But, as upon the breathless hour of eve, The gentle moon, smiling amid the wreck And splendid remnant of the flaming feast Wherewith Day's lord had sated half the world, Sets a cool hand on the tumultuous waves, And soothes them into peace, and takes the throne, And beams white love that wakens soft desire In waiting hearts; so in that throbbing pause Came Niav, daughter of the King whose name May not be named till First and Last are one. ... And He who stood Unseen, apart, marked how about Her form, Clothed white as foam, Her sea-green girdle hung Like mermaid weed, and how within her wake There came the sound and odour of the sea, The swift and silent stroke of unseen wings, And little happy cries of mating birds; This poem appeared in one of Mr. Cousins' earlier books, _The Quest_, published in 1904; and it is interesting to observe in it the little signs which indicate the nearness of the poet at that time to the source of his inspiration. The stories from the three great national cycles of romance had been made accessible in the years just preceding; and the poetic imagination seems to have been charmed by their quaint manner as well as stimulated by their vigour. Hence we find in this poem one or two familiar epic devices which have apparently been adopted as a means to catch the tone of the old story, and to convey a sense of its antiquity. There is, for instance, the trick of repetition that we know so well, a whole phrase recurring, either word for word or varied very slightly, at certain intervals through the poem. Thus we have the phrase which appears in the passage quoted above, and which is several times repeated in other places-- --the King whose name May not be named till First and Last are one. Thus, too, we find the frequent use of simile of an involved and elaborate order. Mr Cousins reveals himself as poet and artist in this device alone. Imagination and mastery of technique are alike implied in fancies so beautifully wrought. The opening lines of the passage we have given supply an example, and another may be taken from "Etain the Beloved." It is simpler than most, but it illustrates very aptly the grace of idea and expression which is characteristic of this poet. The scene is an assembly of the people before King Eochaidh; and the chief bard is presenting their urgent petition to him-- He ceased, and all the faces of the crowd Shone with the light that kindles when the boon Of speech has eased the heart; as when a cloud Falls from the labouring shoulder of the moon, And all the world stands smiling silver-browed.