!ί I ^{!ί!|ϋ ^lii- iiililii '"m\ it itfi ^ I ■i,m ■^κτή J" Ήλ» nuirt tfti ίΤ d4i THE TRAGEDIES Ο F SOPHOCL ES, From the GREEK; By THOMAS FRANCKLIN, M. A. Fellow of Trinity-College, and Greek Profeflbr in the Univeriity of Cambridge. VOL. I. Nulla Sophocleo veniet jadura cothurno. V^» <' //rinm.i in, Wu.lm rr Portico . Β . T^j'f'cr or thini J^ortico . C" . J lie >SV(Hi' 1) . J III• J^ro^ifniit/n . Ε . Tfie Hvpo/rcnium F . Τ/η-Ήηνη,'/^. G . Till• Para/reuiurii. Η . Tlif Orchf/fra . I . The Seat^Y. K. Tlif St(iir-ca/e^. L Trlan<^iilar ^fachhtfj• /or the Scenerw DISSERTATION ο Ν ΑΝΤΙΕΝΤ TRAGEDY. ^V^W?iP?^r^^f^f^'" W^ [ 3 J WHILST the tafte, genius, and knowledge of the an- cients, have been univerfally felt and acknowledged in every other part of polite literature, it is mat- ter of admiration to coniider, that the Greek Theatre iliould fo long have remain'd in negleil and obfcurity. In philofophy, morals, oratory, and heroic poetry, in every art and fcience, we look back to Greece, as the ftandard and model of perfedlion : the ruins of Athens afford, even to this day, frefh pleafure and delight; and, nothing but her flage feems to be forgotten by us. Homer, Xenophon, Demofthenes, and many other eminent Greek writers, have of late years put on an Englilli habit, and gain'd admiffion even into what is call'd polite company ; whilu: iEfchylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, ftiil lurk in fchools and colleges ; and very feldom make their appearance, at leaft with dirty leaves, in the libraries of the great. To what fhall we attribute a judgment fo capricious and fo unaccountable ? partly, perhaps, to the hafty feverity of ignorant foes, and partly, to the outrageous zeal of * miftaken friendfhip. The fate of Antient Tragedy hath, indeed, been fingularly unfortunate : fome paint- ers have drawn a too flattering likenefs of her ; whilft others, have prefented us with nothing but a caricature ; fome exalt the Greek drama, as the moft perfed; of all human compofitions, without the leaft fpot or bleniifli ; whilft others affcd- to call it the infant ftate of the ftage, weak, inhrm and imperfed: ; and A 2 as * The remarks, which are handed down to us on Antient Tragedy, have hitherto, for the moft part, confifted of mere verbal criticifms, various read- ings, or general and trite exclamations of undiftinguiihing applauio. made !iy dull and phlegmatic commentators, totally void of talle and judgment ; add to this, that the old tragedians have been iliamefully difguifed and milrepre- fented to the unlearned, by the falle medium of bad tranllations. [ 4 ] ^s fuch, treat it with the higheft degree oF negligence and con- tempt : exaggerated thus on the one hand by the extravagant encomiums ot iniudicious learning, and debafed on the other by the raih ccnfures" of modern petulance, it's real and intrinfic me- rit hath ncΛ•er been thoroughly known, or candidly enquired into : the heft method however in this, as in every other difputed point, is to fct afide all prejudice and authority, and deter- mine the caufe by ' our own reafon and judgment, from a fair, full, and impartial view of it. That the fpeftator may be able to form a proper and com- plete idea of any objeft prefented to him, it is necefiary to place him in fuch a iituation, as that his eye may at once compre- hend the whole, and every part of it : for this purpofe, I have colleilcd and ranged in order a few materials, which, in the hands of fome abler vv^riter, may poiTibly lay the foundation for a complete hiftory of the Antient Drama ; in the mean time, the following ilieets confine themfelves to, and pretend to no more than, a brief account of the origin and progrefs of the Greek Tragedy ; it's end and purport, the feveral parts, proper- ties, and condudl of it ; the conftrudion, fcenery, and decora- tions of the theatre ; to which is added, a tranfient, but neceil'ary view of the genius, charafter and fituation, religion, morals and politics of the people, before whom it was reprefented ; toge- ther with a fhort iketch of the lives and charaders of the three great tragedians. Ο Ν C 5 ] On the Origin of TRAGEDY. NOTHING is more agreeable to the inquifitive mind, than to trace the gradual improvement of any art or fcience ; to mark the caufes of it's growth and culture, and purfue it through it's various ftages of perfedion : it is much to be lamented therefore, that neither Ariftotle, nor any other writer on Antient Tragedy, hath given us an exact or regular ac- count of it's progrefs and advancement from the time of it's birth to that of it's maturity and fplendor ; the few fcatter'd anecdotes, which remain concerning it, rather ferving to awaken our curiofity than to afford us any full and fatisfadory inform- ation. Tragedy was, in it's infancy, like every other produdion of human art, extremely weak, low, and contemptible : that wide and deep ftream, which flows with fuch ftrength and rapidity through cultivated Greece, took it's rife from a fmall and incon- fiderable fountain, which hides itfelf in the receifes of antiquity, and is almoft: buried in oblivion : the name alone remains to give us feme light into it's original nature, and to inform us that Tragedy, like every other fpecies of poetry, owed it's birth • to religion. Tragedy, or the § fong of the goat, was only a facred hymn; Bacchus, we are told, the firft cultivator of vines, imparted his fecret § Fi^^iim" Τξ^α^Ό?, a goat, and w/», a fong. The commentators, not content with this molt natural and obvious interpretation, have given us fevera! others. Some of them turn T^ayaxi'ia. into TgyQ/wtTia, and ίο derive it from Τουξ, the lee.'; C 6 ] fccrct to a petty prince in Attica, named Icarius, who, happen- ing one day to efpy a goat, browzing on his plantations, imme- diately feized and offcr'd him up as a iacrihce to his divine bene- tador : tlie pealants ailcmblcd round their mafter, affifted in the ceremony, and cxprefs'd their joy and gratitude, in fongs and dances on the occafion ; the || facrihcc grew into a feftival, and