The Romans sent me here a spy upon you,
To draw you and your husband to your doom.
I’d sooner die than do it.
[Takes out paper given him by Antonius.
This paper sign’d
Antonius — will you take it, read it? there!
CAMMA.
(Reads.) ‘You are to seize on Sinnatus, — if — —’
SYNORIX (Snatches paper.)
No more.
What follows is for no wife’s eyes. O Camma,
Rome has a glimpse of this conspiracy;
Rome never yet hath spar’d conspirator.
Horrible! flaying, scourging, crucifying ——
CAMMA.
I am tender enough. Why do you practise on me?
SYNORIX.
Why should I practise on you? How you wrong me!
I am sure of being every way malign’d.
And if you should betray me to your husband ——
CAMMA.
Will you betray him by this order?
SYNORIX.
See,
I tear it all to pieces, never dream’d
Of acting on it. [Tears the paper.
GAMMA.
I owe you thanks for ever.
SYNORIX.
Hath Sinnatus never told you of this plot?
CAMMA.
What plot?
SYNORIX.
A child’s sandcastle on the beach
For the next wave — all seen, — all calculated,
All known by Rome. No chance for Sinnatus.
CAMMA.
Why said you not as much to my brave Sinnatus?
SYNORIX.
Brave — ay — too brave, too over-confident,
Too like to ruin himself, and you, and me!
Who else, with this black thunderbolt of Rome
Above him, would have chased the stag to-day
In the full face of all the Roman camp?
A miracle that they let him home again,
Not caught, maim’d, blinded him.
[CAMMA shudders.
(Aside.) I have made her tremble.
(Aloud.) I know they mean to torture him to death.
I dare not tell him how I came to know it;
I durst not trust him with — my serving Rome
To serve Galatia: you heard him on the letter.
Not say as much? I all but said as much.
I am sure I told him that his plot was folly.
I say it to you — you are wiser — Rome knows all,
But you know not the savagery of Rome.
CAMMA.
O — have you power with Rome? use it for him!
SYNORIX.
Alas! I have no such power with Rome. All that
Lies with Antonius.
[As if struck by, a sudden thought.
Comes over to her
He will pass to-morrow
In the gray dawn before the Temple doors.
You have beauty, — O great beauty, — and Antonius,
So gracious toward women, never yet
Flung back a woman’s prayer. Plead to him,
I am sure you will prevail.
CAMMA.
Still — I should tell
My husband.
SYNORIX.
Will he let you plead for him
To a Roman?
CAMMA.
I fear not.
SYNORIX.
Then do not tell him.
Or tell him, if you will, when you return,
When you have charm’d our general into mercy,
And all is safe again. O dearest lady,
[Murmurs of ‘Synorix! Synorix!’ heard outside.
Think, — torture, — death, — and come.
CAMMA.
I will, I will.
And I will not betray you.
SYNORIX (aside). (As SINNATUS enters.)
Stand apart.
Enter SINNATUS and ATTENDANT.
SINNATUS.
Thou art that Synorix!
One whom thou hast wrong’d
Without there, knew thee with Antonius.
They howl for thee, to rend thee head from limb.
SYNORIX.
I am much malign’d. I thought to serve Galatia.
SINNATUS.
Serve thyself first, villain! They shall not harm
My guest within my house. There! (points to door) there! this door
Opens upon the forest! Out, begone
Henceforth I am thy mortal enemy.
SYNORIX.
However I thank thee (draws his sword); thou hast saved my life.
[Exit.
SINNATUS. (To Attendant.)
Return and tell them Synorix is not here.
[Exit Attendant.
What did that villain Synorix say to you?
CAMMA.
Is he — that — Synorix?
SINNATUS.
Wherefore should you doubt it?
One of the men there knew him.
CAMMA.
Only one,
And he perhaps mistaken in the face.
SINNATUS.
Come, come, could he deny it? What did he say?
CAMMA.
What should he say?
SINNATUS.
What should he say, my wife!
He should say this, that being Tetrarch once
His own true people cast him from their doors
Like a base coin.
CAMMA.
Not kindly to them?
SINNATUS.
Kindly?
O the most kindly Prince in all the world!
Would clap his honest citizens on the back,
Bandy their own rude jests with them, be curious
About the welfare of their babes, their wives,
O ay — their wives — their wives. What should he say?
He should say nothing to my wife if I
Were by to throttle him! he steep’d himself
In all the lust of Rome. How should you guess
What manner of beast it is?
CAMMA.
Yet he seem’d kindly,
And said he loathed the cruelties that Rome
Wrought on her vassals.
SINNATUS.
Did he, honest man?
CAMMA.
And you, that seldom brook the stranger here,
Have let him hunt the stag with you to-day.
SINNATUS.
I warrant you now, he said he struck the stag.
CAMMA.
