Niobe

“ And when the people looked, and shouted aloud, for in truth Niobe and her children were like unto gods, their queen said, "Do not waste thy worship, my people. Rather make the prayers to thy king and to me and to my children who buttress us round and make our strength so great, that fearlessly we can despise the gods." ”

“ Niobe spoke. The Theban maids obey’d, Their brows unbound, and left the rights unpaid. The angry goddess heard, then silence broke On Cynthus’ summit, and indignant spoke; “Phoebus! behold, thy mother in disgrace, “Who to no goddess yields the prior place “Except to Juno’s self, who reigns above, “The spouse and sister of the thund’ring Jove. “Niobe, sprung from Tantalus, inspires “Each Theban bosom with rebellious fires; “No reason her imperious temper quells, “But all her father in her tongue rebels; “Wrap her own sons for her blaspheming breath, “Apollo! wrap them in the shades of death.” ”

“ But by the side of this overwhelming positive sense of beauty there creeps into our consciousness an irritating little sense of negation. For the more intense becomes our perception of the form, the vaguer becomes our recollection of the subject; the strong imaginative realization of the story of Niobe, conjured up by the mere mention of her name, dwindles to nothing in the presence of the group representing the chief incident of history; the skrieks and desperate scuffling of feet, which we had heard in our fancy, gradually die into silence ”

“ Rumour of the trouble, the people's grief, and the tears of her own friends informed the mother of this sudden disaster, amazed that it could have happened, and angry because the gods had dared so far, that they should have such power; for the father, Anm phion, had already driven a dagger through his heart, and so in dying had ended his grief and life together. Alas, how different now was this Niobe from that Niobe who had but now driven the people from Latona's altar, and had walked proudly through the city streets, enviable then to her friends, but now one for even her enemies to pity. ”

“ Amphion and Niobe were the King and Queen of Thebes, and when the worship of Lato was established in that city Niobe was very angry. She thought of Lato as her playmate and not a goddess, and was so imprudent as to drive in her chariot to the temple and command the Theban women not to join in this worship. Niobe also [Pg 63] asserted that she was superior to this Lato, who had but two children, while she had fourteen lovely sons and daughters, any one of which was worthy of honor. ”

“ The tragedians read in this tale a moralized myth of the instability of human bliss: Niobe became a representative of human nature, ever liable to become proud in prosperity and to forget the submission and respect due to the gods. In this form the legend has found permanent acceptance in literature and art. The metamorphosis of Niobe was adopted from the local legends of the Smyrna district; here it is probable that Niobe was originally a title of the Meter Sipylene, the deity worshipped all round the sacred mountain of Sipylus. ”

“ To myth-making in obedience to the desire of explaining unusual natural appearances, coupled with the idea that sin must be followed by retribution, we also owe the well-known Niobe myth. Having incurred the divine wrath, Niobe saw those dearest to her destroyed by missiles from heaven, and was finally transformed into a rock on Mount Sipylos which bore some vague resemblance to the human form, and her tears became the rivulets which trickled from the neighbouring strata. ”

“ Then while the women of Thebes were gathering together, Niobe came forth, clad in a gold-embroidered garment, with a crowd of followers, radiant in her beauty, though angry, with her hair flowing about her shoulders. She stopped in the midst of the busy women, and raising her voice, spoke to them.
“Are you not foolish to worship gods of whom stories are told to you when more favored beings dwell here among you? [Pg 38] While you are making sacrifices on the altar of Latona, why does my divine name remain unknown? ”

“ Niobe wept for new griefs as the marble little ones at her feet were calcined before her eyes, and the Gorgon head wore a hundred frightful snakes of flame; the pale, proud Pallas Athene of the Greeks looked disdainfully on the dying barbarians at her feet, and Pan, himself in bronze, leered on us through the reek until his lower limbs grew white hot—and gave way, and down he came—whereon a mighty Briton heaved him up by his head, and with this hissing, glowing flail carried destruction and confusion among us. ”

“ There is a legend that no mortal hand carved or chiselled it. It is believed to be the actual petrifaction of the identical once living Niobe, wife of Amphion, King of Thebes.
Dunn. (jumping up) What! Niobe herself! And you believe the story? You do!
Tomp. Why should I doubt the possibility of human petrifaction?
Dunn. (rushing at Tompkins, taking his hand) Bless you, Tompkins! Bless you! Now I can be believed! (crosses to others L. C.) The truth seemed so preposterous before, I dared not tell it. But now—oh—Tompkins! Tompkins! ”

