Meanwhile upon the plain below

She-pouring forth her fall of saffron-flow-49
Ever smote, and ceased not,

Each sacrificer's heart

With Love's pity-moving dart

From her pleading eyelids shot.50

She seemed an imaged one, all loveliness,31
Longing their names to voice and them address:
She seemed, as oft in by-gone hours

Within her Father's chamber-bowers
She erst had seemed, what time
His princely board she cheered

With her music's mellow chime,

His minstrel-maid in more than maiden freshness reared;
For her pure sweet voice with glee
Brimmed his cup, while fondly she,

Honouring his age so lovingly,

Yet happier made with utterest joyaunce rife
His thrice-libationed and all-joyous life.5

ANTISTROPHE V.

But what thenceforth befell

I saw not, nor can tell,

This only know I, that the prophet-lore
Of Calchas lacks not issue evermore ;
But Righteousness doth still incline
Towards suffering souls its wisdom all divine.
For the future-since no art

Its tangle can unspell

To the future bid farewell;

Wherefore antedate its smart

By groaning still and grieving53 ere it fall
At what may happen-if it hap at all?
For come what will, 't will, coming, be
A point of keenest certainty,

That, after midnight drear,

Will on the gazer's ken

With the rays of morn rise clear,54

Unveiling things to come, now future, present then.
But be these things as they may

Fare we cheerly from this day,

For thus doth will our Queen, the stay

The stay aye-present of this Apian land,
Who doth with single eye its watch-tower stand.

CHORUS.

To Queen CLYTEMNESTRA, whom he has seen approaching, and who now enters.

I come, O Clytemnestra, reverencing

Thy power and high authority, for 'tis meet
And right to homage in a chieftain's wife
The chieftain's self, when that his throne is left
Of its liege lord all desolate and unmanned.
But thou-if aught of good thine ear hath reached,
That thus thy freighted censers thou dost ply,
Or if thou dost incense but in good hope
Of what may be-speak-for I fain would hear,
Yet grudge thee not if thou wouldst hold thy peace.

QUEEN CLYTEMNESTRA.

Forth come she now, Joy's Harbinger; come forth the Morning Light;

As runs the legend, from the lap of her dark Mother Night;55

And list shall ye a tale of glee beyond your hope to hear, For Priam's Hold our Argives bold have won with sword

and spear.

CHORUS.

How sayst thou? why, from lack of faith, thy word hath mocked mine ear.

QUEEN CLYTEMNESTRA.

That Troy-town is a town of Greeks-is ours-now speak I clear?

CHORUS.

Yea, joy upon my spirit steals and challenges the tear.

QUEEN CLYTEMNESTRA.

I know it, for that speaking eye thy loyal soul bewrays.

CHORUS.

But what true token have thy lips to stamp the hopes they raise?

QUEEN CLYTEMNESTRA.

The truth why not?-unless indeed the God hath played us foul.

CHORUS.

What! dost thou homage to the shades of dreams that soothe the soul?

QUEEN CLYTEMNESTRA.

Nay, nay, I take no note nor heed of minds in sleep o'erweighed.

CHORUS.

Then, prithee, what unwinged word 56 hath thee thus lusty made?

QUEEN CLYTEMNESTRA.

A young and brainsick girl am I that thou my mind dost jeer?

CHORUS.

What day, what hour, did old Troy-town fall desolate

and drear?

QUEEN CLYTEMNESTRA.

This night, I say, that bare the day now shining round us here.

CHORUS.

And, Lady, who the messenger that hither speeds so fast?

QUEEN CLYTEMNESTRA.

Hephæstus;-from the Hill of Ide a brilliant blaze he

cast,

And beacon unto beacon called, and on the bale-fire passed.57

First Ida unto Lemnos' isle-then from the Hermæan crag The peak of Jove, tall Athos, took that mighty Meteor

flag;

And onward still, with lightning track that bridged the broad sea's length,"

The jocund Lamp came travelling in the greatness of its strength;

Till lifting, like the sun at noon, its Flame of golden flake,59

Unto Macistus' tower the Pine its sparkling summons

spake.60

Nor slack was he, nor sluggishly forbore due watch to

keep;

Nor failed of his allotted charge, o'ercome by drowsy

sleep:

But fast and far that Beacon-star o'erstept Euripus'

stream,

And to Messapius' Watchers gave the greeting of its gleam.

By fire they answered-and forthwith the Sign sent on

in turn,

High kindling, on its rocky stance, a pile of withered fern :61

And onward still, with ray undimmed, and strength that never slept,

Across Asopus' lowland plain the hurrying Cresset leapt, Then rising, like a

height,

merry moon, upon Citharon's

It wakened, for the Courier-flame, a fresh relay of

light.

Nor blind the watch, nor heedless of the far-transmitted

Flame,

But trimmed afresh, and forward sent, yet brighter than it came :

It flashed along Gorgopis' marsh-up Ægiplanctos shot— With stirring challenge that for lack of food it tarry

not.

Nor called in vain; with might and main, upon the heap they toss

Fresh faggots, and the mighty Beard of Flame send forth, to cross

The Foreland-Cliff that beetleth o'er the deep Saronic Sound,

Broad blazing;-then Arachne's steep it climbed, and, with a bound,

Along the watch-tower summits ran, that gird the city round :

Lit thence, o'er this, the Royal Roof of Atreus' sons, it

plays,

The beam,—in right succession borne from Ida's Parentblaze.63

Thus, snatching each from each their brand, the ready torchmen run,

When, by the first, and by the last, the fiery race is won:64

And thus to thee aright I read yon signal-fire of joyThe token from mine absent Lord;-the gage of conquered Troy !