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An orchard garden in Syria by a river-bank: the corner of a
cottage in the background.
Perseus, Cydone.
CYDONE
(sings)
O the sun in the reeds and willows!
O the sun with the leaves at play!
Who would waste the warm sunlight ?
And for weeping there’s the night.
But now ’tis day.
PERSEUS
Yes, willows and the reeds! and the bright sun
Stays with the ripples talking quietly.
And there, Cydone, look! how the fish leap
To catch at sunbeams. Sing yet again, Cydone. .
CYDONE
(sings)
O what use have your foolish tears ?
What will you do with your hopes and fears ?
They but waste the sweet sunlight.
Look! mom opens: look how bright
The world appears!
PERSEUS
O you Cydone in the sweet sunlight!
But you are lovelier.
CYDONE
You talk like Iolaus.
Come, here’s your crown. I’ll set it where ’tis due.
PERSEUS
Crowns are too heavy, dear. Sunlight was better.
Page – 66
CYDONE
‘Tis a light crown of love I put upon you,
My brother Perseus.
PERSEUS
Love! but love is heavy.
CYDONE
No, love is light. I put light love upon you,
Because I love you and you love
Iolaus.
I love you because you love Iolaus,
And love the world that loves my
Iolaus,
Iolaus my world and all thy world.
PERSEUS
Only for Iolaus. Happy Cydone,
Who can lie here and babble to the river.
All day of love and light and Iolaus,
If’t could last! But tears are in the world
And must some day be wept.
CYDONE
Why must they, Perseus?
PERSEUS
When Iolaus becomes King in Syria
And comes no more, what will you do, Cydone?
CYDONE
Why, I will go to him.
PERSEUS
And if perhaps,
He should not know you ?
CYDONE
Then it will be night.
Page – 67
It is day now.
PERSEUS
A bright philosophy,
But with the tears behind. Hellas, thou livest
In thy small world of radiant white perfection
With eye averted from the night beyond,
The night immense, unfathomed. But I have seen
Snow-regions monstrous underneath the moon.
And Gorgon caverns dim. Ah well, the world
Is bright around me and the quick lusty breeze
Of strong adventure wafts my bright-winged sandals
O’er mountains and o’er seas, and Herpe’s with me,
My sword of sharpness.
CYDONE
Your sword, my brother Perseus ?
But it is lulled to sleep in scarlet roses
By the winged sandals watched. Can they really
Lift you into the sky?
PERSEUS
They can, Cydone.
CYDONE
What’s in the wallet locked so carefully?
I would have opened it and seen, but could not.
PERSEUS
‘Tis well thou didst not. For thy breathing limbs
Would in a moment have been charmed to stone
And these smooth locks grown rigid and stiffened,
O Cydone,
Thy happy heart would never more have throbbed
To Iolaus’ kiss.
What monster’s there ?
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PERSEUS
It is the Gorgon’s head who lived in night.
Snake-tresses frame its horror of deadly beauty
That turns the gazer into marble.
CYDONE
Ugh!
Why do you keep such dreadful things about you?
PERSEUS
Why, are there none who are better turned to stone
Than living?
CYDONE
O yes, the priest of the dark shrine
Who hates my love. Fix him to frowning grimness
In innocent marble. (Listening) It is Iolaus!
I know his footfall, muffled in the green.
Iolaus enters.
IOLAUS
Perseus, my friend, —
PERSEUS
Thou art my human sun.
Come, shine upon me; let thy face of beauty
Become a near delight, my arm, fair youth, possess thee.
IOLAUS
I am a warrant-bearer to you, friend.
PERSEUS
On what arrest?
IOLAUS
For running from the knife
A debt that must be paid. They’ll not be baulked
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Their dues of blood, their strict account of hearts;
Or mine or thine they’ll have to crown their altars.
PERSEUS
Why, do but make thy tender breast the altar
And I’ll not grudge my heart, sweet Iolaus.
Who’s this accountant?
IOLAUS
Poseidon’s dark-browed priest,.
