The Trachiniae [5]
then, as
her convoy sware?
MESSENGER
Nay, illustrious by name as by birth; she is the daughter of
Eurytus, and was once called Iole; she of whose parentage Lichas could
say nothing, because, forsooth, he asked no questions.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
Accursed, above other evil-doers, be the man whom deeds of
treachery dishonour!
DEIANEIRA
Ah, maidens, what am I to do? These latest tidings have bewildered
me!
LEADER
Go and inquire from Lichas; perchance he will tell the truth, if
thou constrain him to answer.
DEIANEIRA
Well, I will go; thy counsel is not amiss.
MESSENGER
And I, shall I wait here? Or what is thy pleasure?
DEIANEIRA
Remain;- here he comes from the house of his own accord, without
summons from me.
(Enter LICHAS)
LICHAS
Lady, what message shall I bear to Heracles? Give me thy commands,
for, as thou seest, I am going.
DEIANEIRA
How hastily thou art rushing away, when thy visit had been so long
delayed,- before we have had time for further talk.
LICHAS
Nay, if there be aught that thou would'st ask, I am at thy
service.
DEIANEIRA
Wilt thou indeed give me the honest truth?
LICHAS
Yes, be great Zeus my witness,- in anything that I know,
DEIANEIRA
Who is the woman, then, whom thou hast brought?
LICHAS
She is Euboean; but of what birth, I cannot say.
MESSENGER
Sirrah, look at me:- to whom art thou speaking, think'st thou?
LICHAS
And thou- what dost thou mean by such a question?
MESSENGER
Deign to answer me, if thou comprehendest.
LICHAS
To the royal Deianeira, unless mine eyes deceive me,- daughter
of Oeneus, wife of Heracles, and my queen.
MESSENGER
The very word that I wished to hear from thee:- thou sayest that
she is thy queen?
LICHAS
Yes, as in duty bound.
MESSENGER
Well, then, what art thou prepared to suffer, if found guilty of
failing in that duty?
LICHAS
Failing in duty? What dark saying is this?
MESSENGER
'Tis none; the darkest words are thine own.
LICHAS
I will go, I was foolish to hear thee so long.
MESSENGER
No, not till thou hast answered a brief question.
LICHAS
Ask what thou wilt; thou art not taciturn.
MESSENGER
That captive, whom thou hast brought home- thou knowest whom mean?
LICHAS
Yes; but why dost thou ask?
MESSENGER
Well, saidst thou not that thy prisoner- she, on whom thy gaze now
turns so vacantly- was Iole, daughter of Eurytus?
LICHAS
Said it to whom? Who and where is the man that will be thy witness
to hearing this from me?
MESSENGER
To many of our own folk thou saidst it: in the public gathering of
Trachinians, a great crowd heard thus much from thee.
LICHAS
Ay- said they heard-but 'tis one thing to report a fancy, and
another to make the story good.
MESSENGER
A fancy! Didst thou not say on thine oath that thou wast
bringing her us a bride for Heracles?
LICHAS
I? bringing a bride?- In the name of the gods, dear mistress, tell
me who this stranger may be?
MESSENGER
One who heard from thine own lips that the conquest of the whole
city was due to love for this girl: the Lydian woman was not its
destroyer, but the passion which this maid has kindled.
LICHAS
Lady, let this fellow withdraw: to prate with the brainsick befits
not sane man.
DEIANEIRA
Nay, I implore thee by Zeus whose lightnings go forth over the
high glens of Oeta, do not cheat me of the truth! For she to whom thou
wilt speak is not ungenerous, nor hath she yet to learn that the human
heart is inconstant to its joys. They are not wise, then, who stand
forth to buffet against Love; for Love rules the gods as he will,
and me; and why not another woman, such as I am? So I am mad indeed,
if I blame my husband, because that distemper hath seized him; or this
woman, his partner in a thing which is no shame to them, and no
wrong to me. Impossible! No; if he taught
her convoy sware?
