There slept a silent palace in the sun, With plains adjacent and Thessalian peace — Pherai, where King Admetos ruled the land.
Out from the portico there gleamed a God, Apollon: for the bow was in his hand, The quiver at his shoulder, all his shape One dreadful beauty. And he hailed the house, As if he knew it well and loved it much: "O Admeteian domes, where I endured, Even the God I am, to drudge awhile, Accepting the slave's table thankfully. Do righteous penance for a reckless deed!" Then told how Zeus had been the cause of all, Raising the wrath in him which took revenge And slew those forgers of the thunderbolt Wherewith Zeus blazed the life from out the breast Of Phoibos' son Asklepios (I surmise, Because he brought the dead to life again) And so, for punishment, must needs go slave God as he was, with a mere mortal lord: — Told how he came to King Admetos' land, And played the ministrant, was herdsman there, Warding from him and his all harm away Till now; "For, holy as I am," said he, "The lord I chanced upon was holy too: Whence I deceived the Moirai, drew from death My master, this same son of Pheres, — ay, The Goddesses conceded him escape From Hades, when the fated day should fall, Could he exchange lives, find some friendly one Ready, for his sake, to content the grave. But trying all in turn, the friendly list, Why, he found no one, none who loved so much, Nor father, nor the aged mother's self That bore him, no, not any save his wife, Willing to die instead of him and watch Never a sunrise nor a sunset more: And she is even now within the house, Upborne by pitying hands, the feeble frame Gasping its last of life out; since to-day Destiny is accomplished, and she dies, And I, lest here pollution light on me, Leave, as ye witness, all my wonted joy In this dear dwelling. Ay, — for here comes Death Close on us of a sudden! who, pale priest Of the mute people, means to bear his prey To the house of Hades. The symmetric step! How he treads true to time and place and thing, Dogging day, hour and minute, for death's-due!"
And we observed another Deity, Half in, half out the portal, — watch and ward, — Eyeing his fellow: formidably fixed, Yet faultering too at who affronted him. As somehow disadvantaged, should they strive. Like some dread heapy blackness, ruffled wing, Convulsed and cowering head that is all eye, Which proves a ruined eagle who, too blind Swooping in quest o' the quarry, fawn or kid, Descried deep down the chasm 'twixt rock and rock, Has wedged and mortised, into either wall O' the mountain, the pent earthquake of his power; So lies, half hurtless yet still terrible, Just when — who stalks up, who stands front to front, But the great lion-guarder of the gorge, Lord of the ground, a stationed glory there! Yet he too pauses ere he try the worst O' the frightful unfamiliar nature, new To the chasm, indeed, but elsewhere known enough, Among the shadows and the silences Above i' the sky: so, each antagonist Silently faced his fellow and forbore, Till Death shrilled, hard and quick, in spite and fear:
"Ha, ha, and what may'st thou do at the domes, Why hauntest here, thou Phoibos? Here again At the old injustice, limiting our rights, Baulking of honour due us Gods o' the grave? Was 't not enough for thee to have delayed Death from Admetos, — with thy crafty art Cheating the very Fates, — but thou must arm The bow-hand and take station, press 'twixt me And Pelias' daughter, who then saved her spouse, — Did just that, now thou comest to undo, — Taking his place to die, Alkestis here?" But the God sighed "Have courage! All my arms, This time, are simple justice and fair words."
Then each plied each with rapid interchange:
"What need of bow were justice arms enough?"
"Ever it is my wont to bear the bow."
"Ay, and with bow, not justice, help this house!"
"I help it, since a friend's woe weighs me too."
"And now, — wilt force from me this second corpse?"
"By force I took no corpse at first from thee."
"How then is he above ground, not beneath?"
"He gave his wife instead of him, thy prey."
"And prey; this time at least, I bear below!"
"Go take her! — for I doubt persuading thee ..."
"To kill the doomed one? What my function else?"
"No! Rather, to despatch the true mature."
"Truly I take thy meaning, see thy drift!"
"Is there a way then she may reach old age?"
"No way! I glad me in my honours too!"
"But, young or old, thou tak'st one life, no more!"
"Younger they die, greater my praise redounds!"
"If she die old, — the sumptuous funeral!"
"Thou layest down a law the rich would like."
"How so? Did wit lurk there and 'scape thy sense?"