DIONYSUS Nay; all Barbary hath trod His dance ere this. PENTHEUS A low blind folk, I ween, Beside our Hellenes! DIONYSUS Higher and more keen In this thing, though their ways are not thy way. PENTHEUS How is thy worship held, by night or day? DIONYSUS Most oft by night; 'tis a majestic thing, The darkness. PENTHEUS Ha! with women worshipping? 'Tis craft and rottenness! DIONYSUS By day no less, Whoso will seek may find unholiness-- PENTHEUS Enough! Thy doom is fixed, for false pretence Corrupting Thebes. DIONYSUS Not mine; but thine, for dense Blindness of heart, and for blaspheming God! PENTHEUS A ready knave it is, and brazen-browed, This mystery-priest! DIONYSUS Come, say what it shall be, My doom; what dire thing wilt thou do to me? PENTHEUS First, shear that delicate curl that dangles there. [_He beckons to the soldiers, who approach_ DIONYSUS.] DIONYSUS I have vowed it to my God; 'tis holy hair. [_The soldiers cut off the tress_.] PENTHEUS Next, yield me up thy staff! DIONYSUS Raise thine own hand To take it. This is Dionysus' wand. [PENTHEUS _takes the staff_.] PENTHEUS Last, I will hold thee prisoned here. DIONYSUS My Lord God will unloose me, when I speak the word. PENTHEUS He may, if e'er again amid his bands Of saints he hears thy voice! DIONYSUS Even now he stands Close here, and sees all that I suffer. PENTHEUS What? Where is he? For mine eyes discern him not. DIONYSUS Where I am! 'Tis thine own impurity That veils him from thee. PENTHEUS The dog jeers at me! At me and Thebes! Bind him! [_The soldiers begin to bind him_.] DIONYSUS I charge ye, bind Me not! I having vision and ye blind! PENTHEUS And I, with better right, say bind the more! [_The soldiers obey_.] DIONYSUS Thou knowest not what end thou seekest, nor What deed thou doest, nor what man thou art! PENTHEUS (_mocking_) Agâvê's son, and on the father's part Echion's, hight Pentheus! DIONYSUS So let it be, A name fore-written to calamity!