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THE MARRIAGE OF PELEUS:
A Lay of Ancient Greece.
What time the bold idea fired the youth of ancient Greece
To go to distant Colchis and seize the Golden Fleece,
They turned their eyes to Pelion, on whose high ridges stood
A forest of the virgin pine in stately sisterhood.
To go to distant Colchis and seize the Golden Fleece,
They turned their eyes to Pelion, on whose high ridges stood
A forest of the virgin pine in stately sisterhood.
Then axe in hand they scaled the slopes to where the pinetrees grew,
And quick and thick around their strokes the chips of firwood flew,
Till they had hewn of timber a rich and ample store,
And dragged the daughters of the hill down to the sounding shore;
And there they wrought with silent zeal as if they all were dumb,
Till they had framed the famous ship that first on ocean swum.
And quick and thick around their strokes the chips of firwood flew,
Till they had hewn of timber a rich and ample store,
And dragged the daughters of the hill down to the sounding shore;
And there they wrought with silent zeal as if they all were dumb,
Till they had framed the famous ship that first on ocean swum.
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The Goddess of the Helmet and of the Brandished Steel,—
She taught them first to fix the mast and form the curving keel;
Not for ignoble trade, be sure, but for all-glorious war
Was fashioned with Minerva's aid the first great Ocean Car!
She taught them first to fix the mast and form the curving keel;
Not for ignoble trade, be sure, but for all-glorious war
Was fashioned with Minerva's aid the first great Ocean Car!
Now sprang each rower to his bench and bent a lusty oar,
While seaward with adventurous leap the Argo shot from shore;
The ship unerring from the launch that churned the seas to foam
Swung round to East at once, as if far Colchis were her home!
While seaward with adventurous leap the Argo shot from shore;
The ship unerring from the launch that churned the seas to foam
Swung round to East at once, as if far Colchis were her home!
The hills of Greece were still in view, and daylight still was clear
When sea-nymphs rising from the deep, a wondrous sight, appear;
A wondrous sight to the bold youths as ever met their view,
Nor to the nymphs less wonderful this marvel strange and new.
When sea-nymphs rising from the deep, a wondrous sight, appear;
A wondrous sight to the bold youths as ever met their view,
Nor to the nymphs less wonderful this marvel strange and new.
Their snow-white breasts, amid the whirl and foam of waters vext,
Surround the ship, a circle fair, for that day and the next,
Till Peleus, smit with Thetis' charms, the loveliest of the train,
A mortal her immortal loved, and was beloved again!
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Till Peleus, smit with Thetis' charms, the loveliest of the train,
A mortal her immortal loved, and was beloved again!
But this was in the glorious burst and golden dawn of Time,
When manly grace and mortal strength were in their vigorous prime,
When men were rivals of the gods, nor with them vainly strove,
That Thetis gave to Peleus the hand she kept from Jove;
Nor did the match to Tethys beneath her daughter seem,
And the great God forbade it not that guides the oceanstream!
When manly grace and mortal strength were in their vigorous prime,
When men were rivals of the gods, nor with them vainly strove,
That Thetis gave to Peleus the hand she kept from Jove;
Nor did the match to Tethys beneath her daughter seem,
And the great God forbade it not that guides the oceanstream!
And now drew nigh the nuptial day when from the salt-sea foam
Peleus should lead his Nereid bride to his Thessalian home,
And all the youth of Thessaly with offerings in their hand
Came forth in holiday attire to welcome them to land,—
From farm and village far remote, from islets sundered wide,—
To greet to land Prince Peleus, and his fair Ocean Bride.
Peleus should lead his Nereid bride to his Thessalian home,
And all the youth of Thessaly with offerings in their hand
Came forth in holiday attire to welcome them to land,—
From farm and village far remote, from islets sundered wide,—
To greet to land Prince Peleus, and his fair Ocean Bride.
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The men of Scyros left their tools among the marble blocks,
Through Tempë's valley bleating roamed the undistinguished flocks,
Larissa from her southern gate sent forth a joyous throng,
And gay from castled Cronon the people trooped along!
Through Tempë's valley bleating roamed the undistinguished flocks,
Larissa from her southern gate sent forth a joyous throng,
And gay from castled Cronon the people trooped along!
On topmost Ossa you might stand and view the country round,—
You might not spy in any field a tiller of the ground:
The bondaged ox, with traces swinging loosely from his flanks,
Stood aimless in the shallow stream, or lowing on the banks;
The mattock's clang was silent among the copper mines,
The sunlight streamed through lonely groves and solitary vines;
The plough was in mid-furrow left, the share was red with rust,—
That day the careless sons of toil forsook their ancient trust.
You might not spy in any field a tiller of the ground:
The bondaged ox, with traces swinging loosely from his flanks,
Stood aimless in the shallow stream, or lowing on the banks;
The mattock's clang was silent among the copper mines,
The sunlight streamed through lonely groves and solitary vines;
The plough was in mid-furrow left, the share was red with rust,—
That day the careless sons of toil forsook their ancient trust.
But if the farms were lonely, the vineyards dull that day,
What shouts arose, what laughing rang along the public way
Where dalesman met with mountaineer, and maiden of the town
Beheld with curious eye askance her sister of the down;
And all on far-converging paths looked forth with joyful eye
To where Pharsala's lordly towers salute the purple sky!
What shouts arose, what laughing rang along the public way
Where dalesman met with mountaineer, and maiden of the town
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And all on far-converging paths looked forth with joyful eye
To where Pharsala's lordly towers salute the purple sky!
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