Chapter VI

The banquet-hall late at night. The feasting is near its end and the wine has begun to be poured at the farewell entertainment given by CIRCE to her guests in the last hours before they set sail. The Enchantress sits at the head of her table, wearing her black robe and coronal of pearls. THERMIA and MYRTO are in their usual places; but PHILINNA is absent and the throne at CIRCE’S left has been removed. ULYSSES sits at the head of the table by the dais. His demeanor is serious; but the men though orderly are in high spirits as they join in the chorus, with the exception of PHILEMON and XENIAS, who seem pre-occupied, seated together near the exit behind ULYSSES. EURYLOCHUS is so placed as to face MYRTO at her wheel. The first chorus following is sung before the rise of the curtain.

(_Chorus of men’s voices behind the scenes_)

Never fear for your ship if you handle her right;
She will scamper all day and eats nothing at night.
Stick her nose in the sand, she is safe in the stall;
She’s a carriage and horses and stable and all.

[_Curtain rises_]

GLAUCUS

[_Sings_] We sampled his cheeses and bunk’d in his den,
But when he came home he ate six of our men.—
“People don’t come a-foot when they come to see me:
Now where did you leave the old frigate?” cried he.

(_Chorus_)

GLAUCUS

It was a big pickle, we forged a big lie:
“A thunderbolt struck her, Sir Cyclops,” said I;
“Tore a hole in her timbers as wide as a door;
She sank to the bottom and we swam ashore.”

(_Chorus_)

GLAUCUS

So we punch’d out his eye with a stake while he snored,
Then broke for the landing and scrambled aboard.—
His rock was a load for a twenty-mule team:
“Heave hard there”! I shouted; “heave hard, Polypheme!”

(_Chorus_)

GLAUCUS

First time he shot high; and the swashing great wave
Sent her back on a dance to the mouth of his cave.
His second fell short: ’twas a booster behind
And scooted her for’ard, quite well to our mind.

(_Chorus_)

Never fear for your ship if you handle her right;
She will scamper all day and eats nothing at night.
Stick her nose in the sand, she is safe in the stall;
She’s a carriage and horses and stable and all.

CIRCE

Our friend Glaucus would usurp the role of his captain,
apparently, when he celebrates that famous scene, Ulysses.

ULYSSES

And right welcome is he to any glory he may borrow therefrom.
Verily there was little enough for me to boast of in the
adventure.

GLAUCUS

It’s true the commander got us into the scrape, madam, if he
will allow me; but there would need a longer song than any we
have sung yet to tell the whole story, how cleverly he got us
out of it.

THERON

Damme! a great song! Not a word about the tipple that did it
all!

ELPENOR

And the sheep-ride too.

A VOICE

Ay, ay!—’twas the tipple that did for him. Let the old sinner
play blind-man’s buff with his bell-wether now!

ULYSSES

Enough!
Now the cry homeward and the forward glance
Shall banish retrospect. These claim our care.
Fair winds suffice not;
Nor the good hopes by gracious friends inspired,
Where prudent counsel fails.

CIRCE

Most timely said!
Experience ends not with each wondrous hap.
Ye know not yet, good men, your several fates
Cradled beyond my island’s guardian pale.
Obedience and true caution shall avail you
Not less because your course be pointed clear.
These save while they endure.—
But now our ancient welcome is exchanged
For farewell greetings. Nor indeed comes song
Amiss at such an hour.

[_She claps her hands twice and THRATTIS enters with her lute, standing by the sideboard. While the attention of all is thus drawn away MYRTO gives the sign to EURYLOCHUS, who slips out unobserved._]

CIRCE

Our guests have just sung a gay song in honor of their ship,
Thrattis. Perchance thou canst match it with one from thine own
store.

[_THRATTIS smiles faintly and begins a slow prelude upon her instrument in a minor key._]

ELPENOR

She knows how to make it cry.

THERON

Hush, boy; mar not the music!

