16 ARGONAUTAE MEDEA. To thy knees, false hound, Fawning to snap! ACASTUS. What misery, pale slaves, Lament ye? CHORUS. Ah! the ill omen! Ah, the day! Alcestis hath her sire in error slain. ACASTUS. Sister! ALCESTIS. O brother, bear thine anger back! ACASTUS. Speak! ALCESTIS. Ah, the prophecy! Ai Ai! CHORUS. Ai Ai! ACASTUS. What folly masks what wickedness? Speak on! ALCESTIS. I cannot speak. JASON. Speak thou, Medea!

original embedded textRead original & transcription →

1904 · PDF PAGE 101

The Argonauts

ARGONAUTAE. ACTUS QUINTUS. Jason, MEpEA, Pexias, Acastus, ALCESTIS and her Sisters, MADNESS. Scene: Zhe Palace at Lolchus. MADNESS. Black Ares hath called Me forth from the deep! Blind and appalled, Shall the palace high-walled Shake as I leap Over the granite, The marble over, One step to span it, One flight to hover, Like a moon round a planet, A dream round a lover! How shall I come? Shrieking and yelling?

original embedded textRead original & transcription →

1904 · PDF PAGE 112

The Argonauts

4 ARGONAUTAE ALCESTIS. Ah me! but she must wake! A black, black deed Hangs on the house. MEDEA. What meets my waking ear? Alcestis! ALCESTIS. Ah, dear queen, lament, lament! I am undone by my own—— MEDEA. What! the work? ALCESTIS. Alas! Alas! the work! MEDEA. Thy father? ALCESTIS. Slain CHORUS. Ai Ai! the old man slain! MEDEA. Ai Ai! ALCESTIS. Ai Ai! MEDEA. The strong spell broken? ALCESTIS. Nay, but thoughts arose,

original embedded textRead original & transcription →

1904 · PDF PAGE 75

The Argonauts

ARGONAUTAE. ACTUS QUARTUS. Jason, MEDEA, ORPHEUS, THESEUS, HERACLES, Chorus of Heroes, the Sirens. ScENE: Zhe Argo. MEDEA. Ay! I would murder not my brother only, But tear my own limbs, strew them on the sea, To keep one fury from the man I love! CHORUS. This act and speech are much akin to madness. MEDEA. Remember that your own skins pay the price. CHORUS. I now remember somewhat of the voice Of the oracle, that Madness should hunt hard On the thief’s furtive track, upon the prow Brooding, and at the table president, And spouse-like in the bed…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →

1904 · PDF PAGE 31

The Argonauts

ARGONAUTAE. ACTUS SECUNDUS. Arcus ¢he son of Purixus, JASON, HERACLES, Castor, POLLUX, THESEUS, ORPHEUS. Chorus of Heroes. Chorus of Shipbuilders. Scene: An open place near Lolchus. CHORUS OF SHIPBUILDERS. The sound of the hammer and steel! The song of the level and line! The whirr of the whistling wheel! The ring of the axe on the pine! The joy of the ended labour, As the good ship plunges free By sound of pipe and tabor To front the sparkling sea! The mystery-woven spell! The voyage of golden gain! The free full sails that swell On the swell …

original embedded textRead original & transcription →

1904 · PDF PAGE 53

The Argonauts

ARGONAUTAE. ACTUS TERTIUS. AEETES, JASON, MEDEA, Messengers, Chorus of Heroes. Scene: Zhe palace of AEETES. AEETES, Were this man son of Zeus, beloved of Heaven, And skilled with very craft of Maia’s son, Stronger than Phoebus, subtler than the Sphinx, This plague should catch him, nor my wisdom spare. CHORUS OF HEROES. Thus hast thou sent him unto Hades, king. AEETES. Not otherwise were such gain possible. Ye are the witnesses that with much skill, And eloquence of shining words, and thought Darkling behind their measured melody, I did dissuad…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →

1904 · PDF PAGE 14

The Argonauts

ARGONAUTAE JASON. Iolchus’ King is here, in very truth. Where is the son of Tyro? MEN. Who art thou? JASON. Know me for Jason and great Aeson’s heir. MEN. We learn good news, most enviable sir; That Aeson hath such grand inheritance. JASON. You have grown fat beneath an evil rule. Your period is at hand. Go, one of you, And drag the impious wretch before my sight! MEN. Aeson? Thy father? JASON. Play not with my wrath! My mood is something dangerous. MEN. Dangerous sir, 1 go indeed, to bring some danger more Hither. JASON. Poltroonery dislikes t…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →

1904 · PDF PAGE 68

The Argonauts

18 ARGONAUTAE Methinks that under cover of the night I may escape Aeetes. JASON. If he chase, Our Argo is not battered by rough winds So far but what some fight were possible. meDEA. [Leads forward ABSYRTUS.] I know a better way than that, my lord. This boy shall come with us. JASON. Ah, not to Greece! Aea needs to-morrow’s king. MEDEA. “With us” I said. ‘To Greece ”—I said not. CHORUS. What is this? Thou hintest at some dangerous destiny. MEDEA. Come, love, to the long years of love with me! JASON. Form, heroes, and in solemn order stride; The…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →

