ACTUS PRIMUS
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About the grove the scorpion coils
Inextricably wind
Within the wood’s exceeding toils,
The shadow hot and blind ;
There lurk his serpent sorceries,
The guardian of the Golden Fleece. =
The dragon lifts his nostrils wide
And jets a spout of fire ;
The warrior questing turns aside,
Not daring to desire ;
And Madness born of Ares Jurks
Behind the wonder of his works.
Be sure that were the woodland way
Tracked snakewise to the core,
The dragon slain or driven away,
The good Fleece won by war,
Not yet should Ares sink his spear,
Or fail of flinging forth a fear.
The torch of Madness should be lit,
And follow him afar:
Upon his prow should Madness sit,
A baleful beacon-star ;
And in his home Despair and Strife
Lie in his bosom for a wife !
But oh, the glory of the quest,
' The gainless goodly prize !
The fairest form man e’er caressed,
The word he heard most wise ;—
All lures of life avoid and cease
Before the winning of the Fleece !
O nameless splendour of the Gods,
Begotten hardly of Heaven !
Unspoken treasure of the abodes
Beyond the lightning levin !
No misery, no despair may pay
* The joy to hold thee for a day !
JASON.
Athena’s servant recks not much of Ares.
PELIAS.
Are thine eyes kindled at
thought ?
the golden
JASON.
Mine eyes see farther than the Fleece of
Gold.
PELIAS.
What heroes can attain so fair a thing?
JASON.
I have some friends who would esteem this
quest
Lightly—a maiden’s pleasure-wandering
Through lilied fields a summer’s afternoon.
PELIAS.
The Gods give strength! I pray them send
thee back
Safe to this throne.
JASON.
I will not see thy face
Ever again until the quest be won.
Rule thou with justice in my sacred seat
Until I come again.
PELIAS.
The Gods thy speed.
MEN.
The hardy hero goes to find
The living Fleece of Gold ;
Or else, some death may chance to bind
Those limbs of manly mould.
In sooth, I doubt if I shall earn
The singer’s fee for his return.
PELIAS.
Think now—I feared that fool. It must be
true
That guilt is timorous, Ay! when danger’s
none!
Let but swords flash—and guilt grows God
for might !
Indeed I rule—until he come again.
Ay, when the stars fall, Jason shall be king!
EXPLICIT ACTUS PRIMUS,