HKB
Droop'd not her eyes their gaze unquenchable, ever-burning Save when in each charm'd limb to the depths enfolded, a sudden Flame blazed hotly within her, in all her marrow abiding.
O thou cruel of heart, thou madding worker of anguish, Boy immortal, of whom joy springs with misery blending, 95 Yea, thou queen of Golgi, of Idaly leaf-embower'd, O'er what a fire love-lit, what billows wearily tossing, Drave ye the maid, for a guest so sunnily lock'd deep sighing. What most dismal alarms her swooning fancy did echo! Oft what a sallower hue than gold's cold glitter upon her! 100 Whiles, heart-hungry in arms that monster deadly to combat, Theseus drew towards death or victory, guerdon of honour. Yet not lost the devotion, or offer'd idly the virgin's Gifts, as her unvoic'd lips breathed incense faintly to heaven.
As on Taurus aloft some oak agitatedly waving 105 Tosses his arms, or a pine cone-mantled, oozily rinded, When as his huge gnarled trunk in furious eddies a whirlwind Riving wresteth amain; down falleth he, upward hoven, Falleth on earth; far, near, all crackles brittle around him, So to the ground Theseus his fallen foeman abasing, 110 Slew, that his horned front toss'd vainly, a sport to the breezes. Thence in safety, a victor, in height of glory returned, Guiding errant feet to a thread's impalpable order. Lest, upon egress bent thro' tortuous aisles labyrinthine, Walls of blindness, a maze unravell'd ever, elude him. 115
Yet, for again I come to the former story, beseems not Linger on all done there; how left that daughter a gazing Father, a sister's arms, her mother woefully clinging, Mother, who o'er that child moan'd desperate, all heart-broken; How not in home that maid, in Theseus only delighted; 120 How her ship on a shore of foaming Dia did harbour; How, when her eyes lay bound in slumber's shadowy prison, He forsook, forgot her, a wooer traitorous-hearted:
Oft, say stories, at heart with frenzied fantasy burning, Pour'd she, a deep-wrung breast, clear-ringing cries of oppression; 125 Sometimes mournfully clomb to the mountain's rugged ascension, Straining thence her vision across wide surges of ocean; Now to the brine ran forth, upsplashing freshly to meet her, Lifting raiment fine her thighs which softly did open; Last, when sorrow had end, these words thus spake she lamenting, 130 While from a mouth tear-stain'd chill sobs gushed dolorous ever.
'Look, is it here, false heart, that rapt from country, from altar, Household altar ashore, I wander, falsely deserted? Ah! is it hence, Theseus, that against high heaven a traitor Homeward thou thy vileness, alas thy perjury bearest? 135
Might not a thought, one thought, thy cruel counsel abating Sway thee tender? at heart rose no compassion or any Mercy, to bend thy soul, or me for pity deliver?
Yet not this thy promise of old, thy dearly remembered Voice, not these the delights thou bad'st thy poor one inherit; 140 Nay, but wedlock happy, but envied joy hymeneal; All now melted in air, with a light wind emptily fleeting.
Let not a woman trust, since that first treason, a lover's Desperate oath, none hope true lover's promise is earnest. They, while fondly to win their amorous humour essayeth, 145 Fear no covetous oath, all false free promises heed not; They if once lewd pleasure attain unruly possession, Lo they fear not promise, of oath or perjury reck not.
Yet indeed, yet I, when floods of death were around thee, Set thee on high, did rather a brother choose to defend not, 150 Ere I, in hate's last hour, false heart, fail'd thee to deliver.
Now, for a goodly reward, to the beasts they give me, the flying Fowls; no handful of earth shall bury me, pass'd to the shadows.
What grim lioness yeaned thee, aneath what rock's desolation? What wild sea did bear, what billows foamy regorged thee? 155 Seething sand, or Scylla the snare, or lonely Charybdis? If for a life's dear joy comes back such only requital?