“ But the gods laughed. Like a harsh note of music sounded the twang of Diana’s bow. Pierced by a silver arrow, the little girl lay dead. The dignity of Latona was avenged.
Overwhelmed by despair, King Amphion killed himself, and Niobe was left alone to gaze on the ruin around her. For nine days she sat, a Greek Rachel, weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they were not. On the tenth day, the sight was too much even for the superhuman hearts of the gods to endure. They turned the bodies into stone and themselves buried them. ”

“ She was the daughter of Tantalos, and her husband was Amphion, King of Thebes, himself a son of Zeus. To her were born seven fair daughters and seven beautiful and gallant sons, and it was not because of her own beauty, nor her husband's fame, nor their proud descent and the greatness of their kingdom, that the Queen of Thebes was arrogant in her pride. Very sure she was that no woman had ever borne children like her own children, whose peers were not to be found on earth nor in heaven. Even in our own day there are mortal mothers who feel as Niobe felt. ”

“ It was a good thing that the Niobians didn't realize what concessions they could wring from the BIT. The Confederation had sunk billions into Niobe and was prepared to sink many more if necessary. They would go to almost any lengths to keep the natives happy. If that meant star-freighter loads of oysters, then it would be star-freighter loads of oysters. The Confederation needed the gerontin that grew on Niobe.
The commercial worlds needed the anti-aging drug more and more as the exploration of space continued—not to mention the popular demand. ”

“ But, in spite of all this voluptuousness, the “moss more soft than slumber,” and the rippling leafy murmur, there is little doubt that Miss Amy Rosedew managed to have another cry ere ever she fell asleep. To cry among those arms of moss, fleecing, tufting, pillowing, an absorbent even for Niobe! Can the worn–out human nature find no comfort in the vegetable, though it does in the mineral, kingdom? ”

“ Even you don’t know everything. (as Dunn turns to Niobe, she tries to embrace him; he avoids her, and crosses quickly to Corney) Corney, ask her something about Ancient history; the more Ancient the better. ”

“ Sillocks and Beatrice cross to L., and Niobe and Tompkins go up C.
Hat. (L.) Oh, Corney, what a stretch!
Inn. (down L.) Why, she’s the exact counterpart of the Statue.
Tompkins and Niobe go up C. and face audience.
Car. (R. C.) She is the Statue!
Sill. (up L. C.) What does it mean?
Dunn. (L. of Carrie) It means that Tompkins has no longer an Antique excuse for living single.
Tomp. (L. of Niobe) It means, he does not want one.
Dunn. (R. C.) She’ll make you an excellent wife, Tompkins, combining all the charm of youth with a long worldly experience.
Nio. (C.) Farewell, Petramos! ”

“ Trade didn't interest him very much, and Hartmann interested him less. Niobians are never too cordial to strangers, and he had never seen the BIT man before this meeting.
Anyway, the talk got around to the time he introduced me to vorkum, a native dish that acts as a systemic insect repellant—and tastes like one! And right then I got the bright idea that nearly wrecked Niobe.
As I said, there was both Niobian and Confederation food at the banquet, so I figured that it was a good time as any to get revenge for what my dog-headed friend did to my stomach a good decade before. ”

“ caetera fumus—the gondola stopped, the old palace was there, how charming its grey and pink— goats and monkeys, with such hair too!—so the countess passed on until she came through the little park, where Niobe presented her with a cabinet, and so departed. ”

“ If I can only get a dress made for her to go out in, I’ll send her to my sister, Mabel—who would believe whatever I might tell her. (turns to table back to audience)
Enter Niobe R. U. E.—comes down R. C.
Nio. (not seeing Dunn when first entering) Ah me! I would I were a stone again! Anything were better than to suffer such indignities as now I meet. Petramos! you will remove my cares as Eos lifts the sable pall of night.
Dunn. I don’t know anything of Knight’s pall. Don’t talk undertaking business. What is it? ”

“ Exit Dunn to Library L. D.
Corn. He seems so particularly anxious I should leave it to him, I don’t think it good enough; I would always rather that somebody else should manage any little unpleasantness for me, but I like to feel sure that they’re not working some little purpose of their own.
Enter Niobe C. and L. as if looking for some one; comes R.
Ah! Here she is—good morning, Miss Mifton!
Nio. (on steps, waving her hands) Hail to you! (comes down) Where is he whom they call master? The lord of this house?
Corn. (aside) Umph! A poetic blank verse kind of character— (aloud) Oh, Peter! ”

