The Portland daily press., 1873-03-29

Ihebes sat queen upon tho rivers sand,
Yet was there cypress in her laurel crown
And sadness was there in the sunny lanu'
And men and women wandered up anu "o"
The streets and marketplaces OF inc 'o""'
Weeping for those again who migh' no' o'''
AMI drear and dcsolate was many Il hohe'
Not far beyond a rock rose steep ana tall
and ON fts airy top the Sphinx did sit,
And asked a riddle of the travellers all
Who passed and failing to discover it
They died, and strength availed them no whit;
And none escaped: but how the riddle ran,
Or Of its answer, knew not any man.
This In few words, with many a dreary SIGH
Told they of Thebes, within the marketplace.
And then enc, who had listened silently.
Rose up with hewitt courage on his face
Saying, Il know not of my name or race,
And lonely in the world, 'twere well 90,
That all men Of my life or death may know"
80 E iipus, not taking arms or horse
Or man with him, set forth upon his way;
Well knowing that in wit and not in force
Was where his only strength and surety lay.
And so he journeyed all the long bright day
ontil he neared the high rock, whereupon
The Sphinx sat motionless as a throne
With lions form and with a woman's face
With fierce strength lowered and with rapia WIG ,
Set by wrathfu goddess in this place.
Forevermore she mourned because OF ~
Hating her power whereto all must SUBMIT
And hating more her cunning to petray'
That all we're doomed who passed along that way,
And Gdipus: "what shall this riddle be?
Did not know all wonders OF the WOOD
When the wind rocked me swinging on the tree
ubarniu
sncb as once whispered Midas hardihood Ii
Fishes and beasts and birds and serpents, each
Told me bis story and in his own speech.
sand If the reeds, wherein doth music sit,
Spoke to my knowledge: if the rolling wave
Relates what marvellous things are under it.
Aud what pure pearls lie in the weedy cave
Sod deep, that none to search for them is brave:
What is this mystery, that may not know
What secret has the Sphinx she may not show?
"Or if fail, amazed, and dumb for fear,
And fall prey to her as others fell,
whonot less brave than 1, held life more dear.
But knew not of the riddles sense to tell:
Life lost or gained, who knows which one wer
we'll ~
And If 1t be know no word to say.
Death will welcome and my life's last day.
AA0 t9pAhuA iVohou uOWH Oh WIN ct1ei'iS
eyes
As though she saw him not and in a tone
Sadly monotonous, without fall or rise,
She asked her riddle (Which to all is known,
Nor need to be repeatedly only one
His word of answer as he spoke it-Man!''
Nor any other sound his lips began.
One moment silent did the gray Sphinx sit
Then sad she spoke: '''rhe riddle thou hast read
Yet happier art thou not for knowing 1t,
For the life earned by that which thou hast said
Shall evermore be full of woe AMI dread;
And thou shalt envy those who, guessing not
What mans lite is, have persisted on this spot.
Through long years have waited on this rock,
Through dull black nights and through sunscorch
ed days;
Stars wandered in the skies, or tempests' shock
Made the world waver; still with quiet gaze
Fixed on the earth sat: from many ways o..
Came those who, trusting in their hardihood,
No answer knew for evil or for good.
'And that thou knowest is my waiting done,
And now thou hast destroyed me utterly,
The secret that kept now hast thou won,
And /, that often have seen death may die;
And men shall safely to and fro pass by
This rock; and Thebes her gores shall restore
Because of thee-that shalt see joy no more.''
With this she cast herself down from the stone
That stood so black against the dull red sky;
And Edipus was left to muse alone
OF what he late had seen and known thereby
And knowing, must forevermore defy
Relentless Fate that still should drive bin on.
Till life and lifelong sorrow should be done.
So he turned back again, and came at last
To Thebes, all golden in the golden dawn:
And YEARLY through its high gates he passed,
And of Its splendor felt he only scorn;
And hated sun and moon, and night and morn
And all that lived; and would that life were done,
And hid forever from the staring sun. ~ i.