[_The girl sings slowly with irregular pauses and interludes at significant points in the recital. The music itself is marked by chromatic changes, with the last two stanzas taking on distinctly the character of a funeral march. Before that part of the performance is reached PHILEMON and XENIAS, taking advantage of the rapt attention of the company, steal out unnoticed._]

THRATTIS

Sea-wind o’er the ripples crept;
His cool breath my temples swept;
Sea-wind whisper’d, as I slept
Near to the wave.
From his caverns, hollow-toned,
Sea-wind mock’d my dream and moan’d.
In my sleep I turn’d and groan’d
As in the grave.
Through lank grasses, swaying slow,
Peering with green eyes a-glow
Sea-wind stole and mutter’d low:
“Wake not! sleep on,
If my vision thou wouldst share:—
The split mast; the lightning’s glare;
Shrouds whirl’d wildly in mid-air!
See! her helm gone,
The vessel plunges. Lo! again
Caught by the deadly hurricane,
Crackling bolt and hissing rain,
The hull spins round;
Breaks, sinks! One man breasts the tide;
Clutches spar and climbs astride;
A sea-courser seems to ride.—
Vague depths profound
With white feet the others tread;
Seek on ocean’s floor their bed;
Or, to rude shores blindly led,
Full nigh they draw;
Ram-like, butt the flinty stones.
The gray sea a dirge intones,
Whilst the fat casing of their bones
Dumb fishes gnaw.”

ULYSSES

[_After a pause, when the chords struck in conclusion of the song have ceased to sound_]

The maid hath not sailed the south seas in vain, upon my soul,
Circe!

GLAUCUS

By the twin gods, ye would think she came straight from Davy
Jones’ locker, let out alive!

CIRCE

’Tis a brief step from life to death: why then
Shall not the venturous errant fancy feign it
Thrice taken and retraced? From death to life
Were as from sleep to waking; nor, if dreams
Might linger on the skirts of such a change,
Should they unheeded pass.—

The words of CIRCE are interrupted by the entrance at the Right rear doorway of EURYLOCHUS and GRAEA bearing the rustic couch upon which the form of PHILINNA is extended as upon a bier. As they enter, GRAEA, who sustains the rear end at the head of the sleeper, swings to her right backward and the two bearers set the couch and its burden down by CIRCE’S side in full view of the company. EURYLOCHUS quickly resumes his seat among the men, while the swine-maiden, wearing her long whip coiled as a girdle round her waist, retires to a position near the lute-girl, where the two remain standing side by side. _Mikkos_, who had sprung into the room close behind the bearers, is seized by MYRTO and tied fast with shortened chain to the spokes of her wheel. The form and features of PHILINNA are motionless as in death. She is clothed in her gauzy dress of noonday. The banqueters in profound silence gaze with horror at the apparition. CIRCE, laying hand upon her wand, faces her guests steadily with a trace of irony in her look, while a few notes of solemn music fall from the lute of THRATTIS.

ULYSSES

[_Half rising from his chair with gesture of inquiry and deprecation_]

What!—Circe? Thy Philinna?—is this death?
Forbid it, ye kind gods!

CIRCE

Philinna?—or Philinna’s shade?
Ask thine own followers, great commander; ask
Pale Hecate’s twin votaries!

ULYSSES

[_Who has risen to his feet and scanning the company perceives for the first time that not all his men are present_]

Ha! what? Philemon? Xenias?—where?

EURYLOCHUS

[_Saluting_] They encountered us, sir, as we ascended hither
bearing the sleeping maid. They were on their way to seize her,
but when they saw themselves cheated of their prey they cried
out and fled incontinently to the woods.

ULYSSES

Great Zeus! no flight shall save them! Up, Eurylochus!

[_With a stern gesture of command_]

Take Glaucus and three others of your watch; go forth; seek
out, arrest the caitiffs! Put them in irons and wait for us on
board!

[_EURYLOCHUS and GLAUCUS stand up, several other men spring to their feet as volunteers_. Mikkos _exhibits excitement, and GRAEA slowly uncoils the whip from her waist. THERMIA turns pale and cannot conceal her agitation._]

CIRCE

[_Lifting her wand gently_] Hold, Ulysses! Hold!
Refrain; bend not thy thoughts to chains
Or cruel punishment. Are they not even now
By failure and humiliation scourged?

ULYSSES

[_To whom EURYLOCHUS and GLAUCUS are looking expectantly_]

Never! Never!

