The weird of the wanderer Being the papyrus records of some incidents in one of the previous lives of Mr. Nicholas Crabbe
in brazen manacles, forcing him to do my will. And, when I refused him
permission to swoon, then his rigours took him stupendously; and, being
as rigid as a strung bow, he began to declare his vision, saying: _The
golden goddess, sitting with her star-crowned brothers, in the dark,
disdaining a victorious hero, and an unmanlike king, and a shepherd
beloved of goddesses, and innumerable warriors contending among
themselves._ And then I could no longer hold him: for limb-relaxing
Sleep, the all-subduer, drew him from me.
But I knew what I wanted to know.
For this utterance was all of a piece with the divination which my same
slave had made, when he wore a young Egyptian body on the sacred river
of Khem, saying: _The silver god, leading the golden goddess, from the
dark._ For who was the golden goddess in the dark, but fair long-robed
golden Helen daughter of Zeys the Swan, dwelling in the unlighted House
of Hades?
And who were her star-crowned brothers, but the Great Twins, godlike
youths, Kastor the tamer of horses and Polydeykes the pugilist,
star-crowned sharers of immortality?
And whose blameless homage was refused by Golden Helen, but that of
the victorious hero Theseys, and that of sandy-haired old impotent
Menelaos, and that of the woman-mad shepherd Paris beloved of Hera and
Aphrodite and Pallas Athene most righteous of goddesses?
And for whom, but for Golden Helen, had innumerable warriors, my
comrades and my enemies, contended during ten long years of war, and
after?
And I asked of the mind in my lordly breast, saying: Who, then, is the
Treasure of Hades?
And my mind answered me, saying: Who but Golden Helen, sought of all
men.
Then, indeed, the mind in my dear breast bounded with an unmentioned
and unthought-of joy in thinking of these things, and in remembering
also the things which were to come, to wit, the leading of the golden
goddess from the dark, the moving with her among gods and goddesses,
and the sitting with her on a throne.
In this manner did I find out the meaning of the Delphic oracle and
the spoil which I was to win from the king of the netherworld with the
crown of all wisdom.
THE SIXTEENTH PAPYRUS
But I went to Tainaron, where the hollow ship lay at anchor in a little
cove to the west of the headland, being too great to draw up on the
black beach; and, indeed, at Tainaron there is no sand fit for such a
purpose. But I came ashore on a raft made of spars and planks, which
the slaves of my galley pushed before them swimming, thrusting the sea
back with their strong legs. And the raft carried also my gear, and my
silver-shining chariot adorned with crabs and moons in mother-of-pearl
with its mystic charioteer poised on the front of the rail: but my four
white horses swam lustily apart, having no fear of deep water.
Not every day does mortal man drive down in awful pomp to the dark
House of Hades. And, indeed, I did not know the way: nor was there
a sacrifice proper for so great an occasion ready to my hand.
Wherefore, I mentioned the point in a prayer addressed to my grandsire,
wing-footed Hermes, inhabiting olympian palaces; and he sent me a
Dream, to tell me how to prepare for his coming. But the Dream said
that I was to build up an altar of stones on a mound of earth, and to
make a fire, and to sacrifice my four white horses to the areiopagos of
the immortals; and, after the sacrifice, I was to feast with my crew;
and, at moonset, I was to cast fresh fennel on a clear fire, having
dismissed all the lusty slaves to my galley with a commandment there to
await my return.
But, when I awakened, the sun was close above the distant mountains,
all ruddy with his hard day’s course and ready for the evening. And
I bade my slaves to build up an altar, and to do all other things
which the Dream had commanded me: but they were unwilling to slay the
beautiful horses; and they coughed horribly when I did it myself;
and they made no difficulty about thoroughly enjoying themselves at
the feast when the sacrifice was duly done. And, in the midst of
the sacrifice, a portent was vouchsafed to me: for the smoke of my
burnt-offering was not blown abroad by the evening breeze: but it
ascended straightly as a column to the sky above. And this I knew to
be a very favourable omen, auguring that my sacrifice was accepted as
pleasing to the areiopagos of divine ones who inhabit olympian palaces.
And, with a glad heart, I did on my shining panoply, the silver-shining
armour of Akhilleys, and his god-made shield, with the singing bow of
Eyrytos: so that I shone like the star which rises in autumn, whose
resplendent rays shine among many stars in the depths of the night. But
I slung my revolver on my body, in a secret hollow of my armour, having
fed it full and made it ready to spit dire death.
But, when my mariners had cut me many faggots of fresh fennel, heaping
the same in a stack apt to my hand, then, indeed, I dismissed them to
the hollow ship, with a commandment to await my return, all as the
Dream had ordained.
And, as soon as I was alone, I very eagerly began to cast choice twigs
of fennel on the redly-glowing embers of my sacrifice. And the sweet
face of the moon became pale and paler, as the face of a dear woman
about to swoon; and she snatched up a few soft mists wherewith to
cloak herself in her going. For black night was creeping up the vault
of heaven to overwhelm her; and she fled before him, as a maid flies
before a blameless Ethiopian slave, whose bestial nostrils snuffle
as he capers meditating very evil deeds. And anon she escaped with
her purity. But I sat down to wait: nor did sweet Sleep light on my
eyelids, when I contemplated the Pleiades, and setting Arktoyros, and
the Bear (which they also call the Waggon) turning itself and watching
Orion, but it alone does not share in the washing of the ocean.
