THE SHRIEK OF PROMETHEUS. SUGGESTED BY A PASSAGE IN THE SECOND BOOK OF APOLLONIUS RHODIUS. FRESH was the breeze, and the rowers plied The island of Mars with its palmy coves, The Sacred Mount, and Aretia's strands, And Philyra's Isle with its linden groves, And Ophir's flood with its shelly sands, Swiftly they past-till, stretching far, On their right Bechiria's coast appears, Where painted Sapirians, fierce in war, Bristle the beech with bows and spears. At distance they saw the sun-beams quiver As it flung from its rocky mouth the flood. The Argonauts gaze with hungry eyes On the land enrich'd by the Golden Fleece,Already in fancy they grasp the prize, And hear the shouts of applauding Greece. Jason look'd out with a proud delight, While fierce Meleager unsheath'd his brand. Laocöon bade the rowers check Their oars as the sun to the waters slanted, For Orpheus sate with his harp on the deck, And sweetly the hymn of evening chanted, While the heroes round, at each pause of sound, Stretch'd their right hands to the god of day, And fervently join'd in the choral lay. THE HYMN OF ORpheus. Twin-born with Dian in the Delos isle, CHORUS. When thou'rt dim, our harp and hymn Hail to thee, Apollo ! God of the art that heals the shatter'd frame, And poetry that soothes the wounded mind, Ten thousand temples, honour'd with thy name, Attest thy ceaseless blessings to mankind. CHORUS. When thou'rt dim, our harp and hymn Hail to thee!-hail to thee! Hail to thee, Apollo ! Thy golden bow emits a gushing strain Of music when the Pythian serpent dies: His eyes flash fire-his writhings plough the plain; Hissing he leaps aloft-then lifeless lies. Pan of his pipe and rural science proud, Dreamt that his music might with thine aspire: The mountain Tmolus was the judge-and bow'd His nodding woods in homage to thy lyre. CHORUS. When thou 'rt dim, with harp and hymn Hail to thee, Apollo ! From bowers of Daphne on Parnassus' Mount, CHORUS. When thou'rt dim, with harp and hymn Hail to thee !-hail to thee! Hail to thee, Apollo ! God of the golden lyre and laurel wreath, With a start The minstrel ceased, for over all the bark The Argonauts look'd up, and saw a dark And monstrous eagle hovering o'er their head; So vast and fearful, that transfix'd and pale But with a sudden dart he rush'd away, In desolate state beneath their crowns of snow. Within these topmost peaks, there is a pit,A dizzy, gaunt, precipitous ravine, Upon whose rocky floor environ'd round With walls of ice-by every eye unseen, With adamantine chains Prometheus lies bound. Thither the ravenous wonder wing'd his flight.- Is fix'd upon the spot, and every heart Their fears and hopes, for over plain, and hill, Gracious God, what a shriek ! Is tearing out his victim's heart! Of horror seems to darken Nature's face.- Earth trembles to her very base Air seems to swoon- -the sky to frown- Hark! what a furious clash of chains! The brazen bolts that root thee to the rock ; Wrung from the very depths of agonies ;Now weaker moanings rise, till, worn with woes, The fainting wretch exhausted lies, And all again is grim repose. But still with thrilling breasts and steadfast eyes The flapping main-sail quakes, And all seem'd turn'd to statues at the sight. All but the son of Bacchus, who With flashing eyes and visage red, Again uprear'd his bow, and drew His longest arrow to the head, |