The Seven Plays in English Verse Part 33

EL. Senseless were he who lost from thought A n.o.ble father, lamentably slain!

I love thy strain, Bewildered mourner, bird divinely taught, For 'Itys,' 'Itys,' ever heard to pine.

O Niobe, I hold thee all divine, Of sorrows queen, Who with all tearful mien Insepulchred in stone Aye makest moan.

CH. Not unto thee alone hath sorrow come, II 1 Daughter, that thou shouldst carry grief so far Beyond those dwellers in the palace-home Who of thy kindred are And own one source with thee.

What life hath she, Chrysothemis, and Iphiana.s.sa bright, And he whose light Is hidden afar from taste of horrid doom, Youthful Orestes, who shall come To fair Mycenae's glorious town, Welcomed as worthy of his sire's renown, Sped by great Zeus with kindly thought, And to this land with happiest omen brought?

EL. Awaiting him I endlessly endure; Unwed and childless still I go, With tears in constant flow, Girt round with misery that finds no cure.

But he forgets his wrong and all my teaching.

What message have I sent beseeching, But baffled flies back idly home?

Ever he longs, he saith, but, longing, will not come.

CH. Take heart, dear child! still mighty in the sky II 2 Is Zeus who ruleth all things and surveys.

Commit to him thy grief that surgeth high, And walk in safer ways, Let not hate vex thee sore, Nor yet ignore The cause of hate and sorrow in thy breast.

Time bringeth rest: All is made easy through his power divine.

The heir of Agamemnon's line Who dwells by Crisa's pastoral strand Shall yet return unto his native land; And he shall yet regard his own Who reigns beneath upon his Stygian throne.

EL. Meanwhile my life falls from me in despair Years pa.s.s and patience nought avails: My heart within me fails: Orphaned I pine without protecting care; And like a sojourner all unregarded At slave-like labour unrewarded I toil within my father's hall Thus meanly attired, and starved, a table-serving thrall.

CH. Sad was thy greeting when he reached the strand, III 1 Piteous thy crying where thy father lay On that fell day When the bronze edge with dire effect was driven.

By craft 'twas planned, By frenzied l.u.s.t the blow was given: Mother and father of a monstrous birth, Whether a G.o.d there wrought or mortal of the Earth.

EL. O day beyond all days that yet have rolled Most hateful in thy course of light!

O horror of that night!

O hideous feast, abhorr'd, not to be told!

How could I bear it, when my father's eye Saw death advancing from the ruthless pair, Conjoint in cruel villany, By whom my life was plunged in black despair?

Oh, to the workers of such deeds as these May great Olympus' Lord Return of evil still afford, Nor let them wear the gloss of sovran ease!

CH. Take thought to keep thy crying within bound. III 2 Doth not thy sense enlighten thee to see How recklessly Even now thou winnest undeserved woe?

Still art thou found To make thy misery overflow Through self-bred gloomy strife. But not for long Shall one alone prevail who strives against the strong.

EL. 'Twas dire oppression taught me my complaint I know my rage a quenchless fire: But nought, however dire, Shall visit this my frenzy with restraint, Or check my lamentation while I live.

Dear friends, kind women of true Argive breed, Say, who can timely counsel give Or word of comfort suited to my need?

Beyond all cure shall this my cause be known.

No counsels more! Ah leave, Vain comforters, and let me grieve With ceaseless pain, unmeasured in my moan.

CH. With kind intent IV Full tenderly my words are meant; Like a true mother pressing heart to heart, I pray thee, do not aggravate thy smart.

EL. But have my miseries a measure? Tell.

Can it be well To pour forgetfulness upon the dead?

Hath mortal head Conceived a wickedness so bold?

O never may such brightness s.h.i.+ne for me, Nor let me peaceful be With aught of good my life may still enfold, If from wide echoing of my father's name The wings of keen lament I must withhold.

Sure holy shame And pious care would vanish among men, If he, mere earth and nothingness, must lie In darkness, and his foes shall not again Render him blood for blood in amplest penalty.

LEADER OF CH. Less from our own desires, my child, we came, Than for thy sake. But, if we speak amiss, Take thine own course. We still will side with thee.

EL. Full well I feel that too impatiently I seem to multiply the sounds of woe.

