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… Kings—then such persons are unsuitable. MEDEA. Unless these words were well repented of I might transform ye into—— CHORUS. Stay, great queen! MEDEA. Well for your respite comes this messenger. MESSENGER. Queen and fair mother of great kings unborn, And mighty chosen of the land of Greece, A tidings of deep bliss is born to you.
… Come over the little space! Come over, my lover, and thou shalt see The beauty of my face! Come over the water! I will be A bride and a queen and a lover to thee! Come over the water, love, and lie! All day and all night to kiss! Come over, my lover, an hour to die In the language-baffling bliss! Come over the water! Must I sigh? Thy lover and bride and queen am I!
ACTUS TERTIUS MEDEA. Guarding your king and queen on every side— CHORUS, We sail triumphant to the land of Greece. MEDEA. A woman’s love, a woman’s power be told Through ages, gainers of the Fleece of Gold. EXPLICIT ACTUS TERTIUS. 19
…LCESTIS. 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,
… DANAIDES, This also seems to us no easy task. MEDEA. He sleeps through noon, while others are abroad. ALCESTIS. Let us make haste! Dear queen, how good you are! MEDEA. One thing remember! While you say the spell— Here is the parchment !—let no thought arise In any of your minds! atcestis. [Zo her Sisters.] Remember that ! MEDEA. Else—Ototototoi ! FIRST DANAID. What woe is this? MEDEA. The charm is broken. SECOND DANAID. And our father-—— MEDEA. Lost! DANAIDES. Ai Ai! Ai Ai! Ai Ai! MEDEA. Ai Ai! Ai Ai!
…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 best to flee!
… rises from the steam a youthful shape More godlike than like man. nd he will fall In kind embraces on his children’s necks. ALCESTIS. O queen, this process seems indeed severe. MEDEA, Without his knowledge must the thing be done..
…shore Whence we set out: look forth! The people come Moving with lights about the anchorage To greet the heroes of the Golden Fleece. My Queen! Medea! Welcome unto Greece! EXPLICIT ACTUS QUARTUS.
…In woman’s love at last! CHORUS. Unseemly act! Who dared thus break on meditation? MEDEA. IL CHORUS. Surely thy passion mastered thee, O queen! MEDEA. I tell you—thus the night passed. CHORUS. Verily, The woman raves. MEDEA. Such victory as this Outsails all shame. Before the dawn was up I bound such talismans about his breast That fire and steel grow dew and flowery wreaths For all their power to hurt him. Presently I made a posset, drugged with somnolence, Sleepy with poppy and white hellebore, Fit for the dragon. This was my design. CHORUS, …
… since delay grows dangerous, If haply by Her power and subtlety She please to aid the work, and to perform A prodigy to save us! Mighty Queen, That art the balance and the sword alike In cunning Argus’ brain—— HERACLES. Ay! Mighty Wisdom, Who thus can overshadow such a fool, And make him capable to build a ship. ARGUS. O Thou! Athena, whose bright wisdom shone In this beef-witted fellow, making him Competent even to sweep a stable out! Glorious task!—I shall return: anon. JASON. Nay, follow not! The Goddess were displeased, Coming, to find our…
18 ARGONAUTAE The silent thought, the hand unseen, The rayless majesty of light Shed from the splendour of our Queen Athena! mystery and might; These worked invisibly to bring The end of triumph to our King. Great Jason, wronged by hate of man, Shall pass the portals of the deep; Shall seek the waters wide and wan; Shall pass within the land of sleep; And there the guardians of the soil Shall rest at last from pain and toil. O ruler of the empyréan, Behold his fervour conquering The fury of the breed Cadmean, The dragons of the Theban king; And…
… how joyful—— FIRST DANAID. Striding vigorous The man renewed grasps Jason in embrace Worthy of Heracles. ALCESTIS. Thanks, thanks, dear queen ! We go, we go! MEDEA. The Goddess be your speed! Thus will the danger pass! That vicious fool Shall cease his plots against my best beloved. No taint of fell complicity shall touch My honour in this matter. I will sleep Through the delicious hours of breezy noon, Lulled by sweet voices of my singing maids ; Secure at least that no one will attempt To wreck my virtue or—restore my youth! CHORUS. O sleep …
…sings so well. JASON. But look! I see entrancing woman-forms That beckon—fairy-like and not of earth. So, fitter than the bed of this my queen To rest heroic limbs! MEDEA. The wretched one! Thou knowest that their kiss is death!
…! So short is the space, and so smooth the tide— More smooth is my loveliness! Come over the water, love, to my side! I am thy lover and queen and bride! MEDEA. Sing, poet, ere the rash fool leap! JASON. Ah, Zeus! ORPHEUS. The hearts of Greeks with sharper flames Burn than with one fire of all fire, We have the Races and the Games, The song, the chisel, and the lyre; We have the altar, we the shrine, And ours the joy of love and wine. Why take one pleasure, put aside The myriad bliss of life diverse? Unchanging joy will soon divide Into the lik…
…of the sun! The toil is over; the days discover high joys that hover of lover and lover, and fates above her are fallen and done. JASON, Queen of this people! O my heart’s desire Spotless, the Lady of my love, and friends By whose heroic ardours I am found Victor at last, well girded with the spoil Of life in gleaming beauty, and this prize Thrice precious, my Medea—all is won! Needs only now the favouring kiss of Eurus, Bright-born of Eos, to fulfil for us The last of all the labours, to inspire ‘The quick-raised sail, and fill that flushing g…
…il 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 with us. Such happiness Crowds daylight—even sleep seems sorrowful, Though bright with dainty dreams! FIRST DANAID. But you are sad! M uw