But soon there was nothing between me and the darkness, excepting the
glow of my fire. And I, being very eager for an apparition, grasped the
stalks of fennel by handfuls, flinging them on to the roaring blaze,
till all the world was awhirl with the fragrant greyish-blue smoke
beloved of my grandsire Hermes, beneficial son of Zeys.
And, very far away, I heard a noise as of the noise of a single
thunderclap. But I was aware that it was the clang of the great gate
on lofty Olympos closing behind the wing-footed messenger who was
coming in answer to my prayer.
But, while I was awaiting his swift arrival, I ceased not to feed the
flame with the magic herb. And, suddenly, I became aware that I was not
alone. For a Presence was very near me, but hidden by the clouds of
scented smoke; and two glowing eyes were fixed upon me: also, from time
to time, I caught a glimpse of horns and pointed ears very terrible of
aspect.
Then, indeed, sharp Fear tried to lay her clammy hand upon my heart:
as a boy of evil mind, desiring to annoy his bedfellow, slips a wet
toad into the white armpit of him sleeping. And I said to myself, in
the words of one dying: _I am about to see Pan_.[37] For I remembered
the adage concerning a man who is given over unto sweet white Death, of
whom it is said _Let him see Pan_.[38] For, indeed, it is known that
the faces of the dead shew one thing very clearly, and that is that
they have found out everything which there is to be known by mortal
man, and are satisfied, as we all have seen in the dear beautiful face
of Diyllos: so that, in saying of such an one _He has seen Pan_,[39]
it is signified that he is satisfied with perfect knowledge, having
seen All. Wherefore, for the moment, I wondered whether the crown of my
wisdom was to come to me (by the will of the gods) in this manner.
But the mind in my lordly breast instantly bade me to face fate with
a brave and dauntless countenance: for which cause, I summoned all my
boldness, fearlessly gazing upon the glowing eyes amid the smoke, being
determined to know all which there was to be known, without counting
the cost, and meeting sweet Death unflinchingly and as a lover. Thus,
for some moments, I eyed rustic Pan: for the silvan god indeed was
looking upon me. But, as white Death gave no sign of approaching me,
I remembered that I had no cause for fear, seeing that my veins were
filled with the ichor of the immortal gods as well as with the blood of
a man.
But, at length, Pan came out of the smoky cloud and stood before me,
goat-footed, hairy. His voice, when he spoke, was like the sound of
leaves lying in the forest which sigh when some wanton breeze disturbs
their slumbers. And he said: “Now do I greet thee, O Stranger. And
whence comest thou? And what manner of man art thou? Art thou violent
and wild and not just? Or art thou hospitable, and hast thou a holy
mind? For I rejoice to see that thou art not like other earth-trampling
men, who incontinently die (a most foolish and reprehensible custom)
whensoever as they set eyes on me, rendering themselves unfit for
serious conversation, while I am a-weary of the prattle of the
children of hills and streams and trees.”
But I made audacious answer to the simple country-god, saying: “O Pan,
folk say that I am both thy half-brother and thy step-father: for I am
King Odysseys, the sacker of cities, and prudent Penelope (who was my
wife) bore thee to Hermes, my immortal grandsire. Wherefore we should
be kin of some kind, I and thou.”
Whereat he laughed merrily; and he answered: “Thou thyself dost not
believe that tale, O wily Odysseys: for thou well knowest that I am as
old as Time, being own brother to great Khronos. Nevertheless, any god
might indeed be proud to call cousins with King Odysseys. Wherefore,
tell me, O cousin, whence thou art now come: for it seemeth that nephew
Hades hath relaxed his grim ward of thee.”
But, ere I could open my lips in reply, the rustic god cried: “Aha! Who
cometh here? ’Tis young Hermes, as I live with goats!”
Thus he spoke. But I saw the grey-blue smoke-cloud broken by golden
radiances flashing here and there. And, looking, we beheld now
the golden wand, now the beautiful swiftly-flying limbs shod with
golden-winged sandals, now the cloak of gold and purple tissue blown
back from the body in flight; and, anon, the youthful bird of heaven
burst upon us out of the fume in all the inmarcesible splendour of nude
immortality.
In this manner, I first saw Hermes, the Luck-bringer, my grandsire, a
god.
FOOTNOTES:
[37] ΟΨΕϹΘΑΙ ΜΕΛΛΩ ΤΟ ΠΑΝ.
[38] ΒΛΕΠΕΤΩ ΤΟ ΠΑΝ.
[39] ΕΩΡΑΚΕ ΤΟ ΠΑΝ: I am reluctantly compelled to confess that I have
quite failed to trace these illuminating adages to any source prior to
the year B.C. 45; and can only recommend application to the erudite
author of a treatise called _Dodo_, whose writings clearly demonstrate
that he has at least a very fair working knowledge of their ideal
content. A. H.
THE SEVENTEENTH PAPYRUS
Now that divine young one of gods came to me holding in his hand the
halters of four white horses, all mad, incomparable in splendour,
tossing their heads, and stamping with their feet. And Pan looked
curiously upon us, while sprightly Hermes took me to his beautiful
large breast, calling me Son and Child: for the heart of the youthful
god was glad when he saw the goat-footed divine one with whom I stood
as an equal; and the sheen of my silver-shining armour glittered with
moony gems. And, first, he began to speak very eloquently (as his
manner is), having a tale to tell of the cause of his lateness in
coming.
For he said that the blessed gods, having sniffed the savour of my
sacrifice with pleasure, graciously deigned to acknowledge the same by
a gift. And, seeing that I had not hesitated to offer my only horses,