1904 · PDF PAGE 110

The Argonauts

12 ARGONAUTAE An unseen hand has caught the uplifted knife, A grinning face lurked out from the blank air Between me and that filthy sorceress. SECOND WOMAN. Daily I poison the she-devil’s drink, And nothing harms her! THIRD WOMAN. I have a toad whose breath Destroys all life CHORUS. Thou dealest in such arts? THIRD WOMAN. Ay! for this hate’s sake. Are we sisters all Herein? CHORUS. True sisters! THIRD WOMAN. The familiar soul Sucks at her mouth—She sickens not nor dies; More poisonous than he. FIRST WOMAN. Ah! beast of hell! What may avail us?…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →

1904 · PDF PAGE 102

The Argonauts

4 ARGONAUTAE Or quiet and dumb To the heart of the dwelling? Silently striding, Whispering terror Into their ears; Watching, abiding, Madness and error, Brooder of fears! Thus will I bring Black Ares to honour, Draw the black sting Of the serpent upon her! How foolish to fight With the warrior God Who brings victory bright Or defeat with a nod, Who standeth to smite With a spear and a rod! Here is the woman, Thinking no evil, Wielding the human By might of a devil! But I will mock her With cunning design In my malice lock her. The doom is divin…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →

1904 · PDF PAGE 34

The Argonauts

6 ARGONAUTAE And the perched watcher on the mast behold The melting mirror of the ocean meet The crystallizing concave of the sky? ARGUS. All this shall happen when the work is done. JASON. How many moons, friend fool, before that day? ARGUS. These things are known not even to the Gods. Except the Father only. HERACLES. Fools must talk. ARGUS. I talk, divulging nothing. HERACLES. I strike thee, Yet act not. ARGUS. Hero, stay that heavy hand! The ship shall sail ere spring. THESEUS. But now you talk More as befits a workman to a king. JASON. Be …

original embedded textRead original & transcription →

1904 · PDF PAGE 116

The Argonauts

18 ARGONAUTAE ACASTUS. Enough of this! It is the malice of that sorceress Disguised—she well knows how. CHORUS. Thus, thus it is! We know the witch’s cunning. JASON. Dogs and fools! For this ye die. MADNESS. Nobility and love Urge my own sanction to support the wife! JASON. I bade my queen prepare this spell. Disputes Your arrogance my kingship? ACASTUS. Ay, indeed! Now justice turns against thee, fickle jade As fortune. Mine is a boy’s arm, but I Advance against thee an impervious blade, And give thee in thy throat and teeth the lie! JASON. Bo…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →

1904 · PDF PAGE 11

The Argonauts

ARGONAUTAE. ACTUS PRIMUS. PEwias. Jason. Semi-chorus of Iolchian Men. Semi-chorus of Iolchian Women. Scene: Zhe Throne-chamber of Kinc PELs. SEMI-CHORUS OF MEN. The prophecies are spoken in vain, The auguries vainly cast, Since twenty years of joyous reign In peace are overpast; And those who cursed our King’s desires Are branded in the brow for liars. SEMI-CHORUS OF WOMEN. We heard the aged prophet speak The doom of woe and fear. We wait with blanched and icy cheek The one-and-twentieth year: For Justice lies, as seeds lie, dead, But lifts at …

original embedded textRead original & transcription →

1904 · PDF PAGE 104

The Argonauts

6 ARGONAUTAE MEDEA, I meditate the ancient prophecy. Thus a foreboding is upon my heart, Seeing some danger follow yet, o’erhang Our heads, poised gaily in incertitude! SECOND DANAID. Nay, grieve not, dear Medea! All men say The prophecy is well fulfilled. MEDEA. Ay me! “Until the king shall die and live again.” ALCESTIS. What means that? MEDEA, I have meditated long. SECOND DANAID. To what sad end? MEDEA. At the full end I see Allusion to my magic—to that spell Whereby an old man may renew his youth. ALCESTIS. Our father! MEDEA. You have guess…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →

1904 · PDF PAGE 106

The Argonauts

8 ARGONAUTAE MEDEA. Nay, consider first. Would he consent? The process is severe! DANAIDES. We know the sire is not exactly brave, Though very wise and good. MEDEA. Tis clear to me; Without his knowledge we must do the deed. ALCESTIS. What is this “deed”? MEDEA. A caldron is prepared; And, having hewn your father limb from limb, We seethe him in a broth of magic herbs. ALCESTIS. And then? MEDEA. The proper incantations said, There rises from the steam a youthful shape More godlike than like man. nd he will fall In kind embraces on his children’…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →