Then she, the new born maid, as false as fair, Hath found sweet Psyche in the crystal dome, And creeping, like a mad thing to her soul, In friendly guise, exacts a hideous toll For all her blissful life: "How can she bind "Her sunny soul to such a treacherous mind? "And she hath wed a libertine, a rake, "Whom even now her pleasures must forsake "To drink new pleasures with another bride. "And if she creeps in silence to his side "Forsooth unwelcome sights might come unto her." With such foul words the fiend began to woo her, And in her pearly ear hath poured the breath, Of hideous doubt that stabs her soul to death. And then hath wandered with exultant heart, Unto the vales of Crete, her glittering dart, Of barbed tongue, a woman's sweetness singing, And ever more hath myriad minions clinging, Unto her heartless laughter. But no more To grace our tale. And now the haggard hoar, On Cupid's angry ears, with whisperings Of faithless women, and the direful springs Of wasted lives: "And she hath heard the wind "Sing always, maids are false and men are blind, "And in a cavern by the ocean side, "'Tis daily jest of Wind and Sun and Tide, "How Psyche tweaks the gentle Cupid's nose "Between the beds; and Psyche false as fair, "Needs but a whim to lay her treason bare. "This very night, if he will but deny her, "If nothing more, at least 'twere time to try her, "For sooth unwelcome sights might come unto him." With such foul words the witch began to woo him, And in his angry ears hath poured the bane, That sets his heart at riot in his brain.
What wonder then if in the lonely night, Sweet Psyche weeps to find her love is slighted; Feels darkness fall upon her trembling light, And throws to wind the vows her love has plighted! And she hath risen from her loveless bed, With all the stealth her grief supplies instead, And steals to Cupid's fine unguarded room, Where she must feast her heart on deeper gloom. Here Cupid, airy souled, hath fall'n asleep, Too filled of love such watch for long to keep, And even now with her in blissful dreams, He roams again, and all the future seems As sweets of old. No little pains of doubt, To mar recalling moments with their rout. All through the halls, such joy of living blent Her soul and his in single ravishment. And Oh! they wander in the flow'ry vale, All through the dewy morn and evening pale, And each to drink the other's loveliness, Despising richest nectar. Even the stress, Of queenly anger now had bode its time, And fresh Aurora speeding to this clime, Hath Venus' royal word to grant his prayer, That with the dawn to clasp his Psyche there, In perfect love, with all the world their own. Ah, promised day! his eager soul hath flown, To meet the morning. On his lonely bed Reclines his happy visionary head, In such sweet dreams. An hour hath lightly flown When o'er his senses steals a softened moan, As when a soul all pent and warp'd in gloom, Hath breathed soul deep, some sudden wild perfume, That is of freedom. Awaked to such surprise, He sees with heart aghast the famished eyes, Of Psyche filling to their very brim With his forbidden beauty, sees for him, The golden future vanish, sees aghast For now he knows his lovely dream hath passed; That soulless doubt hath razed the golden dome Of his high hopes to desert sandy loam. The structured palace falls with all its art, To grieve a valley with an aching heart. From out a darkened corner of the ruin rises, And laughs to view the dismal crisis, That baneful hag. But Ah! what beauty fairer! What luscious form arrayed in raiment rarer! And she hath flown to vales of Thessaly, Where ever more her mocking eyes shall see, A myriad eyes upon her beauty glisten, A myriad ears unto her rumor listen. And Cupid flees in sudden wild despair. To drown his soul within the bitter fountain, Nor Venus now may crown his heart laid bare, Nor any luscious goddess of the mountain.