# The City of Dreadful Night and other poems/The Naked Goddess

THE NAKED GODDESS.
1866-67.
"Arcane danze D'immortal piede i ruinosi gioghi Scossero e l'ardue selve (oggi romito Nido de' venti)."—Leopardi.
Through the country to the town Ran a rumour and renown, That a woman grand and tall, Swift of foot, and therewithal Naked as a lily gleaming, Had been seen by eyes not dreaming, Darting down far forest glades, Flashing sunshine through the shades.
With this rumour's swelling word All the city buzzed and stirred; Solemn senators conferred; Priest, astrologer, and mage, Subtle sophist, bard, and sage,
Brought their wisdom, lore, and wit, To expound or riddle it: Last a porter ventured—"We Might go out ourselves to see."
Thus, upon a summer morn, Lo the city all forlorn; Every house and street and square In the sunshine still and bare, Every galley left to sway Silent in the glittering bay; All the people swarming out, Young and old a joyous rout, Rich and poor, far-streaming through Fields and meadows dark with dew, Crowd on crowd, and throng on throng; Chatter, laughter, jest, and song Deafened all the singing birds, Wildered sober grazing herds.
Up the hillside 'gainst the sun, Where the forest outskirts run; On along the level high, Where the azure of the sky, And the ruddy morning sheen, Drop in fragments through the treen
Where the sward surrounds the brake With a lucid, glassy lake, Where the ample glades extend Until clouds and foliage blend; Where whoever turneth may See the city and the bay, And, beyond, the broad sea bright, League on league of slanting light; Where the moist blue shadows sleep In the sacred forest deep.
Suddenly the foremost pause, Ere the rear discern a cause; Loiterers press up row on row, All the mass heaves to and fro; All seem murmuring in one strain, All seem hearkening fixed and fain: Silence, and the lifted light Of countless faces gazing white.
Four broad beech-trees, great of bole, Crowned the green, smooth- swelling knoll; There She leant, the glorious form Dazzling with its beauty warm, Naked as the sun of noon, Naked as the midnight moon:
And around her, tame and mild, All the forest creatures wild— Lion, panther, kid, and fawn, Eagle, hawk, and dove, all drawn By the magic of her splendour, By her great voice, rich and tender, Whereof every beast and bird Understood each tone and word, While she fondled and carest, Playing freaks of joyous zest.
Suddenly the lion stood, Turned and saw the multitude, Swelled his mighty front in ire, Roared the roar of raging fire: Then She turned, the living light, Sprang erect, grew up in height, Smote them with the flash and blaze Of her terrible, swift gaze; A divine, flushed, throbbing form, Dreadfuller than blackest storm.
All the forest creatures cowered, Trembling, moaning, overpowered; All the simple folk who saw Sank upon their knees in awe
Of this Goddess, fierce and splendid, Whom they witless had offended; And they murmured out faint prayers, Inarticulate despairs, Till her haught and angry mien Grew more gentle and serene.
Stood the high priest forth, and went Halfway up the green ascent; There began a preachment long Of the great and grievous wrong She unto her own soul wrought In thus living without thought Of the gods who sain and save, Of the life beyond the grave: Living with the beasts that perish, Far from all the rites that cherish Hope and faith and holy love, And appease the thrones above: Full of unction pled the preacher; Let her come and they would teach her Spirit strangled in the mesh Of the vile and sinful flesh, How to gain the heavenly prize, How grow meet for Paradise; Penance, prayer, self-sacrifice,
Fasting, cloistered solitude, Mind uplifted, heart subdued; Thus a Virgin, clean and chaste, In the Bridegroom's arms embraced. Vestal sister's hooded gown, Straight and strait, of dismal brown, Here he proffered, and laid down On the green grass like a frown. Then stood forth the old arch-sage, Wrinkled more with thought than age: What could worse afflict, deject Any well-trained intellect Than in savage forest seeing Such a full-grown human being With the beasts and birds at play, Ignorant and wild as they? Sciences and arts, by which Man makes Nature's poor life rich, Dominates the world around, Proves himself its King self-crowned, She knew nothing of them, she Knew not even what they be! Body naked to the air, And the reason just as bare!
Yet (since circumstance, that can Hinder the full growth of man, Cannot kill the seeds of worth Innate in the Lord of Earth), Yet she might be taught and brought To full sovranty of thought, Crowned with reason's glorious crown. So he tendered and laid down, Sober grey beside the brown, Amplest philosophic gown.
