'Tis he that maketh in men's heart a strife Between remorseful reason and desire, Till with life lost they lose the love of life, And by their own hands wretchedly expire; Or slain in bloody rivalries they miss Even the short embracement of their bliss, His smile of fury and his kiss of fire. 19 He makes the strong man weak, the weak man wild; Ruins great business and purpose high; Brings down the wise to folly reconciled, And martial captains on their knees to sigh: He changeth dynasties, and on the head Of duteous heroes, who for honour bled, Smircheth the laurel that can never die. 20 Him then she call'd, and gravely kissing told The great dishonour to her godhead done; And how, if he from that in heaven would hold, On earth he must maintain it as her son; The rather that his weapons were most fit, As was his skill ordain'd to champion it; And flattering thus his ready zeal she won. 21 Whereon she quickly led him down on earth, And show'd him PSYCHE, thus the maid was named; Whom when she show'd, but coud not hide her worth, She grew with envy tenfold more enflamed. 'But if,' she cried, 'thou smite her as I bid, Soon shall our glory of this affront be rid, And she and all her likes for ever shamed. 22 'Make her to love the loathliest, basest wretch, Deform'd in body, and of moonstruck mind, A hideous brute and vicious, born to fetch Anger from dogs and cursing from the blind. And let her passion for the monster be As shameless and detestable as he Is most extreme and vile of humankind.' 23 Which said, when he agreed, she spake no more, But left him to his task, and took her way Beside the ripples of the shell-strewn shore, The southward stretching margin of a bay, Whose sandy curves she pass'd, and taking stand Upon its taper horn of furthest land, Lookt left and right to rise and set of day. 24 Fair was the sight; for now, though full an hour The sun had sunk, she saw the evening light In shifting colour to the zenith tower, And grow more gorgeous ever and more bright. Bathed in the warm and comfortable glow, The fair delighted queen forgot her woe, And watch'd the unwonted pageant of the night. 25 Broad and low down, where late the sun had been A wealth of orange-gold was thickly shed, Fading above into a field of green, Like apples ere they ripen into red; Then to the height a variable hue Of rose and pink and crimson freak'd with blue, And olive-border'd clouds o'er lilac led. 26