-18_Act Five-Scene-2.htm

The Temple of Poseidon.

Polydaon, Therops, Dercetes, Cydone, Damoetes and a great number of Syrians, men and women. Iolaus stands bound, a little to the side: Cepheus and Cassiopea surrounded by armed men.

POLYDAON

Cepheus and Cassiopea, man and woman,

Not sovereigns now, you see what end they have

Who war upon the gods.

CASSIOPEA

To see thy end
My eyes wait only.

POLYDAON

Let them see something likelier,
Is’t not thy son who wears those cords and that
An altar ? What! the eyes are drowned in tears
Where fire was once so ready! Where is thy pride,
O Cassiopea ?

CASSIOPEA

There are other gods
Than thy Poseidon, They shall punish thee.

POLYDAON

If thou knew’st who I am, which is most secret,
Thou wouldst not utter vain and foolish wishes.
When thou art slain, I will reveal myself.

CASSIOPEA

Thou hast revealed thyself for what thou art
Already, a madman and inhuman monster.

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CEPHEUS

My queen, refrain from words.

DAMOETES

Perissus comes.

CASSIOPEA

Ah God!

THEROPS

Look, the Queen swoons! Oh, look to her!

Perissus enters.

POLYDAON

Yes, raise her up, bring back her senses: now
I would not have them clouded. News, Perissus!
Thy face is troubled and thy eyes stare wildly.

PERISSUS

Stare, do they ? They may stare, for they have cause.
You too will stare soon. Viceroy Polydaon.

THEROPS

What rare thing happened ? The heavens were troubled

strangely,
Although their rifts were blue. What hast thou seen ?

PERISSUS

I have seen hell and heaven at grips together.

POLYDAON

What do I care for hell or heaven ? Your news!
Did the sea-monster come and eat and go ?

PERISSUS

He came but went not.

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POLYDAON

Was not the maiden seized ?

PERISSUS
Ay, was she, in a close and mighty grasp.

POLYDAON

By the sea-beast?

PERISSUS

Tis said we all are animals;

Then so was he: but ’twas a glorious beast.

POLYDAON

And was she quite devoured ?

PERISSUS

Why, in a manner,—

If kisses eat.

POLYDAON

Ha! ha! such soft caresses
May all my enemies have. She was not torn ?
What, was she taken whole and quite engulfed ?

PERISSUS

Something like that.

POLYDAON

You speak with difficult slowness
And strangely. Where’s your blithe robustness gone,
Perissus?

PERISSUS

Coming, with the beast. He lifted her
Mightily from the cliff to heaven.

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POLYDAON

So, Queen,
Nothing is left thee of Andromeda.

PERISSUS

Why, something yet, a sweet and handsome piece.

POLYDAON

You should have brought it here, my merry butcher,
That remnant of her daughter.

PERISSUS

It is coming.

POLYDAON

Ho, ho! then you shall see your daughter. Queen.

DERCETES

This is a horrid and inhuman laughter.
Restrain thy humour, priest! My sword’s uneasy.

THEROPS

It is a scandal in Poseidon’s temple.

POLYDAON

Do you oppose me ?

(to Therops)

Wilt thou resist Poseidon,
Misguided mortal ?

DERCETES

He glares and his mouth works,
This is a maniac. Does a madman rule us ?

THEROPS

There has been much of violence and mad fierceness,
Such as in tumults may be pardoned. Now
It is the tranquil hour of victory

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When decency should reign and mercy too.
What do we gain by torturing this poor Queen
And most unhappy King?

POLYDAON

Hear him, O people!
He favours great Poseidon’s enemies.
Therops turns traitor.

DAMOETES

He rails at the good priest.

CRIES

Therops a traitor!

MEGAS

Therops, thou favour kings ?
Thou traitor to Poseidon and his people ?

GARDAS

I say, hear Therops. He is always right,
Our Therops; he has brains.

CRIES

Hear Therops, Therops !

THEROPS

Let them be punished, but with exile only.
I am no traitor. I worked for you, O people,
When this false priest was with the King of Tyre
Plotting to lay on you a foreign chain.

CRIES

Is it so? Is it the truth? Speak, Polydaon.