the feftival into an annual iolemnity, attended moft probably every year with additional circumftances, when the countrymen riock'd together in crowds, and fung in ruftic ftrains the praifes of their favourite deity. The rural facrifice became, in procefs of time, a folemn feaft, and afiumed all the pomp and fplendor of a religious ceremony ; poets were employed by the magif- trate to compofe hymns or fongs for the occafion : fuch was the rudenefs and fimpiicity of the age, that their bards con- tended for a prize, which, as § Horace intimates, was fcarce worth Ices of wine, with which we are tokl the adlors fmear'd their fices : others inform us, that Τξυξ fignifiei:, new wine, a ikin of which was, it feems, ufualiy given to the poet (like the butt of fack to our laureats) as a reward for his labours : but I ύ^z\\ i.ot trouble my reader with the enumeration of their whimikal conjedtures. II This ftory is told by Brumoy, and by twenty others, with little variation. It feems, notwithflanding, to carry with it the air of a fiition, fo far as it re- gards Icarius, who feems only to have been introduced becaufe Icaria was famous for vines, and (as S.pon tells us in his voyage to Italy) was the firll place where they facrificed a goat to Bacchus, and alio, where tragedies and comedies were firil exliibited ; but fureiy the fong of the goat might be ac- counted for, without application to any particular perfon. Bacchus, being the acknowledged inventor and cultivator of the vine, it was moft natural that the firft planters fhould facrifice to him the deftroyers of it j the goat being a crea- ture as remaikalilv fond of the le;;ves of the vine, as his facrificer was of the juice of the grape; we fhall find that he fell a vidim not to Bacchus alone; and that the poet, as well as the god, came in for a ihare of him. I Vilem certavit ob hircum. Art. Poet. [ 7 ] worth contending for ; being no more than a goat or ikin of wine, which was given to the happy poet, who acquitted him- felt beft in the taik ailign'd to him. This was probably the period, when Thefpis firft pointed out the tragic path, by his introduction of a new perfonagc, who reheved the Chorus or troop of fingers, by reciting part of fome well-known hiftory or fible, which gave time ior the Chorus to reft. All, that the adlor J repeated between the fongs of the Chorus, was calFd an epifode or additional part ; confiding often of different adventures, which had no connedion with each other. Thus the Chorus, or fong, which was at hrft the only, and afterwards the principal performance, became gradually and infeniibly but an inconfiderable, though, as we fhall fee here- after, a neceifary and ornamental part of the drama. From this time, we may imagine, the adlor or reciter was more attended to than the Chorus ; however his part was executed, it had the powerful charms of novelty to recommend it, and quickly obfcured the luftre of the Chorus, whofe fongs were now of a different nature, infomuch, that the original fubjeft of them, the praife of Bacchus, was by degrees either ilightly mention'd, or totally pafs'd over and forgotten : the priefts, who, we may fuppofe, for a long time preiided over the whole, were alarm'd at fo open a contempt of the deity, and unanimoufly exclaim'd, that all this § was nothing to Bacchus ; the complaint grew into a kind of proverbial flying, and as fuch is handed down to us. From the origin of Tragedy, to the days of Thefpis, and from his time to that of iEfchylus, all is doubt, conjedure and ob- fcurity ; ί When Tragedy aflumed a regular form, thefe recitations which, during it's imperfed: ftate, were only adventitious ornaoients, became the principal and conftituent parts of the drama, the fubjedl of them, drawn from one and the fame adion, retaining their firil name of epifode. § vS'sv τζοί Λιονυσον, [ 8 ] fcunty ; neither Ariflotle, nor any other antient writer, give us the Icaft inhglit into the Ibtc and progrefs of the Greek drama : if his trcatifc calfd || Δαα,σ-καλιχι had reach'd pofterity, it would probably have afforded us much pleafure and inftrudlion : the names of a few, and but a few tragedians, during this dark pe- riod, are handed down to us : fuch were § Epigenes, the Sicyo- iiian, and Pratinas, who wrote fifty plays, thirty-two of which arc faid to have been fatyrical : after Thefpis, came his fcholar Phrynicus, who wrote nine tragedies, for f one of which we are told Ke was fined fifty drachmas, becaufe he had made it (an odd reafon) too deep, and too alTeiling : there was alfo ano- ther Phrynicus, author of |1|| two tragedies ; to thefe we muft add §§ Alcaeus, Phormus, and | Chcerilus ; together with Ccphifodorus, an Athenian, who wrote the Amazons, and Apol- lophanes, fuppofed to have been the author of a tragedy, named Daulis ; though Suidas is of another opinion. Tragedy, during the lives of thefe writers, had in all proba- bility made but a flow progrefs, and received very little culture or improvement, when at length the great ^fchylus arofe, who from this rude and undigefted chaos, created as it were a new world in the fvftem. ol letters. Poets, and even epic poets there might perhaps have been before Homer ; dramatic writers there certainly were before ji^fchylus, the former notwithftanding we may with the utmoft propriety ftile the inventor and father of heroic II This treatile contain'd an exadl account of the names, tiines, ana authors of all the plays that were ever adted. § The Bacchae, a tragedy of his, is cited by Athenaeus. •j- See Strabo, Herodotus and Plutarch. (Ill Call'd, Andromeda and Erigone. §§ Mention'd by Macrobius and Pollux. X Choerilus is faid to have written no lefs than a hundred and twenty iragcdiee. C 9 ] heroic poefry, arid tlic latter of the antient drama, which before his time doth not appear to have had any form, ihape or beauty. He firft introduced dialogue, that moil cfTcntial part of tragedy, by the addition of a fecopd perfonage, threw the whole fable into action, and reftored the chorus to it's antient dignity. ^. \ jfescHYLUs, having like a. tender parent endow'd his d^rhng child with every mental accompliihment, feem'd refolved that no external ornaments fhould be wanting to render her univer- fally amiable: he cloathed her therefore in the moil fplendid ha- bit, and beftow'd on her every thing that art could procure to heighthen and improve her charms. We know, from good autho- rity, that fifty years before his time Thefpis exhibited his rude performances in a cart, and befmear'd the faces of his aclors with' the lees of wine, probably to difguife their perfons and give them the appearance of thofe whom they reprefented ; but JECchylus, who as being himfelf author, adtor, and manager, took upon him the whole condud, of the drama, did not negledl any part of it ; he improved the icenery and decorations, brought his- adlors into a regular and well-conftrufted theatre, raifed his he- roes on the cothurnus or buikin, invented the maiques, and in- troduced fplendid -f habits with long trains that gave an air of majelly and dignity to the performers. From the time when tragedy began to aiTume a regular form, we find her clofely following the fteps of epic poetry j all the parts of the epopee, or heroic poem, may be traced in tragedy, though, as Ariftotle obferves, all the parts of tragedy are not to be found in the epopee j whence the partifans of the flage with Β fome •f• perfon.T, palln?que repertor honefla; jEfchylus, 6c modicis inilravit pulpita tignis, flO Et docuit magnumque loqui, nitiquc cothurno. HoR, [ Ό ] fomc reafon conclude, that pcrfedion in, the former is more diffi- cult to be attain'd than in the latter. Without entriiag into, this difpute, we may venture however to ilile* Homer the fourcc and fountain of the Antient drama; from, him the tragedian^ drcVv tiieplan, conftrudion, and conduft of their fables, and ηοζ unlfcquently the fable itfclf ; to him they applied' for ^rdpTjiety of manners, charader, fentiment and didtion. ' h From this a^ra then, we are to confider tragedy as an elegant and noble llrudlure, built according to the rules of art, fymmetry;' and proportion ; whofe every part was in itfelf fair, firm and compacil, and at the fame time contributed to the beauty, ' ufe- fulncfs and duration of the whole edifice. Sophocles and Euri- pides carefully ftudied the plan laid down by ^fchylus, and by their fuperior genius and judgment improved it in a fhort time to it's highcft ftate of perfedion, from which it gradually declined to the introdudtion of the RomAn drama. * Homer, fays Ariftotle, was the firft, who μψ.•ή<»ία ,ί'ξα,μκτικΛί iiroiwi, * invented dramatic imitations.' * There was no more left ior tragedy (fays * Lord Shaftfbury) than to eredt a ftage, and draw his dialogues and charac- * ters into fcenes, turning in the fame manner upon one principal adtion or I event, with regard to place and time j which was fuitable to a real fpedtacle/ See Charaderift. vol. II. On On the parts of Antient Tragedy. k AMONGST many other erroneous opinions concerning the Greek tragedy, adopted by modern editors and commenta- tors, the unwarrantable divifion, which they have made of it into II adls, is perhaps the moil remarkable, as there doth not feem to be the leaft ground or foundation for it : in the firft place, neither Athenceus, nor any of the antient writers, who have given us quo- tations from the Greek plays, mention the aft where the feveral paflages are to be found ; which they would moft naturally have done, had any fuch divillon ever taken place. It may be like- wife obferved, that the word § Adl does not once occur in that treatife of Ariftotle, which gives us fo exa<£i a definition of every part of the Greek drama ; add to this, that the tragedies them- felves carry with them fufficient proof that no fuch thing was ever thought on by the authors of them ; notwithftanding which, •f Vofllus, Barnes, and feveral other editors have difcover'd an office of the chorus, which the poet never affigii'd them, namely, their ufe in dividmg the adls, the intervals of which were fup- B 2 p'.ied II See a diirertatlon on this fubjeft, by Monf, Vatry, in the hift. de I'acad. vol. 8, p. i8B. § The word J^^au*> which we tranilate an a^- fignifies the whole per- formance, or drama, and could not poflibly therefore mean any one particular part of it. •f Chorus, fays Voffius, pars fabulse poil adum, vel inter ailam & ailum. See inft. poet. 1. 2. [ 12 ] plied by their fongs ; though it is evident that the buiinefs of the choriiS (as will fufficicntly appear in the following account of it) was, on the other hand, to prevent any fucli unnatural paufc or vacancy in the drama, as the divifion into ads muft ncceil;irily- produce ; befides that, if we take the word ad: in that fcnfe, which the modern ufe of it demands, we iliall find it in the Greek tragedies compofed fometimes of a fmgle fcene, and fometimes of half a dozen ; and |1 if the fongs or intermedes of the chorus are to determine the number of ads, the play will confift not always of five, according to our own cuftom, but at. one time of only three, and at another of feven or eight. § Ho- race has indeed told us, that there fhould be" but five ads ; but it does not from thence follow that it always was fo : the truth after all is, that this miftake, as well as many others, arofe from an error common to almoft the whole race of writers and critics on antient tragedy, who have unanimoufiy agreed to confound the Greek and Roman drama, concluding them both to be go- vern'd by the fame laws, though they are in many parts eiTenti^ ally diftcrent : they never allow for the time between Ariftotle and Horace, but leap from one to the other with the utmoft agility : II On loolcing into the chorufles of Sophocles as they ftand in the original, we find that the Ajax, befides the -ζομ,μοι (which will be explain'd hereafter) has five, which are thus unequally divided; to the firft adl two> the fecond one j the third one; the fourth one; the fifth none at all : the Trachinia; has fix; the Eledra but three; and the