Classic Greek Drama_ 10 Plays by Euripides in a Single File [NOOK Book] - Euripides [99]
PHAE. Lest you should tell any of these things to the son of Theseus.
NUR. Let be, my child, I will arrange these matters honorably, only be thou my coadjutor, O Venus, my revered mistress; but the other things which I purpose, it will suffice to tell to my friends within.
CHORUS, PHAEDRA.
CHOR. Love, love, O thou that instillest desire through the eyes, inspiring sweet affection in the souls of those against whom thou makest war, mayst thou never appear to me to my injury, nor come unmodulated: for neither is the blast of fire nor the bolt of heaven more vehement, than that of Venus, which Love, the boy of Jove, sends from his hands. In vain, in vain, both by the Alpheus, and at the Pythian temples of Phoebus does Greece then solemnize the slaughter of bulls: but Love, the tyrant of men, porter of the dearest chambers of Venus, we worship not, the destroyer and visitant of men in all shapes of calamity, when he comes. That virgin in Oechalia, yoked to no bridal bed, till then unwedded, and who knew no husband, having taken from her home a wanderer impelled by the oar, her, like some Bacchanal of Pluto, with blood, with smoke, and murderous hymeneals did Venus give to the son of Alcmena. O unhappy woman, because of her nuptials! O sacred wall of Thebes, O mouth of Dirce, you can assist me in telling, in what manner Venus comes: for by the forked lightning, by a cruel fate, did she put to eternal sleep the parent of the Jove-begotten Bacchus, when she was visited as a bride. For dreadful doth she breathe on all things, and like some bee hovers about.
PHAE. Women, be silent: I am undone.
CHOR. What is there that affrights thee, Phaedra, in thine house?
PHAE. Be silent, that I may make out the voice of those within.
CHOR. I am silent: this however is an evil bodement.
PHAE. Alas me! O! O! O! oh unhappy me, because of my sufferings!
CHOR. What sound dost thou utter? what word speakest thou? tell me what report frightens thee, lady, rushing upon thy senses!
PHAE. We are undone. Do you, standing at these gates, hear what the noise is that strikes on the house?
CHOR. Thou art by the gate, the noise that is sent forth from the house is thy care. But tell me, tell me, what evil, I pray thee, came _to thine ears_?
PHAE. The son of the warlike Amazon, Hippolytus, cries out, abusing in dreadful forms my attendant.
CHOR. I hear indeed a noise, but can not plainly tell how it is. The voice came, it came through to the door.
PHAE. But hark! he calls her plainly the pander of wickedness, the betrayer of her master's bed.
CHOR. Alas me for thy miseries! Thou art betrayed, dear mistress. What shall I counsel thee? for hidden things are come to light, and thou art utterly destroyed----
PHAE. O! O!
CHOR. Betrayed by thy friends.
PHAE. She hath destroyed me by speaking of my unhappy state, kindly but not honorably endeavoring to heal this disease.
CHOR. How then? what wilt thou do, O thou that hast suffered things incurable?
PHAE. I know not, save one thing; to die as soon as possible is the only cure of my present sufferings.
HIPPOLYTUS, PHAEDRA, NURSE, CHORUS.
HIPP. O mother earth, and ye disclosing rays of the sun, of what words have I heard the dreadful sound!
NUR. Be silent, my son, before any one hears thy voice.
HIPP. It is not possible for me to be silent, when I have heard such dreadful things.
NUR. Nay, I implore thee by thy beauteous hand.
HIPP. Wilt not desist from bringing thy hand near me, and from touching my garments?
NUR. O! by thy knees, I implore thee, do not utterly destroy me.
HIPP. But wherefore this? since, thou sayest, thou hast spoken nothing evil.
NUR. This word, my son, is by no means to be divulged.
HIPP. It is more fair to speak fair things to many.
NUR. O my child, by no means dishonor your oath.
HIPP. My tongue hath sworn--my mind is still unsworn.[17]
NUR. O my son, what wilt thou do? wilt thou destroy thy friends?
HIPP. _Friends!_ I reject the word: no