“ Dunn falls flat on stage, muttering measurement and gathering up loose patterns, pushing them into his vest.)
Car. (R. C., indignantly to Niobe) I had some business with my husband, but I can wait.
Nio. (L. C.) Oh no! We would not have you wait. He’s here and you may speak.
Car. (R.) You’re too gracious. I came, Peter, unknown to Helen, to see if you could not remove my doubts; and I find you, as usual, in open unblushing companionship with this woman.
Dunn. Open! Yes open! There is no deception. None. (rising)
Car. You loved me once, Peter.
Nio. (crosses to Carrie) He loves you still. ”

“ Hat. (crosses to Niobe, R. C.) Peter’s sister. Well, you’re not a bit like him. You’re altogether too scrumptious for anything.
Nio. (C.) Though I am ignorant of what “scrumptious” means, your manner tells me it is something good.
Hat. (L. C.) You bet your boots it is.
Hel. (R.) Hattie!
Hat. (sharply) Don’t you interfere. We’re going to run our new sister on our own lines, aren’t we Carrie?
Nio. You have my sympathy— (pointing to Helen) —that she claims kinship with you.
Helen turns indignantly from Niobe. ”

“ Niobe! (hands out)
Nio. (seeing Tompkins) What man is this?
Dunn. Your owner. The man who paid great treasure to purchase you to adorn his home.
Nio. Am I then his slave?
Tomp. Say rather I am yours.
Niobe advances C.; Tompkins to her as Dunn goes up to Carrie—reconciliation business.
Tomp. Oh filtatese gewnaikos omma kai dommas,
ekk s’aelptose, oupot opsesthai, dokone.
Nio. Ekkeis fthonosdy mee genoito tone theone.
They turn back to audience, Tompkins half embracing her; enter Sillocks, Beatrice, Hattie and Innings R., from hallway.
Sill. (up R. C.) Hallo! What’s this? A fancy dress ball? ”

“ The chubby little commercial traveller probably had a right to complain, Lanceford thought. After all, a Niobian quarantine station isn't the pleasantest sort of environment. It's not meant to be comfortable, physical discomfort being as good a way as any to discourage casual visitors. The ones who have fortitude enough to stand the entry regulations can get in, but tourists seldom visit Niobe. However, the planet's expanding economy offered a fertile field for salesmen, and men of that stripe would endure far worse hardships than a port of entry in pursuit of the Almighty Credit. ”

“ Hel. Be quiet, Hattie! Can you play the Piano?
Nio. I cannot tell you that, for I have never tried.
Hel. That’s meant for impudence, I suppose.
Nio. (confused—curtseying) Yes Ma’am!
Hel. (rising) You must be an idiot, or it is possible, you believe me one?
Nio. (curtseying) Yes Ma’am!
Hattie laughing; Helen frowns, falls into seat; Carrie rises; enter Dunn C., endeavours to get off L., meets Corney from L. D.; Dunn comes down L. of Niobe; Corney down L. to Bea. and Hattie; Beatrice afterwards shows Corney letter, Corney protesting in pantomime.
[Pg 50]
Car. Peter! Peter! ”

“ Women of Thebes, go throng Latona's temple, and give to her and to her children twain incense and pious prayer, wreathing your lair with laurel. By my mouth Latona speaks." They obey; all the Theban women deck their temples with laurel wreaths and burn incense in the altar flames, with words of prayer But lo! comes Niobe, thronged about with a numerous following, a notable figure in Phrygian robes wrought with threads of gold, and beautiful as far as anger suffered her to be ”

“ Car. (L.) A man of Peter’s excitable temperament has enough worry abroad, he deserves to enjoy himself at home.
[Pg 6]
Carrie goes up L. to fireplace, puts cup on mantelpiece, as if looking for something.
Hel. But he brings his worries home with him. I’m sure we didn’t want that troublesome Statue in the house, though Mr. Tompkins does think it the greatest treasure on earth. He calls it Niobe Lachrymans,—whatever that means.
Bea. Why did Mr. Dunn bring it home? (knock and bell.)
Mary crosses at back from R. to L.
Hel. For safety he says; it is insured in the Universal, of which Mr. ”