The Project Gutenberg EBook of Erechtheus, by Algernon Charles Swinburne

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: Erechtheus
A Tragedy (New Edition)

Author: Algernon Charles Swinburne

Release Date: June 11, 2006 [EBook #18550]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ERECHTHEUS ***

Produced by Thierry Alberto, Taavi Kalju and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

ERECHTHEUS:

A TRAGEDY.

BY

ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE

[Greek: o tai liparai kai iostephanoi kai aoidimoi,
Hellados ereisma, kleinai Athanai, daimonion ptoliethron.]

PIND. _Fr._ 47.

[Greek: AT. tis de poimanor epesti kapidespozei stratou?
XO. outinos douloi kekle, tai photos oud' upekooi.]

AESCH. _Pers._ 241-2.

_A NEW EDITION._

London:
CHATTO AND WINDUS, PICCADILLY.
1881.

PERSONS.

ERECHTHEUS.
CHORUS OF ATHENIAN ELDERS.
PRAXITHEA.
CHTHONIA.
HERALD OF EUMOLPUS.
MESSENGER.
ATHENIAN HERALD.
ATHENA.

ERECHTHEUS.

ERECHTHEUS.

Mother of life and death and all men's days,
Earth, whom I chief of all men born would bless,
And call thee with more loving lips than theirs
Mother, for of this very body of thine
And living blood I have my breath and live,
Behold me, even thy son, me crowned of men,
Me made thy child by that strong cunning God
Who fashions fire and iron, who begat
Me for a sword and beacon-fire on thee,
Me fosterling of Pallas, in her shade 10
Reared, that I first might pay the nursing debt,
Hallowing her fame with flower of third-year feasts,
And first bow down the bridled strength of steeds
To lose the wild wont of their birth, and bear
Clasp of man's knees and steerage of his hand,
Or fourfold service of his fire-swift wheels
That whirl the four-yoked chariot; me the king
Who stand before thee naked now, and cry,
O holy and general mother of all men born,
But mother most and motherliest of mine, 20
Earth, for I ask thee rather of all the Gods,
What have we done? what word m