 | Studies from the Antique and Sketches from Nature |  |
43
BACCHUS AND EVANTHE.
In crimson glory shone the mountain crest,
The lengthening shadows pointed from the west,
'Twas summer eve in Aready the blest.
The lengthening shadows pointed from the west,
'Twas summer eve in Aready the blest.
Bronzed by the sun, with cheeks as red as wine,
Upon a leopard-skin beneath a vine,
Lay lusty Bacchus in the purple shine.
Upon a leopard-skin beneath a vine,
Lay lusty Bacchus in the purple shine.
Amid the clusters of his nut-brown hair,
Round the meridian of his forehead fair,
Circled the ivy-wreath that shepherds wear—
Round the meridian of his forehead fair,
Circled the ivy-wreath that shepherds wear—
An ivy-wreath with roses white and red,
Fresh gathered, moist with dew, their blooms unshed,
Woven amid the tendrils round his head,
Fresh gathered, moist with dew, their blooms unshed,
Woven amid the tendrils round his head,
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By the deft fingers of a maiden sweet,
Child of his love, who, watchful at his feet,
Tended her father's couch on lowly seat.
Child of his love, who, watchful at his feet,
Tended her father's couch on lowly seat.
Lovely Evanthe! with dark eloquent eyes,
And soft cheeks, blushful as the morning skies,
And hair as black as grapes when summer dies.
And soft cheeks, blushful as the morning skies,
And hair as black as grapes when summer dies.
Upon the grass beyond him where he slept,
Frolic and free, the lithe Bacchantes lept
And danced and sang, and frantic revel kept.
Frolic and free, the lithe Bacchantes lept
And danced and sang, and frantic revel kept.
Dishevelled all, with bosoms purple-stained
By overflow of flagons they had drained,
They shrieked delirious joy, half-pleased, half-pained.
By overflow of flagons they had drained,
They shrieked delirious joy, half-pleased, half-pained.
Pan and his joyous Fauns, a roystering crew,
Hairy as barley, gambolled o'er the dew,
And raised from glade and copse the wild halloo.
Hairy as barley, gambolled o'er the dew,
And raised from glade and copse the wild halloo.
Some played the syrinx—some the bugle keen,
Or mellower flute that rippled in between;—
The bounding satyrs struck the tambourine.
Or mellower flute that rippled in between;—
The bounding satyrs struck the tambourine.
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Heavy Silenus—greedier than the swine—
Leered on the sportive nymphs with lustful eyne,
And reeled and hiccoughed from excess of wine.
Leered on the sportive nymphs with lustful eyne,
And reeled and hiccoughed from excess of wine.
The revelry, the music, and the song
Surged up in waves o'er all the festive throng,
But Bacchus slumbered peacefully and long.
Surged up in waves o'er all the festive throng,
But Bacchus slumbered peacefully and long.
And aye his little daughter watched his face,
A star beside the moon, a breathing grace
That shed a silvery lustre o'er the place.
A star beside the moon, a breathing grace
That shed a silvery lustre o'er the place.
At length he wakened with a sudden start,
And ere his heavy eyelids flashed apart,
Knowing her there, he clasped her to his heart.
And ere his heavy eyelids flashed apart,
Knowing her there, he clasped her to his heart.
For never yet, since earthly Time began,
And wild-woods echoed to the voice of Pan,
Did hero, demi-god, or mortal man,
And wild-woods echoed to the voice of Pan,
Did hero, demi-god, or mortal man,
Or ev'n the gods themselves, love woman's child
With love so fervent, true, and undefiled,
As mighty Bacchus loved his daughter mild—
With love so fervent, true, and undefiled,
As mighty Bacchus loved his daughter mild—
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His own Evanthe, little dark-eyed maid,
Nine summers old, in purity arrayed,
Life of his heart, that pulsed but as he bade.
Nine summers old, in purity arrayed,
Life of his heart, that pulsed but as he bade.
He took her in his arms, and kissed her lips;
Then shining forth like sun from an eclipse,
That lights the dark sea and the flashing ships,
Then shining forth like sun from an eclipse,
That lights the dark sea and the flashing ships,
He looked upon the revellers in their rout,
And heard, in all the woodland round about,
The song, the laughter, and the echoing shout.
