 | Pygmalion |  |
140
BOOK X.
Well timed, Pygmalion, is your coming here!
I wanted some clear judgment on this shield.
First note the size is larger than prevails;
Centre more raised, while smoothly at the rim
Returning forward in a gentle curve.
I wanted some clear judgment on this shield.
First note the size is larger than prevails;
Centre more raised, while smoothly at the rim
Returning forward in a gentle curve.
Now, you will ask, O Crito, why this change?
And my reply is what these eyes have seen.
In many a stubborn contest; arrows sharp,
And mightily thrown spears, have glinted off
And struck the men behind, sometimes to death.
Whereas this curve would check the shafts so they
Fell harmless, or at worst would swerve length-wise
And strike those near; but blow from staff of ash
Is unlike prick of steel.
And my reply is what these eyes have seen.
In many a stubborn contest; arrows sharp,
And mightily thrown spears, have glinted off
And struck the men behind, sometimes to death.
Whereas this curve would check the shafts so they
Fell harmless, or at worst would swerve length-wise
And strike those near; but blow from staff of ash
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Fair on its face
Your new device, and fair the arguments:
But why allow so many seasons pass
Ere you, O Crito, brought your shield to proof?
Your new device, and fair the arguments:
But why allow so many seasons pass
Ere you, O Crito, brought your shield to proof?
My reasons are but these. In battle's crash
We scarcely heed a thousand things we see,
So grimly set on holding to our lives,
And taking those opposed. The fighting done,
The other thousand things we have to do
Leave scanty time for memories. At length,
When order reassumes authority,
And we ourselves can give to our affairs,
Instead of wandering in the past, we find
The present swallows up our energies
Healing the gaps in fortune; or by use
Of fortune's favours we have gained by war.
We scarcely heed a thousand things we see,
So grimly set on holding to our lives,
And taking those opposed. The fighting done,
The other thousand things we have to do
Leave scanty time for memories. At length,
When order reassumes authority,
And we ourselves can give to our affairs,
Instead of wandering in the past, we find
The present swallows up our energies
Healing the gaps in fortune; or by use
Of fortune's favours we have gained by war.
But when a man is old, and knows his time
Now short among his fellows, comes to him
Desire to do some service ere he die.
And in this sunset of my life old friends
In arms, dim shades of ancient long-ago,
Come thronging, faces pale, regarding me;
And one slain by a spear glanced from my shield
Brought this device to mind. And now I hope
This may save others in the years to come.
Now short among his fellows, comes to him
Desire to do some service ere he die.
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In arms, dim shades of ancient long-ago,
Come thronging, faces pale, regarding me;
And one slain by a spear glanced from my shield
Brought this device to mind. And now I hope
This may save others in the years to come.
But stay: Pygmalion does not look himself:
Your eyes move restlessly; your face is pale:
Safe the great Matron's and Ianthe's health?
At those loved names a ray of pleasantness
Your eyes move restlessly; your face is pale:
Safe the great Matron's and Ianthe's health?
Lighted his countenance as he replied:
Of pure and perfect health as birds in song
But I am somewhat troubled by cold smiles,
Or no smiles, and coarse scowls instead; but why
And wherefore nought can tell. Friends I thought kind,
Who hitherto responded graciously
To courtesies of mine, now darkly smirk;
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Or standing by forget Pygmalion lives.
Another passing drops his face on breast
Plunged in profoundest thought; whose thought erewhile
Had never risen beyond his sandal strings.
And twos will talk of things above my head
As if too high for me to understand.
Or if I question some give half replies
And start away on sudden business bound.
Others in laughing converse, when I near,
Cease, and compose their masks to unconcern.
While much of this I have for long observed,
And passed it by as fancy, or as chance;
But now at length I know there must be root
And widely spread to grow such evil fruit
Of rudeness, spite, and hate, so come to you,
My wisest and most ancient friend, for help
To dig this mandrake from its hold and find
The planter, and to what his purpose trends.
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Pygmalion, no hot-brained witling you!
