Book of illustrations : Ancient Tragedy

'Tis a woman's word of warning, and let who will list thereto.
AEGISTHUS
But that these should loose and lavish reckless blossoms of the tongue,
And in hazard of their fortune cast upon me words of wrong,
And forget the law of subjects, and to heed their ruler's word —
CHORUS
Ruler? but 'tis not for Argives, thus to own a dastard lord!
AEGISTHUS
I will follow to chastise thee in my coming days of sway.
CHORUS
Not if Fortune guide Orestes safely on his homeward way.
AEGISTHUS
Ah, well I know how exiles feed on hopes of their return!
CHORUS
Feed and batten on pollution of the right, while 'tis thy turn!
AEGISTHUS
Thou shalt pay, be well assured, heavy quittance for thy pride.
CHORUS
Crow and strut, with her beside thee, like a cock, his mate beside!
CLYTEMNESTRA
Heed not thou too highly of them – let the cur-pack growl and yell —
I and thou will rule the palace and will order all things well?
Conclusion of Agamemnon. (Morshead.)

4

Scene from the 'Hercules Mad' of Euripides

Translated by Robert Browning

CHORUS OF OLD MEN

Horror!
Are we come to the self-same passion of fear,
Old friends? – such a phantasm fronts me here
Visible over the palace-roof!
In flight, in flight, the laggard limb
Bestir, and haste aloof
From that on the roof there – grand and grim!
O Paian, king!
Be thou my safeguard from the woeful thing!
IRIS
Courage, old men! beholding here – Night's birth —
Madness, and me the handmaid of the gods,
Iris: since to your town we come no plague —
Wage war against the house of but one man
From Zeus and from Alkmene sprung, they say.
Now, till he made an end of bitter toils
Fate kept him safe, nor did his father Zeus
Let us once hurt him, Heré nor myself.
But since he has toiled through Eurustheus' task
Heré desires to fix fresh blood on him —
Slaying his children; I desire it too.
Up then, collecting the unsoftened heart,
Unwedded virgin of black Night! Drive, drag,
Frenzy upon the man here – whirls of brain
Big with child-murder, while his feet leap gay.
Let go the bloody cable its whole length!
So that, – when o'er the Acherousian ford
He has sent floating, by self-homicide,
His beautiful boy-garland, – he may know
First, Heré's anger, what it is to him,
And then learn mine. The gods are vile indeed
And mortal matters vast if he 'scape free.
MADNESS
Certes, from well-born sire and mother too
Had I my birth, whose blood is Night's and Heaven's;
But here's my glory, – not to grudge the good!
Nor love I raids against the friends of man.
I wish, then, to persuade, before I see
You stumbling, you and Heré: trust my words!
This man, the house of whom ye hound me to,
Is not unfamed on earth, nor gods among;
Since, having quelled waste land and savage sea,
He alone raised again the falling rights
Of gods – gone ruinous through impious men.
Desire no mighty mischief, I advise!
IRIS
Give thou no thought to Heré's faulty schemes!
MADNESS
Changing her step from faulty to fault-free!
IRIS
Not to be wise, did Zeus' wife send thee here!
MADNESS
Sun, thee I cite to witness – doing what I loath to do!
But since indeed to Heré and thyself I must subserve,
And follow you quick, with a whizz,
as the hounds a-hunt with the huntsman,
– Go I will! and neither the sea, as it groans
with its waves so furiously,
Nor earthquake, no, nor the bolt of thunder
gasping out heaven's labor-throe,
Shall cover the ground as I, at a bound,
rush into the bosom of Herakles!
And home I scatter and house I batter,
Having first of all made the children fall, —
And he who felled them is never to know
He gave birth to each child that received the blow,
Till the Madness I am have let him go!
Ha, behold, already he rocks his head – he is off