Why no, he never touch’d upon the stag.
SINNATUS.
Why so I said, my arrow. Well, to sleep.
[Goes to close door.
CAMMA.
Nay, close not yet the door upon a night
That looks half day.
SINNATUS.
True; and my friends may spy him
And slay him as he runs.
CAMMA.
He is gone already.
Oh look, — yon grove upon the mountain, — white
In the sweet moon as with a lovelier snow!
But what a blotch of blackness underneath!
Sinnatus, you remember — yea, you must,
That there three years ago — the vast vine-bowers
Ran to the summit of the trees, and dropt
Their streamers earthward, which a breeze of May
Took ever and anon, and open’d out
The purple zone of hill and heaven; there
You told your love; and like the swaying vines —
Yea, — with our eyes, — our hearts, our prophet hopes
Let in the happy distance, and that all
But cloudless heaven which we have found together
In our three married years! You kiss’d me there
For the first time. Sinnatus, kiss me now.
SINNATUS.
First kiss. (Kisses her.) There then. You talk almost as if it
Mig
ht be the last.
CAMMA.
Will you not eat a little?
SINNATUS.
No, no, we found a goatherd’s hut and shared
His fruits and milk. Liar! You will believe
Now that he never struck the stag — a brave one
Which you shall see to-morrow.
CAMMA.
I rise to-morrow
In the gray dawn, and take this holy cup
To lodge it in the shrine of Artemis.
SINNATUS.
Good!
CAMMA.
If I be not back in half an hour,
Come after me.
SINNATUS.
What! is there danger?
CAMMA.
Nay,
None that I know: ‘tis but a step from here
To the Temple.
SINNATUS.
All my brain is full of sleep.
Wake me before you go, I’ll after you —
After me now! [Closes door and exit.
CAMMA (drawing curtains).
Your shadow. Synorix —
His face was not malignant, and he said
That men malign’d him. Shall I go? Shall I go?
Death, torture —
‘He never yet flung back a woman’s prayer’ —
I go, but I will have my dagger with me.
[Exit.
Scene III
Same as Scene I.
Dawn.
Music and Singing in the Temple.
Enter SYNORIX watchfully, after him PUBLIUS and SOLDIERS.
SYNORIX.
Publius!
PUBLIUS.
Here!
SYNORIX.
Do you remember what I told you?
PUBLIUS.
When you cry ‘Rome, Rome,’ to seize
On whomsoever may be talking with you,
Or man, or woman, as traitors unto Rome.
SYNORIX.
Right. Back again. How many of you are there?
PUBLIUS.
Some halt a score.
[Exeunt Soldiers and Publius.
SYNORIX.
I have my guard about me.
I need not fear the crowd that hunted me
Across the woods, last night. I hardly gain’d
The camp at midnight. Will she come to me
Now that she knows me Synorix? Not if Sinnatus
Has told her all the truth about me. Well,
I cannot help the mould that I was cast in.
I fling all that upon my fate, my star.
I know that I am genial, I would be
Happy, and make all others happy so
They did not thwart me. Nay, she will not cone.
Yet if she be a true and loving wife
She may, perchance, to save this husband. Ay!
See, see, my white bird stepping toward the snare.
Why now I count it all but miracle,
That this brave heart of mine should shake me so,
As helplessly as some unbearded boy’s
When first he meets his maiden in a bower.
[Enter CAMMA (with cup).
The lark first takes the sunlight on his wing,
Put you, twin sister of the morning star,
Forelead the sun.
CAMMA.
Where is Antonius?
SYNORIX.
Not here as yet. You are too early for him.
[She crosses towards Temple.
SYNORIX.
Nay, whither go you now?
CAMMA.
To lodge this cup
Within the holy shrine of Artemis,
And so return.
SYNORIX.
To find Antonius here.
[She goes into the Temple, he looks after her.
The loveliest life that ever drew the light
Front heaven to brood upon her, and enrich
Earth with her shadow! I trust she will return.
These Romans dare not violate the Temple.
No, I must lure my game into the camp.
A woman I could live and die for. What!
Die for a woman, what new faith is this?
I am not mad, not sick, not old enough
To doat on one alone. Yes, mad for her,
Camma the stately, Camma the great-hearted,
So mad, I fear some strange and evil chance
Coming upon me, for by the Gods I seem
Strange to myself.
Re-enter CAMMA.
CAMMA.
Where is Antonius?
SYNORIX.
Where? As I said before, you are still too early.
CAMMA.
Too early to be here alone with thee;
For whether men malign thy name, or no,
It bears an evil savour among women.
Where is Antonius? (Loud.)
SYNORIX.
Madam, as you know
The camp is half a league without the city;
If you will walk with me we needs must meet
Antonius coming, or at least shall find him
There in the camp.
CAMMA.
No, not one step with thee.
