Chapter 9Scene 3

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! morn 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.

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 the world Only for Iolaus.

PERSEUS

Happy Cydone, Who can lie here and babble to the river All day of love and light and Iolaus. If it 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. 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.

CYDONE

What monster’s there?

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 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 Of strength and sweetness.

IOLAUS 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.

CYDONE

Will you promise To kiss the blood away? Then I’ll 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.

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!

IOLAUS My queen, have I your leave?

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? 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