'Twas thy word and we accept it! onward to the chance of war!

CLYTEMNESTRA
Nay, enough, enough, my champion! we will smite and slay no more.
Already we have heaped enough the harvest-field of guilt,
Enough of wrong and murder, let no other blood be spilt!
Peace, old men! and pass away into the homes by fate decreed,
Lest ill valor meet our vengeance--'twas a necessary deed.
But enough of toils and troubles--be the end, if ever, now,
Ere the wrath of the Avenger deal another deadly blow.
'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, Here nor myself.
But since he has toiled through Eurustheus' task
Here desires to fix fresh blood on him--
Slaying his children; I desire it too.

U