A Book of Myths, by Jean Lang - Umnet

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Night came at last, and when all was dark and still, and Psyche, wide awake, was full of forebodings and fears lest her happy dreams might only be misleading fancies, and Horror incarnate might come to crown her peaceful day, Eros softly entered the palace that was his own. Even as he had gone to the palace of her father he went now, and found Psyche lying with violet eyes that stared into the velvety darkness, seeking something that she hoped for, trembling before something that brought her dread. His voice was as the voice of spring when it breathes on the sleeping earth; he knew each note in Love's music, every word in the great thing that is Love's vocabulary. Love loved, and Psyche listened, and soon she knew that her lover was Love himself. Thus, for Psyche, did a time of perfect happiness begin. All through the day she roamed in her Love's dominion, and saw on every side the signs of his passion and of his tenderness. All through the night he stayed by her, and satisfied all the longing of her heart. Yet always, ere daybreak, Eros left her, and when she begged him to stay he only made answer: "I am with thee only while I keep My visage hidden; and if thou once shouldst see My face, I must forsake thee; the high gods Link Love with Faith, and he withdraws himself From the full gaze of knowledge." Lewis Morris. So did time glide past for Psyche, and ever she grew more in love with Love; always did her happiness become more complete. Yet, ever and again, there returned to her the remembrance of those sorrowful days when her father and mother had broken their hearts over her martyrdom, and her sisters had looked askance at her as at one whose punishment must assuredly have come from her own misdoing. Thus at length she asked Eros to grant her, for love's sake, a boon--to permit her to have her sisters come to see for themselves the happiness that was hers. Most unwillingly was her request granted, for the heart of Eros told him that from their visit no good could come. Yet he was unable to
deny anything to Psyche, and on the following day Zephyrus was sent to bring the two sisters to the pleasant valley where Psyche had her home. Eagerly, as she awaited them, Psyche thought she might make the princely palace wherein she dwelt yet fairer than it was. And almost ere she could think, her thoughts became realities. When the two sisters came, they were bewildered with the beauty and the magnificence of it all. Beside this, their own possessions were paltry trifles indeed. Quickly, in their little hearts, black envy grew. They had always been jealous of their younger sister, and now that they found her, whom all the world believed to have been slain by a horrible monster, more beautiful than ever, decked with rare jewels, radiant in her happiness, and queen of a palace fit for the gods, their envy soon turned to hatred, and they sought how best to wreak their malice upon the joyous creature who loaded them with priceless gifts. They began to ply Psyche with questions. He who was her lord, to whom she owed all her happiness, where was he? Why did he stay away when her sisters came to be presented to him? What manner of man was he? Was he fair or dark? Young or old? And as they questioned her, Psyche grew like a bewildered child and answered in frightened words that contradicted one another. And well the wicked sisters, who brooded evil in their hearts, knew that this husband whom Psyche had never seen must indeed be one of the deathless gods. Wily words they spoke to her then. "Alas! unhappy one," they said, "dost think to escape the evil fate the gods meted out for thee? Thy husband is none other than the monster of which the oracle spake! Oh, foolish Psyche! canst not understand that the monster fears the light? Too great horror would it mean for thee to see the loathsome thing that comes in the blackness of night and speaks to thee words of love." White-lipped and trembling, Psyche listened. Drop by drop the poisonous words passed into her soul. She had thought him king of all living things--worthy to rule over gods as well as men. She was so sure that his body was worthy sheath for the heart she knew so well.... She had pictured him beautiful as Eros, son of Aphrodite--young and fair, with crisp, golden locks--a husband to glory in--a lover to adore. And now she knew, with shame and dread, that he who had won her love
Page 1 and 2: A Book of Myths, by Jean Lang The P
Page 3 and 4: and lost its beauty, there yet rema
Page 5 and 6: in any language. The writer will fe
Page 7 and 8: PYGMALION 11 PHAETON 16 ENDYMION 26
Page 9 and 10: Thus did Psyche lose her fear, and
Page 11 and 12: that was to be his heritage. Promet
Page 13 and 14: (Afterthought). For Epimethus it wa
Page 15 and 16: endure the torment of having a foul
Page 17 and 18: most perfect semblance of men and o
Page 19 and 20: had made sacred to Galatea. On the
Page 21 and 22: But at last she said to him, "Naugh
Page 23 and 24: From the courtyard of the Palace th
Page 25 and 26: wrought. That blazing chariot of th
Page 27 and 28: suburban garden. That unlettered sp
Page 29 and 30: [Illustration: SHE CHECKED HER HOUN
Page 31 and 32: deep, hidden meaning in each part o
Page 33 and 34: permission he sought, but solemnly
Page 35 and 36: night, but as that of evening when
Page 37 and 38: When the quest of the Argonauts was
Page 39 and 40: But as the first fierce storm that
Page 41 and 42: Once upon a time, so goes the tale,
Page 43 and 44: which the fame of the fair Psyche h
Page 45: arren rocks, the utter forsakenness
Page 49 and 50: As a martyr walks to death, so did
Page 51 and 52: sprang from the high cliff on which
Page 53 and 54: And again the reeds murmured, "Bewa
Page 55 and 56: "Oh, foolish one," it said, "why do
Page 57 and 58: its ugly tomb in the dark soil, and
Page 59 and 60: and found, amazed, a fearless, whit
Page 61 and 62: "Aimed on the left side his well-ha
Page 63 and 64: ATALANTA Atalanta, daughter of the
Page 65 and 66: thou dost race with me, the goal is
Page 67 and 68: To Pallas Athené, goddess of craft
Page 69 and 70: them with pictures such as no skill
Page 71 and 72: shall fall--for oft by weathers tha
Page 73 and 74: dallying with Idas in the shadowy w
Page 75 and 76: of her dreams, his voice was as the
Page 77 and 78: were life to one whose beauty had w
Page 79 and 80: overshadowed by the past, and even
Page 81 and 82: "And now from their fountains In En
Page 83 and 84: daily had to face, sailed the seas
Page 85 and 86: came empty-handed, and as he stood
Page 87 and 88: But Athené said Nay, at his mother
Page 89 and 90: "but no mortal can obtain it, for o
Page 91 and 92: living as that of a flower in sprin
Page 93 and 94: wife. No marriage feast so splendid
Page 95 and 96: "Surely this stranger comes from Ol
Page 97 and 98:
sons, and each son is more than the
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But the gods laughed. Like a harsh
