At break of day the College Portress came：
She brought us Academic silks， in hue The lilac， with a silken hood to each， And zoned with gold； and now when these were on， And we as rich as moths from dusk cocoons， She， curtseying her obeisance， let us know The Princess Ida waited： out we paced， I first， and following through the porch that sang All round with laurel， issued in a court Compact of lucid marbles， bossed with lengths Of classic frieze， with ample awnings gay Betwixt the pillars， and with great urns of flowers.
The Muses and the Graces， grouped in threes， Enringed a billowing fountain in the midst；And here and there on lattice edges lay Or book or lute； but hastily we past， And up a flight of stairs into the hall.
There at a board by tome and paper sat， With two tame leopards couched beside her throne， All beauty compassed in a female form， The Princess； liker to the inhabitant Of some clear planet close upon the Sun， Than our man's earth； such eyes were in her head， And so much grace and power， breathing down From over her arched brows， with every turn Lived through her to the tips of her long hands， And to her feet.She rose her height， and said：
'We give you welcome： not without redound Of use and glory to yourselves ye come， The first-fruits of the stranger： aftertime， And that full voice which circles round the grave， Will rank you nobly， mingled up with me.
What！ are the ladies of your land so tall？'
'We of the court' said Cyril.'From the court'
She answered， 'then ye know the Prince？' and he：
'The climax of his age！ as though there were One rose in all the world， your Highness that， He worships your ideal：' she replied：
'We scarcely thought in our own hall to hear This barren verbiage， current among men， Light coin， the tinsel clink of compliment.
Your flight from out your bookless wilds would seem As arguing love of knowledge and of power；Your language proves you still the child.Indeed， We dream not of him： when we set our hand To this great work， we purposed with ourself Never to wed.You likewise will do well， Ladies， in entering here， to cast and fling The tricks， which make us toys of men， that so， Some future time， if so indeed you will， You may with those self-styled our lords ally Your fortunes， justlier balanced， scale with scale.'
At those high words， we conscious of ourselves， Perused the matting： then an officer Rose up， and read the statutes， such as these：
Not for three years to correspond with home；Not for three years to cross the liberties；Not for three years to speak with any men；And many more， which hastily subscribed， We entered on the boards： and 'Now，' she cried， 'Ye are green wood， see ye warp not.Look， our hall！
Our statues！--not of those that men desire， Sleek Odalisques， or oracles of mode， Nor stunted squaws of West or East； but she That taught the Sabine how to rule， and she The foundress of the Babylonian wall， The Carian Artemisia strong in war， The Rhodope， that built the pyramid， Clelia， Cornelia， with the Palmyrene That fought Aurelian， and the Roman brows Of Agrippina.Dwell with these， and lose Convention， since to look on noble forms Makes noble through the sensuous organism That which is higher.O lift your natures up：
Embrace our aims： work out your freedom.Girls， Knowledge is now no more a fountain sealed：
Drink deep， until the habits of the slave， The sins of emptiness， gossip and spite And slander， die.Better not be at all Than not be noble.Leave us： you may go：
Today the Lady Psyche will harangue The fresh arrivals of the week before；For they press in from all the provinces， And fill the hive.'
She spoke， and bowing waved Dismissal： back again we crost the court To Lady Psyche's： as we entered in， There sat along the forms， like morning doves That sun their milky bosoms on the thatch， A patient range of pupils； she herself Erect behind a desk of satin-wood， A quick brunette， well-moulded， falcon-eyed， And on the hither side， or so she looked， Of twenty summers.At her left， a child， In shining draperies， headed like a star， Her maiden babe， a double April old， Agla颽 slept.We sat： the Lady glanced：
Then Florian， but not livelier than the dame That whispered 'Asses' ears'， among the sedge， 'My sister.' 'Comely， too， by all that's fair，'
Said Cyril.'Oh hush， hush！' and she began.
'This world was once a fluid haze of light， Till toward the centre set the starry tides， And eddied into suns， that wheeling cast The planets： then the monster， then the man；Tattooed or woaded， winter-clad in skins， Raw from the prime， and crushing down his mate；As yet we find in barbarous isles， and here Among the lowest.'
Thereupon she took A bird's-eye-view of all the ungracious past；Glanced at the legendary Amazon As emblematic of a nobler age；Appraised the Lycian custom， spoke of those That lay at wine with Lar and Lucumo；Ran down the Persian， Grecian， Roman lines Of empire， and the woman's state in each， How far from just； till warming with her theme She fulmined out her scorn of laws Salique And little-footed China， touched on Mahomet With much contempt， and came to chivalry：
When some respect， however slight， was paid To woman， superstition all awry：
However then commenced the dawn： a beam Had slanted forward， falling in a land Of promise； fruit would follow.Deep， indeed， Their debt of thanks to her who first had dared To leap the rotten pales of prejudice， Disyoke their necks from custom， and assert None lordlier than themselves but that which made Woman and man.She had founded； they must build.
Here might they learn whatever men were taught：
Let them not fear： some said their heads were less：
Some men's were small； not they the least of men；For often fineness compensated size：
