February

While Eros in his chamber hid his tears,Mourning the loss of Psyche and her fate,The rumour of her safety reacht his earsAnd how she came to Aphrodite's gate:Whereat with hope return'd his hardihood,And secretly he purposed while he coudHimself to save her from the goddess' hate.

Then learning what he might and guessing more,His ready wit came soon to understandThe journey to the far Laconian shore;Whither to fly and seek his love he plan'd:And making good escape in dark of night,Ere the sun crost his true meridian flightHe by Teuthronè struck the southern strand.

There as it chanct he found that snowy birdOf Crete, that late made mischief with his queen,And now along the cliffs with wings unstir'dSail'd, and that morn had cross'd the sea between:Whom as he past he hail'd, and question'd thus,'O snowy gull, if thou from TænarusBe come, say, hast thou there my Psyche seen?'

The gull replied 'Thy Psyche have I seen;Walking beside the sea she joy'th to bearA pyx of dark obsidian's rarest green,Wherein she gazeth on her features fair.She is not hence by now six miles at most.'Then Eros bade him speed, and down the coastHeld on his passage through the buoyant air.

With eager eye he search'd the salty marge,Boding all mischief from his mother's glee;And wondering of her wiles, and what the chargeShut in the dark obsidian pyx might be.And lo! at last, outstretch'd beside the rocks,Psyche as lifeless; and the open boxLaid with the weedy refuse of the sea.

He guess'd all, flew down, and beside her knelt,With both his hands stroking her temples wan;And for the poison with his fingers felt,And drew it gently from her; and anonShe slowly from those Stygian fumes was freed;Which he with magic handling and good heedReplaced in pyx, and shut the lid thereon.

'O Psyche,' thus, and kissing her he cried,'O simple-hearted Psyche, once againHast thou thy foolish longing gratified,A second time hath prying been thy bane.But lo! I, love, am come, for I am thine:Nor ever more shall any fate malign,Or spite of goddess smite our love in twain.

'Let now that I have saved thee twice outweighThe once that I deserted thee: and thouHast much obey'd for once to disobey,And wilt no more my bidding disallow.Take up thy pyx; to Aphrodite go,And claim the promise of thy mighty foe;Maybe that she will grant it to thee now.

'If she should yet refuse, despair not yet!'Then Psyche, when she felt his arms restoreTheir old embrace, and as their bodies met,Knew the great joy that grief is pardon'd for;And how it doth first ecstasy excel,When love well-known, long-lost, and mournèd wellIn long days of no hope, comes home once more.

But Eros leaping up with purpose keenInto the air, as only love can fly,Bore her to heaven, and setting her unseenAt Aphrodite's golden gate,--wherebyThey came as night was close on twilight dim,--There left, and bidding her say nought of himWent onward to the house of Zeus most high.

Where winning audience of the heavenly sire,Who well disposed to him was used to be,He told the story of his strong desire;And boldly begg'd that Zeus would grant his pleaThat he might have sweet Psyche for his wife,And she be dower'd with immortal life,Since she was worthy, by his firm decree.

And great Zeus smiled; and at the smile of ZeusAll heaven was glad, and on the earth belowWas calm and peace awhile and sorrow's truce:The sun shone forth and smote the winter snow,The flowërs sprang, the birds gan sing and pair,And mortals, as they drew the brighten'd air,Marvel'd, and quite forgot their common woe.

Yet gave the Thunderer not his full consentWithout some words: 'At length is come the day,'Thus spake he, 'when for all thy youth misspent,Thy mischief-making and thy wanton playThou art upgrown to taste the sweet and sour:Good shall it work upon thee: from this hourLook we for better things. And this I say,

'That since thy birth, which all we took for bliss,Thou hast but mock'd us; and no less on meHast brought disfavour and contempt, ywiss,Than others that have had to do with thee:Till only such as vow'd themselves aloofFrom thee and thine were held in good approof;And few there were, who thus of shame went free.

