Page:Tragedies of Seneca (1907) Miller.djvu/266

248 Great praise and mighty triumph by my act: I have forestalled thee, Juno, in the death Of this thy rival. Hyllus: Wouldst to ruin doom Thy house already tottering? This crime, Whate'er it is, is all from error sprung. He is not guilty who unwilling sins. Deianira: Whoe'er ignores his fate and spares himself, Deservedly has erred, deserves to die. Hyllus: He must be guilty who desires to die. Deianira: Death, only, makes the erring innocent. Hyllus: Fleeing the sun— Deianira: The sun himself flees me. Hyllus: Wouldst leave thy life? Deianira: A wretched life indeed; I long to go where Hercules has gone. Hyllus: He still survives, and breathes the air of heaven. Deianira: Alcides died when first he was o'ercome. Hyllus: Wilt leave thy son behind? forestall thy fates? Deianira: She whom her own son buries has lived long. Hyllus: Follow thy husband. Deianira: Chaste wives go before. Hyllus: Who dooms himself to death confesses sin. Deianira: No sinner seeks to shirk his punishment. Hyllus: The life of many a man has been restored Whose guilt in judgment not in action lay. Who blames the lot by fate assigned to him? Deianira: He blames it to whom Catenas been unkind. Hyllus: But Hercules himself killed Megara, And by his raging hands with deadly darts Transfixed his sons. Still, though a parricide, Thrice guilty, he forgave himself the deed, Blaming his madness. In Cinyphian waves In Libya's land he washed his sin away, And cleansed his hands. Then why, poor soul, shouldst thou So hastily condemn thine own misdeeds? Deianira: The fact that I have ruined Hercules Condemns my deeds. I welcome punishment.