Page:Tragedies of Seneca (1907) Miller.djvu/201

Rh Thy brow so troubled? Truly is my sire In safety, Phaedra safe, and their two sons. Nurse: Thou need'st not fear for them; the kingdom stands In prosperous estate, and all thy house Rejoices in the blessings of the gods. But Oh, do thou with greater kindness look Upon thy fortune. For my heart is vexed And anxious for thy sake; for thou thyself With grievous sufferings dost bruise thy soul. If fate compels it, one may be forgiven For wretchedness; but if, of his own will, A man prefers to live in misery, Brings tortures on himself, then he deserves To lose those gifts he knows not how to use. Be mindful of thy youth; relax thy mind. Lift high the blazing torch on festal nights; Let Bacchus free thee from thy weighty cares; Enjoy this time which speeds so swiftly by. Now is the time when love comes easily, And smiles on youth. Come, let thy soul rejoice. Why dost thou lie upon a lonely couch? Dissolve in pleasures that grim mood of thine, And snatch the passing joys; let loose the reins. Forbid that these, the best days of thy life, Should vanish unenjoyed. Its proper hue Has God allotted to each time of life, And leads from step to step the age of man. So joy becomes the young, a face severe The agéd. Why dost thou restrain thyself, And strangle at their birth the joys of life? That crop rewards the farmer's labor most Which in the young and tender sprouting-time Runs riot in the fields. With lofty top That tree will overspread the neighboring grove, Which no begrudging hand cuts back or prunes. So do our inborn powers a richer fruit Of praise and glory bear, if liberty, Unchecked and boundless, feed the noble soul.