Yet suffer me, dear women! Mighty force Compels me. Who that had a n.o.ble heart And saw her father's cause, as I have done, By day and night more outraged, could refrain?

Are my woes lessening? Are they not in bloom?-- My mother full of hate and hateful proved, Whilst I in my own home must dwell with these, My father's murderers, and by them be ruled, Dependent on their bounty even for bread.

And then what days suppose you I must pa.s.s, When I behold Aegisthus on the throne That was my father's; when I see him wear Such robes, and pour libations by the hearth Where he destroyed him; lastly, when I see Their crowning insolence,--our regicide Laid in my father's chamber beside her, My mother--if she still must bear the name When resting in those arms? Her shame is dead.

She harbours with blood-guiltiness, and fears No vengeance, but, as laughing at the wrong, She watches for the hour wherein with guile She killed our sire, and orders dance and mirth That day o' the month, and joyful sacrifice Of thanksgiving. But I within the house Beholding, weep and pine, and mourn that feast Of infamy, called by my father's name, All to myself; for not even grief may flow As largely as my spirit would desire.

That so-called princess of a n.o.ble race O'ercrows my wailing with loud obloquy: 'Hilding! are you alone in grief? Are none Mourning for loss of fathers but yourself?

'Fore the blest G.o.ds! ill may you thrive, and ne'er Find cure of sorrow from the powers below!'

So she insults: unless she hear one say 'Orestes will arrive': then standing close, She shouts like one possessed into mine ear, 'These are your doings, this your work, I trow.

You stole Orestes from my gripe, and placed His life with fosterers; but you shall pay Full penalty.' So harsh is her exclaim.

And he at hand, the husband she extols, Hounds on the cry, that prince of cowardice, From head to foot one ma.s.s of pestilent harm.

Tongue-doughty champion of this women's-war.

I, for Orestes ever languis.h.i.+ng To end this, am undone. For evermore Intending, still delaying, he wears out All hope, both here and yonder. How, then, friends, Can I be moderate, or feel the touch Of holy resignation? Evil fruit Cannot but follow on a life of ill.

CH. Say, is Aegisthus near while thus you speak?

Or hath he left the palace? We would know.

EL. Most surely. Never think, if he were by, I could stray out of door. He is abroad.

CH. Then with less fear I may converse with thee.

EL. Ask what you will, for he is nowhere near.

CH. First of thy brother I beseech thee tell, How deem'st thou? Will he come, or still delay?

EL. His promise comes, but still performance sleeps.

CH. Well may he pause who plans a dreadful deed.

EL. I paused not in his rescue from the sword.

CH. Fear not. He will bestead you. He is true.

EL. But for that faith my life had soon gone by.

CH. No more! I see approaching from the house Thy sister by both parents of thy blood, Chrysothemis; in her hand an offering, Such as old custom yields to those below.

_Enter_ CHRYSOTHEMIS.

CHRYSOTHEMIS. What converse keeps thee now beyond the gates, Dear sister? why this talk in the open day?

Wilt thou not learn after so long to cease From vain indulgence of a bootless rage?

I know in my own breast that I am pained By what thou griev'st at, and if I had power, My censure of their deeds would soon be known.

But in misfortune I have chosen to sail With lowered canvas, rather than provoke With puny strokes invulnerable foes.

I would thou didst the like: though I must own The right is on thy side, and not on mine.

But if I mean to dwell at liberty, I must obey in all the stronger will.

EL. 'Tis strange and pitiful, thy father's child Can leave him in oblivion and subserve The mother. All thy schooling of me springs From her suggestion, not of thine own wit.

Sure, either thou art senseless, or thy sense Deserts thy friends. Treason or dulness then?

Choose!--You declared but now, if you had strength, You would display your hatred of this pair.

Yet, when I plan full vengeance for my sire, You aid me not, but turn me from the attempt.

What's this but adding cowardice to evil?

For tell me, or be patient till I show, What should I gain by ceasing this my moan?

I live to vex them:--though my life be poor, Yet that suffices, for I honour him, My father,--if affection touch the dead.

You say you hate them, but belie your word, Consorting with our father's murderers.

I then, were all the gifts in which you glory Laid at my feet, will never more obey This tyrant power. I leave you your rich board And life of luxury. Ne'er be it mine[2] to feed On dainties that would poison my heart's peace!