_A Woman comes forth from the midst of the priests; she resembles exactly the image within the little box._
_She pauses, perceiving before her a Young Man wearing a Phrygian cap. His thighs are covered with a pair of narrow trousers, with lozenge-shaped openings here and there at regular intervals, closed by bow knots of coloured material. He stands in an attitude of languor, resting his elbow against a branch of the tree, holding a flute in his hand._)
CYBELE (_flinging her arms about his waist_).
"I have traversed all regions of the earth to join thee--and famine ravaged the fields Thou hast deceived me! It matters not! I love thee! Warm my body in thine embrace! Let us be united!"
ATYS. "The springtime will never again return, O eternal Mother! Despite my love, it is no longer possible for me to penetrate thy essence! Would that I might cover myself with a painted robe like thine! I envy thy breasts, swelling with milk, the length of thy tresses, thy vast flanks that have borne and brought forth all creatures! Why am I not thou?--Why am I not a woman?--No, never! depart from me! My virility fills me with horror!"
(_With a sharp stone he dismembers himself, and runs furiously from her ..._
_The priests imitate the god; the faithful do even as the priests. Men and women exchange garments, embrace;--and the tumult of bleeding flesh passes away, while the sound of voices remaining, becomes even more strident,--like the shrieking of mourners, like the voices heard at funerals._
_ ... A huge catafalque, hung with purple, supports upon its summit an ebony bed, surrounded by torches and baskets of silver filagree, in which are verdant leaves of lettuce, mallow and fennel. Upon the steps of the construction, from summit to base, sit women all clad in black, with loosened girdles and bare feet, holding in their hands with a melancholy air, great bouquets of flowers._
_At each corner of the estrade urns of alabaster, filled with myrrh, slowly send up their smoke._
_Upon the bed can be perceived the corpse of a man. Blood flows from his thigh. One of his arms hangs down lifelessly;--and a dog licks his finger nails and howls._
_The row of torches placed closely together, prevents his face from being seen; and Anthony feels a strange anguish within him. He fears lest he should recognize some one._