Philodletes but one regular fong or intermede in the whole plr.y• If it be granted therefore, as I think it is on all hands, that wherever we meet with ftrophe and antiArophe, and there only we are to conceive that the chorus fang, nothing can be more abfurd than to make thofe fongs dividers of the adh, when it is evident that the chorus fung only as occafion ofi^er'd, and. tbe.circumftances of the drama required, which ac- counts for the irregularity and difference in the number» of them. Κ the reader will take the trouble to examine the antient tragedies, he will find what 1 have faid confiirni'd in ev«ry one of them. § Neve minor, ncu fit quinto produdior adu. [ '3 ] agility : it is plain however, from J the reafons here mention'd, that the antient Greek tragedy was one continued reprefentation from beginninoc to end. The divifion into ails therefore is undoubtedly a piece of mo- dern refinement ; which, as much may be faid on both fides, I ihall not ftop either to condemn or approve, but proceed to the only divifion, which the antients ever made ; a divifion, which nature points out to this and every other compofition, viz. a § begin- ning, a middle, and an end ; or, in the words of Ariftotle, the prologue, the epifodc, and the exode. The prologue of antient tragedy, was not unlike the τΓζοα,υλίον ΟΓ ovcrturc in mufic, or the prooemium in oratory, containing all that part of the drama, which ^ preceded the firft fong, or intermede of the chorus. What j: Many other reafons equally forcible might be aliedged, fome of which the reader will find fcatter'd about in the notes to my Tranflation of Sophocles. I Ihall only obferve here, that the old editions of the Greek tragedies, fo far from dividing them into ads, do not fo much as 'make the leaft reparation of the fcenes ; even the names of the perfons are not always properly afiix'd to the fpeeches } no notice is taken of the entrances and exits of the adlors ; the afides are never mark'd, nor any of the geftures or adtions, which frequently cccur, pointed out to us in the margin j defeds which, however inconfiderable, may miilead the young and injudicious reader, and which ought therefore to be careiully fupplied by the critic or tranllator. § The caufe and defign of undertaking any adion are the beginning; the effeds of thofe caufes and the difficulties we find in the execution of tiiat de- ign are the middle ; the unravelling and rcfolving thofe difficulties are the end. See Boffu's treatife on epic poetry. Ί Ariftotle muft certainly be underftood to mean not the firft entrance, but the firft fong or intermede of the chorus ; becaufe, as Dacier and other wri- ters have obferved, there are tragedies (as the Perfae and Suppliants of ^fchy- lus) where the chorus enters firlt on the ftage and opens the play ; to luch therefore, if Ariftotle meant the fpeaking and not the fong, there would oe no prologue > a contradidion, which is avoided by underftanding what is here faid of the ττα^οίΤο?, or firft fong, which never begins till the prologue is over, and iTiatter furnifti'd to the chorue for the intermede, [ 14 ] WuAT AriHotlc calls the prologue ίΙιουΜ contain, according to the anticnt critics, all thofe circumflances, which are neceffary to be known for the better underftanding and comprehenilon of the whole drama, as, the place of the fcene, the time when the adlion comincnces, the names and charadlers of the perfons conccm'd, together with fuch an infight into the plot as might awaken the curiofity of the fpedator without letting him too far into the defign and" conduct of it. This, however eafy it may fccm at firft view, is fo difficult, that it has fcarce ever been per- form'd to any degree of pcrfedion. Of the Greek tragedians, Sophocles alone Icctus to have fucceeded in this particular, the prologues of * iEfc hylus being quite rude and inartificial, and thofe of Euripides for the moft: part tedious and confufed. The EP ISO DE is all that part of the tragedy, which is between the fongs or intermedes of the chorus : this anfwers to our fecond, third, and fourth ail, and comprehends all the in- tTifca to have written feventy-hve tragedies, only nineteen of which are now extant; lome * letters of Euripides, handed down to us, take notice of a quarrel between him and Sophocles, and give an account alfo of their perfect reconciliation ; though Iiis tragedies were for the moft pirt well received by his cotemporaries, we may imagine that, like other poets, he met with fome ill treatment from them, as we hnd him ia the latter part of his life at the court of Archelaus, king of Macedon, who loaded him with favours, and treated him with all the refpciil due to his character and abilities ; there, we are told, he lived in great affluence and iplendor about three years, when unfortunately wandering one day into a folitary place, he was fet on by a pack of hounds, and || torn to pieces, at the age of feventy-five. Aulus Gehius informs us, that the Athenians fent to Macedon for his body, and had prepared to grace it with a pompous and fplendid funeral, but the Macedonians refuiing to deliver it, they contented themfelves with ereding a magnihcenC tomb to his memory, and graving his name and honours on the empty marble ; a copy of his works was carefully depoiited amongft the archives, and fo highly eiteem'd, that a king of JEgypt in vain for a long time foHcited a copy of them, which the X Some commentators corred: the text of A. Gelliui, and make it iiftean. * The Engliih reader may find thefe letters at the end of my tranflation ef the Epiftles of Phalaris, publlih'd in 1749. II One of his biographers acquaints us, that the dogs were planted there ori purpoie, and fet on by a. brother bard, grown jealous of his rifing reputation, who took this opportunity to difpatch him ; whether there be any truth in the whole itory is extremely difputable ; the author however might very well ex- pert to gain credit for it, as it has been cuftomary time out of mind, and. con• tinues fo to this day, for rival poets to tear one