The door behind the dais opens, a golden light fills the passage-way thus revealed, and MERCURY, brilliantly arrayed as in the second scene of the play, stands forth upon the platform. His step gives no sound; and, as he extends his hands (one holding the winged wand) gently forward over the company, all the men feel the soothing influence without turning their heads to observe its source; while ULYSSES, and the others who stand, sink quietly to their seats in motionless attitude. ULYSSES slightly bows his head. The inmates of the palace are not affected like the guests; they maintain their former demeanor; but CIRCE lowers her hand with the wand to the table before her.

MERCURY

By the Father sent
I come this time, to loose the tangled web
Of crossing motive, Circe, in thy bowers.
He in the scales of fate the fortunes weigh’d
Of these thy mortal visitors all, thine own,
Of thy beloved nymphs; and bade me speed,
Taking my wand, wherewith for woe or weal
I seal men’s eyes and, when I will, unseal.

The offending youths—already are they
Themselves in closer toils of slumber caught
Than the charm’d herb upon the maiden brought.
At my behest their living phantoms glide;
Upward or downward their blind steps I guide.

[_Without turning, the god raises his wand gently with backward movement of the hands, and in the wide opening behind him the forms of PHILEMON and XENIAS appear, standing side by side. Their eyes are closed; their features pallid in the weird light; their look is of complete unconsciousness. THRATTIS strikes major chords._]

Their fault the Father pardons; and decrees
They shall be toss’d no more on billowy seas,
But to their lives’ end tread the enchanted soil
Which of its bloom they plotted to despoil.

[_MERCURY sways the wand slowly from behind forward, and the two sleepers (PHILEMON first, XENIAS close behind him) guided by the spell pass across the dais, gliding down behind the banqueters until they reach a position between THERMIA and PHILINNA’S couch. Their footsteps give no sound; their movement is mechanical; in the place indicated they stand stiff and motionless with closed eyes._]

MERCURY

Arise, Ulysses!

[_ULYSSES stands up; and simultaneously his men all rise silently to their feet._]

Now thy waiting bark
Swims in the darkling haven; but full soon
Eos her saffron portals will unbar
And wake the convoy breezes. Tarry not!—
Thy crew the Father’s stern assignments claim;
I sign them to _march_, FORWARD! in his name.

[_The funeral march which closed the song of THRATTIS is played softly, and the men pass out behind MERCURY in single file, moving noiselessly and with the utmost precision, as if under the hypnotizing influence of the wand waved above them. The company of EURYLOCHUS marches first, headed by their leader and GLAUCUS, THERON and ELPENOR bringing up the rear. The other company, excepting PHILEMON and XENIAS, immediately follows. ULYSSES, who has donned his helmet, begins to speak as the last man passes and the music ceases._]

ULYSSES

To gloom of future fates beholden fast,
The parting hour yet beckons toward the past.
What blessings lay beneath rapt moments hidden
Now to the pictured memory rise unbidden;
Each, as with pointed stylus’ steely smart,
Prick’d and deep graven on the shrinking heart.—
Farewell! O sorceress benign, farewell!
He knows not _life_, who knows not CIRCE’S spell.

[_ULYSSES turns and goes out. The music begins again in the major key. MERCURY, poised upon one foot in an attitude similar to that presented by a familiar statue of the god, leans far forward with wand pointed straight at the sleepers. PHILINNA opens her eyes and slowly rises to a sitting posture on her couch. PHILEMON and XENIAS open their eyes and draw long breaths. PHILINNA, turning first toward CIRCE, with one hand clasps the left hand of the Enchantress; then, with the other, recognizing PHILEMON, takes his right. THERMIA, when XENIAS wakes, seizes his left hand with her own, and with a joyous look lays her right upon his shoulder. The two youths have themselves joined hands. MYRTO seated, whom_ Mikkos _strives to reach, holds him firmly at arm’s length by the collar. GRAEA, standing beside THRATTIS, whip in hand, glares fiercely at the exit._

_The countenance of CIRCE is deeply sad. Her wand lies relinquished upon the table. She continues to gaze, as if into vague distance, in the direction of her departed guest._]

CURTAIN