peak and spire snow-silvery leaving. 240
But from a rock's wall'd eyrie the father wistfully gazing,
Father whose eyes, care-dimm'd, wore hourly for ever a-weeping,
Scarcely the wind-puff'd sail from afar 'gan darken upon him,
Down the precipitous heights headlong his body he hurried,
Deeming Theseus surely by hateful destiny taken. 245
So to a dim death-palace, alert from victory, Theseus
Came, what bitter sorrow to Minos' daughter his evil
Perjury gave, himself with an even sorrow atoning.
She, as his onward keel still moved, still mournfully follow'd;
Passion-stricken, her heart a tumultuous image of ocean. 250
Also upon that couch, flush'd youthfully, breathless Iacchus
Roam'd with a Satyr-band, with Nisa-begot Sileni;
Seeking thee, Ariadna, aflame thy beauty to ravish.
Wildly behind they rushed and wildly before to the folly,
Euhoe rav'd, Euhoe with fanatic heads gyrated; 255
Some in womanish hands shook rods cone-wreathed above them,
Some from a mangled steer toss'd flesh yet gorily streaming;
Some girt round them in orbs, snakes gordian, intertwining;
Some with caskets deep did blazon mystical emblems,
Emblems muffled darkly, nor heard of spirit unholy. 260
Part with a slender palm taborines beat merrily jangling;
Now with a cymbal slim would a sharp shrill tinkle awaken;
Often a trumpeter horn blew murmurous, hoarsely resounding.
Rose on pipes barbaric a jarring music of horror.
Such, wrought rarely, the shapes this quilt did richly apparel, 265
Where to the couch close-clasped it hung thick veils of adorning.
So to the full heart-sated of all their curious eying,
Thessaly's youth gave place to the Gods high-throned in heaven.
As, when dawn is awake, light Zephyrus even-breathing
Brushes a sleeping sea, which slant-wise curved in edges 270
Breaks, while mounts Aurora the sun's high journey to welcome;
They, first smitten faintly by his most airy caressing,
Move slow on, light surges a plashing silvery laughter;
Soon with a waxing wind they crowd them apace, thick-fleeting,
Swim in a rose-red glow and far off sparkle in Ocean; 275
So thro' column'd porch and chambers sumptuous hieing,
Thither or hither away, that company stream'd, ho
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