Page:Collected poems of Flecker.djvu/235

 –Brave with great swooping wings to swim the sky Steered a blind journey to the windy North Till his strange shadows darkened Cumæ's rock. He, there alighting, there to Earth returned, To Phœbus sacrificed those oars, his wings. • • • • (ll 264-547) Gods of the ghostly Empire and ye shades So still, Chaos and Phlegethon so still With leagues of night around you, me empower Heard tales to tell: me with high aid empower Earth’s deep—embowelled secret to betray! They went obscure in lowering lone night Through lodges of King Dis, untenanted,– Featureless lands. Thus goes a forest pathway Beneath the curst light of the wav’ring moon, When Jove has gloomed the sky, and pitchy dark Uncoloured all the world. In Hell’s first reach Fronting the very vestibule of Orcus Griefs and the Cares have set their couches down– The vengeful Cares. There pale Diseases dwell, Sad Eld and Fear and loathsome Poverty And Hunger, that bad counsellor,–dire shapes– And Death and Toil, and Sleep brother of Death And soul-corrupting joys. Opposed he viewed War the great murderer, and those steel bowers The Furies deck for bridal, and Discord Daft, with blood-ribbons on her serpent hair. But straight in front a huge black knotted elm 199