The Poetry Corner

The Argive Women[2]

By Maurice Henry Hewlett

CHTHONOMYRTILLA RHODOPEPASIPHASSA GORGOSITYS ***** SCENE The women's house in the House of Paris in Troy. TIME.--The Tenth year of the War. ***** Helen's women are lying alone in the twilight hour. Chthono presently rises and throws a little incense upon the altar flame. Then she begins to speak to the Image of Aphrodite in a low and tired voice. CHTHONO Goddess of burning and little rest, By the hand swaying on thy breast, By glancing eye and slow sweet smile Tell me what long look or what guile Of thine it was that like a spear Pierced her heart, who caged me here In this close house, to be with her Mistress at once and prisoner! Far from earth and her pleasant ways I lie, whose nights are as my days In this dim house, where on the wall I watch the shadows rise and fall And know not what is reckt or done By men and horses out in the sun, Nor heed their traffic, nor their cheer As forth they go or back, but hear The fountain plash into the pond, The brooding doves, and sighs of fond Lovers whose lips yearn as they sever For longer joy, joy such as never Hath man but in the mind. But what Men do without, that I know not Who see them but as shadows thrown Upon a screen. I see them blown Like clouds of flies about the plain Where the winds sweep them and make vain Their panoplies. They hem the verge Of this high wall to guard us--urge Galloping horses into war And meet in shock of battle, far Below us and our dreams: withal Ten years have past us in this thrall Since Helen came with eyes agleam To Troy, and trod the ways of dream. GORGO Men came about us, crying, "The Greeks! Ships out at sea with high-held peaks Like questing birds!" But I lay still Kissing, nor turned. RHODOPE So I, until The herald broke into my sleep, Crying Agamemnon on the deep With ships from high Mykenai. Then I minded he was King of Men-- But not of women in the arms They loved. MYRTILLA I heard their shrill alarms Faint and far off, like an old fame. Below this guarded house men came-- Chariots and horses clasht; they cried King Agamemnon in his pride, Or Hector, or young Diomede; But I was kissing, could not heed Aught save the eyes that held mine bound. Anon a hush--anon the sound Of hooves resistless, pounding--a cry, "Achilles! Save yourselves!" But I-- Clinging I lay, and sighed in sign That love must weary at last, even mine-- Even mine, Sweetheart! PASIPHASSA Who watcht when flared Lord Hector like a meteor, dared The high stockade and fired the ships? I watcht his lips who had had my lips. SITYS And when he slew Menoikios' son, Sister, what then? PASIPHASSA My cheek was wan For lack of kissing--so I blew On slumbering lids to draw anew The eyes of him who had loved me well, But now was faint. CHTHONO O Kypris, tell The deeds of men, not lovers! RHODOPE Here Came one all palsied in his fear, Chattering and white, to Paris abed, Flusht in his sleep--told Hector dead, Dead and dishonoured, while he slept. He sighed and turned. But Helen wept. GORGO Not I. I turned and felt warm draught Of breath upon my cheek, and laught Softly, and snuggling, slept. CHTHONO Fie, fie! Goddess, drugged in thy dreams we lie, Logs, not women, logs in the sun! SITYS Thou art sated. So fretteth One, The very fount of Love's sweet well, The chord of Love made visible, Sickened of her own loveliness, Haggard as hawk too long in jess, Aching for flight. MYRTILLA Recall the bout When Paris armed him and went out Into the lists, and all men thronged To see---- SITYS Lord Paris and him he wronged Fight for her, who should have her! We stood Upon the walls, and she with her hood Close to her cheek. But I saw the flicker In her blue eyes! PASIPHASSA But I was quicker, And saw the man she looked upon, And after what her blue eyes shone Like cyanus in morning light. GORGO Husband and lover she saw fight, Man to man, with death between. RHODOPE Hatred coucht, as long and lean As a lone wolf, on her man's crest-- PASIPHASSA And bit the Trojan! CHTHONO Thine was the rest, Goddess! And Helen lit the fire, With her disdain, of his desire. MYRTILLA Her eyes burned like the frosty stars Of winter midnight. PASIPHASSA His the scars! Bitten in his wax-pale cheek. CHTHONO Nay, in his heart---- SITYS Nay, in his bleak And writhen smile you see it! GORGO Nay! In his sick soul. RHODOPE Let him go his way! Hear my thought of a happier thing-- Sparta's trees in flood of spring Where Eurotas' banks abrim Drown the reeds, and foam-clots swim Like a scattered brood of duck! MYRTILLA Flowers anod! White flowers to pluck, Stiffened in the foamy curds! Ah, the green thickets quick with birds! SITYS Calling Itys! Itys! Itys! PASIPHASSA She calls not here--her house it is In Sparta! RHODOPE (with a sob) Peace! CHTHONO From my heart a cry-- Send me