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Zephyrus, god of the South Wind, ha
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This is the story of Midas, one of
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But when Midas, with the healthy ap
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First of all Pan took his fragile r
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hiding-place. The trees and shrubs
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For the air was full of the clamoro
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around the cave lurked the long dar
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like a ship driven on by the long o
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In the fragrance of the blossom of
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Wind and the North Wind wrestle tog
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For, from the carcase of one of the
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so fair. She had only tasted the jo
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she held most dear. "Give me back m
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LATONA AND THE RUSTICS Through the
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defiled." As she spoke, a change, s
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smiling at the remembrance of her m
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Grief had slain the body of Echo. O
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Fourteen years only have passed sin
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at length they looked like the pini
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higher, higher still, and when he s
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and give stare for stare to golden-
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voice sang snatches of song of his
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shall not hide him, nor shall his d
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whose white arms against the greenw
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fashioned for himself an instrument
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spear-wound through it. With terrib
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as she spoke, her tears and his blo
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the river), 'The only way, since go
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at length she stood on the edge of
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and so, by the hands of his river,
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Milton. Pan was dead, and the gods
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unutterable woe upon any of the son
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Near St. Goar, there rises out of t
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[7] Archilochus of Paros. [8] Fiona
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to come was possessed by Beowulf. I
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And Odin, seeing himself outwitted
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oath from anything in all nature, a
Page 175 and 176:
Thus Loki, taking upon himself the
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Matthew Arnold. Gladly Hermoder mad
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were fit to receive him, and peace
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took place those things that are to
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lack marshes, unknowing that in the
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swiftly know whence ye have hither
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Grendel's scaly hide. Up and down t
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win, while he may, warlike fame in
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homeland and had told his kinsman t
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forth scorchingly, and its great mo
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FOOTNOTES: [9] Shakespeare (Julius
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would be allowed to retain his king
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"No one sent me," he said. "My moth
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"I had taken thee for another man,
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Leaving them behind with twenty tho
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comrades whose eyes never more woul
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humbly confessing his sins and begg
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King of Heaven! * * * * * May thy f
Page 211 and 212:
Charlemagne then returned to Aix, a
Page 213 and 214:
their love. To them in course of ti
Page 215 and 216:
what her servants had scorned to do
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he stood, and greeted him in the gl
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the shattered victims of the destro
Page 221 and 222:
Then said her brothers: "In Him we
Page 223 and 224:
And Kemoc answered: "It is truth."
Page 225 and 226:
In many ancient manuscripts we get
Page 227 and 228:
"You will have a little grave apart
Page 229 and 230:
questions about Naoise, she met a s
Page 231 and 232:
delivered his message, and when he
Page 233 and 234:
e alive. We will go with her to ano
Page 235 and 236:
ut on Loch Awe and Loch Fyne, Loch
Page 237 and 238:
But Deirdrê said, very quickly: "N
Page 239 and 240:
the pure sand. O that I might not d
Page 241 and 242:
heart of the king. For when Lavarca
Page 243 and 244:
And Ainle also craved that death mi
Page 245 and 246:
[18] Inistrynich. [19] Dun Sween. [
Page 247 and 248:
133, 139, 140, 141, 142, 145, 164,
Page 249 and 250:
Belvidere, Apollo, 11 Ben Cruachan,
Page 251 and 252:
Cerberus, 34 Ceyx, 144, 145, 146, 1
Page 253 and 254:
Dædalus, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185,
Page 255 and 256:
Dun Sween, 324 Durendala, 276, 284,
Page 257 and 258:
Fergus, 321, 322, 323, 325, 326, 32
Page 259 and 260:
Greece, 26, 71, 72, 74, 154, 192, 1
Page 261 and 262:
Ibycus, 192, 194, 195, 196 Icarus,
Page 263 and 264:
Lebynthos, 186 Leinster, Book of, 3
Page 265 and 266:
Meleager, 69, 70, 72, 74, 75, 76, 7
Page 267 and 268:
North Cape, 260 North Sea, 244 Norw
Page 269 and 270:
Persephone, 80, 161, 164, 165, 167
Page 271 and 272:
280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286,
Page 273 and 274:
Sleipnir, 236 Socrates, 153 Somnus,
Page 275 and 276:
Tyrian, 86 Uffizi Palace, 124 Ulste
Page 277 and 278:
The author also used alternative sp
Page 279 and 280:
ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.
Page 281 and 282:
This eBook is for the use of anyone
Page 283 and 284:
eceipt of the work. - You comply wi
Page 285 and 286:
harmless from all liability, costs
Page 287:
Please check the Project Gutenberg
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