Not on the ring--not yet. My notion was a god had wrought a wonder To save me, and upon my knees I flung me And thus to the Invisible One I spoke:-- “I know not who thou art, and if from me Thy face thou hid’st, I cannot slay for thee The beast that is thy consecrated due; But for a sign that I have thanks at heart And lack not courage, I will bring to thee The fiercest of these robbers as thy meed, And this I swear, how hard soe’er it prove.” I hastened after them and slipped amid Their company, and I was seized with shudders Before myself, to see how I alone Was marked not of them, how they spoke together, As I were air and void, right through my form And through it even handed bread and wine. My eyes grew overveiled and ranging fell Upon the ring-set stone whose radiance red And brilliant from my hand was scintillating With restless well and swell and pearly bubbling Puffed into vapour; and it seemed an eye That ever breaks in blood which ever steams. I turned it, sheer compelled, to make confession, Sheer terrified; for all these pearls were glinting Like just as many stars; it touched my mood As though the pure ethereal stream of light Lay naked to mine eyes and I were blind From overglory, as the harmony They tell of in the spheres makes all men deaf. But straight I felt me in a lusty grip And “What is this? Hey! Who held him concealed? A pretty joke!” was ringing in my ears. And now ten fists were grappling for my throttle, Ten others made to rip my raiment from me, And I had surely met inglorious end Had not the clumsiest fist of all the mob Held back to snatch the ring; for suddenly The cry was raised--“Hallo! He is not poor! Here’s a fine fish i’ the net! See, blinking gold, Ay, and a precious stone! Come, here with it!” But almost in the selfsame-taken breath Rang out--“A god, a god is come among us!” And lo, they all were lying at my feet! KAN. Just as their hands about the ring were scrambling They turned it round again and went a-quiver As you evanished like a shape of cloud. GYGES.