And heard, in all the woodland round about,
The song, the laughter, and the echoing shout.
His little darling, eager to inquire,
Gazed on the godlike features of her sire,
Alight with majesty and heavenly fire,
Gazed on the godlike features of her sire,
Alight with majesty and heavenly fire,
And asked him, taking courage as she spake—
For in her heart the thought had lain awake
All the long day—a shadow on the lake
For in her heart the thought had lain awake
All the long day—a shadow on the lake
Of her serene pure mind: “My King! my Lord!
My Father! thou so great and so adored,
Tell me,”;she said, “why this unseemly horde,
My Father! thou so great and so adored,
Tell me,”;she said, “why this unseemly horde,
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“With bestial revelry and drunken brawl,
Follow thy steps, and come without thy call,
Boisterous and reckless, and degraded all?
Follow thy steps, and come without thy call,
Boisterous and reckless, and degraded all?
“Why these Bacchantes, insolent and bold,
These rude, rough satyrs, hideous to behold,
And this Silenus, dissolute and old?
These rude, rough satyrs, hideous to behold,
And this Silenus, dissolute and old?
“Thou art all sunshine—they like storm and cloud;
Thou art all goodness, they a wicked crowd;
Why do they follow thee, and shout aloud
Thou art all goodness, they a wicked crowd;
Why do they follow thee, and shout aloud
“In honour of thy name, which they degrade?”
And Bacchus smiled: “Mine own, my little maid,
Not much thou knowest in our greenwood shade
And Bacchus smiled: “Mine own, my little maid,
Not much thou knowest in our greenwood shade
“Of wide-world wickedness and mortal woe,
Why lightnings flash, and why the tempests blow;
And sweetest! fairest! may'st thou never know!
Why lightnings flash, and why the tempests blow;
And sweetest! fairest! may'st thou never know!
“Let it suffice to learn that man, who deems
His virtues perfect, knows not how he dreams,
And that straight lines but lead him to extremes.
His virtues perfect, knows not how he dreams,
And that straight lines but lead him to extremes.
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“His love becomes his lust, his prudence, fear,
His courage, rashness; and his pride severe,
Conceit and arrogance and scorn austere;
His courage, rashness; and his pride severe,
Conceit and arrogance and scorn austere;
“His caution, cowardice; his justice, ire;
His mercy, weakness; each uncurbed desire
A spark to burn in desolating fire.
His mercy, weakness; each uncurbed desire
A spark to burn in desolating fire.
“And I, my child, who long have taught mankind,
How to enjoy the blessings that they find
Spread o'er the world for body and for mind,
How to enjoy the blessings that they find
Spread o'er the world for body and for mind,
“I, who have taught them how to plough the field,
To tend the vines, and drink the juice they yield
For strength and joy—for stimulant and shield—
To tend the vines, and drink the juice they yield
For strength and joy—for stimulant and shield—
“Have ever found them foolish and perverse:
They know the better, but they choose the worse,
And turn my choicest blessings to a curse.
They know the better, but they choose the worse,
And turn my choicest blessings to a curse.
“They use not, but abuse the gift divine,
Degrade their manhood, and like senseless swine
Grovel and wallow and go mad with wine.
Degrade their manhood, and like senseless swine
Grovel and wallow and go mad with wine.
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“So, when in harvest-time I show my face
In pastoral vale or busy market-place,
To teach the crowd the dignity and grace
In pastoral vale or busy market-place,
To teach the crowd the dignity and grace
“Of heavenly Temperance and healthful Use,
I bring the bestial appetites profuse,
In shape of Fauns and Satyrs running loose
I bring the bestial appetites profuse,
In shape of Fauns and Satyrs running loose
“In drunken riot; the Bacchantes wild,
And old Silenus, greedy and defiled,
Example on example heaped and piled,
And old Silenus, greedy and defiled,
Example on example heaped and piled,
“Of the deep sin and error of excess;—
The people see; and while my name they bless,
Shudder at vice and loathe its hideousness.”
The people see; and while my name they bless,
Shudder at vice and loathe its hideousness.”
| Studies from the Antique and Sketches from Nature | |