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diff --git a/14040-0.txt b/14040-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..38e3884 --- /dev/null +++ b/14040-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1025 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 14040 *** + +Graphics and textual content produced by Lolaness. + + + + +HOUSEHOLD GODS + +A Comedy By Aleister Crowley + +[Privately Printed in 1912] + + +TO LEILA WADDELL + + + + + +SCENE + +THE HEARTH OF CRASSUS; +AFTERWARDS THE LAWNS, THE WOODS, THE LAKE, THE ISLE. + + + +CHARACTERS + +CRASSUS, a barbarian from Britain. +ADELA, his wife, a noble Roman lady. +ALICIA, a servant in the house. +A STATUE OF PAN. +A FAUN. + + + + +HOUSEHOLD GODS + +THE SCENE is at the hearth of CRASSUS, where is a little +bronze altar dedicated to the Lares and Penates. A pale +flame rises from the burning sandal-wood, on which CRASSUS +throws benzoin and musk. He is standing in deep dejection. + +CRASSUS. +Smoke without fire! + No thrill of tongues licks up + The offerings in the cup. +Dead falls desire. + +Black smoke thou art, + O altar-flame, that dost dismember, + Devour the hearth, to leave no ember +To warm this heart. + +I see her still - + Adela dancing here + Till dim gods did appear +To work our will. + +The delicate girl! + Diaphanous gossamer + Subtly revealing her +Brave breast of pearl! + +Now - she's withdrawn + At dusk to the wild woods, + Mystic beatitudes +That dure till dawn. + +Let life exclaim + Against these things of spirit, + Mankind that disinherit +Of love's pure flame! +[He bends before the altar and begins to weep.] + +Ye household gods! + By these male tears I swear + That ye shall grant this prayer. +All things at odds + +Shall be put straight - + Harmonized, reconciled + By some appointed child +Of some far Fate! +[A curtain has been drawn aside during this invocation, and +ALICIA advances. She smiles subtly upon him; and, giving a +strange gesture, makes one or two noiseless steps of dancing.] + +ALICIA. +Master still sad? + +CRASSUS. +These faint and fearful shores + Of time are beaten by the surge of sense, + Love worn away - by love? - to indifference. +Who knows what god - or demon - she adores? + Or in what wood she shelters, or what grove + Sees her profane our sacrament of love? + +ALICIA. +I saw her follow +The stream in the hollow +Where never Apollo + Abides. +So thick are the trees +That never the breeze +Stirs them, or sees + What satyr inhabits the glen, what nymph in the + pools of it hides. + +Lighter of foot + Than a sylph or a fairy, + Sinuous, wary, + I passed from the airy +Lawns, where the flute + Of the winds made tremulous music for man. + +I followed the ripple + Of the stream; I crept + Where the waters wept - + The floss in the foss + Gurgling across + The bosses of moss, +Like a dryad's nipple + In the mouth of Pan! + +CRASSUS. +O pearl of the house! you came to the end? + +ALICIA. +The dusk of the slave, the dawn of a friend? + +CRASSUS. +Freedom is thine for the skill and the will. + +ALICIA. +The skill is mine - but the will lies still, +Still as the earth that dare not stir +Till the kiss of the sun awaken her! + +CRASSUS. +Yet at these secrets and riddles? Behold! +I can fill thy lap with a harvest of gold. + +ALICIA. +Yet all the gold you could give to me +Would fall at my feet when I rose to be free. + +CRASSUS. +What will you then? + +ALICIA. +No gift from men. +Of my own free will I give you wit, +(O man so sorely in need of it!) +And happiness; and the flame that hath dwindled +On this dull hearth shall be rekindled. +But this you must swear: +To will, and to dare, +To seek the spirit and slay the sense; + And for this hour + To give me power +To lead you in silent obedience, +Though