Page:Tragedies of Euripides (Way 1894) v1.djvu/115

Rh Woman, of thy tempestuous-railing tongue.

I—for thy kindness tower-high thou pilest—

Deem Kypris saviour of my voyaging,

Her, and none other or of Gods or men.

A subtle wit thou hast—what need to force me

To tell the tale how Love, by strong compulsion

Of shafts unerring, made thee save my life?

Yet take I not account too strict thereof;

For, in that thou didst save me, thou didst well.

Howbeit, more hast thou received than given

Of this my safety, as my words shall prove:—

First, then, in Hellas dwell'st thou, in the stead

Of land barbaric, knowest justice, learnest

To live by law without respect of force.

And all the Greeks have heard thy wisdom's fame.

Renown is thine: but if on earth's far bourn

Thou dwelledst yet, thou hadst not lived in story.

Now mine be neither gold mine halls within,

Nor sweeter song be mine than Orpheus sang,

If my fair fortune be to fame unknown.

Thus far of my great labours have I spoken,—

Since thou flung'st down this challenge to dispute:—

But, for thy railings on my royal marriage,

Herein will I show, first, that wise I was;

Then, temperate; third, to thee the best of friends

And to my children—nay, but hear me out.

When I came hither from Iolkos-land

With many a desperate fortune in my train,

What happier treasure-trove could I have found

Than to wed—I, an exile—with a princess?

Not—where it galls thee—loathing couch of thine,

And for a new bride smitten with desire,

Nor eager I to multiply mine offspring;—