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A FOEl:!J[_
By Rev. M. B. BROWN, Poet for '73.
Read before the Associated Alumni of the University of Notre Dame, Indiana,
JUNE 25, 1873_
AVE MAUlA STEAM l'HESS"


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I �.¡ B e
Psyche.
I.
Bright was the morn when Psyché softly woke
To consciousness of all her varied charms!
Delightful visions of the future broke
In lustre o'er her, as with outstretched arms
She bailed the new-born joys; no vain alarms,
Born of experience and heartless strife,
Disturbed the rapture of that early glimpse of life.
:II.
She saw bright Honor waiting at the door
Of opulence and fame, with friendly mien
Beck'ning her onward, while aloft sbe bore
A crown of fadeless laurel, fresh and green,
To place upon fair Psychê's brow serene,
The meet reward of ùeeds that heroes prize,
Yet seemed but pleasures to her inexperienced eyes.
III.
'I'housands of friends admiring stood around
To cheer her on to glory's golden fane,
Each seemed to wait the slightest cause to bound
To Psyché's aid, that brilliant crown to gain,
While she yet stood on life's untrodden plain
Enraptured at the visioned prospect grand
That seemed to woo the grasp of her resistless hand.


Psyche.
VIII.
"I'w as well! the ñrst advance was full of cheer,
AUIl hope's bright star grew brighter to her gaze j
The pathway still was flowery, straight and clear,
And glory shone ahead with richer blaze.
But ah! what was fair Psyché's blank amaze,
One early morn, to find her path o'erspread
Wi th- thorns and brambles, that inspired her heart with dread!
IX.
Whence came those thorns? They were not of' the soil)
For scattered ,loosely o'er the path they, lay:
Ah! could fair Psyché t hen have seen the toil
With which her seeming friends thus barred her way
To glory's temple, envious of that ray
Which even then illumed her lofty brow,
She would have learned what merit soon or late must know.
X.
But no: she saw it not-e-her guileless mind
N e'er dreamt that envy thus could seek to mar
The life of one by nature's self inclined
To strive for fame, led by the brilliant star
Of just ambition, never known to jar
With virtue's strictest laws. She saw it not,
And, suffering less, was still the victim of a plot.
XI.
She gazed around; her friends seemed yet as truc
As when she first appeared on life's great stage;
So, nothing daunted, she advanced and drew
A murmur of applause, that might assuage
A deeper grief, from even those whose rage
Was ill concealed to see the spirit high
With which she braved the thorns that in her pathway lie.
li


Psyche.
XVI.
So when fair Psyché swooned from pain and grief,
Her faithless friends rejoiced with dark delight;
And, far from seeking to afford relief,
They gladly saw her in that painful plight,
And turned away in base and heartless flight,
Leaving ber seeming lifeless. "Now," they said,
"S�le will advance no more,-her spirit brave is dead."
XVII.
But Psyché woke and sadly looked around;
She was alone, save that one timid maid,
Before scarce noticed, knelt upon the ground
And bathed with gentle band her throbbing bead
(Whose pain macle Psychè wish that she were dead),
Resting it softly on her bosom true,
Aye, on that bosom which no faithless envy knew!
XVIII.
Life's consciousness returned, and Psyché spoke,
But oh! how sadly feeble :-" 'Tis in vain
To strive for glory's palm wben such a stroke
May fall at any moment, like that pain
Which strikes the heart when joy and pleasure reign,
Causing the frame to tremble 'neath tbe blow,
The soul to shriek and writhe in agonies of woe."
XIX.
"O speak not thus!" the gentle maid replied;
"Be brave I-arouse thee in thy native power!­
The friends on whom thy guileless heart relied
Prove false, and bring thee anguish for the hour;
� But this will pass, and like the leaguered tower,
« Made strong with guards to meet the present needs-
� � So should you arm your heart with knowledge of snch deeds."
M�-���������


8
Psyche.
xx.
Then Psyché raised her. head and in amaze
Head with piercing glance the maiden's eye.
"I'was calm, and truthful, giving back a gaze
Not _ insolently bold, but boldly shy,
That with an angel's look migh t aptly' vie.
The heart-sore victim felt that there was tl'llth,
AnJ hulled it as the promise of retur.ring youth.
XXI.
lIer heart grew strong again :-she' stood erect,
And gazed with 'steady eye upon the scene;
All nature seemed again in beauty decke.l ;
Again her form resumed its regal mien ;
She soon forgot what she so late had been-
And with a ârm, though still 1110re cauríous tread,'
Advanced to win the laurel to her queenly head.
XXII.
Holding the hand of her whose words of cheer
Had chased away that sense of utter woe
Which seized her heart when disappointment drear
Had crushed her with an unexpected blow,
She flxed her anxious_, gaze upon the glow
Of glory shining brightly to ber eye
And vowed again to wia the prize or nobly die.
XXIII.
Forward she now advanced with firm resolve
Tú trust no more unproven friendship's smile;
Her beart those trait'rous friends doth still absolve
Of wilful evil, though her will, 'tbe while.
Is fixed, that, ere the crown be gained, no wile
Shall turn ber from that earnest, watchful care
That baffles treachery, detecting every snare ..