I bade you fall on your sword.... + +CRASSUS. + Enough! +I give my life as I gave my love. + +ALICIA. +O! love you have not understood. +You have not guessed its secret food. +You have not seen its single eye; +But fear and doubt and jealousy +Have risen, and now your love is trembling +Like a mountebank dissembling +When his trick's detected. Come! +To find home we must leave home. + +CRASSUS. +Starless and moonless, hidden in cloud, +The night's one flame of pearl. + +ALICIA. +The bat flaps; the owl hoots aloud. + +CRASSUS. +Lead on; I trust you, girl. + +ALICIA. +You are bold to trust me; or, have you divined +My secret? + +CRASSUS. +No; the crystal of your mind +Shows only faint disturbing images, +Things passing strange, as if enchanted seas +Kept their great swell upon it, and strange fish +Played in its oily depths. Some monstrous wish, +The shadow of some unspeakable desire, +Strikes my heart cold, and sets my brain on fire. + +ALICIA. +Learn this, as we pass through the portico: +Fear nothing; there is nothing you can know! +And by these terraces and steps that gleam +Wintry, although the summer night is hot, +This - what we seek is never what we find! + +Life is a dream, like love; and from the dream +If we may wake, we never find it what +We would; for the wisdom of a mightier mind +Leads us in its own ways +To a perfected praise. + +CRASSUS. +Why are these shadows thrown across the lawn +From the elms and yews? They were not wont to reach +Beyond the branches of that copper-beech. + +ALICIA. +Attend the dawn +Of an unknown comet, that shall come +From the unfathomable wells of space +Into its halidom. + +CRASSUS. +I know it not. Last night I walked alone +Here, and saw nothing. + +ALICIA. + I was not with you! +There is no God upon the eternal throne +Of stars begemming the bewildering blue +Unless one has the eyes to see him. Think +How we two stand upon the brink +Of nothing! Here's a globe, whereto we trust, +No larger than the smallest speck of dust +Or mote in the sunbeam is to that sun's self, +And we are like dead leaves in autumn's whil +Of wind upon it. + +CRASSUS. + Mystify me, girl! +It is the right of an elf. +Surely your flickering fire +Will draw me to some mire! + +ALICIA. +Here the stream dips its mouth into the wood. +So does youth's calm and chaste beatitude +Touch the black mouth of Love, the ancient whore. + +CRASSUS. +Girl! what a scorpion leaping from your lips! + +ALICIA. +My mouth stings as no scorpion ever stang. +in this round impudent smiling face of mine +There is a poison fiercer than all wine; +And from these eyes more subtle sorrows pour +Than you can dream. These teeth have been at grips +With gods; I have sung what no girl ever sang. +These ears have heard +An insufferable word! + +CRASSUS. +What do you mean? + +ALICIA. + The secret's in a kiss. +Here are no kisses. Here great Artemis +Rules; only in the woodland may a man +Hide his eyes from her, pledge himself to Pan. +Come! through the tangled arches +Of cypresses and larches, +Stoop; under Artemis we walked upright; +But this is Pan's home, and the House of Night. + [They enter the wood.] + +CRASSUS. +So when I stoop, my cheek comes close to yours. +Give me a kiss. + +ALICIA. +The poisonous apple lures +Thus the boy's mouth. Beware! + +CRASSUS. +O you are fair! +Fairer than ever! In this tangle of trees +Your hot breath wraps you in perfume. + +ALICIA. +There is some gloom or doom, +A bitter harsh ingredient +In these my sorceries +Of animal scent. + +CRASSUS. +Yes! there is fear mixed with the fascination. +It is the reverence that chastity, be sure! +Gains from the impure. + +ALICIA. +O virtuous nation! +It is the fear of the uninitiate +Before the throne of Fate +The hierophant. + +CRASSUS. +Kiss