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Page 1 of 11904 · PDF PAGE 101
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?
1904 · PDF PAGE 75
…r 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.
1904 · PDF PAGE 116
…t 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. Boy’s bluster! MADNESS. Justice will be satisfied. It will be be…
1904 · PDF PAGE 23
… 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 lurks 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;
1904 · PDF PAGE 115
ACTUS QUINTUS MEDEA. The child Hath hewn her sire asunder, seething him In herbs of sacred power. ACASTUS. By thy decree? MEDEA, Nay! MADNESS. Safer is it to admit to these Fools—charge the child with lack of fortune! MEDEA. Yea! I bade her take a waxen shape, carved well To look like the old man—— ALCESTIS. Nay! nay! the Sire Himself we stole on sleeping—— CHORUS. Hewn apart! Ai Ai! MEDEA. I said not thus! ALCESTIS, I am so wild, Bewildered with these tears. 17
1904 · PDF PAGE 102
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…
1904 · PDF PAGE 119
…asts in vain for love: until the house Perish in uttermost red ruin. CHORUS. Bah! Speared wild-cats bravely spit! JASON. To Creon, come! MADNESS. Black Ares hath chosen Me wisely, to send A doom deep-frozen From now to the end. Never the curse Shall pass from the house, But gather a worse Hate for a spouse. The lovers are better Escaped from my toils Than these in the fetter Of the golden spoils. Yet still lies a doom For the royal lovers. Time bears in her womb That darkness covers A terror, and waits The hour that is Fate’s. 2
1904 · PDF PAGE 93
…t racing in my brain, THESEUS. There was a sweetness: whether sight or song I know not. JASON. But my veins grew strong and swollen, And madness came upon me. MEDEA. You are here, Let that suffice. Remember not! ORPHEUS. ; But now I see the haze lift on the water-way, And hidden headlands loom again. JASON. I know The pleasant portals. CHORUS. Here is home at last. ORPHEUS. The sunset comes: the mist is lifted now To let the last kiss of the daylight fall Once ere night whisper “Sleep!” K
1904 · PDF PAGE 90
…I am not moved, although I am a man. So strong a safeguard is cool chastity. MEDEA. But love thou me! My husband is distraught. ORPHEUS. Madness is on him for thy punishment. MEDEA. Sing, therefore! ORPHEUS. This last song of theirs was sweet.
1904 · PDF PAGE 117
ACTUS QUINTUS JASON. But what is this? A sword? I scorn a sword. I scorn a boy. Let none suppose me fearful! MEDEA. Give not back! MADNESS, It will be finer far to go away As those disdaining aught but their own love. MEDEA, Ay! let us leave these folk’s ingratitude; My husband! in thy love alone I rest. This splendour and this toil alike resume Our life from the long honeymoon of love We wish at heart. JASON. To Corinth! MEDEA. Creon bears The name of favourable to suppliants. ACASTUS. How virtue tames these tameless ones! To-day I am indeed a…
1904 · PDF PAGE 45
ACTUS SECUNDUS 7 HERACLES. Calm! Control thy madness! I am sorry now My pungent wit so shamed his arrogance As made him seem to scorn Athena. ARGUS. Thou! But see me, I am ruined. The good ship Is finished! Where’s my daily wage? JASON. Be sure I pay thee treble if thy tale be true. ARGUS. Ay! treble nothing! I shall buy a palace. JASON. Treble thine utmost wish. ARGUS. Two evils then Thou pilest on one good! But come and see! The Argo is discovered. CHORUS OF HEROES. By Wisdom framed from ancient days The stately Argo stands above; Too firm to…
1904 · PDF PAGE 58
…d that solitude? MEDEA. Not bitter, heroes. See ye yet the end? CHORUS. Our good quest ended by thy father’s hate, And by thy own hour’s madness! This I see. MEDEA. But if he gain the Fleece? CHORUS. A blissful end. MEDEA. This end and that are moulded diversely. CHORUS. Riddle no more, nor ply with doubtful hope Hearts ready to rejoice and to despair Equally minded. MEDEA. At the midmost hour, His mind given up to sleepless muttering Of charms not mine—decrees Olympian— All on a sudden he felt fervent arms Flung round him, and a sweet hot body…
1904 · PDF PAGE 24
16 ARGONAUTAE 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…
1904 · PDF PAGE 103
…t ill befits our power And grace—my husband’s honour—to stretch forth The arm of murder o’er the head of age. But surely must be means—— MADNESS. The prophecy! MEDEA. Happy my thought be! I have found it! Ha! “ Athena shall relent not till the king Shall die and live.” Vainly the prophet meant Mere transference of the crown. I'll twist his saying To daze the children—fools they are! So mask Evil beneath the waxen face of Good, Trick out Calamity in robes of Luck— Come, children! Is the sun bright? And your eyes? ALCESTIS. Dear queen, all’s well…
1904 · PDF PAGE 63
…se upon the earth While Jason stood, one witnessing a dream, Not one who lives his life. The sword and spear Turn not to him, but mutual madness strikes The warriors witless, and fierce wrath invades Their hearts of fury, and with arms engaged They fell upon each other silently And slew, and slew. As in the middle seas A mirage flashes out and passes, so The phantoms faded, and the way was clear.