The Poetical Works Of Robert Bridges Part 1

The Poetical Works of Robert Bridges.

by Robert Bridges.

NOTE

This book consists of the Poems and Masks (as apart from the Dramas) contained in the collected editions of the Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, together with two groups of Later Poems and Poems in Cla.s.sical Prosody now published for the first time or now first collected.

A record of the previous publication of the poems will be found in the bibliographical notes prefixed to the various sections of the present book.

The spelling of certain words is not uniform throughout the poems. This is due to observance of the text of the earlier editions of different dates, in the notes to which the author's justification of these peculiarities was given.

ARGUMENT

_Prometheus coming on earth to give fire to men appears before the palace of Inachus in Argos on a festival of Zeus.

He interrupts the ceremony by announcing fire and persuades Inachus to dare the anger of Zeus and accept the gift. Inachus fetching Argeia his wife from the palace has in turn to quiet her fears. He asks a prophecy of Prometheus who foretells the fate of Io their daughter. Prometheus then setting flame to the altar and writing his own name thereon in the place of Zeus disappears._

_The Chorus sing (1) a Hymn to Zeus with the stories of the birth of Zeus and the marriage of Hera with the dances of the Curetes and the Hesperides, (2) their antic.i.p.ation of fire with an Ode on Wonder, (3) a Tragic Hymn on the lot of man, (4) a Fire-chorus, (5) a final Chorus in praise of Prometheus._

_All the characters are good. Prometheus prologizes. He carries a long reed._

DRAMATIS PERSONae

_PROMETHEUS._ _INACHUS._ _ARGEIA._ _SERVANT._ _IO_ (_persona muta_).

_CHORUS:_ _Youths and maidens of the house of Inachus._

_The SCENE is in ARGOS before the palace of Inachus.

An altar inscribed to Zeus is at the centre of the stage._

PROMETHEUS THE FIREGIVER

_PROMETHEUS._

From high Olympus and the aetherial courts, Where mighty Zeus our angry king confirms The Fates' decrees and bends the wills of the G.o.ds, I come: and on the earth step with glad foot.

This variegated ocean-floor of the air, The changeful circle of fair land, that lies Heaven's dial, sisterly mirror of night and day: The wide o'er-wandered plain, this nether world My truant haunt is, when from jealous eyes I steal, for hither 'tis I steal, and here 10 Unseen repair my joy: yet not unseen Methinks, nor seen unguessed of him I seek.

Rather by swath or furrow, or where the path Is walled with corn I am found, by trellised vine Or olive set in banks or orchard trim: I watch all toil and tilth, farm, field and fold, And taste the mortal joy; since not in heaven Among our easeful G.o.ds hath facile time A touch so keen, to wake such love of life As stirs the frail and careful being, who here, 20 The king of sorrows, melancholy man, Bows at his labour, but in heart erect A G.o.d stands, nor for any gift of G.o.d Would barter his immortal-hearted prime.

Could I but win this world from Zeus for mine, With not a G.o.d to vex my happy rule, I would inhabit here and leave high heaven: So much I love it and its race of men, Even as he hates them, hates both them, and me For loving what he hates, and would destroy me, 30 Outcast in the scorn of all his cringing crew, For daring but to save what he would slay: And me must first destroy. Thus he denieth My heart's wish, thus my counsel sets at naught, Which him saved once, when all at stake he stood Uprisen in rebellion to overthrow The elderseated t.i.tans, for I that day Gave him the counsels which his foes despised.

Unhappy they, who had still their blissful seats Preserved and their Olympian majesty, 40 Had they been one with me. Alas, my kin!

But he, when he had taken the throne and chained His foes in wasteful Tartarus, said no more Where is Prometheus our wise counsellor?

What saith Prometheus? tell us, O Prometheus, What Fate requires! but waxing confident And wanton, as a youth first tasting power, He wrecked the timeless monuments of heaven, The witness of the wisdom of the G.o.ds, And making all about him new, beyond 50 Determined to destroy the race of men, And that create afresh or else have none.

