Part 16 (1/2)

”And then indeed not in this guise was I, No sandals had I, and no saffron gown, But naked as thou knowest utterly, E'en as my limbs beneath thine hand had grown, And this fair perfumed robe then fell adown Over the G.o.ddess' feet and swept the ground, And round her loins a glittering belt was bound.

”But when the stammering of my tongue she heard Upon my trembling lips her hand she laid, And spoke again, 'Nay, say not any word, All that thine heart would say I know unsaid, Who even now thine heart and voice have made; But listen rather, for thou knowest now What these words mean, and still wilt wiser grow.

”'Thy body, lifeless till I gave it life, A certain man, my servant, well hath wrought I give thee to him as his love and wife, With all thy dowry of desire and thought, Since this his yearning heart hath ever sought; Now from my temple is he on the way, Deeming to find thee e'en as yesterday;

”'Bide thou his coming by the bed-head there, And when thou seest him set his eyes upon Thine empty niche, and hear'st him cry for care, Then call him by his name, Pygmalion, And certainly thy lover hast thou won; But when he stands before thee silently, Say all these words that I shall teach to thee.'

”With that she said what first I told thee, love And then went on, 'Moreover thou shalt say That I, the daughter of almighty Jove, Have wrought for him this long-desired day; In sign whereof, these things that pa.s.s away, Wherein mine image men have well arrayed, I give thee for thy wedding gear, O maid.'

”Therewith her raiment she put off from her.

And laid bare all her perfect loveliness, And, smiling on me, came yet more anear, And on my mortal lips her lips did press, And said, 'Now herewith shalt thou love no less Than Psyche loved my son in days of old; Farewell, of thee shall many a tale be told.'

”And even with that last word was she gone, How, I know not, and I my limbs arrayed In her fair gift, and waited thee alone-- Ah, love, indeed the word is true she said, For now I love thee so, I grow afraid Of what the G.o.ds upon our heads may send-- I love thee so, I think upon the end.”

What words he said? How can I tell again What words they said beneath the glimmering light, Some tongue they used unknown to loveless men As each to each they told their great delight, Until for stillness of the growing night Their soft sweet murmuring words seemed growing loud And dim the moon grew, hid by fleecy cloud.

Such was the ending of his ancient rhyme, That seemed to fit that soft and golden time, When men were happy, they could scarce tell why, Although they felt the rich year slipping by.

The sun went down, the harvest-moon arose, And 'twixt the slim trees of that fruitful close They saw the corn still falling 'neath its light, While through the soft air of the windless night The voices of the reapers' mates rang clear In measured song, as of the fruitful year They told, and its delights, and now and then The rougher voices of the toiling men Joined in the song, as one by one released From that hard toil, they sauntered towards the feast That waited them upon the strip of gra.s.s That through the golden-glimmering sea did pa.s.s.

But those old men, glad to have lived so long, Sat listening through the twilight to the song, And when the night grew and all things were still Throughout the wide vale from green hill to hill Unto a happy harvesting they drank Till once more o'er the hills the white moon sank.

August had not gone by, though now was stored In the sweet-smelling granaries all the h.o.a.rd Of golden corn; the land had made her gain, And winter should howl round her doors in vain.

But o'er the same fields grey now and forlorn The old men sat and heard the swineherd's horn, Far off across the stubble, when the day At end of harvest-tide was sad and grey; And rain was in the wind's voice as it swept Along the hedges where the lone quail crept, Beneath the chattering of the restless pie.

The fruit-hung branches moved, and suddenly The trembling apples smote the dewless gra.s.s, And all the year to autumn-tide did pa.s.s.

E'en such a day it was as young men love When swiftly through the veins the blood doth move, And they, whose eyes can see not death at all, To thoughts of stirring deeds and pleasure fall, Because it seems to them to tell of life After the dreamy days devoid of strife, When every day with suns.h.i.+ne is begun, And cloudless skies receive the setting sun.

On such a day the older folk were fain Of something new somewhat to dull the pain Of sad, importunate old memories That to their weary hearts must needs arise.

Alas! what new things on that day could come From hearts that now so long had been the home Of such dull thoughts, nay, rather let them tell Some tale that fits their ancient longings well.

Rolf was the speaker, who said, ”Friends, behold This is e'en such a tale as those once told Unto my greedy ears by Nicholas, Before our quest for nothing came to pa.s.s.”

OGIER THE DANE.

ARGUMENT.

When Ogier was born, six fay ladies came to the cradle where he lay, and gave him various gifts, as to be brave and happy and the like; but the sixth gave him to be her love when he should have lived long in the world: so Ogier grew up and became the greatest of knights, and at last, after many years, fell into the hands of that fay, and with her, as the story tells, he lives now, though he returned once to the world, as is shown in the process of this tale.

