Page:Tragedies of Euripides (Way 1898) v3.djvu/238

210 When thou art slaying me, with Argive dames

Chanteth my marriage-hymn: through all the house

Flutes ring!—and I am dying by thine hand!

Hades the Achilles was, no Peleus' son,

Thou profferedst me for spouse: thou broughtest me

By guile with chariot-pomp to bloody spousals."

But I—the fine-spun veil fell o'er mine eyes,

That I took not my brother in mine arms,

Who now is dead, nor kissed my sister's lips

For shame, as unto halls of Peleus bound.

Yea, many a loving greeting I deferred,

As who should come to Argos yet again.

Hapless Orestes!—from what goodly lot

By death thou art banished, what high heritage!

Out on this Goddess's false subtleties,

Who, if one stain his hands with blood of men,

Or touch a wife new-travailed, or a corpse,

Bars him her altars, holding him defiled,

Yet joys herself in human sacrifice!

It cannot be that Zeus' bride Leto bare

Such folly. Nay, I hold unworthy credence

The banquet given of Tantalus to the Gods,—

As though the Gods could savour a child's flesh!

Even so, this folk, themselves man-murderers,

Charge on their Goddess their own sin, I ween;

For I believe that none of Gods is vile.

[Exit.

(Str. 1) Dark cliffs, dark cliffs of the Twin Seas' meeting,

Where the gadfly of Io, from Argos fleeting,

Passed o'er the heave of the havenless surge

From the Asian land unto Europe's verge,