Page:House of Atreus 2nd ed (1889).djvu/208

172 Wasting Earth's offspring,—Justice, hear my call!—

And thorough all the land in deadly wise

Shall scatter venom, to exude again

In pestilence on men.

What cry avails me now, what deed of blood,

Unto this land what dark despite?

Alack, alack, forlorn

Are we, a bitter injury have borne,

Alack, O sisters, O dishonoured brood

Of mother Night!

Nay, bow ye to my words, chafe not nor moan:

Ye are not worsted nor disgraced; behold,

With balanced vote the cause had issue fair,

Nor in the end did aught dishonour thee.

But thus the will of Zeus shone clearly forth,

And his own prophet-god avouched the same,

Orestes slew: his slaying is atoned.

Therefore I pray you, not upon this land

Shoot forth the dart of vengeance; be appeased,

Nor blast the land with blight, nor loose thereon

Drops of eternal venom, direful darts

Wasting and marring nature's seed of growth.

For I, the queen of Athens' sacred right,

Do pledge to you a holy sanctuary

Deep in the heart of this my land, made just

By your indwelling presence, while ye sit

Hard by your sacred shrines that gleam with oil

Of sacrifice, and by this folk adored.

Woe on you, younger gods! the ancient right

Ye have o'erridden, rent it from my hands.