another to pieces. [ 5+ J the Athenians pofitively refufed, till a famine happening in Greece, tlie king in return refilled to fell them corn ; neceffity at laft prevaiHng, they parted with the manufcript, and the king ac- knowledged fo lingular a flwour, by permitting the merchants of Athens to take away as much corn as they wanted, without pay- ing the ufual tribute. In fjch high cileem were the works of this poet, that many noble Athenians being taken prifoners at % Syracufe, the unfor- tunate captives were all put to death, except thofe, who could re- peat any paiiiges from the plays of Euripides ; thefe men, and thefe alone they pardon'd, carefs'd, treated with the utmoft re- fped, and afterwards fet them at liberty, Euripides, fortunately for his own charadler as well as for pofterity, is come down to us more perfedl and entire than ei- ther of his cotemporaries ; his merit therefore is more eafily afcer- tain'd ; his fables are generally interefting, his plots frequently irregular and artificial, his charadters fometimes unequal, but for the moil part ftriking and well contrafted, his fentiments remark- ably fine, juft and proper, his didion foft, elegant, and per- fuafive ; he abounds much more in moral apophthegms and reflec- tions than iEfchylus or Sophocles, which as they are not always introduced with propriety give fome of his tragedies a ftift and fcholaftic appearance, with which the fevercr critics have not fail'd to reproach him : it is moft probable however that in this he complied with the tafte of his age, and in obedience to the didates of his friend and mailer Socrates, who, we may fuppofe, thought it no difgrace to this favourite poet, to deviate from the rigid rules of the drama, in order to render it more iubfervient to the noble purpofes ot piety and virtue ; there is be- fides t This ftory is told at large, in a fi-nal! and elegant trail lately publid-i'd, intidcd, an Eiiay on the iniiuence of Philofophy upon the fine arts, p. 21. [ 55 ] ildes in hh dialogue a didaclic and argumentative turn, which favours ftrongly of the Socratic difputant, and which probably procured him the name of the * philofopher of the theatre. It is faid of Sophocles, that he painted men as they ought to be ; of Euripides, that he painted them as they were ; a quaint remark, which I ihall leave the critics to comment and explain, only obferving, that the latter is much more familiar than the former, defcends much lower into private life, and confequently lets down in fome meafure the dignity of the buikin, which in Sophocles is always carefully fupported : there are fome fcenes in Euripides where the ideas are fo courfe, and the expreiuon fo low and vulgar, as, if tranilatcd with the utmoft caution, would perhaps greatly ihock the delicacy and refinement of modern manners j the feeling reader notwithftanding will be amply re- compenced by that large portion of the tender and pathetic, the peculiar excellency of this poet, which is diffufed throughout his works ; his choruiTes are remarkably beautiful and poetical, they do not indeed, as Ariftotle has obferved, always naturally ariie from and correfpond with the incidents of the drama ; this fault however his chorufles generally make amends for by the harmony of their numbers, and the many fine moral and religious fenti- ments, v/hich they contain. Upon the whole, though Euripides had not perhaps fo fublime a genius as ^Efchyius, or a judgment fo perfedt as Sophocles, he feems to have written more to the heart than either of them ; and if I were to place him with the other two in the fchool of paint- ers, I fhould be inclined, from the foftnefs of his pencil, to call him the Corregio of the antient drama. f φΊλοαΟ^βί ΤΠί ffXMCMi» FRO η [ 56 ] JP R Ο Μ the works of thcfe three illuilrious writers, and from ■■- them ^ alone we muft draw all our knowledge of the anti- ent Greek tragedy, which in the view we have here taken of It appears to be lull, complete and perfed, and has been mife- rabjy disjointed and torn to pieces by the moderns : from the nuns of this noble edifice have arifen two very imperfed: ftruc- tures, the opera and tragedy of latter times, both greatly though not equally defedive, the former, confining itfelf merely to the eye and ear, makes but a flight imprelTion on the mind, whilil: the latter, from it's omiilion of the chorus, mufic, fcenery, and deco- ration, falls iLort of that beauty and perfedlion, which is only to be found in the antient drama ; we muft at the fame time fairlv acknowledge that our manners and cuftoms, our opinions, views talte and judgment, are fo different from thofe of Greece that Ζ a'\'l ^^ ""? "''""' ^^ ^""'^ '^^P^^ ^ P^°pe^ niodel and Itanaard for modern poets, and muft, after all we can ad- vance in It s favour, always remain among thofe reproachful mo- numents of the purity and fimplicity of former ages, which we cannot imitate though we are forced to admire. >•ατ muft be confefs'd, that antient traaedy hath it's fiiare wuh every thing elfe of human imperfedionl too ftridl an atten- tion to the unities hath fetter'd and confined it; many of it's beauties are -merely local and temporal; the plots We freyently uninterefting, aVewincunL^IrW-en/^^ tragedians; all the reft, ex4pt oblivion. i'-^^'^^ents, Idl a facrince to barbanty, and are buried in [ 57 ] uninterefting, and ill-conduacd, the fpeccl.es cither too long or ωό ftort, ic expreffions fometimes courfc and n^dc hcate ; in the general management and reprefentation of the «hole, too much Ifacrificed to popular prejudice, fupcftmon and vamty, the nJ ing paffions of an Athenian audie,>ce ; too ftrong an attachment to the laws, cuftoms, and form of government then prevadmg, threw a dull air of uniformity over the drama ; the fame ftory, the fame charaders and featiments, even the fame expre Uons too often occur in different tragedies ; that fnnphcuy, wluch^ fo d,l- tineuUVd the manners of the antients, had naturally .t s mflu- cnee over their tafte alfo ; they feleftcd one pla.n but nob!e ob- iea, and all the