Medea [4]
where thy fancy prompted thee. No, 'tis my husband I hate, though I doubt not thou hast acted wisely herein. And now I grudge not thy prosperity; betroth thy child, good luck to thee, but let me abide in this land, for though I have been wronged I will be still and yield to my superiors. CREON Thy words are soft to hear, but much I dread lest thou art devising some mischief in thy heart, and less than ever do I trust thee now; for cunning woman, and man likewise, is easier to guard against when quick-tempered than when taciturn. Nay, begone at once! speak me no speeches, for this is decreed, nor hast thou any art whereby thou shalt abide amongst us, since thou hatest me. MEDEA O, say not so! by thy knees and by thy daughter newlywed, I do implore! CREON Thou wastest words; thou wilt never persuade me. MEDEA What, wilt thou banish me, and to my prayers no pity yield? CREON I will, for I love not thee above my own family. MEDEA O my country! what fond memories I have of thee in this hour! CREON Yea, for I myself love my city best of all things save my children. MEDEA Ah me! ah me! to mortal man how dread a scourge is love! CREON That, I deem, is according to the turn our fortunes take. MEDEA O Zeus! let not the author of these my troubles escape thee. CREON Begone, thou silly woman, and free me from my toil. MEDEA The toil is mine, no lack of it. CREON Soon wilt thou be thrust out forcibly by the hand of servants. MEDEA Not that, not that, I do entreat thee, Creon CREON Thou wilt cause disturbance yet, it seems. MEDEA I will begone; I ask thee not this boon to grant. CREON Why then this violence? why dost thou not depart? MEDEA Suffer me to abide this single day and devise some plan for the manner of my exile, and means of living for my children, since their father cares not to provide his babes therewith. Then pity them; thou too hast children of thine own; thou needs must have a kindly heart. For my own lot I care naught, though I an exile am, but for those babes I weep, that they should learn what sorrow means. CREON Mine is a nature anything but harsh; full oft by showing pity have suffered shipwreck; and now albeit I clearly see my error, yet shalt thou gain this request, lady; but I do forewarn thee, if tomorrow's rising sun shall find thee and thy children within the borders of this land, thou diest; my word is spoken and it will not lie. So now, if abide thou must, stay this one day only, for in it thou canst not do any of the fearful deeds I dread. (CREON and his retinue go out.) CHORUS (chanting) Ah! poor lady, woe is thee! Alas, for thy sorrows! Whither wilt thou turn? What protection, what home or country to save thee from thy troubles wilt thou find? O Medea, in what a hopeless sea of misery heaven hath plunged thee! MEDEA On all sides sorrow pens me in. Who shall gainsay this? But all is not yet lost! think not so. Still are there troubles in store for the new bride, and for her bridegroom no light toil. Dost think I would ever have fawned on yonder man, unless to gain some end or form some scheme? Nay, would not so much as have spoken to him or touched him with my hand. But he has in folly so far stepped in that, though he might have checked my plot by banishing me from the land, he hath allowed me to abide this day, in which I will lay low in death three of my enemies-a father and his daughter and my husband too. Now, though I have many ways to compass their death, I am not sure, friends, which I am to try first. Shall I set fire to the bridal mansion, or plunge the whetted sword through their hearts, softly stealing into the chamber where their couch is spread? One thing stands in my way. If I am caught making my way into the chamber, intent on my design, I shall be put to death and cause my foes to mock, 'Twere best to take the shortest way-the way we women are most skilled in-by poison to destroy them. Well, suppose them dead; what city will receive