Volume III Part 2 (1/2)
'There is no beldam nurse to powt nor lower When wantoning we revell in my tower, Nor need I top my turret with a light, To guide thee to me as thou swim'st by night.'”--_Broughton._
[22] So the old eds.--Dyce reads ”about.”
[23] We are reminded of _Lycidas_:--
”Comes the blind Fury with the abhorred shears And slits the thin-spun life.”
[24] Omitted in ed. 1600 and later 4tos.
[25] This word cannot be right. Query, ”high-aspiring?”
THE SECOND SESTIAD.
_The Argument of the Second Sestiad._
Hero of love takes deeper sense, And doth her love more recompense: Their first night's meeting, where sweet kisses Are th' only crowns of both their blisses He swims t' Abydos, and returns: Cold Neptune with his beauty burns; Whose suit he shuns, and doth aspire Hero's fair tower and his desire.
By this, sad Hero, with love unacquainted, Viewing Leander's face, fell down and fainted.
He kiss'd her, and breath'd life[26] into her lips; Wherewith, as one displeas'd, away she trips; Yet, as she went, full often look'd behind, And many poor excuses did she find To linger by the way, and once she stay'd, And would have turn'd again, but was afraid, In offering parley, to be counted light: So on she goes, and, in her idle flight, 10 Her painted fan of curled plumes let fall, Thinking to train Leander therewithal.
He, being a novice, knew not what she meant, But stay'd, and after her a letter sent; Which joyful Hero answer'd in such sort, As he had hope to scale the beauteous fort Wherein the liberal Graces locked their wealth; And therefore to her tower he got by stealth.
Wide open stood the door; he need not climb; And she herself, before the pointed time, 20 Had spread the board, with roses strew'd the room, And oft looked out, and mused he did not come.
At last he came: O, who can tell the greeting These greedy lovers had at their first meeting?
He asked; she gave; and nothing was denied; Both to each other quickly were affied: Look how their hands, so were their hearts united, And what he did, she willingly requited.
(Sweet are the kisses, the embracements sweet, When like desires and like[27] affections meet; 30 For from the earth to heaven is Cupid raised, Where fancy is in equal balance paised.[28]) Yet she this rashness suddenly repented, And turn'd aside, and to herself lamented, As if her name and honour had been wronged By being possessed of him for whom she longed; I, and she wished, albeit not from her heart, That he would leave her turret and depart.
The mirthful G.o.d of amorous pleasure smiled To see how he this captive nymph beguiled; 40 For hitherto he did but fan the fire, And kept it down, that it might mount the higher.
Now wax'd she jealous lest his love abated, Fearing her own thoughts made her to be hated.
Therefore unto him hastily she goes, And, like light Salmacis, her body throws Upon his bosom, where with yielding eyes She offers up herself a sacrifice To slake her anger, if he were displeased: O, what G.o.d would not therewith be appeased? 50 Like aesop's c.o.c.k, this jewel he enjoyed, And as a brother with his sister toyed, Supposing nothing else was to be done, Now he her favour and goodwill had won.
But know you not that creatures wanting sense, By nature have a mutual appetence, And, wanting organs to advance a step, Mov'd by love's force, unto each other lep?
Much more in subjects having intellect Some hidden influence breeds like effect. 60 Albeit Leander, rude in love and raw, Long dallying with Hero, nothing saw That might delight him more, yet he suspected Some amorous rites or other were neglected.
Therefore unto his body hers he clung: She, fearing on the rushes[29] to be flung, Strived with redoubled strength; the more she strived, The more a gentle pleasing heat revived, Which taught him all that elder lovers know; And now the same gan so to scorch and glow, 70 As in plain terms, yet cunningly, he'd crave[30] it: Love always makes those eloquent that have it.
She, with a kind of granting, put him by it, And ever, as he thought himself most nigh it, Like to the tree of Tantalus, she fled, And, seeming lavish, saved her maidenhead.
Ne'er king more sought to keep his diadem, Than Hero this inestimable gem: Above our life we love a steadfast friend; Yet when a token of great worth we send, 80 We often kiss it, often look thereon, And stay the messenger that would be gone; No marvel, then, though Hero would not yield So soon to part from that she dearly held: Jewels being lost are found again; this never; 'Tis lost but once, and once lost, lost for ever.
Now had the Morn espied her lover's steeds; Whereat she starts, puts on her purple weeds, And, red for anger that he stayed so long, All headlong throws herself the clouds among. 90 And now Leander, fearing to be missed, Embraced her suddenly, took leave, and kissed: Long was he taking leave, and loath to go, And kissed again, as lovers use to do.
Sad Hero wrung him by the hand, and wept, Saying, ”Let your vows and promises be kept:”
Then standing at the door, she turned about, As loath to see Leander going out.
And now the sun, that through th' horizon peeps, As pitying these lovers, downward creeps; 100 So that in silence of the cloudy night, Though it was morning, did he take his flight.
But what the secret trusty night concealed, Leander's amorous habit soon revealed: With Cupid's myrtle was his bonnet crowned, About his arms the purple riband wound, Wherewith she wreath'd her largely-spreading hair; Nor could the youth abstain, but he must wear The sacred ring wherewith she was endowed, When first religious chast.i.ty she vowed; 110 Which made his love through Sestos to be known, And thence unto Abydos sooner blown Than he could sail; for incorporeal Fame, Whose weight consists in nothing but her name, Is swifter than the wind, whose tardy plumes Are reeking water and dull earthly fumes.
Home when he came, he seemed not to be there, But, like exiled air thrust from his sphere, Set in a foreign place; and straight from thence, Alcides-like, by mighty violence, 120 He would have chas'd away the swelling main, That him from her unjustly did detain.
Like as the sun in a diameter Fires and inflames objects removed far, And heateth kindly, s.h.i.+ning laterally; So beauty sweetly quickens when 'tis nigh, But being separated and removed, Burns where it cherished, murders where it loved.
Therefore even as an index to a book, So to his mind was young Leander's look. 130 O, none but G.o.ds have power[31] their love to hide!
Affection by the countenance is descried; The light of hidden fire itself discovers, And love that is concealed betrays poor lovers.
His secret flame apparently was seen: Leander's father knew where he had been, And for the same mildly rebuk'd his son, Thinking to quench the sparkles new-begun.
But love, resisted once, grows pa.s.sionate, And nothing more than counsel lovers hate; 140 For as a hot proud horse highly disdains To have his head controlled, but breaks the reins, Spits forth the ringled[32] bit, and with his hoves Checks the submissive ground; so he that loves, The more he is restrain'd, the worse he fares: What is it now but mad Leander dares?
”O Hero, Hero!” thus he cried full oft; And then he got him to a rock aloft, Where having spied her tower, long star'd he on't, And pray'd the narrow toiling h.e.l.lespont 150 To part in twain, that he might come and go; But still the rising billows answer'd, ”No.”
With that, he stripp'd him to the ivory skin, And, crying, ”Love, I come,” leap'd lively in: Whereat the sapphire-visaged G.o.d grew proud, And made his capering Triton sound aloud, Imagining that Ganymede, displeas'd, Had left the heavens; therefore on him he seiz'd.
Leander strived; the waves about him wound, And pull'd him to the bottom, where the ground 160 Was strewed with pearl, and in low coral groves Sweet-singing mermaids sported with their loves On heaps of heavy gold, and took great pleasure To spurn in careless sort the s.h.i.+pwreck treasure; For here the stately azure palace stood, Where kingly Neptune and his train abode.