Part 9 (1/2)
”My father lived a many years agone Lord of this land, master of all cunning, Who ruddy gold could draw from out grey stone, And gather wealth from many an uncouth thing, He made the wilderness rejoice and sing, And such a leech he was that none could say Without his word what soul should pa.s.s away.
”Unto Diana such a gift he gave, G.o.ddess above, below, and on the earth, That I should be her virgin and her slave From the first hour of my most wretched birth; Therefore my life had known but little mirth When I had come unto my twentieth year And the last time of hallowing drew anear.
”So in her temple had I lived and died And all would long ago have pa.s.sed away, But ere that time came, did strange things betide, Whereby I am alive unto this day; Alas, the bitter words that I must say!
Ah! can I bring my wretched tongue to tell How I was brought unto this fearful h.e.l.l.
”A queen I was, what G.o.ds I knew I loved, And nothing evil was there in my thought, And yet by love my wretched heart was moved Until to utter ruin I was brought!
Alas! thou sayest our G.o.ds were vain and nought, Wait, wait, till thou hast heard this tale of mine.
Then shalt thou think them devilish or divine.
”Hearken! in spite of father and of vow I loved a man; but for that sin I think Men had forgiven me--yea, yea, even thou; But from the G.o.ds the full cup must I drink, And into misery unheard of sink, Tormented when their own names are forgot, And men must doubt e'er if they lived or not.
”Glorious my lover was unto my sight, Most beautiful,--of love we grew so fain That we at last agreed, that on a night We should be happy, but that he were slain Or shut in hold, and neither joy nor pain Should else forbid that hoped-for time to be; So came the night that made a wretch of me.
”Ah I well do I remember all that night, When through the window shone the orb of June, And by the bed flickered the taper's light, Whereby I trembled, gazing at the moon: Ah me! the meeting that we had, when soon Into his strong, well-trusted arms I fell, And many a sorrow we began to tell.
”Ah me I what parting on that night we had!
I think the story of my great despair A little while might merry folk make sad; For, as he swept away my yellow hair To make my shoulder and my bosom bare, I raised mine eyes, and shuddering could behold A shadow cast upon the bed of gold:
”Then suddenly was quenched my hot desire And he untwined his arms; the moon so pale A while ago, seemed changed to blood and fire, And yet my limbs beneath me did not fail, And neither had I strength to cry or wail, But stood there helpless, bare, and s.h.i.+vering, With staring eyes still fixed upon the thing.
”Because the shade that on the bed of gold The changed and dreadful moon was throwing down Was of Diana, whom I did behold, With knotted hair, and s.h.i.+ning girt-up gown, And on the high white brow, a deadly frown Bent upon us, who stood scarce drawing breath, Striving to meet the horrible sure death.
”No word at all the dreadful G.o.ddess said, But soon across my feet my lover lay, And well indeed I knew that he was dead; And would that I had died on that same day!
For in a while the image turned away, And without words my doom I understood, And felt a horror change my human blood.
”And there I fell, and on the floor I lay By the dead man, till daylight came on me, And not a word thenceforward could I say For three years, till of grief and misery, The lingering pest, the cruel enemy, My father and his folk were dead and gone, And in this castle I was left alone:
”And then the doom foreseen upon me fell, For Queen Diana did my body change Into a fork-tongued dragon flesh and fell, And through the island nightly do I range, Or in the green sea mate with monsters strange, When in the middle of the moonlit night The sleepy mariner I do affright.
”But all day long upon this gold I lie Within this place, where never mason's hand Smote trowel on the marble noisily; Drowsy I lie, no folk at my command, Who once was called the Lady of the Land; Who might have bought a kingdom with a kiss, Yea, half the world with such a sight as this.”
And therewithal, with rosy fingers light, Backward her heavy-hanging hair she threw, To give her naked beauty more to sight; But when, forgetting all the things he knew, Maddened with love unto the prize he drew, She cried, ”Nay, wait! for wherefore wilt thou die, Why should we not be happy, thou and I?
”Wilt thou not save me? once in every year This rightful form of mine that thou dost see By favour of the G.o.ddess have I here From sunrise unto sunset given me, That some brave man may end my misery.
And thou--art thou not brave? can thy heart fail, Whose eyes e'en now are weeping at my tale?
”Then listen! when this day is overpast, A fearful monster shall I be again, And thou mayst be my saviour at the last, Unless, once more, thy words are nought and vain; If thou of love and sovereignty art fain, Come thou next morn, and when thou seest here A hideous dragon, have thereof no fear,
”But take the loathsome head up in thine hands, And kiss it, and be master presently Of twice the wealth that is in all the lands, From Cathay to the head of Italy; And master also, if it pleaseth thee, Of all thou praisest as so fresh and bright, Of what thou callest crown of all delight.
”Ah! with what joy then shall I see again The sunlight on the green gra.s.s and the trees, And hear the clatter of the summer rain, And see the joyous folk beyond the seas.
Ah, me! to hold my child upon my knees, After the weeping of unkindly tears, And all the wrongs of these four hundred years.
”Go now, go quick! leave this grey heap of stone; And from thy glad heart think upon thy way, How I shall love thee--yea, love thee alone, That bringest me from dark death unto day; For this shall be thy wages and thy pay; Unheard-of wealth, unheard-of love is near, If thou hast heart a little dread to bear.”
Therewith she turned to go; but he cried out, ”Ah! wilt thou leave me then without one kiss, To slay the very seeds of fear and doubt, That glad to-morrow may bring certain bliss?