'That punishment is shapen as rewardIs like thy fortune: but our good estateWe honour, while we sit to be adored:And thus 'twas written in the book of Fate.Not for thy pleasure, but the general wealGrant I the grace for which thou here dost kneel;And that which I determine shall not wait.'

So wingèd Hermes through the heaven he sped,To warn the high celestials to his hall,Where they should Psyche see with Eros wed,And keep the day with feast ambrosial.And Hermes, flying through the skiey waysOf high Olympus, spread sweet Psyche's praise,And bade the mighty gods obey his call.

Then all the Kronian gods and goddessesAssembl'd at his cry,--and now 'twas knownWhy Zeus had smiled,--the lesser majestiesAttending them before his royal throne.Athena, mistress good of them that know,Came, and Apollo, warder off of woe,Who had to Psyche's sire her fate foreshown;

Demeter, giver of the golden corn,Fair Hebe, honour'd at her Attic shrine,And Artemis with hunting spear and horn,And Dionysos, planter of the vine,With old Poseidon from the barren sea,And Leto, and the lame Hephæstos, heHimself who built those halls with skill divine.

And ruddy Pan with many a quip and quirkAir'd 'mong those lofty gods his mirth illbred,Bearing a mighty bowl of cretan work:Stern Arês, with his crisp hair helmeted,Came, and retirèd Hestia, and the godHermes, with wingèd cap and ribbon'd rod,By whom the company was heralded.

And Hera sat by Zeus, and all aroundThe Muses, that of learning make their choice;Who, when Apollo struck his strings to sound,Sang in alternate music with sweet voice:And righteous Themis, and the Graces threeUshering the anger'd Aphrodite; sheAlone of all were there might not rejoice

But ere they sat to feast, Zeus bade them fillThe cup ambrosial of immortal life,And said 'If Psyche drink,--and 'tis my will,--There is an end of this unhappy strife.Nor can the goddess, whose mislike had birthFrom too great honour paid the bride on earth,Forbid her any more for Eros' wife.'

Then Aphrodite said 'So let it be.'And Psyche was brought in, with such a flushOf joy upon her face, as there to seeWas fairer to love's eye than beauty's blush.And then she drank the eternal wine, whose draughtCan Terror cease: which flesh hath never quafft,Nor doth it flow from grape that mortals crush.

And next stood Eros forth, and took her hand,And kisst her happy face before them all:And Zeus proclaim'd them married, and outban'dFrom heaven whoever should that word miscall.And then all sat to feast, and one by onePledged Psyche ere they drank and cried Well done!And merry laughter rang throughout the hall.

So thus was Eros unto Psyche wed,The heavenly bridegroom to his earthly bride,Who won his love, in simple maidenhead:And by her love herself she glorified,And him from wanton wildness disinclined;Since in his love for her he came to findA joy unknown through all Olympus wide.

And Psyche for her fall was quite forgiven,Since 'gainst herself when tempted to rebel,By others' malice on her ruin driven,Only of sweet simplicity she fell:--Wherein who fall may fall unto the skies;--And being foolish she was yet most wise,And took her trials patiently and well.

And Aphrodite since her full defeatIs kinder and less jealous than before,And smiling on them both, calls Psyche sweet;But thinks her son less manly than of yore:Though still she holds his arm of some renown,When he goes smiting mortals up and down,Piercing their marrow with his weapons sore.

So now in steadfast love and happy stateThey hold for aye their mansion in the sky,And send down heavenly peace on those who mate,In virgin love, to find their joy thereby:Whom gently Eros shooteth, and apartKeepeth for them from all his sheaf that dartWhich Psyche in his chamber pickt to try.

Now in that same month Psyche bare a child,Who straight in heaven was named HedonèIn mortal tongues by other letters styled;Whom all to love, however named, agree:Whom in our noble English JOY we call,And honour them among us most of all,Whose happy children are as fair as she.