me, however! + +ALICIA. +Did I grant +This favour, all were lost. It is your truth +To Adela that tempts my youth. + [Henceforth Alicia shakes with silent laughter.] + +CRASSUS. +What little breasts you have! + +ALICIA. +Ay, maiden breasts! +Would you betray my oath? + +CRASSUS. +My will contests +My wishes. + +ALICIA. +Wait, and you shall surely see +Part of the secret that ensorcels me. +See all these bosses! It is not +As if a Titan smote himself into the earth, +And was caught into her, made one with her? + +CRASSUS. +The scent is fierce and hot +Like a rutting panther's slot. +Yet you are matched with mirth, +Shaking each other like two wrestlers. + +ALICIA. +What should stir +Your melancholy but laughter? + +CRASSUS. +Look, before us +Light streams, a tremulous chorus. +Oh, it is vague and vacillating! + +ALICIA. +Love, +Young love of maidens, is the soul thereof. +And in the midst, behold, O man! +The image of great Pan. + +CRASSUS. +I fear him. + +ALICIA. +Go and lie there, at his feet. +Lie supine! Lie on that moss-covered root, +While I draw forth the flute +And make a marvellous music. + [She ceases laughing and begins to play.] + +CRASSUS. +O I writhe +Beneath the force of lips, of fingers lithe +That touch the delicate stops so delicately. + +ALICIA. +Hush! +I have drawn the bird from the bush. +Pan will appear anon. + +CRASSUS. +Ah! Ah! ... Ah! Ah! + +ALICIA. +This music moves you. Now I'll play a tune +That would make mad the melancholy moon. +This. + +CRASSUS. +Ah! you tear my soul out with the trills. +Your fingers play like summer lightning on the shaft. +It is like a storm on the mountains when it shrills; +Like the angry sea when it booms. Hark! + +ALICIA. +Some god laughed. + +CRASSUS. +Your mouth is like some god's It burns and blooms +With fire unheard of, with unguessed perfumes. +O let me kiss you! + +ALICIA. +So you stop my song! + [She ceases the tune.] + +CRASSUS. +There is another song. + +ALICIA. +You do me wrong. +For you love Adela! + +CRASSUS. +By God, girl, no! +I love Alicia. + +ALICIA. +Ah! you love her SO! [She laughs] + +CRASSUS. +Your laugh is shocking - why do you mock me, dear? + +ALICIA. +Because you will not guess my secret here. +But - put your arms about my neck, and swar +You love me, and will always keep them there. +Then I might dare. + +CRASSUS. +I swear it. O my sweet! + +ALICIA. +Then take my kiss. + +CRASSUS. +Your mouth is like a rose of fire. But what is this? +I cannot bear it. + +ALICIA. +Ai! Uhu! Uhu! +It is my heart; this arrow strikes me through. +Stir not one muscle for a moment. Death! +You beast, you kill me with your urgent breath. + +CRASSUS. +O how I love you! [He moves violently.] + +ALICIA. +Fool! Now all my pain +Must be gone through again. +It is sure your chastity's unstained by crime; +You do the wrong thing just at the right time! + +CRASSUS. +Why do you taunt me? All the wood is spring's, +And love is hovering o'er us with his wings. + +ALICIA. +Sub pennis, penis! + +CRASSUS. +Hush! you break the spell. + +ALICIA. +Oh! you great fools fo men, I know you well. +But nothing is so detrimental +To love as to be sentimental. +I will yet make you wise. +Know that I have the magic to disguise +Myself in manyt ways. Do you feel this? +(Lie still, this heaven were ruined by a kiss!) +I am a butterfly, such idle flitting +As to a flower like you is fitting +Now I'm a mole. Do you think you know me now? +Here is the earthworm severed by the plough. + +CRASSUS. +You are a witch. I want your love; you give +Only love's comedy. + +ALICIA. +The way to live +Is to find comedy and tragedy +In everything. But if you cannot see +Through to the Bacchanal spirit, this should suit. +Here is the blacksmith hammering a flute. + +CRASSUS. +Oh love, love, kiss me! + +ALICIA. +I