Psyche.
XXIV.
But what avail resol ves, however strong,
To the young heart unused to ·life's deceit?
That heart, 'lis true, can deeply fce� a wrong,
Dut then a smile will cool all angry heat
And charm it back to confidence complete.
'Tis but a toy with which the wily play
As docs the playful -kitten with its captive prey.
.x x v ,
The strong and weak, the genius and the drone,
Are all alike the toys of cunning 'Viles,
Till oft-repeated wounds their work have- done
And taught them how t' appreciate those smiles
Which bidden malice but too oft defllea.->
But he who would be great, or truly wise,
Must by experience win or learn-and pay the price.
XXVI.
Thus Psychè ::;1 ill had much to learn and bear;
But life's first lesson o'er, her noble heart
Forgot the wounds endured-the crafty SDare�
And ceased to dread that more than fiendish art
That winged with friendship's smile it s vcnomed dart;
And' buoyed with new-born hope she kept her way
In joy and confidence, cheered on by. glory's ray.
XX-VII.
Betimes her faithless friends, or rather foes,
Returned with seeming penitential mien;
And while her cheek with joy expectant glows,
They smile, and hail her as their chosen queen,
Concealing all the while their bitter spleen,
Till, confidence regained by .false pretence,
They ply again their trade with cautious diligence.


XXVJII.
Aye, '( ís ,a trade, whose end is to dest roy
The budding prospects of each noble soul,
THat, left to bloom, migM' give unbounded j.y
To many hearts. But such is merit's dole,
As Psyehê learnt'd befüre she reached the gÚ?tl
Of her desires :-it may attain its aim,
But suffering keen th.e pleasure of success must maim.
XXIX.
Tlmmgrng around, those vampires' s'il[ essay
To mar the pleasures of fair Psychê's life,
Determined, ir they may not bar ber way
To glory's heights, tt) throw Iuto the strife
Such bitterness=-sueh toil with dangers rife__:_
That should success be liers, her sense of vain
Would stifle still the joy and ple-isure of her gain,
.x x x ,
T'I-er saw with bitterness the gentle mahl,
Guiding the youthful Psyché on lrer w-ay
In g;trety, tbrougb tbe snares their craft lJad laid,
. Ard, }&.,t lJ.12tll'k failure should theîr toHs repay
'They BOW re�oh�>�d to queneh that single fay
Of' eonfiJenee that cheers their victim's mind,
I I feeling· Hiat· she bas one hue and fahhr,}} friend.
XXXI.
Then artfuHy they lJIlana:4'e to conceal-
New snares in Psyehê's path, and with S'uF}'Htse
DhuOVCr- Ult?ftl, ere' she h.ul tima to feel
.Thtdr ill!l.ef>Bftnience ;-wben with t�arlul eyes
They nl.imic joy, and weer the specious gnÎ'Se
Of synr,patby, while ,,·¡tb a !le·n-dish art
They pl�ftt g�.,n donbts ef Psychê's friend in Pi-yehé's heart.


XXx.rI.
At first these doubts were Iike the flitting shade
Of some lone cloudlet flying through the sky,
That casts its tr.msient shadow o'er the glade,
While twixt the sun and earth its course doth lie;
Yet, brightness follo ws this ob scurlty ,
S> did susplcion fil through Psychês mind,
L �J. vin ; her trust still firm i.i her one faithful friend,
, XXXIII.
But clouds accumulate when vapors rls-,
AnJ meet the cloudlet in its lone career;
S'l, when foul envy falsehood multiplies,
Do's dark suspiclon grow into fear,
A'id fear develop into darkness drear!
Till some fierce struggle rend base falsehood's shrouds
A:-; when a mighty storm dispels the murky clouds.'
XXXIV.
'Twas thus wronged Psychê's crafty foes now' strive
To cast' a shade of dark susniclon o'er
That friendship; which alone had kept alive
The spark of high ambition when, before,
Dlseouragement her tender heart-strings tore;
For with such cheering sympathy, success
Could scarcely fail with victory her toils to bless.
.x x x v ,
For in the contest for Ilfe's richest prize
'Tis lack of courage most begets defeat;
But who can with courageous spirit rise
To - lofty deeds, unless he eomeϖere mee t
A smile of approbation? Who the heat
Of life's great struggle can sustain alone?
That man lives not, unless his heart be made of stonc. '
11


XL.
Uer watchful foes now hail with secret sneers
The sadness which weighs heavy on her heart;
They see with joy her friend depart in tears­
Tears for the helpless victim of their art,
Who now, in anguish lonely, sits apart
In indecision whether to pursue
Her first great aim, or bid success a sad adieu.'
XI...AI.
But sadness cannot long enthral a mind
That feels its power to win a lofty prize;
Hence Psyché soon cast sadness to the wind,
Resolved, in spite of failure, still to rise
In glory's scale. Was this lier purpose wise?
It may have be.en; yet had she known the cost,
She might for further effort have an -courage lost.
1,
.X.LII.
She knew it not, and still pursued her. way;
Her foes redoubled all their, former wiles,
Filling ber path with danger and dismay,
Yet hiding malice 'neath deceitful smiles
Till weary and depressed her heart recoils,
And oft she must have yielded to their craft,
Had not her friend, unseen, averted rulu's shaft.
XLIII.
That friend, though spurned, suspected without cause,
Still knows she is the victim of deceit,
And, faithfully a friend, she oft doth pause
To mark what struggles Psyché still must meet,
And, seeing the snares set for her fearless feet,
She secretly removes them, glad to feel
Tliat she may still contribute to fair Psyché's weal.