Where is Antonius? (Louder.)
SYNORIX (advancing towards her).
Then for your own sake,
Lady, I say it with all gentleness,
And for the sake of Sinnatus your husband,
I must compel you.
CAMMA (drawing her dagger).
Stay! — too near is death.
SYNORIX (disarming her).
Is it not easy to disarm a woman?
Enter SINNATUS (seizes him from behind by the throat).
SYNORIX (throttled and scarce audible).
Rome! Rome!
SINNATUS.
Adulterous dog!
SYNORIX (stabbing, him with Camma’s dagger).
What! will you have it?
[CAMMA utters a cry and runs to SINNATUS.
SINNATUS (falls backward).
I have it in my heart — to the Temple — fly-
For my sake — or they seize on thee. Remember
Away-farewell! [Dies.
GAMMA (runs up the steps alto the Temple, looking back).
Farewell
SYNORIX (seeing her escape).
The women of the Temple drag her in.
Publius! Publius! No,
Antonius would not suffer me to break
Into the sanctuary. She hath escaped.
[Looking down at SINNATUS.
‘Adulterous dog!’ that red-faced rage at me!
Then with one quick short stab-eternal peace.
So end all passions. Then what use in passions?
To warm the cold bounds of our dying life
And, lest we freeze in mortal apathy,
Employ us, heat us, quicken us, help us, keep us
From seeing all too near that urn, those ashes
Which all must be. Well used, they serve us well.
I heard a saying in Egypt, that ambition
Is like the sea wave, which the more you drink,
The more you thirst — yea — drink too much, as men
Have done on rafts of wreck — it drives you mad.
I will be no such wreck, am no such gamester
As, having won the stake, would dare the chance
Of double, or losing all. The Roman Senate,
For I have always play’d into their hands,
Means me the crown. And Camma for my bride —
The people love her — if I win her love,
They too will cleave to me, as one with her.
There then I rest, Rome’s tributary king.
[Looking down on SINNATUS.
Why did I strike him? — having proof enough
Against the man, I surely should have left
That stroke to Rome. He saved my life too. Did he?
It seem’d so. I have playd the sudden fool.
And that sets her
against me — for the moment.
Camma — well, well, I never found the woman
I could not force or wheedle to my will.
She will be glad at last to wear my crown.
And I will make Galatia prosperous too,
And we will chirp among our vines, and smile
At bygone things till that (pointing to SINNATUS) eternal peace.
Rome! Rome!
[Enter PUBLIUS and SOLDIERS.
Twice I cried Rome. Why came ye not before?
PUBLIUS.
Why come we now? Whom shall we seize upon?
SYNORIX (pointing to the body of Sinnatus).
The body of that dead traitor Sinnatus.
Bear him away.
Music and Singing in Temple.
Act II
Scene I
Interior of the Temple of Artemis.
Small gold gates on platform in front of the veil before the colossal statue of the Goddess, and in the centre of the Temple a tripod altar, on which is a lighted lamp. Lamps (lighted) suspended between each pillar. Tripods, vases, garlands of flowers, etc., about stage. Altar at back close to Goddess, with two cups. Solemn, music. Priestesses decorating the Temple.
(The Chorus of PRIESTESSES sing as they enter.)
Artemis, Artemis, hear us, O Mother, hear us, and bless us!
Artemis, thou that art life to the wind, to the wave, to the glebe, to the fire
Hear thy people who praise thee! O help us from all that oppress us!
Hear thy priestesses hymn thy glory! O yield them all their desire!
PRIESTESS.
Phœbe, that man from Synorix, who has been
So oft to see the Priestess, waits once more
Before the Temple.
PHŒBE.
We will let her know.
[Signs to one of the Priestesses, who goes out.
Since Camma fled from Synorix to our Temple,
And for her beauty, stateliness, and power,
Was chosen Priestess here, have you not mark’d
Her eyes were ever on the marble floor?
To-day they are fixt and bright — they look straight out.
Hath she made up her mind to marry him?
PRIESTESS.
To marry him who stabb’d her Sinnatus.
You will not easily make me credit that.
PHŒBE.
Ask her.
Enter CAMMA as Priestess (in front of the curtains).
PRIESTESS.
You will not marry Synorix?
CAMMA.
My girl, I am the bride of Death, and only
Marry the dead.
PRIESTESS.
Not Synorix then?
CAMMA.
My girl,
At times this oracle of great Artemis
Has no more power than other oracles
To speak directly.
PHŒBE.
Will you speak to him,
The messenger from Synorix who waits
Before the Temple?
CAMMA.
Why not? Let him enter.
[Comes forward on to step by tripod.
Enter a MESSENGER.
MESSENGER (kneels).
Greeting and health from Synorix! More than once
Alfred, Lord Tennyson - Delphi Poets Series Page 168