variety, which their dramatic poets am, d at or Which the fpeaators required of them, was to p.ace that m ditt.r- ent li >/ Thy hand deilroy'd my country, and my mother ; F Death J'he bread of β^ύτ)'. This is literally tranflated ; the expreilion is much in the ftile of the icriptures, where we meet with the bread of Ιυιτονν, the bread of wickednefs, the bread of fincerity, and the like. ^4 A J A Χ. Death InatchM ifly father to the realms below ; Depriv'd of thee what country will receive me, Or uhcre fhall 1 fubfift ? Thou art my all, My only fafe-guard : do ndt, do not leave me! Nought ίο becomes a man as gratitude For good receiv'd, and noble deeds are ftill The offspring of benevolence, whilft he With whom remembrance dies of blefllngs paft Is vile and worthlefs. CHORUS. Ο ! that thou cou'dft feel Pity like mine for this unhappy woman ! Then wou'dft thou fay her words deferve thy praife, A J A X. And prais'd fhe fhall be if fhe but perform What I require. TECMESSA. In all will I obey thee, My dcarefl: Ajax ! A J A X. I wou'd fee my child ; Let him be brought. TECMESSA. I hid him from thy fight l3ccaufe of AJAX. A J A χ. 59 A J A X. My diftemper, was it not ? TECMESSA. It was : I fear'd indeed thou might'ft deftroy him. A J A X. And well thou might'ft : a deed like that became My fad condition. TECMESSA. Therefore to prevent it I kept him from thee. A J A X. I approve thy caution. TECMESSA. What wou'dit thou have me do? A J A X. Let me behold And ipeak to him. TECMESSA. He is not far from hence, The fervants have him in their care. A J A X. Then why May I not fd# him? F 2 TECMESSA. 55 A J A Χ. τ Ε C Μ Ε S S A. Boy ! thy father calls thee : Let fomc one bring him hither. A J A X. Is he coming, Or cloth not hear thee ? Τ Ε C Μ Ε S S A. They have brought him to thee. [Enter fervant with Eur y sages. SCENE III. EURYSACES, TECMESSA, AJAX, CHORUS. A J A X. Bring him this way : for if he be the fon Of Ajax, the frcfh blood that hangs about me Will not affright him ; he muft learn like me In carlieft years the favage laws of war, And be inur'd to fcenes of death and flaughter : May'ft thou, my boy, be happier than thy father ! In all things clfe it will be no difgrace To copy me: I envy thee, my child, For that thou fee'ft not thy own wretchednefs ; The happincfs of life is not to know. Thy ignorance will keep thee free from pain. Till time ihall teach thee, what it is to grieve And I A J A χ. 37 And to rejoice ; then miift thou ihew thy foes From whom thou art defcended : may the breath Of life mean time nouriih thy tender frame, That thou may'ft prove a comfort to thy mother ! I know there's not a Grecian that will dare Infult thee, when thy father is no more; For I fliall leave thee to the beft of guardians, The faithful Teucer, who far from thee now Sent forth by Greece repels th' invading foe. Of you, my friends, companions of the war, The only boon I aik is, that ye urge This laft requeft to Teucer, fay, I begg'd That ftrait to Telamon and Eribcea, My aged parents, he wou'd bear my child. To be the joy of their declining years. Till death lliall call them to the fhades below: Let not my arms by Greece, or by that plague UlyiTes, e'er be made the prize of glory For rival chiefs : but do thou take, my boy, [turning to Eurysaces. The fev'nfold, vaft, impenetrable fliield Whofe name thou bear'ft j the reft be bury'd with me. Take The refl be bury'd ivith me. The cuilom of burying the arms of deceafed warriors in the fame grave with them is very antient, and is praitifed amor.gll: the Indians ;S A J A χ. Take hence the child with fpeed ; nor in the tents Let there be wai lings : Women ever love To brood o'er forrows, and indulge their woe. Shut t» the door. The wound that mult be cut No wile piiylician will attempt to heal With incantation, elegy, or long. CHORUS. I tremble when I hear thee threat'ning thus With iharp and piercing voice. TECMESSA. Alas ! my lord, Wliat wilt thou do ? A J A X. Guefi not; inquire not of mej Be filent, and be wife ; it will become thee. TECMESSA. How am I tortur'd! by the Gods ί beg thee, By our dear child, do not deftroy us both. A J A X. Indians at this day. This whole fpeech of Ajax, it is obferved by the com- mentators, carries with it the air and form of his laft will and teftament ; he gives orders to his wife and family as ti man immediately about to quit the world : this raifcs the paffion of pity in the fpedlators, and prepares them for the cataftrophe. Incantation, elegy, andfong. The Greek word ετωΗ is here ufed by So- phocles for a charm or incantation, a method of curing difeafes frequently made ufe of by the anticnts. A J A Χ, 3P A J A X. Thou dofl perplex me ; why revere the Gods ? I am not bound to't ; for I owe them nothing. Τ Ε C Μ Ε S S A. Be not fo impious. A J A X. Talk to thofe will hear thee. TECMESSA. Art thou refolv'd then ? A J A X. 'Tis too much ; thy grief Grows troublefome. TECMESSA. Alas ! my lord, I fear A J A X [to the Chorus. Will ye not take her hence ? TECMESSA. O! by the Gods I beg thee be perfuaded. A J A X. Thou art mad To think thy words will ever change my purpofc. [Exeunt, Ο D E. Change my purpcfe. Ajax, we muil here fuppofe, breaks from Tecineffi and retires : flie goes out, and the chorus remains on the ftage to lament their own unhappy condition, and exprefs their fears for ^jax. q.o A J A X. Ο D E. CHORUS. STROPHE. Ο happicll:, bcft abode, my native iile, Fair Salainis, cncompafs'd by the fea, On thee vvhilft Gods and men indulgent fmile, My country, Ο behold and pity me ! A long long time on Ida's plain, Thus doom'd inglorious to remain, While circling years roll o'er my wretched head : New terrors ftill affright me here, Still is my heart appall'd with fear, Left I fliou'd viiit foon the manfions of the dead, A Ν Τ I S Τ R Ο Ρ PI E. The woes of Ajax too imbitter mine, The braveft leader of the Grecian hoft, Untimely viiitcd by wrath divine, And in the defp'rate, cruel phrenzy loft. There was a time when fent by thee He gain'd the wreath of viilory, Tho' now his weeping friends lament his fall ; Th' A J A χ. 41 Th' ungrateful chiefs revere no more The virtues they admir'd before ; His gallant deeds are now forgotten all. STROPHE ΙΓ. Weigh'd down with years, when thou in hoary age, Unhappy mother, fhalt thefe. tidings hear Of thy dear Ajax, and his cruel rage, How wilt thou weep and wail with grief iincere! Not like the plaintive nightingale That warbles fweet her tender tale, But with loud fkrieks of horrible deipair : With fharpeft anguifh fore opprefs'd, Then fhalt thou beat thy aged breaft, And in deep forrow rend thy wild difhevell'd hair^ ANTISTROPHE II. 