POLYDAON

Must I defend myself? Was it not I

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Who led you on to victory and turned

The wrath of dire Poseidon ? If you doubt me,

Be then the sacrifice forbidden; let Cepheus

And Cassiopea reign; but when the dogs

Of grim Poseidon howl again behind you,

Call not to me for help; I will not always pardon.

CRIES

Polydaon, Polydaon, Poseidon’s mighty Viceroy! Kill
Therops! Iolaus upon the altar!

POLYDAON

Now you are wise again. Leave this Therops.
Bring Iolaus to the altar here.
Lay bare his bosom for the knife.

THEROPS

Dercetes,

Shall this be allowed?

DERCETES

We must not dare offend
Poseidon. But when it’s over, I’ll break in
With all my faithful spears and save the King
And Cassiopea. Therops, ‘twould be a nightmare,
The rule of that fierce priest and fiercer rabble.

THEROPS

With all the better sort I will support thee.

PERISSUS

Therops, my crowd-compeller, my eloquent Zeus of the market-place, I know thy heart is big with the sweet passion of repentance, but let it not burst into action yet. Keep thy fleet sharp spears at rest, Dercetes. There are times, my little captain, and there is a season. Watch and wait. The gods are at work and Iolaus shall not die.

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POLYDAON

We only wait until our mighty wrath
Is shown you in the mangled worst offender
Against our godhead. Then, O Cassiopea,
I’ll watch thy eyes.

PERISSUS

Behold her, Polydaon.

Perseus and Andromeda enter the temple.

CRIES

Andromeda! Andromeda! who has unchained her?
It is Andromeda!

CEPHEUS

It is the spirit of Andromeda.

THEROPS

Shadows were ne’er so bright, had never smile
So sunny! she is given back to earth:

It is the radiant winged Hermes brings her.

DERCETES

‘Tis he who baffled us upon the beach.
I see the gods are busy in our Syria.

Andromeda runs to Cassiopea and clasps and kisses
her knees: the soldiers making way for her.

CASSIOPEA (taking Andromeda’s face between her hands)

O my sweet child, thou livest!

ANDROMEDA

Mother, mother!
I live and see the light and grief is ended.

CASSIOPEA (lifting Andromeda into her arms)

I hold thee living on my bosom. What grief

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Can happen now ?

CEPHEUS

Andromeda, my daughter!

POLYDAON (awaking from his amazement)

Confusions! Butcher, thou hast betrayed me. Seize them!
They shall all die upon my mighty altar.
Seize them!

PERSEUS (confronting him)

Priest of Poseidon and of death,
Three days thou gav’st me: it is but the second.
I am here. Dost thou require the sacrifice ?

POLYDAON

Art thou a god ? I am a greater, dreadfuller.
Tremble and go from me: I need thee not.

PERSEUS

Expect thy punishment. Syrians, behold me,
The victim snatched from grim Poseidon’s altar.
My sword has rescued sweet Andromeda
And slain the monster of the deep. You asked
For victims? I am here. Whose knife is ready?
Let him approach.

THEROPS

Who art thou, mighty hero ?
Declare unto this people thy renown
And thy unequalled actions. What high godhead
Befriends thee in battle ?

PERSEUS

Syrians, I am Perseus,
The mighty son of Zeus and Danaë.
The blood of gods is in my veins, the strength

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Of gods is in my arm: Athene helps me.

Behold her aegis, which if I uncover

Will blind you with its lightnings; and this sword

Is Herpe, which can pierce the earth and Hades.

What I have done, is by Athene’s strength.

Borne from Seriphos through pellucid air

Upon these winged shoes, in the far west

I have traversed unknown lands and nameless continents

And seas where never came the plash of human oars.

On torrid coasts burned by the desert wind

I have seen great Atlas buttressing the sky,

His giant head companion of the stars,

And changed him into a hill; the northern snows

Illimitable I have trod, where Nature

Is awed to silence, chilled to rigid whiteness;

I have entered caverns dim where death was born:

And I have taken from the dim-dwelling Graiae
Their wondrous eye that sees the past and future:

And I have slain the Gorgon, dire Medusa,

Her head that turns the living man to stone

Locking into my wallet: last, today,

In Syria by the loud Aegean surges

I have done this deed that men shall ever speak of.

