told in the history of Vespasian? Is there anywhere a sweeter legend
than that of the Halcyons, the ice-birds, who love one another so
tenderly that when the male becomes enfeebled by age, his mate carries
him on her outspread wings whithersoever he will; and the gods, desiring
to reward such faithful love, cause the sun to shine more kindly, and
still the winds and waves on the "Halcyon days" during which these birds
are building their nest and brooding over their young? There can surely
have been no lack of romantic love in days when a used-up man of the
world, like Antony, could desire in his will that wherever he died his
body might be laid by the side of his beloved Cleopatra: nor of the
chivalry of love when Berenice's beautiful hair was placed as a
constellation in the heavens. Neither can we believe that devotion in
the cause of love could be wanting when a whole nation was ready to wage
a fierce and obstinate war for the sake of one beautiful woman. The
Greeks had an insult to revenge, but the Trojans fought for the
possession of Helen. Even the old men of Ilium were ready "to suffer
long for such a woman." And finally is not the whole question answered
in Theocritus' unparalleled poem, "the Sorceress?" We see the poor love-
lorn girl and her old woman-servant, Thestylis, cowering over the fire
above which the bird supposed to possess the power of bringing back the
faithless Delphis is sitting in his wheel. Simoetha has learnt many
spells and charms from an Assyrian, and she tries them all. The distant
roar of the waves, the stroke rising from the fire, the dogs howling in
the street, the tortured fluttering bird, the old woman, the broken-
hearted girl and her awful spells, all join in forming a night scene the
effect of which is heightened by the calm cold moonshine. The old woman
leaves the girl, who at once ceases to weave her spells, allows her pent-
up tears to have their way, and looking up to Selene the moon, the
lovers' silent confidante, pours out her whole story: how when she first
saw the beautiful Delphis her heart had glowed with love, she had seen