of watching. I have strained My spiritual eyes to catch a glimpse of dawn And nothing seen but blackness. Let me rest As rest the quiet dead from doubt and toil; Like silver feathers from the wings of God Sleep fans my senses—— 

 [He sleeps. 

 

 THE CHORUS 

 Sleep, and forget, forget the aching toil, The disappointments, and the long delays, The watches of the night-time and the morn, The lonely hours, unrewarded days; Sleep, and forget. 

 In death we all are equal, great and small Brought to the common level of the dust; There is no glory that survives the years, Nay, nay, alike we shall be as we must; Sleep and forget. 

 In sleep we are omnipotent as gods, Beyond our furthest wish we can attain, Unfettered by the chain of circumstance; Sleep then; or waking, turn and pray again A little more to sleep and to forget. 

 

 SCENE III 

 Enter the MOTHER to the WIFE 

 

 THE MOTHER 

 Ah me, your fears have settled on my heart; I fear the very day, there is a strange Portentous look o'er all the earth, my hand Stretched in the sunlight seems to throw no shade As if the natural laws had all stood still— I breathe as in a nightmare, breath oppressed; I start at every sound, but fear no sound So much as stillness, which descends on us Like a great mantle choking out our hearts. 

 

 THE WIFE 

 Give me your hand, what is it makes you fear And shiver like plane trees before the rain? 

 

 THE MOTHER 

 As I lay in the shadow of the court During the noonday fierceness, watched the rays Chequered between the lattice window work, And listened to the fountain in the grove Of orange trees go singing to itself— Behold, all suddenly before me stood My lover-god, the angel ever dear, And radiant as that first night years ago, There stood he; where the marble touched his feet It glowed translucent like a sunlit gem, The perfume of his hair had made me 

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