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the heroes-第7章

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came blushing up  the sky。  And then; behold; beneath him was the long green  garden of Egypt and the shining stream of Nile。

And he saw cities walled up to heaven; and temples; and  obelisks; and pyramids; and giant Gods of stone。  And he came  down amid fields of barley; and flax; and millet; and  clambering gourds; and saw the people coming out of the gates  of a great city; and setting to work; each in his place;  among the water…courses; parting the streams among the plants  cunningly with their feet; according to the wisdom of the  Egyptians。  But when they saw him they all stopped their  work; and gathered round him; and cried …

'Who art thou; fair youth? and what bearest thou beneath thy  goat…skin there?  Surely thou art one of the Immortals; for  thy skin is white like ivory; and ours is red like clay。  Thy  hair is like threads of gold; and ours is black and curled。   Surely thou art one of the Immortals;' and they would have  worshipped him then and there; but Perseus said …

'I am not one of the Immortals; but I am a hero of the  Hellens。  And I have slain the Gorgon in the wilderness; and  bear her head with me。  Give me food; therefore; that I may  go forward and finish my work。'

Then they gave him food; and fruit; and wine; but they would  not let him go。  And when the news came into the city that  the Gorgon was slain; the priests came out to meet him; and  the maidens; with songs and dances; and timbrels and harps;  and they would have brought him to their temple and to their  king; but Perseus put on the hat of darkness; and vanished  away out of their sight。

Therefore the Egyptians looked long for his return; but in  vain; and worshipped him as a hero; and made a statue of him  in Chemmis; which stood for many a hundred years; and they  said that he appeared to them at times; with sandals a cubit  long; and that whenever he appeared the season was fruitful;  and the Nile rose high that year。

Then Perseus went to the eastward; along the Red Sea shore;  and then; because he was afraid to go into the Arabian  deserts; he turned northward once more; and this time no  storm hindered him。

He went past the Isthmus; and Mount Casius; and the vast  Serbonian bog; and up the shore of Palestine; where the dark… faced AEthiops dwelt。

He flew on past pleasant hills and valleys; like Argos  itself; or Lacedaemon; or the fair Vale of Tempe。  But the  lowlands were all drowned by floods; and the highlands  blasted by fire; and the hills heaved like a babbling  cauldron; before the wrath of King Poseidon; the shaker of  the earth。

And Perseus feared to go inland; but flew along the shore  above the sea; and he went on all the day; and the sky was  black with smoke; and he went on all the night; and the sky  was red with flame。

And at the dawn of day he looked toward the cliffs; and at  the water's edge; under a black rock; he saw a white image  stand。

'This;' thought he; 'must surely be the statue of some sea… God; I will go near and see what kind of Gods these  barbarians worship。'

So he came near; but when he came; it was no statue; but a  maiden of flesh and blood; for he could see her tresses  streaming in the breeze; and as he came closer still; he  could see how she shrank and shivered when the waves  sprinkled her with cold salt spray。  Her arms were spread  above her head; and fastened to the rock with chains of  brass; and her head drooped on her bosom; either with sleep;  or weariness; or grief。  But now and then she looked up and  wailed; and called her mother; yet she did not see Perseus;  for the cap of darkness was on his head。

Full of pity and indignation; Perseus drew near and looked  upon the maid。  Her cheeks were darker than his were; and her  hair was blue…black like a hyacinth; but Perseus thought; 'I  have never seen so beautiful a maiden; no; not in all our  isles。  Surely she is a king's daughter。  Do barbarians treat  their kings' daughters thus?  She is too fair; at least; to  have done any wrong I will speak to her。'

And; lifting the hat from his head; he flashed into her  sight。  She shrieked with terror; and tried to hide her face  with her hair; for she could not with her hands; but Perseus  cried …

'Do not fear me; fair one; I am a Hellen; and no barbarian。   What cruel men have bound you?  But first I will set you  free。'

And he tore at the fetters; but they were too strong for him;  while the maiden cried …

'Touch me not; I am accursed; devoted as a victim to the sea… Gods。  They will slay you; if you dare to set me free。'

'Let them try;' said Perseus; and drawing; Herpe from his  thigh; he cut through the brass as if it had been flax。

