  In ancient days Athens of glorious name Was first to spread abroad corn-bearing crops Among unhappy mortals, and to frame Their lives in a new mould and give them laws. She also first bestowed a kindly solace For life, when she gave birth to one endowed With so great intellect, that man who once Poured forth all wisdom from truth-telling lips; Whose glory, even when his light was quenched, Because of his divine discoveries Undimmed by time was noised abroad, and now Is lifted high as heaven. For when he saw That well nigh all those things which need demands For man’s subsistence had been now provided, And that so far as it seemed possible Life was established in security, That men through wealth and honours and renown Had attained power and affluence, and grown proud In their children’s good name, yet that not one At home possessed a heart the less care-stricken, But ceaselessly despite his wiser mind Tormenting all his days, could not refrain From petulant rage and wearisome complaint; Then did he understand it was the vessel Itself that was the cause of imperfection, And by its imperfection all those things That came within it, gathered from outside, Though ne’er so excellent, were spoiled therein; In part because he saw that there were holes Through which it leaked, so that by no means ever Might it be filled full; partly that he perceived All things within it which had entered there. And so with truthful words he purged men’s hearts, And fixed a limit to desire and fear; Then setting forth what was the highest good Which we all strive to attain, he pointed out The path along which by a slender track We might in a straight course arrive at it; Likewise he showed what evils there must be In mortal affairs on every side, arising And flying this way and that, whether it were By natural chance or force, since it was Nature Which has ordained it so; and by what gates To meet each evil men must sally forth: Also he proved how mostly without cause Mankind set darkly tossing in their hearts The sad billows of care. For just as children In the blind darkness tremble and are afraid Of all things, so we sometimes in the light Fear things that are no whit more to be dreaded Than those which children shudder at in the dark, Imagining that they will come to pass. This terror then and darkness of the mind Must needs be scattered not by the sun’s beams And day’s bright arrows, but by contemplation Of Nature’s aspect and her inward laws. And now that I have shown you how the sky’s Mansions are mortal, and that heaven is formed Of a body that had birth, and since of all That takes place and must needs take place therein I have unravelled most, give further heed To what remains. Since once I have made bold To mount the glorious chariot of the Muses, I will now tell how in the upper air Tempests of wind arise; how all sinks down Vanishes, when its fury is appeased. And I will explain all else that mortals see Coming to pass on earth and in the sky, Such sights as often hold them in terrified Suspense of mind, humiliating themselves With fear of gods, and bow them grovelling Down to the ground, because they are compelled Through ignorance of the causes to assign All such things to the empire of the gods, Acknowledging their power to be supreme. For those who have learnt rightly that the gods Lead a life free from care, if yet they wonder By what means all things can be carried on, Such above all as are perceived to happen In the ethereal regions overhead, They are borne back again into their old Religious fears, and adopt pitiless lords, Whom in their misery they believe to be Almighty; for they are ignorant of what can And what cannot exist; in fine they know not Upon what principle each thing has its powers Limited, and its deep-set boundary stone. And therefore all the more they are led astray By blind reasoning. So that if you cannot Fling from your mind and banish far away All such belief in falsehoods that degrade The deities, and consist not with their peace, Then, thus by you disparaged and profaned, Oft will their holy godheads do you hurt; Not that their sovereign power can be impaired, So that in anger they should stoop to exact Fierce penalties, but because you yourself Will fancy that those placid beings throned In serene peace, can verily be tossed By great billows of wrath: nor will you enter With a calm breast the temples of the gods, In tranquil peace of spirit those images Which from their holy bodies, heralding Their divine beauty, float into men’s minds. And to what kind of life these errors lead May be imagined. Such credulity The most veracious reasoning alone Can drive far from us. And though to that end I have set forth much already, yet more still Remains for me to adorn in polished verses. The inward law and aspect of the heavens Must now be grasped: tempests and vivid lightnings, Their action and what cause sets them in motion, Must be described; lest, when you have mapped the sky PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY NEILL AND CO., LTD., EDINBURGH. MAETERLINCK ESSAYS Crown 8vo, 5s. net each. Pocket edition: Cloth, 3s. 6d. net each: Special binding, 4s. 6d. net each: Leather (if, and when procurable) 5s. 6d. net. THE LIFE OF THE BEE. Translated by Alfred Sutro. THE TREASURE OF THE HUMBLE. Translated by Alfred Sutro. WISDOM AND DESTINY. Translated by Alfred Sutro. THE BURIED TEMPLE. Translated by Alfred Sutro. THE DOUBLE GARDEN. Translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos. LIFE AND FLOWERS. Translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos. PLAYS Globe 8vo, 3s. 6d. net each. Pocket edition: Cloth 3s. 6d. net each; Leather, 4s. 6d. net each. MONNA VANNA. Translated by Alfred Sutro. AGLAVAINE AND SELYSETTE. Translated by Alfred Sutro. JOYZELLE. Translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos. SISTER BEATRICE, AND ARDIANE AND BARBE BLEUE. Translated by Bernard Miall. PELLEAS AND MELISANDA AND THE SIGHTLESS. Translated by Laurence Alma Tadema. MY DOG: Illustrated in colour by Cecil Aldin. Pott 4to, 4s. 6d. net. Illustrated in colour by G. Vernon Stokes. Imp. 16mo. New edition, 3s. 6d. net. OLD-FASHIONED FLOWERS: Illustrated in colour by G. S. Elgood. Imp. 16mo. New edition, 3s. 6d. net. THE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS. Demy 8vo. Cloth, 1s. net. Paper, 6d. net. THOUGHTS FROM MÆTERLINCK: Chosen and arranged by E. S. S. F’cap. 8vo, 3s. 6d. net. EDITIONS DE LUXE Illustrated in colour by E. J. Detmold. Demy 4to, 21s. net each.
GILBERT MURRAY’S Translations of the Plays of EURIPIDES, ARISTOPHANES and SOPHOCLES Translated into English Rhyming Verse, with Commentaries and Explanatory Notes. Cr. 8vo. Cloth, 2s. 6d. net each. Paper, 1s. 6d. net each.
Six of the plays of Euripides are also issued in 2 volumes. Cr. 8vo. Cloth, 6s. net per volume. Vol. I.: Hippolytus, Trojan Women and BacchÆ Vol. II.: Medea, Iphigenia in Tauris, and Electra. FOOTNOTES: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