As gloomy as the den in which he lairs,
Who hopes to gather Syria in his hands
Upon a priestly pretext.
CYDONE
Change him, Perseus,
Into black stone!
PERSEUS
Oh, hard and black as his own mood!
He has a stony heart much better housed
In limbs of stone than a kind human body
Who would hurt thee, my Iolaus.
IOLAUS
He’ld hurt
And find a curious pleasure. If it were even
My sister sunbeam, my Andromeda,
He’ld carve her soft white breast as readily
As any slave’s or murderer’s.
PERSEUS
Andromeda!
It is a name that murmurs to the heart.
IOLAUS
Of strength and sweetness,
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Three days you are given to prove yourself a god!
You failing, ’tis my bosom pays the debt.
That’s their decree.
CYDONE
.Turn them to stone, to stone!
All, all to heartless marble!
PERSEUS
Thy father bids this?
IOLAUS
He dare not baulk this dangerous priest.
PERSEUS
Ah, dare not!
Yes, there are fathers too who love their lives
And not their children: earth has known of such.
There was a father like this once in Argos!
IOLAUS
Blame not the King too much.
CYDONE
Turn him to stone,
To stone!
IOLAUS
Hush, hush, Cydone!
CYDONE
Stone, hard stone!
IOLAUS
I’ll whip thee, shrew, with rose-briars.
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CYDONE
Will you promise
To kiss the blood away? Then HI offend
Daily, on purpose.
IOLAUS
Love’s rose-briars, sweet Cydone,
Inflict no wounds.
CYDONE
Oh yes, they bleed within.
IOLAUS
The brow of Perseus grows darkness!
PERSEUS
Rise,
And be my guide. Where is this temple and priest?
IOLAUS
The temple now?
PERSEUS
Soonest is always best
When noble deeds are to be done.
IOLAUS
What deed?
PERSEUS
I will release the men of Babylon
From their grim blood-feast. Let them howl for victims.
IOLAUS
It will incense them more.
Page – 72
PERSEUS
Me they have incensed
With their fierce crafty fury. If they must give
To their dire god, let them at least fulfil
With solemn decency their fearful rites.
But since they bring in politic rage and turn
Their barbarous rite into a trade of murder,
Nor rite nor temple be respected more.
Must they have victims ? Let them take and slay
Perseus alone. I shall rejoice to know
That so much strength and boldness dwells in men
Who are mortal.
IOLAUS
Men thou needst not fear; but, Perseus,
Poseidon’s wrath will wake, whose lightest motion
Is deadly.
PERSEUS
Mine is not harmless.
IOLAUS
Against gods
What can a mortal’s anger do ?
PERSEUS
We’ll talk
With those pale merchants. Wait for me; I bring
Herpe my sword.
CYDONE
The wallet, Perseus! leave not the dear wallet!
Perseus goes out towards the cottage.
IOLAUS
My queen, have I your leave?
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CYDONE
Give me a kiss
That I may spend the hours remembering it /
Till you return.
IOLAUS
(kissing her)
Will one fill hours, Cydone?
CYDONE
I fear to ask for more. You’re such a miser.
IOLAUS
You rose-lipped slanderer! there! Had I the time
I would disprove you, smothering you with what
You pray for.
CYDONE
Come soon.
IOLAUS
I’ll watch the sun go down.
In your dark night of tresses.
Perseus returns.
PERSEUS
Come.
IOLAUS
I am ready.
CYDONE
Stone, brother Perseus, make them stone for ever.
Perseus and Iolaus go out.
(Sings)
"Marble body, heart of bliss
Or a stony heart and this,
Which of these two wilt thou crave ?
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One or other thou shalt have."
"By my kisses shall be known
Which is flesh and which is stone.
Love, thy heart of stone! it quakes.
Sweet, thy fair cold limbs! love takes
With this warm and rosy trembling.
Where is now thy coy dissembling ?
Heart and limbs I here escheat
For that fraudulent deceit"
"And will not marble even grow soft,
Kissed so warmly and so oft ?"
Curtain
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