Chapter 16Scene 4

On the road to the sea-shore. Phineus and his Tyrians. PHINEUS A mightier power confounds our policies. Is’t Heaven? is’t Fate? What’s left me, I will take. ’Tis best to rescue young Andromeda From the wild mob and bear her home to Tyre. She, when the roar is over, will be left My claim to Syria’s prostrate throne, which force, If not diplomacy shall re-erect And Tyre become the Syrian capital. I hear the trampling of the rascal mob. CRIES OUTSIDE Drag her more quickly! To the rocks! to the rocks! Glory to great Poseidon! PHINEUS Tyrians, be ready. Perissus and a number of Syrians enter leading Andromeda bound. SYRIANS To the rocks with her, to the rocks! bind her on the rocks. PHINEUS Pause, rabble! Yield your prey to Tyrian Phineus. Lift up thy lovely head, Andromeda! For thou art saved.

Act IV, Scene 4 PERISSUS Who art thou with thy nose and thy fellows and thy spits? PHINEUS Knowst thou me not? I am the royal Phineus. Yield up the Princess, fair Andromeda. PERISSUS Art thou the royal Phineus and is this long nose thy sceptre? I am Perissus, the butcher. Stand aside, royal Phineus, or I will chop thee royally with my cleaver. ANDROMEDA What wilt thou with me, King of Tyre? PHINEUS Sweet rose, I come to save thee. I will carry thee, My bride, far from these savage Syrian tumults To reign in loyal Tyre. Thou art safe. ANDROMEDA (sorrowfully) Safe! My father and my mother are not safe Nor Iolaus: nor is Syria safe. Will you protect my people, when the god, Not finding me, his preferable victim, Works his fierce will on these? PHINEUS Thou car’st for them? They have o’erwhelmed thee with foul insult, bound thee, Threatened thy lovely limbs with rascal outrage And dragged to murder! ANDROMEDA But they are my people.

Perseus the Deliverer Perissus, lead me on. I will not go with him. PHINEUS Thou strange and beautiful and marvellous child, Wilt thou or wilt thou not, by force I’ll have thee. Golden enchantment! thou art too rare a thing For others to possess. Run, rascal rabble! On, Tyrians! PERISSUS Cleavers and axes to their spits! ANDROMEDA King Phineus, pause! I swear I will prefer Death’s grim embrace rather than be thy wife Abandoning my people. ’Tis a dead body Thou wilt rescue. PHINEUS Is thy resolve unshakable? ANDROMEDA It is. PHINEUS Die then! To Death alone I yield thee. He goes out with his Tyrians. PERISSUS So then thou art off, royal Phineus! so thou hast evaporated, bold god of the Hittites! Thou hast saved thy royal nose from my cleaver. SYRIANS On to the rocks! Glory to great Poseidon. They go leading Andromeda.