nd all rose
tumultuously, saving two.

"I go not," said Eros, "for where Love is, there is Elysium. And yonder
rising moon tells me that my hour is come." And he flitted forth.

"Neither go I," said an old blind god, "for where Plutus is, Elysium is
not. Moreover, mankind would follow after me. But I too must away. Strange
that I should have abode so long under the roof of a pair of perfect
virtue." And he tottered out.

But the other gods swept forth into the moonlight, and were seen no more.
And Prometheus picked up the forsaken sandals of Hermes, and bound them on
his own feet, and grasped Elenko, and they rose up by a dizzy flight to
empty heaven. All was silent in those immense courts, vacant of everything
save here and there some rusty thunderbolt or mouldering crumb of ambrosia.
Above, around, below, beyond sight, beyond thought, stretched the still
deeps of aether, blazing with innumerable worlds. Eye could rove nowhither
without beholding a star, nor could star be beheld from which the Gods'
hall, with all its vastness, would not have been utterly invisible. Elenko
leaned over the battlements, and watched the racing meteors. Prometheus
stood by her, and pointed out in the immeasurable distance the little speck
of shining dust from which they had flown.

"There? or here?" he asked.

"There!" said Elenko.

THE POTION OF LAO-TSZE

And there the body lay, age after age,
Mute, breathing, beating, warm, and undecaying,
Like one asleep in a green hermitage,
With gentle sleep about its eyelids playing,
And living in its dreams beyond the rage
Of death or life; while they were still arraying
In liveries ever new the rapid, blind,
And fleeting generations of mankind.

In the days of the Tang dynasty China was long happy under the sceptre of a
good Emperor, named Sin-Woo. He had overcome the enemies of the land,
confirmed the friendship of its allies, augmented the wealth of the rich,
and mitigated the wretchedness of the poor. But most especially was he
admired and beloved for his persecution of the impious sect of Lao-tsze,
which he had well-nigh exterminated.

It was but natural that such an Emperor should congratulate himself upon
his goodness and worth; yet, as no human bliss is perfect, sorrow could not
fail to enter his mind.

"It is grievous to reflect," said he to his courtiers, "that if, as ye all
affirm, there hath not been any Emperor of equal merit with myself befor