POETRY.
THE JEALOUS GODDESS.
Idn.Exus left the mainland On a floating barrel of wine, His sail was plaited from peach-leaves, and The loaves of the fig and the vine.
Small waves seem'd masks of laughter As they rose at Silenus agape, For his feet were purple with the slaughter And the crushing of the phoenix-blooded grape, But the little golden winds of the autumn Flew with him all the way, Like a fleecy flock of Seraphim They waited on him all the day.
When the Siren swam to sing to him From her island where the dolphins play, They pelted her with lemons and with persimmon, Till the Siren dived away.
They blew down silver trumpets to summon Sea-monsters, that peer from the spray.
• • But the sound of seraphic hunting-horns Bray'd to the nearing Golden Strand, Till the dragons, ogres, giants, and unicorns Sprang from their caves to guard their land, This dear, dear land of Venus,
Where the hippogriff and griffin play—
For if the Siren sang to Silenus, What would jealous Venus say ?
OSBERT SITWELL.
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