{"id":713,"date":"2013-07-13T01:29:54","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:29:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=713"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:29:54","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:29:54","slug":"03-act-one-scene-1-vol-06-collected-plays-part-i-volume-06","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/01-sabcl\/06-collected-plays-part-i-volume-06\/03-act-one-scene-1-vol-06-collected-plays-part-i-volume-06","title":{"rendered":"-03_Act One -Scene-1 .htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n

\nAct One <\/b><\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\nSCENE I<\/font><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nA rocky and surf-beat margin of land
\nwalled in with great frowning cliffs.<\/i><\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nCireas, Diomede.<\/i><\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>IREAS
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nDiomede ? You here so early and in this wild wanton weather!<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tD<\/font>IOMEDE <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nI can find no fault in the weather, Cireas; it is brilliant and
\nfrolicsome.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>IREAS <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe rain has wept itself out and the sun has ventured into the
\nopen; but the wind is shouting like mad and the sea is still in
\na mighty passion. Has your mistress Andromeda sent you then
\nwith matin-offerings to Poseidon, or are you walking here to
\nwhip the red roses in your cheeks redder with the sea-breezes ?<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tD<\/font>IOMEDE <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nMy mistress cares as much for your Poseidon as I for your
\nglum beetle-browed priest Polydaon. But you, Cireas ? are you
\nwalking here to whip the red nose of you redder with the sea-
\nbreezes or to soothe with them the marks of his holiness’s cudgel?<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>IREAS <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nI must carry up these buckets of sea-water to swab down the
\nblue-haired old fellow in the temple. Hang the robustious storm-
\nshaken curmudgeon! I have rubbed him and scrubbed him and
\nbathed him and swathed him for these eighteen years, yet he
\nnever sent me one profitable piece of wreckage out of his sea
\nyet. A gold bracelet, now, crusted with jewels, dropped from
\nthe arm of some drowned princess, or a sealed casket velvet-lined <\/font> <\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 11<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nwith a priceless vase carried by the Rhodian merchants:<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nthat would not have beggared him! And I with so little could
\nhave bought my liberty.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tD<\/font>IOMEDE <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nMay be ’twas that he feared. For who would wish to lose such
\nan expert body-servant as you, my Cireas?<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

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

\nZeus! if I thought that, I would leave his unwashed back to
\nitch for a fortnight. But these Gods are kittle cattle to joke with.
\nThey have too many spare monsters about in their stables trained
\nto snap up offenders for a light breakfast.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tD<\/font>IOMEDE <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nAnd how prosper the sacrifices, Cireas ? I hope you keep your
\ngod soothingly and daintily fed in this hot summer season ?<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>IREAS <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nAlack, poor old Poseidon! He has had nothing but goats and
\nsea-urchins lately, and that is poor food for a palate inured to
\nhomme a la Phenicienne,<\/i> Diomede. It is his own fault, he should
\nprovide wreckage more freely. But black Polydaon’s forehead
\ngrows blacker every day: he will soon be as mad as Cybele’s
\nbull on the headland. I am every moment in terror of finding my-self tumbled on the altar for a shipwrecked Phoenician and old
\nblackbrows hacking about in search of my heart with his holy
\ncarving-tools.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tD<\/font>IOMEDE <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nYou should warn him beforehand that your heart is in your
\npaunch hidden under twenty pounds of fat: so shall he have
\nless cutting-exercise and you an easier exit.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>IREAS <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nOut! Would you have me slit for a water-god’s dinner? <\/b> Is this
\nyour tenderness for me?<\/font> <\/font> <\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 12<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

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

\nHeaven forbid, dear Cireas. Syria would lose
\nhalf her scampishness if you departed untimely to a worse world.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>IREAS <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nAway from here, you long sauciness, you thin edge of naughty
\nsatire. But, no! First tell me, what news of the palace ? They say
\nKing Phineus will wed the Princess Andromeda.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tD<\/font>IOMEDE <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nYes, but not till the Princess Andromeda weds King Phineus.
\nWhat noise is that?<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>IREAS<\/font><\/p>\n

\nIt was the cry of many men in anguish.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nHe climbs up a rock.<\/i><\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tD<\/font>IOMEDE <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nZeus, what a wail was there! surely a royal
\nHuge ship from Sidon or the Nile has kissed Our ragged beaches.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>IREAS <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nA Phoenician galley
\nIs caught and spinning in the surf, the men
\nUrge desperate oars in vain. Hark, with a crash
\nShe rushes on the boulders’ iron fangs
\nThat rip her tender sides. How the white ship
\nBattered against them by the growling surf
\nScreams like a woman tortured! From all sides
\nThe men are shaken out, as rattling peas
\nLeap from a long and bursting sheath: these sink
\nGurgling into the billows, those are pressed
\nAnd mangled on the jagged rocks.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tD<\/font>IOMEDE <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nO it must be<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 13<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nA memorable sight! help me up, Cireas.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

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

\nNo, no, for I must run and tell old blackbrows <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThat here’s fresh meat for hungry grim Poseidon.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nHe climbs down and out running.<\/i><\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

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

\nYou disobliging dog! This is the first wreck in eighteen months
\nand I not to see it! I will try and climb round the rock even if
\nmy neck and legs pay the forfeit.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\nShe goes out in the opposite direction.<\/i><\/font>
\n 
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 14<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Act One SCENE I   A rocky and surf-beat margin of land walled in with great frowning cliffs. Cireas, Diomede. CIREAS Diomede ? You here…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-06-collected-plays-part-i-volume-06","wpcat-15-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/713","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=713"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/713\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}