain around: Nothing she saw but precipices vast O'er ruined scarps, with rugged ridges crown'd: And creeping to a cleft to rest in shade, Or e'er the desperate venture she a.s.say'd, She fell asleep upon the stony ground.

23

A dream came to her, thus: she stood alone Within her palace in the high ravine; Where nought but she was changed, but she to stone.

Worshippers throng'd the court, and still were seen Folk flying from the peak, who, ever more Flying and flying, lighted on the floor, _Hail!_ cried they, _wife of Eros, adored queen_!

24

A hurtling of the battl'd air disturb'd Her sunken sense, and waked her eyes to meet The kingly bird of Zeus, himself that curb'd His swooping course, alighting at her feet; With motion gentle, his far-darting eye In kindness dim'd upon her, he drew nigh, And thus in words unveil'd her foe's deceit:

25

'In vain, poor Psyche, hast thou hither striven Across the fiery plain toiling so well; Cruelly to destruction art thou driven By her, whose hate thou canst not quit nor quell.

No mortal foot may scale this horrid mount, And those black waters of its topmost fount Are guarded by the horned snakes of h.e.l.l.

26

'Its little rill is an upleaping jet Of cold Cocytus, which for ever licks Earth's base, and when with Acheron 'tis met, Its waters with that other cannot mix, Which holds the elemental air dissolved; But with it in its ceaseless course revolved Issues unmingl'd in the lake of Styx.

27

'The souls of murderers, in guise of fish, Scream as they swim therein and wail for cold, Their times of woe determined by the wish Of them they murder'd on the earth of old: Whom each five years they see, whene'er they make Their pa.s.sage to the Acherusian lake, And there release may win from pains condoled.

28

'For if the pitying ear of them they slew Be haply pierced by their voices spare, Then are they freed from pain; as are some few, But, for the most, again they forward fare To Tartarus obscene, and outcast thence Are hurried back into the cold intense, And with new company their torments share.

29

'Its biting lymph may not be touch'd of man Or G.o.d, unless the Fates have so ordain'd; Nor coud I in thy favour break the ban, Nor pa.s.s the dragons that thereby are chain'd, Didst thou not bear the sacred cup of Zeus; Which, for thy peril lent, shall turn to use, And truly do the service which it feign'd.'

30

Thus as he spake, his talons made he ring Around the crystal bowl, and soaring high Descended as from heaven upon the spring: Nor dared the horned snakes of h.e.l.l deny The minister of Zeus, that bore his cup, To fill it with their trusted water up, Thence to the King of heaven therewith to fly.

31

But he to Psyche bent his gracious speed, And bidding her to mount his feather'd back Bore her aloft as once young Ganymede; Nor ever made his steady flight to slack, Ere that he set her down beside her goal, And gave into her hands the crystal bowl Unspill'd, o'erbr.i.m.m.i.n.g with the water black.

JANUARY

1

But Eros now recover'd from his hurt, Felt other pangs; for who would not relent Weighing the small crime and unmatch'd desert Of Psyche with her cruel punishment?

And shamed he grew to be so near allied To her, who by her taunts awoke his pride, As his compa.s.sion by her spite unspent.

2

Which Aphrodite seeing, wax'd more firm That he should never meet with Psyche more; And had in thought already set the term To their communion with that trial sore, Which sent her forth upon a quest accurst, And not to be accomplisht, that of thirst She there might perish on h.e.l.l's torrid sh.o.r.e.