will forge a ring +Of bloom of blood-kisses upon your neck, +Till it is like a garden of roses in late spring. + +CRASSUS. +"Soft, and stung softly, fairer for a fleck." + +ALICIA. +O marvellous nation! +Vanity, dullness, slobber, and quotation! + +CRASSUS. +Why do you love me if you scorn me so? + +ALICIA. +Why, did I say I loved you? I say no. + +CRASSUS. +Why do you make love? + +ALICIA. +To beguile the hour; +To crown my rose-wreath with a greener flower' +To do my master's bidding, that's to give +Life to yourself, who only think you live. +But listen! Have you seen the nine waves roll +Monotonous upon the shoal, +Rising and falling like a maiden asleep; +Then with a lift and a leap +The ninth wave curls, and breaks upon the beach, +And rushes up it, swallowing the sand? +I am that ocean.... Now, you understand? + +CRASSUS. +Alicia! O! this is unbearable. +Surely this wave washes the shore of hell! + +ALICIA. +Each follows each +Remorseless and indifferent as Nature +Is to each creature. + +CRASSUS. +Wonderful, wonderful woman! + [She throws her head back, and laughs] + +ALICIA. +Now, you think +You know my secret. I have given you drink, +And you are wise. But hush! to all emotion +Save this the pulse and swell of Ocean +For at the last with mouth and fingers wried +All must proclaim the triumph of the tide. + +CRASSUS. +Ah! still you mock me with your cruel laugh. + +ALICIA. +It is your foolish epitaph. + +CRASSUS. +But this can be no mockery. Heave and sway +And curl and thrust - these waves are not at play. + +ALICIA. +You feel the ocean breaking on the shoal; +But passionless and moveless is its soul. + +CRASSUS. +Ah! but your soul is in your breath. + +ALICIA. +Only as the graven image of death +Which men call life, and ignorantly adore! + +CRASSUS. +Spare me! I cannot bear you more. + +ALICIA. +Then will I drown you. Lock your fingers fast +In mind, and let our mouths mix at the last. + [The stuatue of PAN is seen to be alive.] + +PAN. +Shrill, shrill +Over the hill! +The hunter is hot - this is the kill! +Scream! Scream! +Dissolving the dream +Of life, the knife to the heart of the wife! +The fountain jets +Its flood of blood, +And the moss that it wets +Is an amethyst flame of violets. + +Who shall escape +Murder and rape +What I am alive in my solemn shape? +Shrill, shrill, +Over the hill! +The hunter is hot - this is the kill! +The heart of the home +Is a fury of foam; +The storm is awake, and the billows comb. +But though I be +Their frenzy of glee, +I am also the passionless soul of the sea! + +Mine eyes glint fire, +And my cruel lips curl; +Mine the desire +Of the god and the girl; +But fierier and fleeter, +And subtler and sweeter +Than the race of the rhythm, the march of the metre, +Is the shrilling, shrilling +Of the knife in the killing +That ends, when it must, +(O the throb and the thrust!) +In a death, in the dust, +The silence, the stillness, of satiate lust, +The solemn pause +When the veil withdraws +And man looks on his god, on the Causeless Cause. +Still, still, +Under the hill! +The hunter is dead - this is the kill! + +CRASSUS. +Pan spoke. + +ALICIA. +Pan never speaks till man is dumb, +And only then if he be like a child +Silently curled within its mother's womb, +Or feeding at her breast. There is a wild +Way also - when his dumbness is of death. +And there's a first and second death. Remember +To die so that no god's or angel's breath +May quicken into life the wasted ember! + +CRASSUS. +I am dead now. + +ALICIA. +But I must raise you up. +The night grows darker; all Pan's light is gone, +And you and I are pledged to sup +Upon a secret. + +CRASSUS. +All your secret shone. + [She laughs again.] + +ALICIA. +Oh, when you know it! But you must divine +Adela's