Page:Poems of Nature and Life.djvu/271

 THE LAMENT OF ORPHEUS 26 1

The blood-born sisters listening, Their eyes with pity glistening, Looked upward from their iron bench. And ceased the mangled wretch to wrench ; Their dark cheeks were bestained with crimson tears ; The clustering snakes uncoil ; each, as he hears, Hangs nodding to the time, prone o'er his mistress' ears ;

Until all, soothed to rest. Droop down each Fury's breast. Then, through the vast, unechoing deep, Pain and despair were hushed to sleep ; And the charmed dog, on his three chins asprawl, Crouched to the ground, and toward the sounds 'gan crawl. Low whining to the chords in many a lengthening drawl.

Sweet lyre, thou even didst move The pitying Fates above. Till Atropos attentive hears, Looks up, and on inverted shears Rests her lean hand, and with a long-drawn sigh Says, " Let the poor thing go ; she shall not die ; Go both, be free, but look not backward while ye fly."

I heard those words of peace. Solace ere long to cease ; Full soon, alas ! upon my tongue The glad Eureka died unsung. Yet now, ere from these glooms we 'gan to creep, What fearful silence filled the murky deep. Those wastes so still that even the Furies fell asleep !

But while, in silent pleasure,

I clasped my long-lost treasure. Those dreadful women woke, full fain To be at their old task again ;

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