MESSENGER
Nay, illustrious by name as by birth; she is the daughter of
Eurytus, and was once called Iole; she of whose parentage Lichas could
say nothing, because, forsooth, he asked no questions.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
Accursed, above other evil-doers, be the man whom deeds of
treachery dishonour!
DEIANEIRA
Ah, maidens, what am I to do? These latest tidings have bewildered
me!
LEADER
Go and inquire from Lichas; perchance he will tell the truth, if
thou constrain him to answer.
DEIANEIRA
Well, I will go; thy counsel is not amiss.
MESSENGER
And I, shall I wait here? Or what is thy pleasure?
DEIANEIRA
Remain;- here he comes from the house of his own accord, without
summons from me.
(Enter LICHAS)
LICHAS
Lady, what message shall I bear to Heracles? Give me thy commands,
for, as thou seest, I am going.
DEIANEIRA
How hastily thou art rushing away, when thy visit had been so long
delayed,- before we have had time for further talk.
LICHAS
Nay, if there be aught that thou would'st ask, I am at thy
service.
DEIANEIRA
Wilt thou indeed give me the honest truth?
LICHAS
Yes, be great Zeus my witness,- in anything that I know,
DEIANEIRA
Who is the woman, then, whom thou hast brought?
LICHAS
She is Euboean; but of what birth, I cannot say.
MESSENGER
Sirrah, look at me:- to whom art thou speaking, think'st thou?
LICHAS
And thou- what dost thou mean by such a question?
MESSENGER
Deign to answer me, if thou comprehendest.
LICHAS
To the royal Deianeira, unless mine eyes deceive me,- daughter
of Oeneus, wife of Heracles, and my queen.
MESSENGER
The very word that I wished to hear from thee:- thou sayest that
she is thy queen?
LICHAS
Yes, as in duty bound.
MESSENGER
Well, then, what art thou prepared to suffer, if found guilty of
failing in that duty?
LICHAS
Failing in duty? What dark saying is this?
MESSENGER
'Tis none; the darkest words are thine own.
LICHAS
I will go, I was foolish to hear thee so long.
MESSENGER
No, not till thou hast answered a brief question.
LICHAS
Ask what thou wilt; thou art not taciturn.
MESSENGER
That captive, whom thou hast brought home- thou knowest whom mean?
LICHAS
Yes; but why dost thou ask?
MESSENGER
Well, saidst thou not that thy prisoner- she, on whom thy gaze now
turns so vacantly- was Iole, daughter of Eurytus?
LICHAS
Said it to whom? Who and where is the man that will be thy witness
to hearing this from me?
MESSENGER
To many of our own folk thou saidst it: in the public gathering of
Trachinians, a great crowd heard thus much from thee.
LICHAS
Ay- said they heard-but 'tis one thing to report a fancy, and
another to make the story good.
MESSENGER
A fancy! Didst thou not say on thine oath that thou wast
bringing her us a bride for Heracles?
LICHAS
I? bringing a bride?- In the name of the gods, dear mistress, tell
me who this stranger may be?
MESSENGER
One who heard from thine own lips that the conquest of the whole
city was due to love for this girl: the Lydian woman was not its
destroyer, but the passion which this maid has kindled.
LICHAS
Lady, let this fellow withdraw: to prate with the brainsick befits
not sane man.
DEIANEIRA
Nay, I implore thee by Zeus whose lightnings go forth over the
high glens of Oeta, do not cheat me of the truth! For she to whom thou
wilt speak is not ungenerous, nor hath she yet to learn that the human
heart is inconstant to its joys. They are not wise, then, who stand
forth to buffet against Love; for Love rules the gods as he will,
and me; and why not another woman, such as I am? So I am mad indeed,
if I blame my husband, because that distemper hath seized him; or this
woman, his partner in a thing which is no shame to them, and no
wrong to me. Impossible! No; if he taught