'Tis better far to die than, hopelefs ftill Of cure, to languifh under fore difeafe ; When mortals fuffer fuch diftinguifh'd ill The iilent tomb is liberty and eafe, Ajax, the pride of all our hoft, His antient fame and glory loft, Sinks down at laft o'erwhelm'd with foul diigrace : G How 4Z A J A Χ. I low will liis haplcf» father bear His full's dirtrcfstul fite to hear, Ev'n fuch as never fell on i^acus his race ! End of A C Τ II. ACT III. S C Ε Ν Ε I. AJAX, TEC Μ ESS A, CHORUS. A J A X. STILL arc the fccret things of man reveal'd, And what is known, a^ain in darknefs hid By cndlcfs and immeafurable time : And nothing is there but in length of days May come to pafs; ev'n facred oaths are broken. And the fix'd mind perverfe and obftinate Subdu'd by time : I, who like harden'd fteel Wis Αδϊ 3- Briimoy, in oppofition to all the critics, tranilators and com- mentators, and without alligning any reafon, extends this ad to the end of the next chorus, and begins the third with the arrival of the mefienger from Teuccr; which makes the divifion of the ads very unequal, the fecond contaii;ing, in the original, upwards of five hundred lines, and the third not above one ; but, as I obferved in the diiTertation, the cuftoai of mincing the antient tragedy into five ads is merely arbitrary, and without any foundation, as it was moil: probably one continued ad extending itfelf through the whole Drama. A J A χ. 4j Was late inflexible, am foiten'd now To pity and remorfe by this dear woman ; I cannot bear to leave her here a widow Amidft her foes, or to forfake my child, A helplefs orphan : No ; I will retire Along the ihore, and feek the running ftream, Avert the wrath of angry heav'n, and wafli My crimes away ; there haply iliall I find Some unfrequented fpot where I may hide This fatal weapon, this deftruolive fword ; Ο ! I will bury't deep in earth, that none May fee it more, but night and Erebus Preferve it ftill from ev'ry mortal eye : E'er fince that haplefs day, when from the hand Of Hedor I receiv'd this dreadful boon, Nought have I had from Greece but pain and woe : True is the adage, " from the hands of foes Gifts are not gifts, but injuries moil: fatal." Hereafter will I yield me to the Gods And the Atridai ; fince they are my mailcrsj 'Tis meet that I obey them : all that's ftrong And mighty muft fubmit to pow'rs fciperior : G 2 tiotk This fatal iffeapon. Ajax, who is fecretly refolved to deilroy himfelf, i^i.ys this to prevent the fiifpicions of his wife and friends from his carrying hii fword. out wiih him : the Ipcdators plainly fe^ his intent hy his induilry to Cuuccal it. ^ A J A χ. Doth not tlie Inowy winter to the bloom Of fruitful fumnicr yield ? and night obfcure, When by white deeds Aurora drawn lights up 'J he lihng day, fubmilUvely retire? Tiie roaring fea, long vext by angry winds, Is lull d by milder zephyrs to repofe, And oft the fetters of all-conqu'ring flecp Are kindly loos'd to free the captive mind : From nature then, who thus inftrudls mankind, Why fliould not Ajax learn humility ? Long finee I knew to treat my foe like one Whom I hereafter as a friend might love If he dcfcrved it, and to love my friend As if he ftill might one day be my *foe : For little is the truft we can repofe In human friendihips : but to my intent ; Go thou, TccmeiTa, and befeech the Gods To grant what I requeft : do you perform The fame kind office j and when Teucer comes, Tell him, the care of me and of my friends I leave to him : whither I muft, I muft : Obey Longfmcelknew, &c. Tully in his LceHus, five de Amicitla, difclaims this fc fi(h and worldly maxim as deftrudive of all frlendlhip. The faying is gene- rally attributed to the celebrated Bias, one of tiie kvQn fages of Greece. A J A χ. 45 Obey my orders: wretched as I am Soon ihall ye iee me freed from all my woes. [Exeunt, SCENE II. CHORUS. STROPHE. Now let founds of mirth and joy Ev'ry blifsful hour employ : Borne on pleafure's airy wing lo Pan ! to thee we fmg : Thee, whom on the rocky ihore Wreck-fcap'd mariners adore, Skill'd the mazy dance to lead, Teach, Ο I teach our feet to tread The round which Cretan CnoiTus knows. At NyiTa which fpontaneous rofe ; Pan, Ο ! guide this tuneful throng, While to thee we raife the fong, From Cyllene's fnowy brow, King of pleafures, hear us now I Soon βαΙΙ ye fee me, &c. The expreffion, we may obferve, is ambiguousj, and the fenfe left doubtful on purpofe to deceive the chorus, who niifunder- ftanding him, immediately on his leaving them break out into a fong of joy on his recovery. This (befides, as the commentators have remark'd) gives time for Ajax to retire before the arrival of the melTenger. From 46 A J A Χ. Γγοιπ thy mountain Ο ! appear I Joy and Jiappinefs arc here : And do thou, Ο ! Dclian king, Now thy aid propitious bring ! Ο ! Ironi the Icarian Tea Conic, Apollo, fmile on me. A Ν Τ I S Τ R Ο Ρ Η E. All our forrows now are o'er, Grief and madnefs are no more : See, the happy day appears, Mighty Jove ! that ends our fears ; Let us, free from ev'ry care, Gladly to our lliips repair: Ajax now in fweet repofe Sinks, forgetful of his woes ; Humbly to the Gods reiign'd, He devotes his better mind: Time, that withers, can reftore Human pleafures: now no more MufI: we fay our vows are vain ; Nought unhop'd for fliou'd remain ; Since beyond our v/iPnes fee Ajax from his m:idnefs free j 'Gainil A J A χ. 4^ 'Gainft th' Atridie ail his rawe See how milder thoughts aiTwagc, Bitter ftrife