Becket And Other Plays Part 41

BOY.

These grapes are for the house of Sinnatus-- Close to the Temple.

SYNORIX.

Yonder?

BOY.

Yes.

SYNORIX (_aside_).

That I With all my range of women should yet shun To meet her face to face at once! My boy, [_Boy comes down rocks to him_.

Take thou this letter and this cup to Camma, The wife of Sinnatus.

BOY.

Going or gone to-day To hunt with Sinnatus.

SYNORIX.

That matters not.

Take thou this cup and leave it at her doors.

[_Gives the cup and scroll to the Boy_.

BOY.

I will, my lord. [_Takes his basket of grapes and exit_.

_Enter_ ANTONIUS.

ANTONIUS (_meeting the Boy as he goes out_).

Why, whither runs the boy?

Is that the cup you rescued from the fire?

SYNORIX.

I send it to the wife of Sinnatus, One half besotted in religious rites.

You come here with your soldiers to enforce The long-withholden tribute: you suspect This Sinnatus of playing patriotism, Which in your sense is treason. You have yet No proof against him: now this pious cup Is pa.s.sport to their house, and open arms To him who gave it; and once there I warrant I worm thro' all their windings.

ANTONIUS.

If you prosper, Our Senate, wearied of their tetrarchies, Their quarrels with themselves, their spites at Rome, Is like enough to cancel them, and throne One king above them all, who shall be true To the Roman: and from what I heard in Rome, This tributary crown may fall to you.

SYNORIX.

The king, the crown! their talk in Rome? is it so?

[ANTONIUS _nods_.

Well--I shall serve Galatia taking it, And save her from herself, and be to Rome More faithful than a Roman.

[_Turns and sees_ CAMMA _coming_.

Stand aside, Stand aside; here she comes!

[_Watching_ CAMMA _as she enters with her Maid_.

GAMMA (_to Maid_).

Where is he, girl?

MAID.

You know the waterfall That in the summer keeps the mountain side, But after rain o'erleaps a jutting rock And shoots three hundred feet.

CAMMA.

The stag is there?

MAID.

Seen in the thicket at the bottom there But yester-even.

GAMMA.

Good then, we will climb The mountain opposite and watch the chase.

[_They descend the rocks and exeunt_.

SYNORIX (_watching her_).

(_Aside_.) The bust of Juno and the brows and eyes Of Venus; face and form unmatchable!

ANTONIUS.

Why do you look at her so lingeringly?

SYNORIX.

To see if years have changed her.

ANTONIUS (_sarcastically_).

Love her, do you?

SYNORIX.

I envied Sinnatus when he married her.

ANTONIUS.

She knows it? Ha!

SYNORIX.

She--no, nor ev'n my face.

ANTONIUS.

Nor Sinnatus either?

SYNORIX.

No, nor Sinnatus.

ANTONIUS.

Hot-blooded! I have heard them say in Rome.

That your own people cast you from their bounds, For some unprincely violence to a woman, As Rome did Tarquin.

SYNORIX.

Well, if this were so, I here return like Tarquin--for a crown.

ANTONIUS.

And may be foil'd like Tarquin, if you follow Not the dry light of Rome's straight-going policy, But the fool-fire of love or l.u.s.t, which well May make you lose yourself, may even drown you In the good regard of Rome.

SYNORIX.