Calm and proud she stood the while With a certain wondering smile; When the luminous sage was done She began to speak as one Using language not her own, Simplest words in sweetest tone: "Poor old greybeards, worn and bent! I do know not what they meant; Only here and there a word Reached my mind of all I heard; Let some child come here, I may Understand what it can say."
So two little children went, Lingering up the green ascent,
Hand in hand, but grew the while Bolder in her gentle smile; When she kissed them they were free, Joyous as at mother's knee. "Tell me, darlings, now," said she, "What they want to say to me." Boy and girl then, nothing loth, Sometimes one and sometimes both, Prattled to her sitting there Fondling with their soft young hair: "Dear kind lady, do you stay Here with always holiday? Do you sleep among the trees? People want you, if you please, To put on your dress and come With us to the City home; Live with us and be our friend: Oh, such pleasant times we'll spend!. . . But if you can't come away, Will you let us stop and play With you and all these happy things With hair and horns and shining wings?" She arose and went half down, Took the vestal sister's gown,
Tried it on, burst through its shroud, As the sun burns through a cloud: Flung it from her split and rent; Said: "This cerement sad was meant For some creature stunted, thin, Breastless, blighted, bones and skin."
Then the sage's robe she tried, Muffling in its long folds wide All her lithe and glorious grace: "I should stumble every pace! This big bag was meant to hold Some poor sluggard fat and old, Limping, shuffling wearily, With a form not fit to see!" So she flung it off again With a gesture of disdain.
Naked as the midnight moon, Naked as the sun of noon, Burning too intensely bright, Clothed in its own dazzling light; Seen less thus than in the shroud Of morning mist or evening cloud; She stood terrible and proud O'er the pallid quivering crowd.
At a gesture ere they wist, Perched a falcon on her wrist, And she whispered to the bird Something it alone there heard; Then she threw it off: when thrown Straight it rose as falls a stone, Arrow -swift on high, on high, Till a mere speck in the sky; Then it circled round and round, Till, as if the prey were found, Forth it darted on its quest Straight away into the West. . . . Every eye that watched its flight Felt a sideward flash of light, All were for a moment dazed, Then around intently gazed: What had passed them? Where was She, The offended deity? O'er the city, o'er the bay, They beheld her melt away, Melt away beyond their quest Through the regions of the west; While the eagle screamed rauque ire, And the lion roared like fire.
That same night both priest and sage Died accursed in sombre rage. Never more in wild wood green Was that glorious Goddess seen, Never more: and from that day Evil hap and dull decay Fell on countryside and town; Life and vigour dwindled down; Storms in Spring nipped bud and sprout, Summer suns shed plague and drought, Autumn's store was crude and scant, Winter snows beleaguered want; Vines were black at vintage-tide, Flocks and herds of murrain died; Fishing boats came empty home, Good ships foundered in the foam; Haggard traders lost all heart Wandering through the empty mart: For the air hung thick with gloom, Silence, and the sense of doom. But those little children she Had caressed so tenderly Were betrothed that self-same night, Grew up beautiful and bright,
Lovers through the years of play Forward to their marriage-day. Three long moons of bridal bliss Overflowed them; after this, With his bride and with a band Of the noblest in the land, Youths and maidens, wedded pairs Scarcely older in life's cares, He took ship and sailed away Westward Ho from out the bay: Portioned from their native shrine With the Sacred Fire divine, They will cherish while they roam, Quenchless 'mid the salt sea foam, Till it burns beneath a dome In some new and far-off home. As they ventured more and more In that ocean without shore, And some hearts were growing cold At the emprise all too bold, It is said a falcon came Down the void blue swift as flame; Every sunset came to rest On the prow's high curving crest,
Every sunrise rose from rest Flying forth into the west; And they followed, faint no more, Through that ocean without shore.
Three moons crescent fill and wane O'er the solitary main, When behold a green shore smile: It was that Atlantic isle, Drowned beneath the waves and years, Whereof some faint shadow peers Dubious through the modern stream Of Platonic legend-dream. High upon that green shore stood She who left their native wood; Glorious, and with solemn hand Beckoned to them there to land. Though She forthwith disappeared As the wave-worn galley neared, They knew well her presence still Haunted stream and wood and hill. There they landed, there grew great, Founders of a mighty state: There the Sacred Fire divine Burned within a wondrous shrine
Which Her statue glorified Throughout many kingdoms wide. There those children wore the crown To their children handed down Many and many a golden age Blotted now from history's page; Till the last of all the line Leagued him with the other nine Great Atlantic kings whose hosts Ravaged all the Mid Sea coasts: Then the whelming deluge rolled Over all those regions old; Thrice three thousand years before Solon questioned Egypt's lore.