Then his vain mind imagined a device, And at his bidding all the opposed winds Blew, and the scattered clouds and furled snows, From every part of heaven together flying, He with brute hands in huge disorder heaped: They with the winds' weight and his angry breath Were thawed: in cataracts they fell, and earth In darkness deep and whelmed tempest lay, 60 Drowned 'neath the waters. Yet on the mountain-tops Some few escaped, and some, thus warned by me, Made shift to live in vessels which outrode The season and the fury of the flood.

And when his rain was spent and from clear skies Zeus looking down upon the watery world, Beheld these few, the remnant of mankind, Who yet stood up and breathed; he next withdrew The seeds of fire, that else had still lain hid In withered branch and the blue flakes of flint 70 For man to exact and use, but these withdrawn, Man with the brutes degraded would be man No more; and so the tyrant was content.

But I, despised again, again upheld The weak, and pitying them sent sweet Hope, Bearer of dreams, enchantress fond and kind, From heaven descending on the unhindered rays Of every star, to cheer with visions fair Their unamending pains. And now this day Behold I come bearing the seal of all 80 Which Hope had promised: for within this reed A prisoner I bring them stolen from heaven, The flash of mastering fire, and it have borne So swift to earth, that when yon noontide sun Rose from the sea at morning I was by, And unperceived of Helios plunged the point I' the burning axle, and withdrew a tongue Of breathing flame, which lives to leap on earth For man the father of all fire to come.

And hither have I brought it even to Argos 90 Unto king Inachus, him having chosen Above all mortals to receive my gift: For he is hopeful, careful, wise, and brave.

He first, when first the floods left bare the land, Grew warm with enterprise, and gathered men Together, and disposed their various tasks For common weal combined; for soon were seen The long straight channels dwindling on the plain, Which slow from stagnant pool and wide mora.s.s The pestilent waters to the rivers bore: 100 Then in the ruined dwellings and old tombs He dug, unbedding from the wormed ooze Vessels and tools of trade and husbandry; Wherewith, all seasonable works restored, Oil made he and wine anew, and taught mankind To live not brutally though without fire, Tending their flocks and herds and weaving wool, Living on fruit and milk and shepherds' fare, Till time should bring back flame to smithy and hearth, Or Zeus relent. Now at these gates I stand, 110 At this mid hour, when Inachus comes forth To offer sacrifice unto his foe.

For never hath his faithful zeal forborne To pay the power, though hard, that rules the world The smokeless sacrifice; which first to-day Shall smoke, and rise at heaven in flame to brave The baffled G.o.d. See here a servant bears For the cold altar ceremonial wood: My shepherd's cloak will serve me for disguise.

_SERVANT._

With much toil have I hewn these sapless logs. 120

PR. But toil brings health, and health is happiness.

SERV. Here's one I know not--nay, how came he here Unseen by me? I pray thee, stranger, tell me What wouldst thou at the house of Inachus?

PR. Intruders, friend, and travellers have glib tongues, Silence will question such.

SERV. If 'tis a message, To-day is not thy day--who sent thee hither?

PR. The business of my leisure was well guessed: But he that sent me hither is I that come.

SERV. I smell the matter--thou wouldst serve the house?

PR. 'Twas for that very cause I fled my own. 131

SERV. From cruelty or fear of punishment?

PR. Cruel was my master, for he slew his father.

His punishments thou speakest of are crimes.

SERV. Thou dost well flying one that slew his father.

PR. Thy lord, they say, is kind.

SERV. Well, thou wilt see Thou may'st at once begin--come, give a hand.

PR. A day of freedom is a day of pleasure: And what thou doest have I never done, And understanding not might mar thy work. 140

SERV. Ay true--there is a right way and a wrong In laying wood.

PR. Then let me see thee lay it: The sight of a skill'd hand will teach an art.

SERV. Thou seest this f.a.ggot which I now unbind, How it is packed within.

PR. I see the cones And needles of the fir, which by the wind In melancholy places ceaselessly Sighing are strewn upon the tufted floor.

SERV. These took I from a sheltered bank, whereon The sun looks down at noon; for there is need 150 The things be dry. These first I spread; and then Small sticks that snap i' the hand.