Within some Danish city by the sea, Whose name, changed now, is all unknown to me, Great mourning was there one fair summer eve, Because the angels, bidden to receive The fair Queen's lovely soul in Paradise, Had done their bidding, and in royal guise Her helpless body, once the prize of love, Unable now for fear or hope to move, Lay underneath the golden canopy; And bowed down by unkingly misery The King sat by it, and not far away, Within the chamber a fair man-child lay, His mother's bane, the king that was to be, Not witting yet of any royalty, Harmless and loved, although so new to life.

Calm the June evening was, no sign of strife The clear sky showed, no storm grew round the sun, Unhappy that his day of bliss was done; Dumb was the sea, and if the beech-wood stirred, 'Twas with the nestling of the grey-winged bird Midst its thick leaves; and though the nightingale Her ancient, hapless sorrow must bewail, No more of woe there seemed within her song Than such as doth to lovers' words belong, Because their love is still unsatisfied.

But to the King, on that sweet eventide, No earth there seemed, no heaven when earth was gone; No help, no G.o.d! but lonely pain alone; And he, midst unreal shadows, seemed to sit Himself the very heart and soul of it.

But round the cradle of the new-born child The nurses now the weary time beguiled With stories of the just departed Queen; And how, amid the heathen folk first seen, She had been won to love and G.o.dliness; And as they spoke, e'en midst his dull distress, An eager whisper now and then did smite Upon the King's ear, of some past delight, Some once familiar name, and he would raise His weary head, and on the speaker gaze Like one about to speak, but soon again Would drop his head and be alone with pain, Nor think of these; who, silent in their turn, Would sit and watch the waxen tapers burn Amidst the dusk of the quick-gathering night, Until beneath the high stars' glimmering light, The fresh earth lay in colourless repose.

So pa.s.sed the night, and now and then one rose From out her place to do what might avail To still the new-born infant's fretful wail; Or through the softly-opened door there came Some nurse new waked, who, whispering low the name Of her whose turn was come, would take her place; Then toward the King would turn about her face And to her fellows whisper of the day, And tell again of her just past away.

So waned the hours, the moon arose and grew, From off the sea a little west-wind blew, Rustling the garden-leaves like sudden rain; And ere the moon began to fall again The wind grew cold, a change was in the sky, And in deep silence did the dawn draw nigh: Then from her place a nurse arose to light Fresh hallowed lights, for, dying with the night, The tapers round about the dead Queen were; But the King raised his head and 'gan to stare Upon her, as her sweeping gown did glide About the floor, that in the stillness cried Beneath her careful feet; and now as she Had lit the second candle carefully, And on its silver spike another one Was setting, through her body did there run A sudden tremor, and the hand was stayed That on the dainty painted wax was laid; Her eyelids fell down and she seemed to sleep, And o'er the staring King began to creep Sweet slumber too; the bitter lines of woe That drew his weary face did softer grow, His eyelids dropped, his arms fell to his side; And moveless in their places did abide The nursing women, held by some strong spell, E'en as they were, and utter silence fell Upon the mournful, glimmering chamber fair.

But now light footsteps coming up the stair, Smote on the deadly stillness, and the sound Of silken dresses trailing o'er the ground; And heavenly odours through the chamber pa.s.sed, Unlike the scents that rose and lily cast Upon the freshness of the dying night; Then nigher drew the sound of footsteps light Until the door swung open noiselessly-- A ma.s.s of sunlit flowers there seemed to be Within the doorway, and but pale and wan The flame showed now that serveth mortal man, As one by one six seeming ladies pa.s.sed Into the room, and o'er its sorrow cast That thoughtless sense of joy bewildering, That kisses youthful hearts amidst of spring; Crowned were they, in such glorious raiment clad, As yet no merchant of the world has had Within his coffers; yet those crowns seemed fair Only because they kissed their odorous hair, And all that flowery raiment was but blessed By those fair bodies that its splendour pressed.

Now to the cradle from that glorious band, A woman pa.s.sed, and laid a tender hand Upon the babe, and gently drew aside The swathings soft that did his body hide; And, seeing him so fair and great, she smiled, And stooped, and kissed him, saying, ”O n.o.ble child, Have thou a gift from Gloriande this day; For to the time when life shall pa.s.s away From this dear heart, no fear of death or shame, No weariness of good shall foul thy name.”

So saying, to her sisters she returned; And one came forth, upon whose brow there burned A crown of rubies, and whose heaving breast With happy rings a golden hauberk pressed; She took the babe, and somewhat frowning said, ”This gift I give, that till thy limbs are laid At rest for ever, to thine honoured life There never shall be lacking war and strife, That thou a long-enduring name mayst win, And by thy deeds, good pardon for thy sin.”

With that another, who, unseen, meanwhile Had drawn anigh, said with a joyous smile, ”And this forgotten gift to thee I give, That while amidst the turmoil thou dost live, Still shalt thou win the game, and unto thee Defeat and shame but idle words shall be.”