ELECTRA [7]
grant that the motive
of his deed was to benefit his brother;- was that a reason for his
dying by thy hand? Under what law? See that, in making such a law
for men, thou make not trouble and remorse for thyself; for, if we are
to take blood for blood, thou wouldst be the first to die, didst
thou meet with thy desert.
But look if thy pretext is not false. For tell me, if thou wilt,
wherefore thou art now doing the most shameless deeds of all,-
dwelling as wife with that blood-guilty one, who first helped thee
to slay my sire, and bearing children to him, while thou hast cast out
the earlier-born, the stainless offspring of a stainless marriage. How
can I praise these things? Or wilt thou say that this, too, is thy
vengeance for thy daughter? Nay, shameful plea, if so thou plead; 'tis
not well to wed an enemy for a daughter's sake.
But indeed I may not even counsel thee,- who shriekest that I
revile my mother; and truly I think that to me thou art less a
mother than mistress; so wretched is the life that I live, ever
beset with miseries by thee and by thy partner. And that other, who
scarce escaped thy hand, the hapless Orestes, is wearing out his
ill-starred days in exile. Often hast thou charged me with rearing him
to punish thy crime; and I would have done so, if I could, thou
mayst be sure:-for that matter, denounce me to all, as disloyal, if
thou wilt, or petulant, or impudent; for if I am accomplished in
such ways, methinks I am no unworthy child of thee.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
I see that she breathes forth anger; but whether justice be with
her, for this she seems to care no longer.
CLYTEMNESTRA (to the CHORUS)
And what manner of care do I need to use against her, who hath
thus insulted a mother, and this at her ripe age? Thinkest thou not
that she would go forward to any deed, without shame?
ELECTRA
Now be assured that I do feel shame for this, though thou
believe it not; I know that my behaviour is unseemly, and becomes me
ill. But then the enmity on thy part, and thy treatment, compel me
in mine own despite to do thus; for base deeds are taught by base.
CLYTEMNESTRA
Thou brazen one! Truly I and my sayings and my deeds give thee too
much matter for words.
ELECTRA
The words are thine, not mine; for thine is the action; and the
acts find the utterance.
CLYTEMNESTRA
Now by our lady Artemis, thou shalt not fail to pay for this
boldness, so soon as Aegisthus returns.
ELECTRA
Lo, thou art transported by anger, after granting me free
speech, aid hast no patience to listen.
CLYTEMNESTRA
Now wilt thou not hush thy clamour, or even suffer me to
sacrifice, when I have permitted thee to speak unchecked?
ELECTRA
I hinder not,- begin thy rites, I pray thee; and blame not my
voice, for I shall say no more.
CLYTEMNESTRA
Raise then, my handmaid, the offerings of many fruits, that I
may uplift my prayers to this our king, for deliverance from my
present fears. Lend now a gracious ear, O Phoebus our defender, to
my words, though they be dark; for I speak not among friends, nor is
it meet to unfold my whole thought to the light, while she stands near
me, lest with her malice and her garrulous cry she spread some rash
rumour throughout the town: but hear me thus, since on this wise I
must speak.
That vision which I saw last night in doubtful dreams- if it
hath come for my good, grant, Lycean king, that it be fulfilled; but
if for harm, then let it recoil upon my foes. And if any are
plotting to hurl me by treachery from the high estate which now is
mine, permit them not; rather vouch. safe that, still living thus
unscathed, I may bear sway over the house of the Atreidae and this
realm, sharing prosperous days with the friends who share them now,
and with those of my children from whom no enmity or bitterness
pursues me.
O Lycean Apollo, graciously hear these prayers, and grant them
to us all, even as we ask! For the rest, though I be silent, I deem
that thou, a god, must know it; all things,
of his deed was to benefit his brother;- was that a reason for his
dying by thy hand? Under what law? See that, in making such a law
for men, thou make not trouble and remorse for thyself; for, if we are
to take blood for blood, thou wouldst be the first to die, didst
thou meet with thy desert.
But look if thy pretext is not false. For tell me, if thou wilt,
wherefore thou art now doing the most shameless deeds of all,-
dwelling as wife with that blood-guilty one, who first helped thee
to slay my sire, and bearing children to him, while thou hast cast out
the earlier-born, the stainless offspring of a stainless marriage. How
can I praise these things? Or wilt thou say that this, too, is thy
vengeance for thy daughter? Nay, shameful plea, if so thou plead; 'tis
not well to wed an enemy for a daughter's sake.
But indeed I may not even counsel thee,- who shriekest that I
revile my mother; and truly I think that to me thou art less a
mother than mistress; so wretched is the life that I live, ever
beset with miseries by thee and by thy partner. And that other, who
scarce escaped thy hand, the hapless Orestes, is wearing out his
ill-starred days in exile. Often hast thou charged me with rearing him
to punish thy crime; and I would have done so, if I could, thou
mayst be sure:-for that matter, denounce me to all, as disloyal, if
thou wilt, or petulant, or impudent; for if I am accomplished in
such ways, methinks I am no unworthy child of thee.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
I see that she breathes forth anger; but whether justice be with
her, for this she seems to care no longer.
CLYTEMNESTRA (to the CHORUS)
And what manner of care do I need to use against her, who hath
thus insulted a mother, and this at her ripe age? Thinkest thou not
that she would go forward to any deed, without shame?
ELECTRA
Now be assured that I do feel shame for this, though thou
believe it not; I know that my behaviour is unseemly, and becomes me
ill. But then the enmity on thy part, and thy treatment, compel me
in mine own despite to do thus; for base deeds are taught by base.
CLYTEMNESTRA
Thou brazen one! Truly I and my sayings and my deeds give thee too
much matter for words.
ELECTRA
The words are thine, not mine; for thine is the action; and the
acts find the utterance.
CLYTEMNESTRA
Now by our lady Artemis, thou shalt not fail to pay for this
boldness, so soon as Aegisthus returns.
ELECTRA
Lo, thou art transported by anger, after granting me free
speech, aid hast no patience to listen.
CLYTEMNESTRA
Now wilt thou not hush thy clamour, or even suffer me to
sacrifice, when I have permitted thee to speak unchecked?
ELECTRA
I hinder not,- begin thy rites, I pray thee; and blame not my
voice, for I shall say no more.
CLYTEMNESTRA
Raise then, my handmaid, the offerings of many fruits, that I
may uplift my prayers to this our king, for deliverance from my
present fears. Lend now a gracious ear, O Phoebus our defender, to
my words, though they be dark; for I speak not among friends, nor is
it meet to unfold my whole thought to the light, while she stands near
me, lest with her malice and her garrulous cry she spread some rash
rumour throughout the town: but hear me thus, since on this wise I
must speak.
That vision which I saw last night in doubtful dreams- if it
hath come for my good, grant, Lycean king, that it be fulfilled; but
if for harm, then let it recoil upon my foes. And if any are
plotting to hurl me by treachery from the high estate which now is
mine, permit them not; rather vouch. safe that, still living thus
unscathed, I may bear sway over the house of the Atreidae and this
realm, sharing prosperous days with the friends who share them now,
and with those of my children from whom no enmity or bitterness
pursues me.
O Lycean Apollo, graciously hear these prayers, and grant them
to us all, even as we ask! For the rest, though I be silent, I deem
that thou, a god, must know it; all things,