CYCLOPS. Indeed this place is closely carpeted With flowers and grass. SILENUS. "Tis sweet to drink. Placing your mighty And in the sun-warm noon Lie down beside me now, sides upon the ground. CYCLOPS. What do you put the cup behind me for? SILENUS. That no one here may touch it. CYCLOPS. Thievish one! You want to drink ;-here place it in the midst. ULYSSES. My name is Nobody. What favour now CYCLOPS. I'll feast on you the last of your companions. ULYSSES. You grant your guest a fair reward, O Cyclops. CYCLOPS. Ha! what is this? Stealing the wine, you rogue ! SILENUS. It was this stranger kissing me, because I looked so beautiful. CYCLOPS. You shall repent For kissing the coy wine that loves you not. SILENUS. By Jupiter! you said that I am fair. Not till I see you wear That coronal, and taste the cup to you. CYCLOPS. Curse you! Thou wily traitor! SILENUS. But the wine is sweet. Aye, you will roar if you are caught in drinking. CYCLOPS. See now, my lip is clean and all my beard. SILENUS. Now put your elbow right, and drink again. * * How now? CYCLOPS. SILENUS. Ye Gods, what a delicious gulp! CYCLOPS. Guest, take it;—you pour out the wine for me. ULYSSES. The wine is well accustomed to my hand. Pour out the wine! CYCLOPS. ULYSSES. I pour; only be silent. CYCLOPS. Silence is a hard task to him who drinks. ULYSSES. Take it and drink it off; leave not a dreg. CYCLOPS. Papai! the vine must be a sapient plant. ULYSSES. If you drink much after a mighty feast, Moistening your thirsty maw, you will sleep well; If you leave aught, Bacchus will dry you up. CYCLOPS. Ho! ho! I can scarce rise. What pure delight! SILENUS. I am the Ganymede of Jupiter. CYCLOPS. Polypheme, By Jove you are; I bore you off from Dardanus. ULYSSES and the CHORUS. ULYSSES. Come, boys of Bacchus, children of high race, And soon will vomit flesh from his fell maw; The monster's eye;-but bear yourselves like men. CHORUS. We will have courage like the adamant rock. ULYSSES. Vulcan, Etnean king! burn out with fire And things divine are subject to her power. CHORUS. Soon a crab the throat will seize Of him who feeds upon his guest, Come, Maron, come! Let him tear the eyelid up, Oh, I long to dance and revel ULYSSES. Be silent, ye wild things! Nay, hold your peace, And keep your lips quite close; dare not to breathe, Or spit, or e'en wink, lest ye wake the monster, Until his eye be tortured out with fire. CHORUS. Nay, we are silent, and we chaw the air. ULYSSES. Come now, and lend a hand to the great stake CHORUS. You then command who first should seize the stake To burn the Cyclops' eye, that all In the great enterprise. may share SEMI-CHORUS I. We are too few; We cannot at this distance from the door Thrust fire into his eye. SEMI-CHORUS II. And we just now Have become lame; cannot move hand nor foot. |