Collected Works (Vol. II)

98 THE ARGONAUTS The silent thought, the hand unseen, The rayless majesty of light Shed from the splendour of our Queen Athena! mystery and might ; These worked invisibly to bring The end of triumph to our King. Great Jason, wronged by hate of man, Shall pass the portals of the deep ; Shall seek the waters wide and wan; Shall pass within the land of sleep ; And there the guardians of the soil Shall rest at last from pain and toil. O ruler of the empyréan, Behold his fervour conquering The fury of the breed Cadmean, The dragons of the Theban king; And armed men shall spring from earth In vain to ward the gloomy girth ! But thou, Athena, didst devise Some end beyond our mortal ken, Thy soul impenetrably wise Shines not to us unthinking men. O guard the warrior band of Greece, And win for us the Golden Fleece ! By miracle this happy day The ship is finished for our quest. Bring thou the glory from the gray ! Bring thou our spirits into rest ! O Wisdom, that hast helped so far, ’ Sink never thou thy guiding star! CHORUS OF WORKMEN. Then let us gather one and all, And launch our dragon on the main With paeans raised most musical, Until our heroes come again. With watching and with prayer we wait The imperious Destinies of Fate ! ExpLicir ACTUS SECUNDUS, ARGONAUTAE. ACTUS TERTIUS. MEDEA. AEETES, JASON, MEDEA, Messengers, Chorus of Heroes. SCENE: 7he Palace of AEETES. AEETES. Were this man son of Zeus, beloved of Heaven, And skilled with very craft of Maia’s son, Stronger than Phoebus, subtler than the Sphinx, This plague should catch him, nor my wisdom spare. CHORUS OF HEROES. Thus hast thou sent him unto Hades, king. AKEETES. Not otherwise were such gain possible. Ye are the witnesses that with much skill, And eloquence of shining words, and thought Darkling behind their measured melody, I did dissuade him. CHORUS. Such an enterprise After such toils no man should lightly leave. Remember all the tasks impossible This hero hath already done, before He ever touched this sounding coast of thine. AEETES. Alas! but now his weird is loneliness ! CHORUS. Was that from Destiny, or will of thine?