Iphigenia in Tauris [7]
and one I love her coming rues. IPHIGENIA Where is she? Me too she of old hath wrong'd. ORESTES At Sparta with her former lord she dwells. IPHIGENIA By Greece, and not by me alone abhorr'd! ORESTES I from her nuptials have my share of grief. IPHIGENIA And are the Greeks, as Fame reports, return'd? ORESTES How briefly all things dost thou ask at once! IPHIGENIA This favour, ere thou die, I wish to obtain. ORESTES Ask, then: since such thy wish, I will inform thee. IPHIGENIA Calchas, a prophet,-came he back from Troy? ORESTES He perish'd at Mycenae such the fame. IPHIGENIA Goddess revered! But doth Ulysses live? ORESTES He lives, they say, but is not yet return'd. IPHIGENIA Perish the wretch, nor see his country more! ORESTES Wish him not ill, for all with him is ill. IPHIGENIA But doth the son of sea-born Thetis live? ORESTES He lives not: vain his nuptial rites at Aulis. IPHIGENIA That all was fraud, as those who felt it say. ORESTES But who art thou, inquiring thus of Greece? IPHIGENIA I am from thence, in early youth undone. ORESTES Thou hast a right to inquire what there hath pass'd. IPHIGENIA What know'st thou of the chief, men call the bless'd? ORESTES Who? Of the bless'd was not the chief I knew. IPHIGENIA The royal Agamemnon, son of Atreus. ORESTES Of him I know not, lady; cease to ask. IPHIGENIA Nay, by the gods, tell me, and cheer my soul. ORESTES He's dead, the unhappy chief: no single ill. IPHIGENIA Dead! By what adverse fate? O wretched me! ORESTES Why mourn for this? How doth it touch thy breast? IPHIGENIA The glories of his former state I mourn. ORESTES Dreadfully murdered by a woman's hand. IPHIGENIA How wretched she that slew him, he thus slain! ORESTES Now then forbear: of him inquire no more. IPHIGENIA This only: lives the unhappy monarch's wife? ORESTES She, lady, is no more, slain by her son. IPHIGENIA Alas, the ruin'd house! What his intent? ORESTES To avenge on her his noble father slain. IPHIGENIA An ill, but righteous deed, how justly done! ORESTES Though righteous, by the gods be is not bless'd. IPHIGENIA Hath Agamemnon other offspring left? ORESTES He left one virgin daughter, named Electra. IPHIGENIA Of her that died a victim is aught said? ORESTES This only, dead, she sees the light no more. IPHIGENIA Unhappy she! the father too who slew her! ORESTES For a bad woman she unseemly died. IPHIGENIA At Argos lives the murdered father's son? ORESTES Nowhere he lives, poor wretch! and everywhere. IPHIGENIA False dreams, farewell; for nothing you import. ORESTES Nor are those gods, that have the name of wise, Less false than fleeting dreams. In things divine, And in things human, great confusion reigns. One thing is left; that, not unwise of soul, Obedient to the prophet's voice he perish'd; For that he perish'd, they who know report. LEADER What shall we know, what of our parents know? If yet they live or not, who can inform us? IPHIGENIA Hear me: this converse prompts a thought, which gives Promise of good, ye youths of Greece, to you, To these, and me: thus may it well be done, If, willing to my purpose, all assent. Wilt thou, if I shall save thee, go for me A messenger to Argos, to my friends Charged with a letter, which a captive wrote, Who pitied me, nor murderous thought my hand, But that he died beneath the law, these rites The goddess deeming just? for from that hour I have not found who might to Argos bear Himself my message, back with life return'd, Or send to any of my friends my letter. Thou, therefore, since it seems thou dost not bear Ill-will to me, and dost Mycenae know, And those I wish to address, be safe, and live, No base reward for a light letter, life Receiving; and let him, since thus the state