The Flood of Thessaly The Girl of Provence, and Other Poems. By Barry Cornwall [i.e. Bryan Waller Procter] |
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 | The Flood of Thessaly |  |
Following, and as the Magi walk, came two,
Hermes and Zoroaster, deemed sun-born,
Wise as the ever-watching stars, grave, pale,
And shrouded round by superstitious breath,
Which bade believe that each one was a God,
No less, and could dispense empire and death,
Riches, large joy, and charms from every ill.
These passed; when, like some picture where each shape
Looks so o'er-mastered that life stirs in all,
Athens from out a circular cloud up-sprang
Bravely, and shewed her temples all and streets,
Thro' which proud glorious men walked—one by one,
Else in bright throngs, as ages brought them forth
With exultation and no painful throes:
Kings, princes, and the soldiers of all states
(Not Athens alone, but Thebes and Macedon,
Corinth and Sparta and the rest) were seen
Conspicuous in their shining steel, but most
Great poets and grave-eyed philosophers
Shone thro' the dream like stars, and lit the land
With beauty and truth; for well sage Themis knew
Virtue is first and knowledge before arms,
Or power, or wealth, or strength in battle shewn.
—Cadmus, of that immortal throng the head
And leader, (for we pass all meaner tribes)
Stood with those wondrous letters in his hand
By which bright thought was in its quick flight stopped,
And saved from perishing. Amphion next
Came with his lute, and Linus fiercely slain,
And Orpheus, Thracian shepherd, who made stay
Swift rivers in their flow, until too cold
The lewd Bacchantes down the Hebrus' stream
Rolled his dissevered head, which uttered still
‘Eurydice!’—and then Alcæus passed,
Thales, and Sappho, whose so passionate song
Failed, tho' all fire, to stir the senseless boy
Phaon, and so the amorous Lesbian died.
Hermes and Zoroaster, deemed sun-born,
Wise as the ever-watching stars, grave, pale,
And shrouded round by superstitious breath,
Which bade believe that each one was a God,
67
Riches, large joy, and charms from every ill.
These passed; when, like some picture where each shape
Looks so o'er-mastered that life stirs in all,
Athens from out a circular cloud up-sprang
Bravely, and shewed her temples all and streets,
Thro' which proud glorious men walked—one by one,
Else in bright throngs, as ages brought them forth
With exultation and no painful throes:
Kings, princes, and the soldiers of all states
(Not Athens alone, but Thebes and Macedon,
Corinth and Sparta and the rest) were seen
Conspicuous in their shining steel, but most
Great poets and grave-eyed philosophers
Shone thro' the dream like stars, and lit the land
With beauty and truth; for well sage Themis knew
Virtue is first and knowledge before arms,
Or power, or wealth, or strength in battle shewn.
—Cadmus, of that immortal throng the head
And leader, (for we pass all meaner tribes)
Stood with those wondrous letters in his hand
68
And saved from perishing. Amphion next
Came with his lute, and Linus fiercely slain,
And Orpheus, Thracian shepherd, who made stay
Swift rivers in their flow, until too cold
The lewd Bacchantes down the Hebrus' stream
Rolled his dissevered head, which uttered still
‘Eurydice!’—and then Alcæus passed,
Thales, and Sappho, whose so passionate song
Failed, tho' all fire, to stir the senseless boy
Phaon, and so the amorous Lesbian died.
| The Flood of Thessaly | |