The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-10-22

sirrly tho unconscious slave OF Aphrodite
who. to carry out the pledge given to Paris on
Mount Ida. when he bestowed on her the prize
OF beauty. has placed Helen under spell.
Whereby she loses for season all knowledge
of her preceding life. When the goddess leads
her 30 Paris on the morning OF their flight from
LaccdTmon her mind is II white page. as utterly
free from a record Of tho PAST rs We must con-
ceivo Ewes to have been when she was
brought to Adam in the garden. OF course
there is no warrant in tho Homeric narrative
for thus purifying the relation Of the lovers 30
far IA the woman was concerned. The singer
OF n primitive world. in which the sexual in
stincts are frankly recognized. If not glorifed
could not so much as understand tho motive
which has prompted Mr.. Lang. But we can
understand II ut "A time when the obsoonities OF
Vilon ara cXtoiled by the high priests of a GER
tain school Of culture and when such vicious
alterations from the normal type of humanity
as Nessnlina and Faustina find their raroxys-
mallaureates. And after all Mr.. Lang has but
sought to do for Helen what Racine tried to do
for " Ph0drc" when he depicted her not as the
willing vo,ary. but the involuntary victim Of
Venus, tout ent,re 81 rroie sttachre.
Tho poem opens in tho house OF Mcnclaus at
Lacodrrsch. whittier King Diocles Of Phorc
has come "a n guest. bringing with him
young stranger from the further side OF tho
fgean. We have a first glimpse of Paris in
the following lines:
Beside King Drccs there .at a man
90 all men mortal sure the fAlrest far,
"r i,S Iu,'. sg's Sh .S, than the
90 he long golden luck- that hcde,h war.
srS , wa nm sl s s@ ind ts . mi To- H H%e
Were clear skies tue storm had ,hunder'd through
Paris Is wandering in quest Of the gucrdon
know that Helen Is to be his recompense. Ac-
cordlngly. NJ the feast made for him by Mene-
laus he recount- tho strange contention of the
three g2ddpsscs Mount Ida. and the ver-
diet which he gave:
= Ties ycices did follow Through the trec.
wb5n 10 ie ' very queen " Of Goid.s.e. say
H. Golden ,eaaty cleaning wcntrously
Ana IN the arm. Of mighty ieus dothS sisei,-
BE !ieia called ne VIII soft Voice sna deep ''F
Then, rs I doubted. like sudden fame
Beloldins her how ,taieiy a. he came
' tie TGS inf Tia, TFS%is
ea her own voice eo.nman,ling lnsde ne raise
Ia DFieies' words the !guefdc.n OF ali !riaise.
Last: in q lovely mist of rosy nre.
,'ame Arl,rodis through !he forest slaie
Tie bii%d isr sf wd wsye th,t .af al dism,yd,
! w VA, too happy to be sore afraid
ION. Paris. Whist is power, Tantalu.
Buiuqw they lie in the Lake noloron.
4. Nh; IS ~ g; =; d rI % IS Ssy saG iS
IS Ihos herself 6'erwel did Know
When high walls hep'd not King Laonnedon.
"Anl what are strength and courage for the child
KRtw Gi.ni dsy: aud eyil. sre men piled
Tue xT W "sa T Ea he y r. sra as n
NAY 1oveI pro;fcr thee: beyond the brine
or all the currents Of the Western seas.
Tie ssiEest woman III the world is thine.'
she spak" AND touched tn. Przr and all grew dim.
NJ, heard .r,i. no vo I,,, q sngsrd psty,
AMI, when wnken'd To- the sun was high"
In the nigh; that follows the festival Aphrodite
NY. and when she revolts at IL lays on her the
spell by which she will be rendered blameless:
The in.,ruments Of men are blind and dumb,
hsed sS q is he fts that 10 De c S."a
Aud ignorant OF that which i. behind,
ln ,.S ., ne ~ tq ata til Visit thee
Pear IRE aud tumri' through a sleeping sea"
The flight OF Paris and Helen is described in
some striking stanzas. from which we quote:
B. many an island fort and many haven
They saw the loves q god. and men easraveu
on iriez s- p, A,tartf. ieln,pl. wall
ri, s ps. from toT MN, he SSsnsi
Sweep up 10 high olympus from tho sea.
So the wind drave Them and the waters bare
ri AeT1 ro ne r, a,, green rsin pnSrysstsd
Faint rose OF snow on distant ijas head
a. :s!s. ;sr 7: 1{%:, ;rsa
Or ere they won the Land OF their desire.
They saw the vain and weary toll Of men,
Tie ship. tina, win the r,ct niar all ne Graves;
1yI psssa ' mr. Tfd ~ rswd ssrH' hrya
Peilt in tie dsrk hot hold henrnth the W Ives;
And scsihelsss the sandman heets among
B'4riss Black fa,s to tois Of alien tongue On -'e'
The story OF Heen's life in Troy and OF the
Ton wears IuliciDusly DrrSS.l
though here and there a scene Of the Homeric
narrative is wildly reproduced. We pass over
this portion Of the poem in order to cite
passage which recounts how Paris. sick OF his
death wound is carried to the forest where his
him If she will:
They reach'd the gateway Of tina, highest glen
~. Ane halted vort'ring what ne end should he;
le bach Here judsr'i gods. here shalt thou
b. S! I ihse S@ ,SoG ia o'n he ed al. Fl know
Whether the gods at length viii set thee free
From that old Net they woie 30 long ago"
All there with wide shows round her like pail.
d.uone crouch'd in sshls robes; sin
A or si,s. H TSo s- ,p 'sS in' fall
woman ehsnse to STONE ~ rief Whsre chin
And fars des,g,e he saw q deadly viii
"Nav prs~er 10 her were vain NJ PRAYER 10 Fate"
De 'nGfn,ur,d, almost E.ai Tia! i SO,
s r Sin q P a ~ draw. es ssT ~
Ana Paiir brrkond to his lnrn aad stow
,|.S Gsf 70, H. .3S eat r' k"o~
The soft repentance on unonea face.
During the sack Of Troy Aphroditc save,
Hecn from Outrage and conveys har T. the
tentof Menelaus;
So wounded flo HE hut and YEARLY
Game Mcueiaus; and le how'd hi, bend
Beneath IA. .itltgl neither fair nor high,
And To- Queen ilnlsn upon his bed
fusli'd Ike aiiii' ip steep and rosy f,a,
AMI al his foot si.,. IA thr wake aud smi',.
And fpakc. w lori huN hath thN huuf.ag spc,l'
Mcihinks tlist nave slept - weasy while"
For Ap,rodite made the past unknown
7 Helen ~ " old. when ia til. dow
OF that fair dawn the round her ,hrGwn
Epy, memory If Troy brake through
TIE met that weird from her and blue
tn dreadful DAYS and deeds all oyerpust
AID rIa..iy diI she greet hcr lord anew
tni glGdit would her arms have round Lin cast