Quick of offence, and ready to resent:
But calm and equable in intercourse;
Less willing to reprove than take reproof:
And gentle often when you might be stern
With reasonable profit to your state:
Therefore, maintaining justice of your plaint,
I know some mischief-workers must have sown
What bear these Protean discourtesies.
Quick of offence, and ready to resent:
But calm and equable in intercourse;
Less willing to reprove than take reproof:
And gentle often when you might be stern
With reasonable profit to your state:
Therefore, maintaining justice of your plaint,
I know some mischief-workers must have sown
What bear these Protean discourtesies.
Some rumours have I heard the statue men
Are disconcerted by unseemly fears
Their markets may be broken up and closed
Should this new art of making statues live
Kindle the people to demand of them
Like statues they would dread to undertake.
Are disconcerted by unseemly fears
Their markets may be broken up and closed
Should this new art of making statues live
Kindle the people to demand of them
Like statues they would dread to undertake.
These rumours until now I flouted off
As meaningless; vagaries ever rife
When any new thing fires the populace.
My business now I make to search and probe
This ulcer; nor will stop till I release
The aggregated mischief; or discern
Its nature and its cause immediate.
As meaningless; vagaries ever rife
When any new thing fires the populace.
My business now I make to search and probe
This ulcer; nor will stop till I release
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Its nature and its cause immediate.
I have a sister's son, an orphan now;
No vice has he, but skittish as a colt;
And, save in things of weight, heeds me no whit,
In statue matters more especially.
He drifted in and joined a knot of youths
Fierce in archaic quaint proclivities;
Brazen of speech, and truculent in stare
On those infatuate, blind to Iris wings
In dusty darkness; in hoar ignorance
The wisdom and the wit! And age with them
Must be far back indeed; for Daedalus
They hold is far too free; his statues have
Too much of motion for archaic truth;
The only truth select ones care to know.
No vice has he, but skittish as a colt;
And, save in things of weight, heeds me no whit,
In statue matters more especially.
He drifted in and joined a knot of youths
Fierce in archaic quaint proclivities;
Brazen of speech, and truculent in stare
On those infatuate, blind to Iris wings
In dusty darkness; in hoar ignorance
The wisdom and the wit! And age with them
Must be far back indeed; for Daedalus
They hold is far too free; his statues have
Too much of motion for archaic truth;
The only truth select ones care to know.
Of this same sportive youth I will command
He sift archaic friends, and make research
To learn what this base comedy may mean.
To-morrow, the next day, or after that,
Should I not strike the vein before, I will
Disturb Pygmalion at his God-making
And open scroll of what I may collect.
Farewell, dear Crito; with those calm clear eyes,
He sift archaic friends, and make research
To learn what this base comedy may mean.
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Should I not strike the vein before, I will
Disturb Pygmalion at his God-making
And open scroll of what I may collect.
With that experienced head, the matter must
Be tangled beyond hope, and deftly hid
That you cannot unravel and descry.
One day; another; and another fled,
Yet came no Crito to Pygmalion,
Who, in the amber glow that warmed the fourth
At sunset mused,
Yet came no Crito to Pygmalion,
Who, in the amber glow that warmed the fourth
At sunset mused,
The poision bags were found
Harder to gather from the serpent fangs
Than Crito had believed. He hoped his friend
Would take no risk or insult in his zeal
To serve his well-beloved friend's only son!
Harder to gather from the serpent fangs
Than Crito had believed. He hoped his friend
Would take no risk or insult in his zeal
To serve his well-beloved friend's only son!
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So far had ambled on his thoughts when he
Beheld Lord Crito and Orsines both
Toward coming, Crito pale unwontedly.
Beheld Lord Crito and Orsines both
Toward coming, Crito pale unwontedly.
Taking the old man's hands, he asked
How fares
My Lord, he lacks his wonted calm? And I,
Orsines, miss your customary cheer!
Pygmalion, what I thought but clattering
My Lord, he lacks his wonted calm? And I,
Orsines, miss your customary cheer!
The wooden swords of youth in sportfulness,
I find no boy's play now; but grip of steel
And deadly hate. Murder is what they mean.
