{"id":1744,"date":"2013-07-13T01:36:58","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:36:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=1744"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:36:58","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:36:58","slug":"07-the-witch-of-ilni-act-ii-vol-03-04-collected-plays-and-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/03-cwsa\/03-04-collected-plays-and-stories\/07-the-witch-of-ilni-act-ii-vol-03-04-collected-plays-and-stories","title":{"rendered":"-07_The Witch of Ilni- Act – II.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

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\n\n\n
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\n

<\/p>\n

\nAct II<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\nScene
\n1<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

The woodlands as at first.<\/i><\/p>\n

Foresters and girls.<\/i><\/p>\n

Melander leans against a tree absorbed in thought: in one group Marcion and Ermenild are talking: in another Iamblichus and Myrtil: Myrtil comes forward.<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

MYRTIL<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

What passion, dear Melander, numbs thy voice?<\/p>\n

Why wilt thou cherish humorous peevishness,<\/p>\n

The nursling of a moment and a mood?<\/p>\n

Now kernelled in the golden husk of day<\/p>\n

Pale night with all her pomp of sorrow sleeps,<\/p>\n

And stinted of
\nsoft-clinging melancholy<\/p>\n

The elegiac nightingale is hushed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

MELANDER<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

Sweet friend, my spirit is too deeply hued<\/p>\n

With sombre-sweet Imagination’s brush<\/p>\n

To dress the nimble spirit of the dance<\/p>\n

In lilt of phrase and honey-packing rhyme.<\/p>\n

I pray you, urge it not. I am not well.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

IAMBLICHUS<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

Urge him no more. The rash and humorous spirit<\/p>\n

That governs him at times, will not be schooled.<\/p>\n

But since the sweetest tongue of all is mute,<\/p>\n

Some harsher voice prick on the creeping hour.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 764<\/p>\n

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MYRTIL<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

Ah no, Iamblichus! when winds are hushed<\/p>\n

Fall then the clapping cymbals of the sea,<\/p>\n

And every green-haired dancing-girl down-drop<\/p>\n

Her foam-tipped sinuous wand to kiss her feet!<\/p>\n

The loss of sweetest palls what is but sweet,<\/p>\n

For should the honey-throated mavis die,<\/p>\n

Who in the laughing linnet takes delight<\/p>\n

Or lends ear to the rhyming hedge-priest wren?<\/p>\n

Let us not challenge passion-pale regret,<\/p>\n

But hand-in-hand down ruby-tinted walks<\/p>\n

Gather the poppies of sweet speech, to press<\/p>\n

For opiates when dank autumn looms and Life<\/p>\n

Is empty of her rose. Were not this well?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

IAMBLICHUS<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

Thy words are sweet as joy, more wise than sorrow.<\/p>\n

Come, friends, let us steal honey from the hours<\/p>\n

For memory to suck when winter comes.<\/p>\n

Exeunt all but Melander.<\/i><\/p>\n

MELANDER<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

Ah me, what drug Circean wakes in me?<\/p>\n

My blood steals from my heart like pulsing fire<\/p>\n

And the fresh sap exudes upon my brow.<\/p>\n

O faster, faster urge thy golden wheels,<\/p>\n

Thou sun that like a fiery lizard creepst<\/p>\n

Glib-footed to the parapet of heaven!<\/p>\n

Oh that my hand might clutch thy saffron curls<\/p>\n

And thrust thee in the loud Atlantic! So<\/p>\n

The violet mares of Evening may drink up<\/p>\n

The sweet, damp wind, so dawn the ivory moon<\/p>\n

And lurk shy-peeping in my darling’s eyes.<\/p>\n

For my desire is like the passionate sea<\/p>\n

That calls unto her paramour the wind<\/p>\n

And only hears a strangled murmur pant,<\/p>\n

Mute, muffled by the hollow-breasted hills.<\/p>\n

Enter Iamblichus with Myrtil in his arms.<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nPage \u2013 765<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

MYRTIL<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

No farther drag my steps, Iamblichus!<\/p>\n

I am not fond to bow my doating neck<\/p>\n

Under your feet, like other woodland girls<\/p>\n

Who image beauty’s model in your shape,<\/p>\n

Heaven in your eyes and nectar in your kiss.<\/p>\n

Fie, fie, be modest, sir. Let go your grasp.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[Here a page of the notebook was torn out.<\/i>]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[MELANDER<\/font>]<\/p>\n

Ah me, again a sea of subtle fire<\/p>\n

Clamours about the ruby gates of Life!<\/p>\n

My soul expanding like a Pythian seer<\/p>\n

Thrives upon torture, and the insurgent blood,<\/p>\n

Swollen as with wine, menaces mutiny.<\/p>\n

How slowly buildst thou up the spacious noon<\/p>\n

To dome thy house, O architect of day!<\/p>\n

Not from the bubbling smithy where Love works<\/p>\n

Smooth He be fetched thy world-revealing fires;<\/p>\n

Nor to the foam-bound bride-bed of the sea<\/p>\n

Thou sailest, but like one with doom foreseen<\/p>\n

Whose bourne and culmination lapses down<\/p>\n

To sunless hell. Hope thou not to set out<\/p>\n

My seasons in the golden ink of day:<\/p>\n

My heart anticipates the pilot moon<\/p>\n

Who steers the cloudy-wimpled night. Pale orb,<\/p>\n

Thou art no symbol for my burning soul:<\/p>\n

Lag thou behind or lag not, I will lead.<\/p>\n

He is going out.<\/i><\/p>\n


\nRe-enter foresters with Palleas.<\/i><\/p>\n

MARCION<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

What’s this, Melander? Noon not yet has sealed<\/p>\n

His titles with the signet of the sun.<\/p>\n

‘Tis early yet to leave. Why will you go?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nPage \u2013 766<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

MELANDER<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

I am bound down by iron promises,<\/p>\n

The hour named. Would I not linger else?<\/p>\n

Even now the promise has outstript the act.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

MYRTIL<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

Melander, do not go.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

MELANDER<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

Dear child, I must.<\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

IAMBLICHUS<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

Come, come, you shall not go. ‘Tis most unkind,<\/p>\n

Let me not say uncourteous, to withdraw<\/p>\n

The sunshine of your presence from this day,<\/p>\n

Our little day of unmixed joy. Be ruled.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

PALLEAS<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

Boy, let me counsel you. This eager fit<\/p>\n

And hot eruption does much detriment<\/p>\n

To youth and bodes no good to waning years.<\/p>\n

When I was young, I ruled my dancing blood,<\/p>\n

Abstained from brabbles, women, verses, wine,<\/p>\n

And now you see me bask in hale old age,<\/p>\n

Mid Autumn’s gilded ruin one green leaf.<\/p>\n

Life’s palate dulls with much intemperance,<\/p>\n

And whoso breaks the law, the law shall break.<\/p>\n

Love is a specious angler \u2014<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

MELANDER<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

Dotard, off!<\/p>\n

Confide thy heavy rumours to the grave<\/p>\n

Where thou shouldst now be rotting.<\/p>\n

Exit.<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nPage \u2013 767<\/p>\n

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<\/font><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Act II   Scene 1   The woodlands as at first. Foresters and girls. Melander leans against a tree absorbed in thought: in one…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-03-04-collected-plays-and-stories","wpcat-39-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1744"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1744\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}