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7 The New Ship -

Apollo ( continuing ).

Voyage after voyage, how else, how else
Should I Man's soul prepare
For the new venture, bolder yet.
On which he now must dare?

See! from the voyage whence you come now
You come not back the same!
Behind the door of your dull brow
Have sprung up doubt and blame —

Defiance of me. That I praise.
This once low-cabined pate
Hollows deep-chambered — is become
Tribunal — hall of state
For the assembled thrones of angels — roof
For an assize of fate!

6 The Rebuke -

When the man knew the ship he loved
Had melted to a lie
He fronted him upon his feet
As who should Gods defy —
Syllables choked not in his throat,
He met him eye to eye.

Refreshed was he through long forborne
Anger. His spirit swelled
Manful — the stronger in his grief
By all that he had quelled.

Seaman.

" This is your world-discovery!
This is the great landfall!
This coil of warehouses and quays
And taverns — this is all!

Well was it that we trusted thee!
Else — how had we achieved

5 The Tale of Apollo -

Apollo (musing).

There was no whisper out of space,
Scarcely a ripple ran
From thine incommensurable side
O dim leviathan,

When from afar I came in flight,
Rumours 'gainst thee to probe,
Leaving afar, engraved in shade,
Many a dreaming silver globe
And approached thee on the middle sea
Wrapt in my darkling robe.

That Ship becalm'd, that triple-tier'd
Of Heaven and Earth and Hell,
Spread strange commotion as I near'd
Over the starred sea-swell.

Arcturus, I remember, shone —
That rebel! mirror'd bright,

4 The Tidings -

Seaman.

How think of her, gone down, gone down!
How think of her decayed!
Or that the maker of that ship
Could let his creature fade!
More unbridled — unforgettable — was never creature made.

Gone by the board, those swinging spars
That seemed through storm to climb!
Sent down, like any cockle-shell
To tangle and to slime!

Did he that takes the narrow sounds
His monstrous hands between.
Whirl her among his crazy locks
Into an eddy green?

Was it fog-bound, on a foul coast,
With not enough sea-room,

3 The Ship -

Apollo.

And whence did that craft hail, sailor,
Of which you seem so fond?

Seaman.

It was some harbour of the East,
Back o' beyond, back o' beyond!

Apollo.

What shipwrights' hammers rang on her,
The stout ship and the leal?
In what green forest inlet lay
Her cradle and her keel?

Seaman.

I think some arm of the sea-gods
Framed us her stormy frame,
And ribbed and beamed and stanchioned her,
And gave her strength a name.

Never, Sir Traveller, have you seen
A sight the half as fine

2 The Rumour -

Apollo.

" And why are you cast down, sailor?
And why are you cast down?
With lapfuls of the guineas light
Come you not back to town?

Your feet that must have run in air
Aloft the slippy mast
Are they not glad to land, my lad,
On steady ground at last? "

Up from his brown rope-harden'd hands
A heavy chin he raised,
And sidelong through the harbour bluffs
Looked out like man amazed.

Seaman.

If you had cruised as I have cruised
Abroad for many a year,
Your blood like mine it would have struck

Plain Cap

That the mere glimpse of a plain cap
Could harry me with such longing,
Cause pain so dire!

That the mere glimpse of a plain coat
Could stab my heart with grief!
Enough! Take me with you to your home

That a mere glimpse of plain leggings
Could tie my heart in tangles!
Enough! Let us two be one.

The White Cap

If I could but see the white cap,
And the earnest mourner worn to leanness! —
My toiled heart is worn with grief!

If I could but see the white dress! —
My heart is wounded with sadness!
I should be inclined to go and live with the wearer!

If I could but see the white knee-covers! —
Sorrow is knotted in my heart!
I should almost feel as of one soul with the wearer!
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