When I am gone, Cleobulus--for what avails? cast among the fire of young loves, I lie a brand in the ashes--I pray thee make the burial- urn drunk with wine ere thou lay it under earth, and write thereon, "Love's gift to Death." LXXII LOVE'S MASTERDOM MELEAGER Terrible is Love, terrible; and what avails it if again I say and again, with many a moan, Terrible is Love? for surely the boy laughs at this, and is pleased with manifold reproaches; and if I say bitter things, they are meat and drink to him. And I wonder how thou, O Cyprian, who didst arise through the green waves, out of water hast borne a fire. LXXIII LOVE THE CONQUEROR MELEAGER I am down: tread with thy foot on my neck, cruel divinity; I know thee, by the gods, heavy as thou art to bear: I know too thy fiery arrows: but hurling thy brands at my soul thou wilt no longer kindle it, for it is all ashes. LXXIV LOVE'S PRISONER MELEAGER Did I not cry aloud to thee, O soul, "Yes, by the Cyprian, thou wilt be caught, poor lover, if thou flutterest so often near the lime- twigs"? did I not cry aloud? and the snare has taken thee. Why dost thou gasp vainly in the toils? Love himself has bound thy wings and set thee on the fire, and sprinkled thee to swooning with perfumes, and given thee in thy thirst hot tears to drink. LXXV FROST AND FIRE MELEAGER Ah suffering soul, now thou burnest in the fire, and now thou revivest, and fetchest breath again: why weepest thou? when thou didst feed pitiless Love in thy bosom, knewest thou not that he was being fed for thy woe? knewest thou not? Know now his repayment, a fair foster-hire! take it, fire and cold snow together. Thou wouldst have it so; bear the pain; thou sufferest the wages of thy work, scorched with his burning honey. LXXVI THE SCULPTOR OF SOULS MELEAGER Within my heart Love himself has moulded Heliodora with her lovely voice, the soul of my soul. LXXVII LOVE'S IMMORTALITY STRATO Who may know if a loved one passes the prime, while ever with him and never left alone? who may not satisfy to-day who satisfied yesterday? and if he did satisfy, what should befall him not to satisfy to-morrow? CHAPTER II PRAYERS AND DEDICATIONS I TO ZEUS OF SCHERIA JULIUS POLYAENUS