shrine. + +CRASSUS. +I am weary of Adela grown chaste and chill. + +ALICIA. +The hunter lags; how heavy is the hill! +But you are bound to Adela. + +CRASSUS. +To you! + +ALICIA. +But you have given me freedom. I will leave you. + +CRASSUS. +What have I done to grieve you? + +ALICIA. +You have been the solemn fool with face awry +That I have gathered in my ecstasy. +You are only a vulgar primrose I have plucked. + +CRASSUS. +At least, she-devil, you have been well-treated. + +ALICIA. +O tragic farce - not even rimes completed! +Nay, darling! no rebellion. When you know +My secret, you will understand. You are bound +To Adela within the portico, +To me upon this ground. +By day, in life, adore the Lares, man! +By night, in deaht, make offering to Pan! +Can you cut day from night by any endeavour? +If so, both life and death were lost for ever. +Come, the stream steepens. + +CRASSUS. +This road leads to hell. + +ALICIA. +The way to heaven is shorter. + +CRASSUS. +Who can tell? + +ALICIA. +I have measured it. + +CRASSUS. +You, girl? + +ALICIA. +It is not hard. + +CRASSUS. +What did you make the height of it? + +ALICIA. +One yard. + +CRASSUS. +You always mock me? + +ALICIA. +Pity of my youth! +I swerve not from, you stumble at, the truth. + +CRASSUS. +I like not jests. This is a serious journey. + +ALICIA. +Why did you make a mocker your attorney? +The way to Rome leads through the Apennines. +Bacchus has horns beneath the crown of vines. +If you fear horns, make some polite excuse +Not to invoke him by the name Zagreus! + +A FAUN [Passing among the trees]. +Ye thought me a lamb + With a crown of thorns; +I am royal, a ram + With death in my horns. +So mild and soft + And feminine, +Ye held me aloft + And frowned on sin! +But I was awake + In your clasp as I lay; +I roused the snake + From its nest of clay; +And ere ye knew + I had sunk my forehead +Through and through; + Harsh and horrid +Through all the pleasure + Of rose and vine +I thrust my treasure, + The cone of the pine. +Irru's maid + Was easily sated, +For she was afraid + When Irru mated! + +CRASSUS. +Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! + +ALICIA. +You would not laugh +Were you the maid! + +CRASSUS. +How could I be? + +ALICIA. +Great calf! +But you are all the same, blaspheme and jeer +At any mystery beyond your sphere +Of beer, and beef, and beer, and beef, and beer. +Now you have frightened the shy god! + +CRASSUS. +Why heed? +Between your - arms - is all the god I need. + +ALICIA. +Prudish and coarse to the last. Now hush indeed! +The stream kisses the lake. We near the shrine. +Stir no snapped twig. Let your foot - even yours - +Fall like a fawn's. + +CRASSUS. +Your breath is like new wine. + +ALICIA. +Hush now! no porpoise gambols! + +CRASSUS. +How obscure's +The glimmer of the lake. Is that the isle? + +ALICIA. +Yes! in that shadow lurks a smile. +See; from that jagged cloud Diana starts +Like a deer from the brake; her silver splendour darts +Through the crisp air to the grove upon the isle... +Do you see her? Do you see her? + +CRASSUS. +Monstrous! Vile! +These eyes betray me. + +ALICIA. +No! your Adela lies +With arms thrown back, head tilted, open thighs. +Her lips flame out like poppies in the dusk. +The breeze brings back to us a scent of musk. +Her mouth is oozing kisses! + +CRASSUS. +Filthy harlot! + +ALICIA. +I never fed on a superber scarlet. +And look! the wonder of plumes that foams upon +Her tidal breast - oh, but a swan! a swan! +A swan snow-white with his sole scarlet hidden +In the abode forbidden! + +O but his eye swoons as his broad beak slips +Within her luscious lips. +O but - I cannot see - I long to die +Alike for wonder - and for jealousy! + +CRASSUS. +Vile, filthy whore! I'll catch you at it. + +ALICIA. +Soft! +See how his feathers hold her soul aloft! + +CRASSUS. +Beast! Have you brought me through the wood for + this? + +ALICIA. +Now wonder I must teach you how to kiss. + +CRASSUS. +I'll clip his wings. + +ALICIA. +Sub pennis, penis! 