Balaustion's Adventure. Robert Browning

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       Such—and I see in it God Bacchos' boon

       To souls that recognized his latest child,

       He who himself, born latest of the Gods,

       Was stoutly held impostor by mankind—

       Such were in safety: any who could speak

       A chorus to the end, or prologize,

       Roll out a rhesis, wield some golden length

       Stiffened by wisdom out into a line.

       Or thrust and parry in bright monostich,

       Teaching Euripides to Syracuse—170

       Any such happy man had prompt reward:

       If he lay bleeding on the battle-field

       They staunched his wounds and gave him drink and food;

       If he were slave i' the house, for reverence

       They rose up, bowed to who proved master now,

       And bade him go free, thank Euripides!

       Ay, and such did so: many such, he said,

       Returning home to Athens, sought him out,

       The old bard in the solitary house,

       And thanked him ere they went to sacrifice. 180

       I say, we knew that story of last year!

       Therefore, at mention of Euripides,

       The Captain crowed out "Euoi, praise the God!

       Oöp, boys, bring our owl-shield to the fore!

       Out with our Sacred Anchor! Here she stands,

       Balaustion! Strangers, greet the lyric girl!

       Euripides? Babai! what a word there 'scaped

       Your teeth's enclosure, quoth my grandsire's song!

       Why, fast as snow in Thrace, the voyage through,

       Has she been falUng thick in flakes of him! 190

       Frequent as figs at Kaunos, Kaunians said.

       Balaustion, stand forth and confirm my speech!

       Now it was some whole passion of a play;

       Now, peradventure, but a honey-drop

       That slipt its comb i' the chorus. If there rose

       A star, before I could determine steer

       Southward or northward—if a cloud surprised

       Heaven, ere I fairly hollaed 'Furl the sail!—'

       She had at finger's end both cloud and star;

       Some thought that perched there, tame and tuneable, 200

       Fitted with wings; and still, as off it flew,

       'So sang Euripides,' she said, 'so sang

       The meteoric poet of air and sea,

       Planets and the pale populace of heaven,

       The mind of man, and all that's made to soar!'

       And so, although she has some other name,

       We only call her Wild-pomegranate-flower,

       Balaustion; since, where'er the red bloom burns

       I' the dull dark verdure of the bounteous tree,

       Dethroning, in the Rosy Isle, the rose, 210

       You shall find food, drink, odour, all at once;

       Cool leaves to bind about an aching brow,

       And, never much away, the nightingale.

       Sing them a strophe, with the turn-again,

       Down to the verse that ends all, proverb-like.

       And save us, thou Balaustion, bless the name!"

       But I cried "Brother Greek! better than so—

       Save us, and I have courage to recite

       The main of a whole play from first to last;

       That strangest, saddest, sweetest song of his, 220

      Alkestis; which was taught, long years ago

       At Athens, in Glaukinos' archonship,

       But only this year reached our Isle o' the Rose.

       I saw it at Kameiros; played the same,

       They say, as for the right Lenean feast

       In Athens; and beside the perfect piece—

       Its beauty and the way it makes you weep—

       There is much honour done your own loved God

       Herakles, whom you house i' the city here

       Nobly, the Temple wide Greece talks about! 230

       I come a suppliant to your Herakles!

       Take me and put me on his temple-steps.

       To tell you his achievement as I may,

       And, that told, he shall bid you set us free!"

       Then, because Greeks are Greeks, and hearts are hearts,

       And poetry is power—they all outbroke

       In a great joyous laughter with much love:

       "Thank Herakles for the good holiday!

       Make for the harbour! Row, and let voice ring.

       'In we row, bringing more Euripides!' 240

       All the crowd, as they lined the harbour now,

       'More of Euripides!'—took up the cry.

       We landed; the whole city, soon astir,

       Came rushing out of gates in common joy

       To the suburb temple; there they stationed me

       O' the topmost step: and plain I told the play,

       Just as I saw it; what the actors said,

       And what I saw, or thought I saw the while,

       At our Kameiros theatre, clean-scooped

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