'Now;' he said; 'you belong to me; and not to these sea…Gods;  whosoever they may be!'  But she only called the more on her  mother。

'Why call on your mother?  She can be no mother to have left  you here。  If a bird is dropped out of the nest; it belongs  to the man who picks it up。  If a jewel is cast by the  wayside; it is his who dare win it and wear it; as I will win  you and will wear you。  I know now why Pallas Athene sent me  hither。  She sent me to gain a prize worth all my toil and  more。'

And he clasped her in his arms; and cried; 'Where are these  sea…Gods; cruel and unjust; who doom fair maids to death?  I  carry the weapons of Immortals。  Let them measure their  strength against mine!  But tell me; maiden; who you are; and  what dark fate brought you here。'

And she answered; weeping …

〃I am the daughter of Cepheus; King of Iopa; and my mother is  Cassiopoeia of the beautiful tresses; and they called me  Andromeda; as long as life was mine。  And I stand bound here;  hapless that I am; for the sea…monster's food; to atone for  my mother's sin。  For she boasted of me once that I was  fairer than Atergatis; Queen of the Fishes; so she in her  wrath sent the sea…floods; and her brother the Fire King sent  the earthquakes; and wasted all the land; and after the  floods a monster bred of the slime; who devours all living  things。  And now he must devour me; guiltless though I am …  me who never harmed a living thing; nor saw a fish upon the  shore but I gave it life; and threw it back into the sea; for  in our land we eat no fish; for fear of Atergatis their  queen。  Yet the priests say that nothing but my blood can  atone for a sin which I never committed。'

But Perseus laughed; and said; 'A sea…monster?  I have fought  with worse than him:  I would have faced Immortals for your  sake; how much more a beast of the sea?'

Then Andromeda looked up at him; and new hope was kindled in  her breast; so proud and fair did he stand; with one hand  round her; and in the other the glittering sword。  But she  only sighed; and wept the more; and cried …

'Why will you die; young as you are?  Is there not death and  sorrow enough in the world already?  It is noble for me to  die; that I may save the lives of a whole people; but you;  better than them all; why should I slay you too?  Go you your  way; I must go mine。'

But Perseus cried; 'Not so; for the Lords of Olympus; whom I  serve; are the friends of the heroes; and help them on to  noble deeds。  Led by them; I slew the Gorgon; the beautiful  horror; and not without them do I come hither; to slay this  monster with that same Gorgon's head。  Yet hide your eyes  when I leave you; lest the sight of it freeze you too to  stone。'

But the maiden answered nothing; for she could not believe  his words。  And then; suddenly looking up; she pointed to the  sea; and shrieked …

'There he comes; with the sunrise; as they promised。  I must  die now。  How shall I endure it?  Oh; go!  Is it not dreadful  enough to be torn piece…meal; without having you to look on?'   And she tried to thrust him away。

But he said; 'I go; yet promise me one thing ere I go:  that  if I slay this beast you will be my wife; and come back with  me to my kingdom in fruitful Argos; for I am a king's heir。   Promise me; and seal it with a kiss。'

Then she lifted up her face; and kissed him; and Perseus  laughed for joy; and flew upward; while Andromeda crouched  trembling on the rock; waiting for what might befall。

On came the great sea…monster; coasting along like a huge  black galley; lazily breasting the ripple; and stopping at  times by creek or headland to watch for the laughter of girls  at their bleaching; or cattle pawing on the sand…hills; or  boys bathing on the beach。  His great sides were fringed with  clustering shells and sea…weeds; and the water gurgled in and  out of his wide jaws; as he rolled along; dripping and  glistening in the beams of the morning sun。

At last he saw Andromeda; and shot forward to take his prey;  while the waves foamed white behind him; and before him the  fish fled leaping。

Then down from the height of the air fell Perseus like a  shooting star; down to the crests of the waves; while  Andromeda hid her face as he shouted; and then there was  silence for a while。

At last she looked up trembling; and saw Perseus springing  toward her; and instead of the monster a long black rock;  with the sea rippling quietly round it。

Who then so proud as Perseus; as he leapt back to the rock;  and lifted his fair Andromeda in his arms; and fl
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