Ascending with winged feet the clamorous air

I have cloven Poseidon’s monster whose rock-teeth

And fiery mouth swallowed your sons and daughters.

Where now has gone the sea-god’s giant stride

That filled with heads of foam your fruitful fields ?

I have dashed back the leaping angry waters;

His Ocean-force has yielded to a mortal.

Even while I speak, the world has changed around you

Syrians, the earth is calm, the heavens smile;

A mighty silence listens on the sea.
All this I have done, and yet not I, but one greater.
Such is Athene’s might and theirs who serve her.
You know me now, O Syrians, and my strength
I have concealed not. Let no man hereafter

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Complain that I deceived him to his doom.
Speak now. Which of you all demands a victim ?

He pauses: there is silence.
What, you have howled and maddened, bound sweet women
For slaughter, roared to have the hearts of princes,
And are you silent .now ? Who is for victims ?
Who sacrifices Perseus?

THEROPS

Speak! Is there
A fool so death-devoted ?

PERSEUS

Claims any man victims ?

CRIES

There’s none, great Perseus.

PERSEUS

Then, I here release
Andromeda and Iolaus, Syrians,
From the death-doom: to Cepheus give his crown
Once more. Does any man gainsay my action ?
Would any rule in Syria?

CRIES

None, mighty Perseus.

PERSEUS

Iolaus, sweet friend, my work is finished.

He severs his bonds.

IOLAUS

O mighty father, suffer me for thee

To take thy crown from the unworthy soil

Where rude hands tumbled it. ‘Twill now sit steady.

Dercetes, art thou loyal once again ?

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DERCETES

For ever.

IOLAUS

Therops!

THEROPS

I have abjured rebellion.

IOLAUS

Lead then my royal parents to their home

With martial pomp and music. And let the people

Cover their foul revolt with meek obedience.

One guiltiest head shall pay you forfeit: the rest,

Since terror and religious frenzy moved

To mutiny, not their sober wills, shall all

Be pardoned.

CRIES

Iolaus! Iolaus!
Long live the Syrian, noble Iolaus!

IOLAUS

Andromeda, and thou, my sweet Cydone,
Go with them.

CEPHEUS

I approve thy sentence, son.

Dercetes and his soldiers, Therops and the
Syrians leave the temple conducting Cepheus
and Cassiopea, Andromeda and Cydone.

IOLAUS

Now, Polydaon, —

POLYDAON

I have seen all and laughed.

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Iolaus, and thou, O Argive Perseus,

You know not who I am. I have endured

Your foolish transient triumph that you might feel

My punishments more bitter-terrible.

Tis time, ’tis time. I will reveal myself.

Your horror-staring eyes shall know me, princes,

When I hurl death and Ocean on your heads.

PERSEUS

The man is frantic.

IOLAUS

Defeat has turned him mad.

PERISSUS

I have seen this coming on him for a season and a half. He was a fox at first, but this tumult gave him claws and muscles and he turned tiger. This is the end. What, Polydaon! Good cheer, priest! Roll not thy eyes: I am thy friend Perissus, I am thy old loving school-mate; are we not now fellow-craftsmen, priest and butcher?

POLYDAON

Do you not see ? I wave my sapphire locks

And earth is quaking. Quake, earth! rise, my great Ocean!

Earth, shake my foemen from thy back! clasp, sea,

And kiss them dead, thou huge voluptuary.

Come barking from your stables, my sweet monsters:

With blood-stained fangs and fiery mouths avenge me

Mocking their victory. Thou, brother Zeus,

Rain curses from thy skies. What, is all silent?

I’ll tear thee. Ocean, into watery bits

And strip thy oozy basal rocks quite naked

If thou obey me not.

IOLAUS (advancing)

He must be seized

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And bound.

PERSEUS

Pause. See, he foams and clutches!

Polydaon falls to the ground.

He
Is sentenced.

PERISSUS

Polydaon, old crony, grows thy soul too great within thee?
dost thou kick the unworthy earth and hit out with thy noble
fists at Heaven?

