cable Iconoclast
Whose images of ivory and gold
Make proud the dust that his enthusiast
In her dark trance may very God behold.
From the clear music of his delicate
Peripheries and porches of delight
He draws her down through cruel gate on gate,
Through immemorial, blind, implacable rite
That strips her of her dream-branched veils of youth,
And naked, agonised like trodden grapes,
Drags her before the imperishable Truth,
The flaming Ecstacy wherefrom he shapes
Real myth and doctrine. Therefore I lift up
My heart like some great jubilant scarlet Cup.

THE EPILOGUE OF THE DREAMING WOMEN

Take back this armour. Give us broideries.
Against the Five sad Wounds inveterate
In our dim sense, can that defend, or these?
In veils mysterious and delicate
Clothe us again, in beautiful broideries.

Take back this justice. Give us thuribles.
While ye do loudly in the battle-dust,
We feed the gods with spice and canticles.
To our strange hearts, as theirs, just and unjust
Are idle words. Give graven thuribles.

Keep orb and sceptre. Give us up your souls
That our long fingers wake them verily
Like dulcimers and citherns and violes;
Or at the burning disk of ecstasy
Impose rare sigils on your gem-like souls.

Give mercies, cruelties, and exultations,
Give the long trances of the breaking heart;
And we shall bring you great imaginations
To urge you through the agony of Art.
Give cloud and flame, give trances, exultations.

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HOURS OF FIAMMETTA***

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