The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-06-27

ly infatuated with Lysander, as
ready to die for dove 'ss Lydia for
duty.
The poem takes very bold liberties
with the historical facts, and alter
Lydia is murdered to crafty a super
stitioa he so bitterly detested, Lysan-
der deserts to the Spartans, deter
mined TO wTeak vengeance on the
murderers Of his betrothed. Thither
Ezra, whom Lysander despises, fol-
lows him. Her blind devotion makes
her a ft instrument in Lysander's
bands, and 1t is she who is sent at
Lysander's direction to lay the Spar
tan tripods at the foot Of the temple
In I'home; It Is her form, revealed
By lightning flashes, which the re-
morseful soul Of Aristodemus mis-
takes for the murdered Lydia's spirit
then, aud as she, in battle, hovers
over and shields Lysander from the
strokes OF the valorous Messsnian.
How deeply the heroic Lysander
loved is illustrated in the hnts;
Surely here
IL 10 yepose for man's great soul, when love
Hath burst the iron bands ofhnite aims
And let the soul abroad, to yearD for things
Beyond, this mean contracted marnai
And here the devoted, dutiiul Lydia:
''Oh, sweeter far than softest lay Of lutte,
These watlike clamors. heralding my love.
. Q hate the pe lcetpl sounds
Oh, come the tramp Of steeds, the trumpet's
And ali those discOrdr, sweet with din of
Tv. tsarnsd 10 love. his homeward march
announcing
How sweetly hum the bees. How soft dlstils
The rose these odOrs DER my tagging spirit.
How bright the purple West! The suns
| Steal, STidinc o'er the saUery, .,oimplinO race.
Dozen through The green and golden '0'i'0''
That skirt, Pamisus' pebble and shell'trewn
shore"
Speaking with LYDIA, whose mother
died Of her birth, Aristodemus says:
s'Thine earliest breath caught all .
Her fading are, and thou art doubly DEAR
To his b.trothsd Lysander, despis-
ing the priestcraft ofthe age;
"StronE srme
And hearts frm.fxod in right create their
By right and might"
When the ~treacher1us Lyciscus
falsely proffersd t. sacrifice his
daughter in the stead OF Lyd a, Also
demus turns upon him:
~ scorn
To seek Of thee companionship in grief, >,
Or lose my woe, drowned in anothers rue
Describing Artist 1demus in great
mental perturbation, Lysander rays:
"Tbe muscles Of his face
Did seem 70 knot themselves in some great
thought"
Lysqnder-
II do forswear the gods that can command
Such wani0n, most unholy, damned rites J
All loyalty aud each allegiant tie
here r~enOuncel'
Ezra (slone as Lyssnder entsre):
"see where he comes to melancholy now.
Ho looks as one in whom the wine Of life
Run out, had left within the vessel only
The soggy lees OF life"
There NAV have bsen, indeed, more
than superstitious fear which appalled,
the Spartans on hearing how gladly
lydia died for home and duty.
Aristodemus-'We have given council
And years Of service till Messenia
bristled
Corpse-like with broken spear and
shivered lance.
o The SpnrIans fed -,
They fed appalled, 10 know M%essenia''
msidens
Would d.e to save the State"
realize how untat sfactory this i'm
perfect sketch - limited to marrow
apace-presents the merits OF aristotle
mas. The author adopts only a lev
leading facts of history as the ground
work OF his posm, 80 few indeed ths'
the produci ion 10 more nearly his owl
in ali respect, than n~ine.tenths OF the
historical poems. To the readers o
the bare historical details. proxy auC
uninteresliug for the most part, he
furnishes q vivid picture, enteritg
field of dry, bard S ubble, ne makes !
TO burgson end blossom all over witt
fruits and flowers entirely his ewn
1t IL one OF the present needs OF III
stage, "a OF the study, thai great his
torical characters and events should
be- drama lied or pa,sphras b.
baads caoable of the work giving u
q fresh supply Of ite'ature 10 max
the hearer or the reader bigger, brave
and better for the ex imples It illus
trates. II Mr.. DoaS will Drlng Gu
Nydia snd AristOdemls from their hid
ing and Turn them yer to the pub
Usher, | Warrant he will be ABUNDANT,
entoaIaged. c. L. NJ.