Part 26 (1/2)

CIRCE Wake, Gryllus, and arise in human form.

GRYLLUS I have slept soundly, and had pleasant dreams.

CIRCE I, too, have soundly slept--Divine how long.

GRYLLUS Why, judging by the sun, some fourteen hours.

CIRCE Three thousand years

GRYLLUS That is a nap indeed.

But this is not your garden, nor your palace.

Where are we now?

CIRCE Three thousand years ago, This land was forest, and a bright pure river Ran through it to and from the Ocean stream.

Now, through a wilderness of human forms, And human dwellings, a polluted flood Rolls up and down, charged with all earthly poisons, Poisoning the air in turn.

GRYLLUS I see vast ma.s.ses Of strange unnatural things.

CIRCE Houses, and s.h.i.+ps, And boats, and chimneys vomiting black smoke, Horses, and carriages of every form, And restless bipeds, rus.h.i.+ng here and there For profit or for pleasure, as they phrase it.

GRYLLUS Oh, Jupiter and Bacchus! what a crowd, Flitting, like shadows without mind or purpose, Such as Ulysses saw in Erebus.

But wherefore are we here?

CIRCE There have arisen Some mighty masters of the invisible world, And these have summoned us.

GRYLLUS With what design?

CIRCE That they themselves must tell. Behold they come, Carrying a mystic table, around which They work their magic spells. Stand by, and mark.

[Three spirit-rappers appeared, carrying a table, which they placed on one side of the stage:]

1. Carefully the table place, Let our gifted brother trace A ring around the enchanted s.p.a.ce

2. Let him tow'rd the table point With his first fore-finger joint, And with mesmerised beginning Set the sentient oak-slab spinning.

3. Now it spins around, around, Sending forth a murmuring sound, By the initiate understood

As of spirits in the wood.

ALL.

Once more Circe we invoke.

CIRCE Here: not bound in ribs of oak, Nor, from wooden disk revolving, In strange sounds strange riddles solving, But in native form appearing, Plain to sight, as clear to heating.

THE THREE Thee with wonder we behold.

By thy hair of burning gold, By thy face with radiance bright, By thine eyes of beaming light, We confess thee, mighty one, For the daughter of the Sun.

On thy form we gaze appalled.