'Slife! +It's not the wings of him that clip your wife. + +CRASSUS. +Thou art as filthy a creature as she! + +ALICIA. +Fat fool! +All your emotions vary with your - + +CRASSUS. + What? + +ALICIA. +Your state of health. + +CRASSUS. +Be off with you, foul -- + +ALICIA. +Well? + +CRASSUS. +I'll swim and stab them. The black mouth of hell +Yawns for their murder. + +ALICIA. +I'll be at the death. +Dive then, but softly. Scarcely draw your breath. + +CRASSUS. +O, she's unwary! + +ALICIA. +Is your love forgotten? + +CRASSUS. +All love is rotten. + +ALICIA. +But your pure love for me you boasted of? + +CRASSUS. +Ay, that was perfect love. + +ALICIA. +You love me then, not her? + +CRASSUS. +Indeed I do. + +ALICIA. +Swear me the oath anew! + +CRASSUS. +I swear to love you till the world shall end. + +ALICIA. +Then, Crassus, I will always be your friend. + +CRASSUS. +Ah, that is good! You do not mock me now! + +ALICIA. +Creep softly to the land. Kiss but my brow. +My curls are wet... No, never touch me there! + +CRASSUS. +Why? Have I not? + +ALICIA. +You have not. + +CRASSUS. +Just my hand. + +ALICIA. +You disobey your mistress's command? +The time is near when you shall see +The keyhole of my comedy! + +CRASSUS. +Ha! Ha! Ha! + +ALICIA. +Hush, you coarse slave; we'll surprise +Your good wife in her mystic exercise. +Quick, through the bramble! + [They burst through upon ADELA.] + +CRASSUS. +Now, you beast, I've got you! +The curst of God, and plague of Naples, rot you! +For this white brute - one slit! + [He cuts the throat of THE SWAN with + his dagger.] + +ADELA. +Oh love betrayed! +O my dead beauty! Faugh! deceitful maid. +Not Crassus found me out. Had I the wings +Of my dead love - oh love! - + +ALICIA. +Why, wondrous things! + +ADELA. +These nails shall serve. A servant! + +CRASSUS. +She shall be +My wife, damned witch, when I have done with thee! + [THE SWAN dies.] + +ADELA. +I'll kill her now. But see! my swan is dead. + +ALICIA. +Yes! and what light is breaking overhead? +What blaze of blue and gold envelops us? + +CRASSUS. +O marvel! O miraculous! + +ADELA. +What is it? Why, my lover's life, in me +Once concentrated, now diffused, illumes +The endless reaches of eternity +With infinite brilliance, with intense perfumes. + +ALICIA. +O then your lover was some god's disguise. + +ADELA. +And you have robbed me. Now beware your eyes! + [She springs at ALICIA, who guards herself + easily. But in the struggle her robe tears.] + +ALICIA. +Take care! + +ADELA. +A boy! + +CRASSUS. +A boy! Then what am I? + +ALICIA. +That is the key-word of the comedy. +You thought you had two vices at your need; +But she had Jove and you had Ganymede. + [They are struck dumb and still with + amazement. ALICIA claps her hands four times.] + +Sweep through the air, bright blaze of eagle-wings! +Crassus, sub pennis, penis! How he swings +His bulk from yonder sightless poise, to bear +me back to the Dominion of the air +Where I shall bear the cup of Jupiter! +Blind babes, love one another, no less true +Because the gods have deigned to dwell with you! + [The eagle bears GANYMEDE aloft.] + +CRASSUS. +Adela! these mysteries too great +For you and me to estimate. +But, widowed both, come, seek domestic charms +As we were wont, in one another's arms! +What perfect moss for you to lie upon! + +ADELA. +I am your wife, dear Crassus. + (sotto voce) Oh, my swan! + + +CURTAIN. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Household Gods, by Aleister Crowley + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 14040 *** |