Hate stealing on to murder: and for what?
That you shall hear; and hearing have your mind
Expanded by the knowledge you shall learn.
Expanded by the knowledge you shall learn.
This youth of mine, whom now I find not quite
So innocent and simple as I thought,
Needed but feather touching to entice
His ugly secrets forth: for flippancy
And vanity combined to flatter him
He moved in matters of a high concern.
So innocent and simple as I thought,
Needed but feather touching to entice
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And vanity combined to flatter him
He moved in matters of a high concern.
It seems one Bacis with much care and pains
Made a design to show the Priests how he
Would run a frieze along their Temple walls:
And all declare Pygmalion's influence
Alone debarred the youth from just reward;
Priests being favourable, Pygmalion not.
Made a design to show the Priests how he
Would run a frieze along their Temple walls:
And all declare Pygmalion's influence
Alone debarred the youth from just reward;
Priests being favourable, Pygmalion not.
They say that you keep haughtily aloof,
Mixing at no time in their games and feasts.
Likewise if one demand of you advice,
You give it plainly with no view to please;
Unheeding that a statue-maker lives
As much by praise as food he takes in mouth.
In like wise this same Hebe you have made
Is some dark trick to serve the Mysteries.
And monstrous praises Priests and populace
Bestow on you belong of right to them.
Should this new art of stratagem succeed,
Inflaming people's taste with new disease,
Where can they find a market for their work?
They are not rich enough they say, to dare
Murder young maidens and mix up their blood
With clay, and thus to make their statues live!
Blood! Blood! they say must be atoned in blood;
The How, and When is silence; we shall see!
When my glib youth had got thus far he stopped
Mixing at no time in their games and feasts.
Likewise if one demand of you advice,
You give it plainly with no view to please;
Unheeding that a statue-maker lives
As much by praise as food he takes in mouth.
In like wise this same Hebe you have made
Is some dark trick to serve the Mysteries.
And monstrous praises Priests and populace
Bestow on you belong of right to them.
Should this new art of stratagem succeed,
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Where can they find a market for their work?
They are not rich enough they say, to dare
Murder young maidens and mix up their blood
With clay, and thus to make their statues live!
Blood! Blood! they say must be atoned in blood;
The How, and When is silence; we shall see!
Dead short and blushed. I saw he went beyond
Intention; from his loosened tongue had slipped
What he had fain concealed. Then promptly I
Forbade all future intercourse between
Archaics and himself. To make secure
I kept him to his chamber, guard at door:
Where he will stay till our needs call him forth.
None but a fool, or evil one will act
On news enormous without aid of sure
Supporting strength in proof. I thought: then went
To seek this Bacis: found him squat amid
A gruff and grisly set in close discourse.
They ceased on seeing me, and with their eyes
Scowled their inquiries wherefore had I come?
On news enormous without aid of sure
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To seek this Bacis: found him squat amid
A gruff and grisly set in close discourse.
They ceased on seeing me, and with their eyes
Scowled their inquiries wherefore had I come?
As this was war I used my warlike arts;
My youth, I told them wasted too much time,
And hoped they would not harbour him, as I
Had studies for my youth to learn that now
Were all or part neglected. More of this
To same effect. Then I began to note
The statues there on stands, and works on walls.
For all they cared my words might well have been
The outside wind that blew. Lightly I passed
To this new Hebe of Pygmalion,
And lurid light so swiftly flew thro' all,
I almost heard the flashing of their eyes,
Showing how nearly lay the matter there.
It might be chance, but I young Bacis saw
Fumble his sword-hilt lying close beside.
Then, no preliminaries, all at once
Began in rough loud tones to talk and shout
Of nothing but the weather, fish, and ships;
The costliness of wine with this last fail
Of grape. I left them in a hot debate
If vintage or corn harvest made most gold.
My youth, I told them wasted too much time,
And hoped they would not harbour him, as I
Had studies for my youth to learn that now
Were all or part neglected. More of this
To same effect. Then I began to note
The statues there on stands, and works on walls.
