Hippolytus; The Bacchae Part 12

[_Drawing nearer to_ PENTHEUS.]

Is there not blood before thine eyes even now?

Our lost Actaeon's blood, whom long ago His own red hounds through yonder forest dim Tore unto death, because he vaunted him Against most holy Artemis? Oh, beware And let me wreathe thy temples. Make thy prayer With us, and walk thee humbly in G.o.d's sight.

[_He makes as if to set the wreath on_ PENTHEUS _head_.]

PENTHEUS Down with that hand! Aroint thee to thy rite Nor smear on me thy foul contagion!

[Turning upon TEIRESIAS.]

This Thy folly's head and prompter shall not miss The justice that he needs!--Go, half my guard Forth to the rock-seat where he dwells in ward O'er birds and wonders; rend the stone with crown And trident; make one wreck of high and low And toss his bands to all the winds of air!

Ha, have I found the way to sting thee, there?

The rest, forth through the town! And seek amain This girl-faced stranger, that hath wrought such bane To all Thebes, preying on our maids and wives Seek till ye find; and lead him here in gyves, Till he be judged and stoned and weep in blood The day he troubled Pentheus with his G.o.d!

[_The guards set forth in two bodies_; PENTHEUS _goes into the Castle._]

TEIRESIAS Hard heart, how little dost thou know what seed Thou sowest! Blind before, and now indeed Most mad!--Come, Cadmus, let us go our way, And pray for this our persecutor, pray For this poor city, that the righteous G.o.d Move not in anger.--Take thine ivy rod And help my steps, as I help thine. 'Twere ill, If two old men should fall by the roadway. Still, Come what come may, our service shall be done To Bacchios, the All-Father's mystic son O Pentheus, named of sorrow! Shall he claim From all thy house fulfilment of his name, Old Cadmus?--Nay, I speak not from mine art, But as I see--blind words and a blind heart!

[_The two Old Men go off towards the Mountain._]

CHORUS

_Some Maidens_ Thou Immaculate on high; Thou Recording Purity; Thou that stoopest, Golden Wing, Earthward, manward, pitying, Hearest thou this angry King?

Hearest thou the rage and scorn 'Gainst the Lord of Many Voices, Him of mortal mother born, Him in whom man's heart rejoices, Girt with garlands and with glee, First in Heaven's sovranty?

For his kingdom, it is there, In the dancing and the prayer, In the music and the laughter, In the vanis.h.i.+ng of care, And of all before and after; In the G.o.ds' high banquet, when Gleams the graperflood, flashed to heaven; Yea, and in the feasts of men Comes his crowned slumber; then Pain is dead and hate forgiven!

_Others_ Loose thy lips from out the rein; Lift thy wisdom to disdain; Whatso law thou canst not see, Scorning; so the end shall be Uttermost calamity!

'Tis the life of quiet breath, 'Tis the simple and the true, Storm nor earthquake shattereth, Nor shall aught the house undo

Where they dwell. For, far away, Hidden from the eyes of day, Watchers are there in the skies, That can see man's life, and prize Deeds well done by things of clay.

But the world's Wise are not wise, Claiming more than mortal may.

Life is such a little thing; Lo, their present is departed, And the dreams to which they cling Come not. Mad imagining Theirs, I ween, and empty-hearted!

_Divers Maidens_ Where is the Home for me?

O Cyprus, set in the sea, Aphrodite's home In the soft sea-foam, Would I could wend to thee; Where the wings of the Loves are furled, And faint the heart of the world.

Aye, unto Paphos' isle, Where the rainless meadows smile With riches rolled From the hundred-fold Mouths of the far-off Nile, Streaming beneath the waves To the roots of the seaward caves.

But a better land is there Where Olympus cleaves the air, The high still dell Where the Muses dwell, Fairest of all things fair!

O there is Grace, and there is the Heart's Desire, And peace to adore thee, thou Spirit of Guiding Fire!

A G.o.d of Heaven is he, And born in majesty; Yet hath he mirth In the joy of the Earth,

And he loveth constantly Her who brings increase, The Feeder of Children, Peace.

No grudge hath he of the great; No scorn of the mean estate; But to all that liveth His wine he giveth, Griefless, immaculate; Only on them that spurn Joy, may his anger burn.

Love thou the Day and the Night; Be glad of the Dark and the Light; And avert thine eyes From the lore of the wise, That have honour in proud men's sight.

The simple nameless herd of Humanity Hath deeds and faith that are truth enough for me!

[_As the Chorus ceases, a party of the guards return, leading in the midst of them_ DIONYSUS, _bound. The_ SOLDIER _in command stands forth, as_ PENTHEUS, _hearing the tramp of feet, comes out from the Castle._]

SOLDIER Our quest is finished, and thy prey, O King, Caught; for the chase was swift, and this wild thing Most tame; yet never flinched, nor thought to flee, But held both hands out unresistingly-- No change, no blanching of the wine-red cheek.

He waited while we came, and bade us wreak All thy decree; yea, laughed, and made my best Easy, till I for very shame confessed And said: "O stranger, not of mine own will I bind thee, but his bidding to fulfil Who sent me."

And those prisoned Maids withal Whom thou didst seize and bind within the wall Of thy great dungeon, they are fled, O King.

Free in the woods, a-dance and glorying To Bromios. Of their own impulse fell To earth, men say, fetter and manacle, And bars slid back untouched of mortal hand Yea, full of many wonders to thy land Is this man come.... Howbeit, it lies with thee!

PENTHEUS Ye are mad!--Unhand him. Howso swift he be, My toils are round him and he shall not fly.

[_The guards loose the arms of_ DIONYSUS; PENTHEUS _studies him for a while in silence then speaks jeeringly._ DIONYSUS _remains gentle and unafraid._]

Marry, a fair shape for a woman's eye, Sir stranger! And thou seek'st no more, I ween!

Long curls, withal! That shows thou ne'er hast been A wrestler!--down both cheeks so softly tossed And winsome! And a white skin! It hath cost Thee pains, to please thy damsels with this white And red of cheeks that never face the light!

[_DIONYSUS is silent._]

Speak, sirrah; tell me first thy name and race.

DIONYSUS No glory is therein, nor yet disgrace.

Thou hast heard of Tmolus, the bright hill of flowers?

PENTHEUS Surely, the ridge that winds by Sardis towers.

DIONYSUS Thence am I; Lydia was my fatherland.

PENTHEUS And whence these revelations, that thy band Spreadeth in h.e.l.las?

DIONYSUS Their intent and use Dionysus oped to me, the Child of Zeus.

PENTHEUS (_brutally_) Is there a Zeus there, that can still beget Young G.o.ds?

DIONYSUS Nay, only He whose seal was set Here in thy Thebes on Semele.

PENTHEUS What way Descended he upon thee? In full day Or vision of night?

DIONYSUS Most clear he stood, and scanned My soul, and gave his emblems to mine hand.

PENTHEUS What like be they, these emblems?

DIONYSUS That may none Reveal, nor know, save his Elect alone.

PENTHEUS And what good bring they to the wors.h.i.+pper?

DIONYSUS Good beyond price, but not for thee to hear.

PENTHEUS Thou trickster? Thou wouldst p.r.i.c.k me on the more To seek them out!

DIONYSUS His mysteries abhor The touch of sin-lovers.

PENTHEUS And so thine eyes Saw this G.o.d plain; what guise had he?

DIONYSUS What guise It liked him. 'Twas not I ordained his shape.

PENTHEUS Aye, deftly turned again. An idle j.a.pe, And nothing answered!

DIONYSUS Wise words being brought To blinded eyes will seem as things of nought.