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Act Four SCENE I
The countryside, high ground near the city of Cepheus.
A crowd of Syrians, men and women, running in terror, among
Ah, whither can we run where the offended
Stop, countrymen; Let's all die here together.
Let's stop and die.
Run, run! Poseidon's monsters howl behind.
O day of horror and of punishment!
Let us stay here; it is high ground, perhaps Damoetes enters.
I have seen the terror near, and yet I live.
It is Page – 115 As long as a sea-jutting promontory.
It has six monstrous legs.
Eight, eight; I saw it. MEGAS
Chabrias, it caught thy strong son by the foot,
Alas, my son! I will He is stopped by the others.
It seized thy daughter, O Pasithea, And tore her limbs apart, which it devoured While yet the trunk lay screaming under its foot.
Oh God! She swoons.
Lift her up, lift her up. Alas!
These sorrows may be ours.
Ah! Heaven, my son! Page – 116
My wife and little daughter
Let us go back, Damoetes.
I'll not go back for twenty thousand wives
Let us not go. They stop Gardas.
What noise is that?
Run, run, 'tis some new horror. All are beginning to run. Therops enters.
Where will you run ? Poseidon's wrath is near you
O let us run a hundred leagues and live.
Before you is another death. Last night Page – 117
The Assyrians at three points came breaking in Young girls and matrons, men" and boys are butchered. Salvation is not in your front and flight Casts you from angry gods to men more ruthless. I wonder not that you are silent, stunned With fear: but will you listen, countrymen, And I will show you a cure for these fierce evils.
Oh tell us, tell us, you shall be our king.
We'll set thy image by the great Poseidon's
What is the unexampled cause of wrath Which whelms you with these horrors ? Is't not the bold Presumptuous line of Cepheus ? Is't not your kings Whose pride, swollen by your love and homage, Syrians, Insults the gods, rescues Poseidon's victims And with a sacrilegious levity Exposes all your lives to death and woe ? There is the fount of all your misery, Syrians, For this the horror eats you up, — your kings.
Away with them! throw them into the sea — let Poseidon swallow them!
But most I blame the fell Chaldean woman Page – 118 That women rule, that country more unhappy That is to heartless foreigners a prey. But thou, O ill-starred Syria, two worst evils Hast harboured in a single wickedness-. What cares the light Chaldean for your gods, Your lives, your sons, your daughters ? She lives at ease Upon the revenues of your hard toil, Depending on favourites, yes, on paramours, — For why have women favourites but to ease Their sensual longings ? — and insults your deities. Do you not think she rescued the Chaldeans Because they were her countrymen, and used Her daughter, young Andromeda, for tool That her fair childish beauty might disarm Wrath and suspicion? then, the crime unearthed, Braved all and set her fierce Chaldeans' swords Against the good priest Polydaon's heart, — You did not hear that? — the good Polydaon Who serves Poseidon with such zeal! Therefore The god is angry: your wives, sisters, daughters, Must suffer for Chaldean Cassiopea.
Let us seize her and kill, kill, kill, kill her!
Bum her!
Roast her!
Tear her into a million fragments.
But are they not our kings? We must obey them. Page – 119
Wherefore must we obey them? Kings are men, And they are set above their fellow-mortals To serve us, friends, — not, surely, for our hurt! Why should our sons and daughters bleed for them, Syrians ? Is not our blood as dear, as precious, As human? Why should these kings, these men, go clad In purple and in velvet while you toil For little and are hungry and are naked.
True, true, true!
This is a wonderful man, this Therops. He has a brain, countrymen.
A brain! He is no cleverer than you or I, Morus.
I should think not, Damoetes!
We knew these things long ago and did not need wind-bag
We have talked them over often, Damoetes.
We'll have no more kings, countrymen.
No kings, no kings! Page – 120
Or Therops shall be king.
Yes, Therops king! Therops king!
Good king Lungs! Oh, let us make him king, Morus, — he will
Poseidon is our king; we are his people.
Kill them! let us appease Poseidon.
Worship Heaven's power, but bow before the king.
What need have we of kings ? What are these kings ?
They are the seed of gods.
Then, let them settle
Then shall Poseidon's wrath retire again Page – 121
If it must be so, let it come by award
Justice! They are the judges
Kill him too, kill Chabrias. Poseidon, great Poseidon! we are
Let him join his son and by the same road.
Beat his brains out — to see if he has any. Ho! ho! ho!
Let him alone: he is a fool. Here comes Polydaon enters.
Polydaon! Polydaon! the good Polydaon! Save us, Polydaon!
Ah, do you call me now to save you? Last night
Forgive us and protect.
You, lead us to the palace, be our chief. Page – 122
We'll have no kings: lead, you: on to the palace!
Poseidon shall be king, thou his vicegerent.
Therops at thy right hand!
Yes, Therops! Therops!
Oh, you are sane now, being let blood by scourgings!
Polydaon for ever, the good Polydaon, Poseidon's Viceroy!
Swear then to do Poseidon's will.
We swear!
Command and watch the effect!
Will not the tongue
We'll cut it out and feed her dogs with it. Page – 123
Shall Iolaus bleed? Andromeda
They shall!
Not one of them shall live.
Then come, my children.
But the beast? Will it not tear us on the road?
It will not hurt you who do Poseidon's will.
To the palace, to the palace! We'll kill the Chaldeans, strangle
In order, in good order, my sweet children.
The mob surges out following Polydaon
Come, Chabrias, we'll have sport.
My dead son calls me. Page – 124 He goes out in another direction.
Pasithea, rise and come: you'll see her killed
Let me Stay here and die.
Lift her up. Come, fool. They go out, leading Pasithea.
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