back, Goddess, ere I die To those dear places and clean things-- To see my people, feel the wings Of the gray night fold over me, And touch my mother's knees, and be Her child, as long ago I was Before I lay burning in Ilios! [They hide their faces in their knees. Then one by one they sing.] Let me sing an old sweet air, Mother of Argos, to Thee, For hope in my heart is fair As light on the hills seen from afar at sea; And my weary eyes turn there As to the haven where my soul would be. RHODOPE I will arise and make choice The house of my tumbled breast, For she cometh, I hear the voice Of her wings of healing, and she shall be my guest; And my joys shall be her joys, And my home her home, O wind of the South West! GORGO As a bird that listens and thrills, Hidden deep in the night, For the sound of the little rills That run musically towards the light; As a hart to the high hills Turneth his dying eyes, my soul takes flight. MYRTILLA Ah, to be folded deep In the shade of Taygetus, In my mother's arms to sleep Even as a child when I lay harboured thus! Oh, that I were as thy sheep, Lacedaemon, my land, cradle and nurse of us! PASIPHASSA In Argos they sow the grain, In Troy blood is their sowing; There a green mantle covers the plain Where the sweet green corn and sweet short grass are growing; But here passion and pain-- Blood and dust upon earth, and a hot wind blowing. SITYS To the hold on the far red hill From the hold on the wide green lea, Over the running water, follow who will Therapnae's hawk with the dove of Amyklae. But I would lie husht and still, And feel the new grass growing quick over me! [The scene grows dark as they sit. Their eyes are full of tears. Presently one looks up, listening, then another, then another. They are all alert.] CHTHONO Who prayeth peace? I feel her peace Steal through me as a quiet air Enters the house with sweet increase Of light to healing, praise to prayer! RHODOPE What do I know of guiltiness When she is here, and with grave eyes Seeketh the ways of quietness And lampeth them? GORGO Arise, arise! [They all stand waiting.] MYRTILLA Hark! Her footfall like the dew-- PASIPHASSA As a flower by frost made sere Long before the sun breaks through, Feeleth him, I know her near. [Helen stands in the doorway.] CHTHONO This is she, the source of light, Source of light and end of it, Argive Helen, slim and sweet, For whose bosom and delight, For whose eyes, those wells of peace, Paris wrought, as well he might, Ten years' woe for Troy and Greece. RHODOPE Starry wonder that she was, Caged like sea-bird in his arms, See her passion thrill, then pass From him who, doting on her charms, So became abominable. Watch her bosom dip and swell, See her nostrils fan and curve At his touch who loved not well, But loved too much, who broke the spell; Watch her proud head stiffen and swerve. GORGO Upon the wall with claspt white hands See her vigil keep intent, Argive Helen, lo! she stands Looking seaward where the fires Hem the shore innumerable; Sign of that avenging host, All Achaia's chivalry, Past the tongue of man to tell, Peers and kindred of her sires Come to win back Helen lost. MYRTILLA There to her in that gray hour, That gray hour before the sun, Cometh he she waiteth for, Menelaus like a ghost, Like a dry leaf tempest-tost, Stalking restless, her reproach. PASIPHASSA There alone, those two, long severed been, Eye each other, one wild heart between. SITYS "O thou ruinous face, O thou fatally fair, O the pity of thee! What dost thou there, Watching the madness of me?" CHTHONO Him seemed her eyes were pools of dark To drown him, yet no word she spake; But gazing, grave as a lonely house, All her wonder thrilled to wake. RHODOPE "By thy roses and snow, By thy sun-litten hair, By thy low bosom and slow Pondered kisses, O hear! "By thy glimmering eyes, By thy burning cheek, By thy murmuring sighs, Speak, Helen, O speak! "Ruinous Face, O Ruinous Face, Art thou come so early," he said, "So early forth from the wicked bed?" GORGO Him she pondered, grave and still, Stirring not from her safe place: He marked the glow, he felt the thrill, He saw the dawn new in her face. MYRTILLA Within her low voice wailed the tone Of one who grieves and prays for death: "Lord, I am come to be alone, Alone here with my sorrow," she saith. PASIPHASSA "False wife, what pity was thine For hearth and altar, for man and child? What is thy sorrow worth unto mine?" She rocked, moaning, "I was beguiled!" SITYS Ten years' woe for Troy and Greece By her begun, the slim, the sweet, Ended by her in final peace Of him who loved her first of all; Nor ever swerved from his high passion, But through misery and shame Saw her spirit like a flame Eloquent of her sacred fashion-- Hers whose eyes are homes of light, To which she tends, from which she came. 1912.