IOLAUS

It was a fit, it is over. He lies back white
And shaking.

POLYDAON (As he speaks, his utterance is hacked by pauses of
silence. He seems unconscious of those around him, his being
is withdrawing from the body and he lives only in an inner
consciousness and its vision.)

I was Poseidon but this moment.
Now he departs from me and leaves me feeble:

I have become a dull and puny mortal.

(half rising)

It was not I but thou who feared’st, god.
I would have spoken, but thou wert chilled and stone.
What feared’st thou or whom? Wert thou alarmed
By the godhead lurking in man’s secret soul
Or deity greater than thy own appalled thee?…
Forgive, forgive! pass not away from me.
Thy power is now my breath and I shall perish
If thou withdraw…. He stands beside me still
Shaking his gloomy locks and glares at me
Saying it was my sin and false ambition
Undid him. Was I not fearless as thou bad’st me ?

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Ah, he has gone into invisible

Vast silences!… Whose, whose is this bright glory?

One stands now in his place and looks at me.

Imperious is his calm Olympian brow,

The sea’s blue unfathomed depths gaze from his eyes,

Wide sea-blue locks crown his majestic shape:

A mystic trident arms his tranquil might.
As one new-born to himself and to the world
He turns from me with the surges in his stride
To seek his Ocean empire. Earth bows down
Trembling with awe of his unbearable steps,
Heaven is the mirror of his purple greatness….
But whose was that dimmer and tremendous image?…
A horror of darkness is around me still,
But the joy and might have gone out of my breast
And left me mortal, a poor human thing
With whom death and the fates can do their will….
But his presence yet is with me, near to me….
Was I not something more than earthly man ?…

(with a cry)

It was myself, the shadow, the hostile god!
I am abandoned to my evil self.
That was the darkness!… But there was something more
Insistent, dreadful, other than myself!
Whoever thou art, spare me…. I am gone, I am taken.
In his tremendous clutch he bears me off
Into thick cloud; I see black Hell, the knives
Fire-pointed touch my breast. Spare me, Poseidon….
Save me, O brilliant God, forgive and save.

He falls back dead.

PERSEUS

Who then can save a man from his own self?

IOLAUS

He is ended, his own evil has destroyed him.

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PERSEUS

This man for a few hours became the vessel

Of an occult and formidable Force

And through his form it did fierce terrible things

Unhuman: but his small and gloomy mind

And impure dark heart could not contain the Force.

It turned in him to madness and demoniac

Huge longings. Then the Power withdrew from him

Leaving the broken incapable instrument,

And all its might was split from his body. Better

To be a common man mid common men

And live an unaspiring mortal life

Than call into oneself a Titan strength

Too dire and mighty for its human frame,

That only afflicts the oppressed astonished world,

Then breaks its user.

IOLAUS

But best to be Heaven’s child.
Only the sons of gods can harbour gods.

PERISSUS

Art thou then gone, Polydaon ? My monarch of breast-hackers, this was an evil ending. My heart is full of woe for thee, my fellow-butcher.

IOLAUS

The gods have punished him for his offences,
Ambition and a hideous cruelty
Ingenious in mere horror.

PERSEUS

Burn him with rites,
If that may help his soul by dark Cocytus.
But let us go and end these strange upheavals:

Call Cireas from his hiding for reward,
Tyrnaus too, and Smerdas from his prison,

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Fair Diomede from Cyclone’s house.
Humble or high, let all have their deserts
Who partners were or causes of our troubles.

IOLAUS

There’s Phineus will ask reasons.

PERSEUS

He shall be satisfied.

PERISSUS

He cannot be satisfied, his nose is too long; it will not listen
to reason, for it thinks all the reason and policy in the world are
shut up in the small brain to which it is a long hooked outlet.

PERSEUS

Perissus, come with me: for thou wert kind
To my fair sweetness; it shall be remembered.

PERISSUS

There was nothing astonishing in that: I am as chockfull with
natural kindness as a rabbit is with guts; I have bowels, great
Perseus. For am I not Perissus? am I not the butcher?

They go out: the curtain falls.

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