Graham's Magazine, Vol. XIX, No. 6, December 1841Various
General
Graham's Magazine, Vol. XIX, No. 6, December 1841
Various
Literature -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals
golden stars—fell off in graceful waves, and floated down her back till
it spread out in a long train upon the marble floor; her robe of the
like gauzy tissue, fastened on either shoulder by a large stud of
brilliants, covered, but veiled not the beauties of her voluptuous
bosom; below her bust, plaited in massy folds, it was confined by the
virgin zone, and thence flowed down five several tunics, each shorter
than that next below it, each fringed with golden tassels, and looped
with golden cords, down to her golden sandals. Behind her stood
Cassandra, clad in one plain, close-fitting stole of linen, with her
dark locks dishevelled, streaming in strange disorder about her rich,
majestic person; a laurel wreath set carefully upon her head, and a
large branch of the same tree in her right hand. Her full dark eye, that
gleamed so often with the intolerable lustre of prophetic phrenzy, was
now suffused with moisture, languid, abstracted, and even sad; but no
such wo-begone expression sat on the brows or on the laughing lips of
the attendant maidens, who clustered, a bright bevy of girlish forms and
lovely nymph-like faces behind the beauteous bride.
Just before the altar, facing the image of the god, scarce less
sublimely beautiful than that unrivalled marble, alone, and unadorned,
and unattended, behold the glorious bridegroom! Language may not
describe the splendor, the almost intolerable glory of his soul-fraught,
enthusiastic eye—the ardor of the warrior; the inspiration of the host,
the _œstrum_ of the prophet when he is fullest of his god, were all
combined in that spirit-flashing feature. You saw that eye, and you saw
all—the chiselled outlines of the nose, the generous expansive nostril,
the proud voluptuous lip, were all unseen, all lost, all swallowed up in
the pervading glory of that immortal eye. His form was such as _must_
have been the form of him who could outstrip the speed of the most fiery
coursers; bounding along all armed, in his full panoply of gold, beside
the four horse chariot; although the mettled chargers strained every
nerve to conquer—although Eumelus drove them. His garb was simple even
to plainness; a short and narrow tunic of bright crimson cloth, leaving
his mighty limbs exposed in their own glorious beauty, was belted round
his waist by a small cord of gold—his head was covered only by its long
silky tresses; sandals of gold were on his feet; he wore no weapons, but
a long oaken sceptre studded with knobs of gold, supported his right
hand.
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