-Hark, there came a hiss,
Like a startled snake
Sliding through the brake.
Oh, and what is this?
Smaller flames that flee
Sidelong from the tree,
Hark, they hiss, they hiss.
-How the gay flames flicker,
Spurting, dancing, leaping
Quicker yet and quicker,
Higher yet and higher,
-Flaming, flaring, fuming,
Cracking, crackling, creeping,

Hissing and consuming :

Mighty is the fire.

1350

1360

IN. Stay, stay, cease your rejoicings. Where is he,

The prophet,-nay, what say I,-the god, the giver?
CHOR. He is not here he is gone.

IN.

Search all, search well.

CHOR.

Search, search around.

He is gone, he is not here.

IN. The palace gate lies open: go, Argeia, Maybe he went within: go seek him there.

Look down the sea road, down the country road:
Follow him if ye see him.

CHOR.

He is not there.

[Exit AR.

IN. Strain, strain your eyes: look well: search everywhere. Look townwards-is he there?

Part of CHORUS returning. He is not there.-
Other part returning. He is not there.

1371

Argeia re-entering.

AR.

CHOR. O see!
CHOR.

See where?.

He is not there.

That I must wait till these dumb letters gave

The shape and soul to knowledge: when the god
Stood here so self-revealed to ears and eyes
That, 'tis a god I said, yet wavering still,

Doubting what god,-and now, who else but he?
I knew him, yet not well; I knew him not:
Prometheus-ay, Prometheus. Know ye, my children,
This name we see was writ by him we seek.
'Tis his own name, his own heart-stirring name,
Feared and revered among the immortal gods;
Divine Prometheus: see how here the large
Cadmeian characters run, scoring out

The hated title of his ancient foe,—

To Zeus 'twas made,—and now 'tis to Prometheus-
Writ with the charrèd reed-theft upon theft.

He hath stolen from Zeus his altar, and with his fire

Hath lit our sacrifice unto himself.

Ió Prometheus, friend and firegiver,

For good or ill thy thefts and gifts are ours.

We worshipped thee unknowing.

CHOR.

But now where is he?

IN. No need to search-we shall not see him more.
We look in vain. The high gods when they choose
Put on and off the solid visible shape

Which more deceives our hasty sense, than when
Seeing them not we judge they stand aloof.
And he, he now is gone; his work is done:
'Tis ours to see it be not done in vain.

1380

1390

1400

CHOR. What is to do? speak, bid, command, we fly.
IN. Go some and fetch more wood to feed the fire;
And some into the city to proclaim

That fire is ours: and send out messengers
To Corinth, Sicyon, Megara and Athens
And to Mycenæ, telling we have fire:
And bid that in the temples they prepare
Their altars, and send hither careful men
To learn of me what things the time requires.

1410

[Exit part of CIORUS.

The rest remain to end our feast; and now
Seeing this altar is no more to Zeus,
But shall for ever be with smouldering heat
Fed for the god who first set fire thereon,
Change ye your hymns, which in the praise of Zeus
Ye came to sing, and change the prayer for fire
Which ye were wont to raise, to high thanksgiving,
Praising aloud the giver and his gift.

Part of CHORUS. Now our happy feast hath ending,
While the sun in heaven descending

Sees us gathered round a light
Born to cheer his vacant night.

Praising him to-day who came
Bearing far his heavenly flame:
Came to crown our king's desire
With his gift of golden fire.

1420

SEMICHORUS. My heart, my heart is freed. Now can I sing. I loose a shaft from my bow,

1430

A song from my heart to heaven, and watch it speed.

It revels in the air, and straight to its goal doth go.

I have no fear. I praise distinguishing duly:
I praise the love that I love and I worship truly.
Goodness I praise, not might,

Nor more will I speak of wrong,

But of lovingkindness and right;

And the god of my love shall rejoice at the sound of my song.

I praise him whom I have seen:

As a man he is beautiful, blending prime and youth,
Of gentle and lovely mien,

With the step and the eyes of truth,

As a god,--O were I a god, but thus to be man!

As a god, I set him above

The rest of the gods; for his gifts are pledges of love,
The words of his mouth rare and precious,

His eyes' glance and the smile of his lips are love.

He is the one

Alone of all the gods,

Of righteous Themis the lofty-spirited son,

Who hates the wrongs they have done.

He is the one I adore.

For if there be love in heaven with evil to cope,

And he promised us more and more,—

For what may we not hope?

1440

1450

ODE.

My soul is drunk with joy, her new desire

In far forbidden places wanders away.

Her hopes with free bright-coloured wings of fire
Upon the gloom of thought

Are sailing out.

Awhile they rise, awhile to rest they softly fall,

Like butterflies, that flit

Across the mountains, or upon a wall

Winking their idle fans at pleasure sit.

O my vague desires !

Ye lambent flames of the soul, her offspring fires :
That are my soul herself in pangs sublime
Rising and flying to heaven before her time:

1460

What doth tempt you forth

To melt in the south or shiver in the frosty north? 1470 What seek ye or find ye in your random flying,

For ever soaring aloft, soaring and dying?

Joy, the joy of flight;

They hide in the sun, they flare and dance in the night.
Gone up, gone out of sight-and ever again

Follow fresh tongues of fire, fresh pangs of pain.

Ah! could I control

These vague desires, these leaping flames of the soul:

Could I but quench the fire, ah! could I stay

My soul that flieth, alas, and dieth away!

1480

[Enter other part of CHORUS.

Part of CHOR. Here is wood to feed the fire

Never let its flames expire.

Sing ye still while we advance

Round the fire in measured dance,

While the sun in heaven descending
Sees our happy feast have ending.
Weave ye still your joyous song,
While we bear the wood along.

SEMICHORUS. But O return,

Return, thou flower of the gods!

Remember the limbs that toil and the hearts that yearn,

Remember, and soon return!

To prosper with peace and skill

Our hands in the works of pleasure, beauty and use.
Return, and be for us still

Our shield from the anger of Zeus.

And he, if he raise his arm in anger to smite thee,

1490

And think for the good thou hast done with pain to requite

thee,

Vengeance I heard thee tell,

And the curse I take for my own,

That his place is prepared in hell,

1500