For all they cared my words might well have been
The outside wind that blew. Lightly I passed
To this new Hebe of Pygmalion,
And lurid light so swiftly flew thro' all,
I almost heard the flashing of their eyes,
Showing how nearly lay the matter there.
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Fumble his sword-hilt lying close beside.
Then, no preliminaries, all at once
Began in rough loud tones to talk and shout
Of nothing but the weather, fish, and ships;
The costliness of wine with this last fail
Of grape. I left them in a hot debate
If vintage or corn harvest made most gold.
Had Hades gaped and loosed her fiends, the cast
Were less destestable than this foul reek
Of midden heatedness and gutter slush!
Were less destestable than this foul reek
Of midden heatedness and gutter slush!
Lies are built up by liars pleasantly;
They give their lies whatever form they please,
But ugly always. On these shapes they stick
In flagrant spots a few bright specks of truth.
Forth wend the lies with maggot life endowed,
And multiply with such amazing speed,
Man's whole life from the cradle to the grave
Is plagued by wingëd ones, or lies that crawl.
And little as it takes to make a lie,
That lie may take a man's lifetime to kill.
They give their lies whatever form they please,
But ugly always. On these shapes they stick
In flagrant spots a few bright specks of truth.
Forth wend the lies with maggot life endowed,
And multiply with such amazing speed,
Man's whole life from the cradle to the grave
Is plagued by wingëd ones, or lies that crawl.
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That lie may take a man's lifetime to kill.
Of this same Bacis I will tell the tale.
Long since Orsines in athletic zest
Seeking young athlete of some small renown,
In quarters where our thieves and lowly dwell,
Saw sitting cross-legged by the gutter side
A sharp-eyed boy making men's heads in clay.
Orsines thought he had unearthed a gem
So rare it must be ground and fitly set
To edify mankind. Orsines knew
My faith in baseborns weak; but urged this gem
Was an exception, proved my rule was true,
For who before had known an ill-bred bird
Hawking at statues, that belong to Gods!
Fondly, reluctantly, I then agreed
To buoy his ardent whim, and sent the lad
Where best he might be taught the statue work.
Long since Orsines in athletic zest
Seeking young athlete of some small renown,
In quarters where our thieves and lowly dwell,
Saw sitting cross-legged by the gutter side
A sharp-eyed boy making men's heads in clay.
Orsines thought he had unearthed a gem
So rare it must be ground and fitly set
To edify mankind. Orsines knew
My faith in baseborns weak; but urged this gem
Was an exception, proved my rule was true,
For who before had known an ill-bred bird
Hawking at statues, that belong to Gods!
Fondly, reluctantly, I then agreed
To buoy his ardent whim, and sent the lad
Where best he might be taught the statue work.
To those who know but little statue craft,
Who are, my Crito, nearly all we know,
His progress was a marvel. He by work
Dexterously instinctive soon outran
By rapid ways the rest. I tried to keep
Him in the ancient paths with no avail;
As I foresaw he could no higher rise
Unless with broader base to build upon.
As chances came in many ways I gave
What help I could and thought he lived content.
Who are, my Crito, nearly all we know,
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Dexterously instinctive soon outran
By rapid ways the rest. I tried to keep
Him in the ancient paths with no avail;
As I foresaw he could no higher rise
Unless with broader base to build upon.
As chances came in many ways I gave
What help I could and thought he lived content.
When on Athena's Temple Priests proposed
To have some friezes carved, young Bacis sent
Designs of mortals going to sacrifice,
Which did not please them: but as Bacis said
The Lord Pygmalion would be gratified
Should they entrust him with their holy work
The High Priest thought best ask of me direct.
To have some friezes carved, young Bacis sent
Designs of mortals going to sacrifice,
Which did not please them: but as Bacis said
The Lord Pygmalion would be gratified
Should they entrust him with their holy work
The High Priest thought best ask of me direct.
I could in no way sanction such a feat
On any sacred fane. It was grotesque,
Ridiculous. Maidens with hanging jaws
Weak in the neck. Men of thin breasts and arms,
But round the belly large; short in the legs.
