University of Virginia Library

Admetus, king of men, uprose at morn,
Unrested, unrefreshed, and vigil-worn,
And called his councillors and trusted friends,
His skilful fashioners of means to ends,
To aid him in the darkness of a doubt,
And clear a pathway to the light without,
And disentangle the perplexing chain
Of public peril that oppressed his brain.

He talked—they talked; — but from their talk upsprang
Nor aid, nor cheer, nor aught but wordy clang
And windy argument. He smote his head,
Despairing of their help. “Begone!”;he said,
“And I will pour the story of my grief
To one whose wisdom shall afford relief—
A youth whose lightest word or idlest thought
Reveals more judgment than the years have brought
To greybeards such as you, who never learn
A new experience, and refuse to turn
Out of the ancient ruts in which you toil
To evener paths across untrodden soil.”

“Who, and whence comes this wonder of the land?”
Said one whose place was at the king's right hand;
“This marvellous boy, whom eye hath never seen,
Except the king's, and in whose soul serene
Wisdom hath found her throne?”;The king replied,
Cheerily, calmly, and forbore to chide,
“A shepherd boy, as fair as morning light,
Who tends my flocks upon the mountain height—
My servant and my friend.”;Each looked at each,
And said with glancees eloquent as speech,
“The kingis crazed; much care hath driven him wild.”
Admetus understood them; but he smiled
Contemptuous, and went forth from them alone
To the bleak moorland and the mossy stone,
Where oft at sunrise sat the shepherd boy,
To gaze upon its light, as if 't were joy
And duty both in one, to hail and bless
Its first faint radiance in the wilderness.

Admetus found him, facing the full orb,
Drinking the rays as if he would absorb
The sunshine, till it pierced through all his frame,
And lit his human flesh with heavenly flame.
Divine he seemed, but sad; his eye of fire
Shot sparkles of unsatisfied desire,
As t'ward the sun he turned; but when he saw
The king approaching, and the love and awe
That mingled in his face, a smile benign
Lit him all over. “Friend and master mine,
I've thought of thee the long, long summer day,
And grieve to quit thee—for I must away—
Back to my native home. But tell me now,
O king, with care and sorrow on thy brow,
And countless councillors to aid thee ever
Through all the tangled mazes of cndeavour,
Why hast thou sought me—me, a shepherd youth,
Poor and unknown, to guide thee to the truth
Thy courtiers cannot find?”;Replied the king—
“Because I found thee fruitful as the spring
In modest wisdom, charity, and love,
And all the virtues of the gods above;
And more than all, because when I would choose
To take unto my heart, and never lose,
A friend indeed, he must be man of men,
Of lion-heart, dove-eye, and eagle-ken—
A man, whatever be his rank or birth,
By Heaven predoomed to sanctify the earth.
Such have I found thee, herding on the hill
My sheep and beeves; and such I find thee still,
Nobler in poverty and mean estate
Than all the kings who enter at my gate.”

“True friend of Man, and searcher of the heart,”
Replied the shepherd boy, “though I depart—
My penance done—and seek my heavenly bowers,
Know, thou hast harboured in his evil hours,
A banished god. Admetus! close thine eyes,
Lest thou behold, this day, without disguise,
Apollo in his glory, and be slain
By the too fatal splendour, veiled in vain,
To save from doom, pronounced since Time began,
The too presumptuous and unhappy man
Who'd gaze upon the gods!”;Admetus knew
That a god spake; and kneeling in the dew,
Covered his reverent face; while from afar
A voice came floating from the morning star,
Which said, in words that seemed to wave and roll
In seas of music through his listening soul—
“Admetus! king of men! when evil days
Afflict thy spirit, turn thy hopeful gaze
To judging Heaven, and know that thou shalt find
Friends in the gods, for friendship to mankind!”