The anvil-block of Vengeance firm is set,
And Fate, the swordsmith, hammers on the bronze
Beforehand; and the child
Is brought unto his home,
And in due time the debt of guilt is paid
By the dark-souled Erinnys, famed of old,
For blood of former days.
ORESTES _and_ PYLADES _enter, disguised as Phokian travellers,
go to the door of the palace, and knock loudly_
_Orest._ What ho, boy! hear us knocking at the gate. 640
Who is within, boy? who, boy?—hear, again;
A third time now I give my summons here,
If good Ægisthos' house be hospitable.
[_A_ SLAVE _opens the door_
_Slave._ Hold, hold; I hear. What stranger comes, and whence?
_Orest._ Tell thou thy lords who over this house rule,
To whom I come and tidings new report;
And make good speed, for now the dusky car
Of night comes on apace, and it is time
For travellers in hospitable homes
To cast their anchor; and let some one come
From out the house who hath authority; 650
The lady, if so be one ruleth here,
But, seemlier far, her lord; for then no shame
In converse makes our words obscure and dim;
But man with man gains courage to speak out,
And makes his mission manifest as day.
_Enter_ CLYTÆMNESTRA
_Clytæm._ If ye need aught, O strangers, speak; for here
Is all that's fitting for a house like ours;
Warm baths,[440] and bed that giveth rest from toil,
And presence of right honest faces too;
If there be aught that needeth counsel more,
That is men's business, and to them we'll tell it. 660
_Orest._ A Daulian traveller, from Phokis come,
Am I, and as I went on business bound,
My baggage with me, unto Argos, I
(Just as I set forth,) met a man I knew not,
Who knew not me, and he then, having asked
My way and told me his, the Phokian Strophios
(For so I learnt in talking) said to me,
“Since thou dost go, my friend, for Argos bound,
In any case, tell those who gave him birth,
Remembering it right well, Orestes' death;
See thou forget it not, and whether plans 670
Prevail to fetch him home, or bury him
There where he is, a stranger evermore,
Bear back the message as thy freight for us;
For now the ribbed sides of an urn of bronze
The ashes hide of one whom men have wept.”
So much I heard and now have told; and if
I speak to kin that have a right in him
I know not, but his father sure should know it.
_Clytæm._ Ah, thou hast told how utterly our ruin
Is now complete! O Curse of this our house,
Full hard to wrestle with! How many things, 680
Though lying out of reach, thou aimest at,
And with well-darted arrows from afar
Dost bring them low! And now thou strippest me,
Most wretched one, of all that most I loved.
A lucky throw Orestes now was making,
Getting his feet from out destruction's slough;
But now the hope of high, exulting joy,
*Which this house had as healer, he scores down
As present in this fashion that we see.
_Orest._ I could have wished to come to prosperous hosts,
As known and welcomed for my tidings good;
For who to hosts is friendlier than a guest? 690
But 'twould have been as impious in my thoughts
Not to complete this matter for my friends,
By promise bound and pledged as guest to host.
_Clytæm._ Thou shalt not meet with less than thou deserv'st;
Nor wilt thou be to this house less a friend;
Another would have brought news all the same:
But since 'tis time that strangers who have made
A long day's journey find the things they need,
Lead him [_to her Slave, pointing to_ ORESTES] to these our hospitable
halls,
And these his fellow-travellers and servants: 700
There let them meet with what befits our house.
I bid thee act as one who gives account;
And we unto the masters of our house
Will tell this news, and with no lack of friends
Deliberate of this calamity.[441]
[_Exeunt_ CLYTÆMNESTRA, ORESTES, PYLADES,
_and Attendants_
_Chor._ Come then, handmaids of the palace,
When shall we with full-pitched voices
Show our feeling for Orestes?
O earth revered! thou height revered, too,
Of the mound piled o'er the body
Of our navy's kingly captain, 710
Oh, hear us now; oh, come and help us;
For 'tis time for subtle Suasion[442]
To go with them to the conflict,
And that Hermes act as escort,
He who dwells in earth's deep darkness,
In the strife where swords work mischief.
_Enter_ KILISSA
_Chor._ The stranger seems about to work some ill;
And here I see Orestes' nurse in tears.
Where then, Kilissa, art thou bound, that thus
Thou tread'st the palace-gates, and with thee comes
Grief as a fellow-traveller unbidden? 720
_Kilis._ Our mistress bids me with all speed to call
Ægisthos to the strangers, that he come
And hear more clearly, as a man from man,
This newly-brought report. Before her slaves,
Under set eyes of melancholy cast,
She hid her inner chuckle at the events
That have been brought to pass—too well for her,
But for this house and hearth most miserably,—
As in the tale the strangers clearly told.
He, when he hears and learns the story's gist,
Will joy, I trow, in heart. Ah, wretched me! 730
How those old troubles, of all sorts made up,
Most hard to bear, in Atreus' palace-halls
Have made my heart full heavy in my breast!
But never have I known a woe like this.
For other ills I bore full patiently,
But as for dear Orestes, my sweet charge,
Whom from his mother I received and nursed....
And then the shrill cries rousing me o' nights.
And many and unprofitable toils
For me who bore them. For one needs must rear
The heedless infant like an animal, 740
(How can it else be?) as his humour serves.
For while a child is yet in swaddling clothes,
*It speaketh not, if either hunger comes,
Or passing thirst, or lower calls of need;
And children's stomach works its own content.
And I, though I foresaw this, call to mind
How I was cheated, washing swaddling clothes,
And nurse and laundress did the self-same work.
I then with these my double handicrafts,
Brought up Orestes for his father dear;
And now, woe's me! I learn that he is dead, 750
And go to fetch the man that mars this house:
And gladly will he hear these words of mine.
_Chor._ And how equipped then doth she bid him come?
_Nurse._ 'How?' Speak again that I may better learn.
_Chor._ By spearmen followed, or himself alone?
_Nurse._ She bids him bring his guards with lances armed.
_Chor._ Nay, say not that to him thy lord doth hate.[443]
But bid him 'come alone,' (that so he hear
Without alarm,) 'full speed, with joyous mind,'
Since 'secret speech with messengers goes best.' 760
_Nurse._ And art thou of good cheer at this my tale?
_Chor._ But what if Zeus will turn the tide of ill?
_Nurse._ How so? Orestes, our one hope is gone.
_Chor._ Not yet; a sorry seer might know thus much.
_Nurse._ What say'st thou? Know'st thou aught besides my tale?
_Chor._ Go tell thy message; do thine errand well:
The Gods for what they care for, care enough.
_Nurse._ I then will go, complying with thy words:
May all, by God's gift, end most happily!