Throughout their lengths limbs almost of one size,
Ignobleness impressed on every part.
On any sacred fane. It was grotesque,
Ridiculous. Maidens with hanging jaws
Weak in the neck. Men of thin breasts and arms,
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Throughout their lengths limbs almost of one size,
Ignobleness impressed on every part.
For this must Bacis not the least be blamed.
He drew but what his eyes had mostly seen;
Women so poor in blood their heads drop down;
Showing the emptiest ignorance of life
In beings fit to share the sacrifice.
Men who lounge in the houses of their wares
All day, no exercises, do perforce
Grow unheroically stout. And he
Having no inborn nobleness, or light
To compensate original defects,
And wanting also simple modesty
To feel and conquer birth deficiencies,
The end was such presentment as I say.
He drew but what his eyes had mostly seen;
Women so poor in blood their heads drop down;
Showing the emptiest ignorance of life
In beings fit to share the sacrifice.
Men who lounge in the houses of their wares
All day, no exercises, do perforce
Grow unheroically stout. And he
Having no inborn nobleness, or light
To compensate original defects,
And wanting also simple modesty
To feel and conquer birth deficiencies,
The end was such presentment as I say.
To our chief potter I commended him
Who cheerfully gave work of comic heads
Fashioned to pots, and any odd device
His fancy might invent, which products would
Be taken in large numbers by the crowd;
And thus appealing unto those he knew
Them he would gladden and enrich himself.
But guard the Gods I will from such as he.
I who would consecrate estate and life
To Gods could scarcely sacrifice the Gods
To profit Bacis.
Who cheerfully gave work of comic heads
Fashioned to pots, and any odd device
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Be taken in large numbers by the crowd;
And thus appealing unto those he knew
Them he would gladden and enrich himself.
But guard the Gods I will from such as he.
I who would consecrate estate and life
To Gods could scarcely sacrifice the Gods
To profit Bacis.
Truly, Crito cried,
His tale is told. All but Orsines know
A fish on land is but an awkward beast.
But fair to tell, when of these fishy freaks
Orsines heard, he vowed him every chance
To prove his fishy nature in the sea.
Yes, and had done so had you not forbade!His tale is told. All but Orsines know
A fish on land is but an awkward beast.
But fair to tell, when of these fishy freaks
Orsines heard, he vowed him every chance
To prove his fishy nature in the sea.
What mean these knaves that I mix in no games?
I mix in every public game, and am
One of the Chiefs; made one by better skill!
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Is the inanity of recklessness.
Those who have nothing have the fewest cares;
But I have vineyards, corn countries, and woods;
Store-houses, quays, an active fleet of ships;
All which, tho' I have trusty heads, demand
Some thought of me, and that too, closely given.
Without your statues I should say you had
More than enough to keep the best at work.
Orsines, no: the more we have to do
Better we do it and more rapidly.
The mind beats into higher pace and flies
With less exertion winged at utmost speed.
Better we do it and more rapidly.
The mind beats into higher pace and flies
With less exertion winged at utmost speed.
As to my giving plain advice when asked,
I never treat these knaves but as I wish
These knaves to treat me should I ask advice;
And, save in fortune, which is luck of wheel,
Had shrunk from holding one of them as less
Than I myself am till I found them rogues.
I never treat these knaves but as I wish
These knaves to treat me should I ask advice;
And, save in fortune, which is luck of wheel,
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Than I myself am till I found them rogues.
As to my praise, I utter all I can,
And cannot lie even to flatter knaves.
The dread their market may be spoiled by me
Is needless fear, the foolish are with them.
And cannot lie even to flatter knaves.
The dread their market may be spoiled by me
Is needless fear, the foolish are with them.
Regarding this blood murder business, that
Might prove a sling in awkward slinger's fist.
But loved Pygmalion make us promise you
Might prove a sling in awkward slinger's fist.
Will not walk public ways without your sword.
Promise I make, let that content you both.
| Pygmalion | |