and quarrels ceaie, All is harmony and peace. SCENE III. MESSENGER, CHORUS. MESSENGER. My friends, I bear you news of higheft import ; From Myiia's rocky mountains hither comes The noble Teucer; know, ev'n now I faw him Amid the Grecian hoft, who, as he came, Surrounded, and on ev'ry ilde pour'd forth Reproaches on him ; not a man but cry'd Behold the brother of that frantic foe To Greece and to her counfels : fuch their rage That they had well-nigh fton'd him ; fwords were drawn. And dire had been the conilid, but that fome Among the aged chiefs by calm advice Appeas'd the ftrife : but where is Ajax gone ? That I may tell him ; from our mafters nought Shc'.i'd be conceal'd. CHORUS. •Jie is not aow within, Bui 4S A J A Χ. But jull Acpt forth, as if on fome new ad Intent, ucll-fuitcd to his better mind. ^MESSENGER. Alas! too hue (lid Teucer fend me here, Or I am come too flowly. CHORUS. Why regret His abfcnce thus ? MESSENGER. 'Tvvas Teucer's ftrid command He ihou'd be kept within the tent, nor ftir Till he arriv'd. CHORUS. But, to his fenfe reftor'd, He went to deprecate the wrath divine And expiate his offence. MESSENGER. Thy words are vain. It Chalcas prophecy aright. CHORUS. What then Did Chalcas fay? Doft thou know aught of this? MESSENGER. Thus far I know, for I was witnefs of it : Chalcas A J A χ. 4P Chalcas, retiring from tli' aflembled chiefs Apart from the Atridae, gently prefs'd The hand of Teiicer, and in tend'reft friendihip Befought him that by ev'ry human art And means to be devis'd, he wou'd prevent Ajax his wand'ring forth this fatal day, If he did ever wiili to fee him more : This day alone, he faid, Minerva's wrath Wou'd laft againft him : oft the mighty fall In deep afHid:ion, fmit by angry heav'n, When mortal-born to human laws they yield not As mortals ought, fubmilUvely : thus fpake The prophet, and long lince was Ajax deem'd To have a mind difturb'd : when firfl: he left His native foil, be conqu'ror, Ο ! my child, His father faid, but conquer under God ; Impious and proud his anfwer was ; the woril Of men, he cry'd, aiTifted by the Gods May conquer, I fliall do the work without them ; Such were his boaftings : and when Pallas once With kind aillftance urcr'd him to the fight. Dreadful and horrible was his reply ; Go, queen, to other Grecians lend thy aid, ' Tis needlcfs here ; for know, where Ajax is Η The ^o A J A χ. The foe will never, coine: by words like thcfe, And pride ill-fiiitcd to a mortal's pow'r, Did lie oflcnd the vengeful deity ; But if he lives, we may preferve him ftill, The Gods afTifting ; fo the prophet fpake; And Teuccr bad me fay, you all fliou'd try To keep him lure ; but if that cannot be, And Chalcas judge aright, he is no more. CHORUS. [to Tecmessa within.] | What ho ! TeemeiTa ! moft unhappy woman 1 I Come forth and hear the tidings that he brings, TJiey wound us deep, and all our joys are gone. SCENE IV. TECMESSA, MESSENGER, CHOR US. TECMESSA. Scarce do I breathe from ftill-repeated woes, And now again thou cairft me; wherefore? fpeak. CHORUS. This mcflenger hath brought us dreadful news Concerning Ajax: hear him. TECMESSA. Ο ! what is it ? Am 1 undone ? MESSENGER. A J A χ. ^f MESSENGER. I know not what thou art; But if thy Ajax be gone forth, my fears Are sreat for him. TECMESSA. Alas ! he is : but, why ? How thou afflid'ft me! MESSENGER. Teucer hath forbad His wand'ring thus alone. TECMESSA. But why forbad him? And where is Teucer? MESSENGER. He will foon be here ; He fears this fatal day. TECMESSA. Undone TecmeiTa ! Whence are his fears ? Who told him 'twou'd be fatal ? MESSENGER, Theftorian Chalcas did foretel, this day To life or death wou'd fix the fate of Ajax. TECMESSA. [to the C Η ο R υ s.] Ailift me, iriends, in this difcre'sful hour. Η 2 To >z A J A X. To Tcuccr haftc, and bring him to my aid; Some to yon wcHcrn mountain bend your way, And fome to tii' cail ; hnd out which path he went Unhappy wand'rcr ! Ο ! he has deceiv'd me, His former love forgotten all and gone ! Wliat muft we do, my child ? I muft not fit Inadivc here ; no, wherefo'er I can rU go to fearch him : let us hafte, my friends, Quick, fly this inftant, if we mean to fave The \\rctched Ajax rufliing on deftrudlion. CHORUS. Behold us ready, not in word alone, But bent with fpeed to follow thee. Away. End of A C Τ IIL [Exeunt, ACT A J A χ. ^5 ACT IV. SCENE I. A J A X; THERE ftands my fword, and hx'd as it may bcil Perform its office; 'twas the gift of Hedor My worft of foes, whom I detelled ever : The fteel-devouring ftone hath iharpen'd well Its keeneft edge; bury'd in Trojan earth It lyes, and now in kindnefs ieems prepar'd To end my wretched life ; thus far is well : And now, Ο ! Jove, for firft to thee 'tis fit We pay due honours, I addrefs my pray'r; I aik not much ; I aik thee but to fend Some paffing ftranger here to bear the news Of my unhappy fate to Teucer's ear. That he may flrft behold, and take me hence, Left by my foes difcover'd, I be caft A prey to dogs and birds ; forbid it, Jove ! Thee too, great leader of departed fouls, Terreftrial Hermes, thee I call, Ο ! hear me ; With eafy fteps, and fwift, conduft me fafe To my abode, foon as this fatal fword Shall reach my breaft ; and you, ye virgin pow'rs, From ,-4 A J A X. From whom whatc'er bcfals of human ill Cannot be hid, yc goddcfles rcver'd, Swift to purfuc tlic guilty, Ο ! behold 'Jlic wretched Ajax by th' Atridce fall! Ο ! feizc the nnirth'rers ! by my own fad hand As I Ihall periih, let my foes be flain Dy thole whom moft they love! quick, fly, begone, Ye vengeful furies, gorge yourfclves in blood, Nor fpare a man of all the Grecian hofl: ; And thou, Ο ! fun, who driv'il thy flaming car Along the vaulted iky, when thou fhalt fee i\iy native foil, Ο ! flop thy golden reins; Tell the fad flory to my haplefs fire, And my afilided mother; when fhe hears The mournful tale, her grief will All the land With dreadful lamentations : but 'tis vain To weep my flue: the buflnefs muft be done. Ο I death, look on me, death ; I co.iie to thee : Sjon fliall v.e meet, but thee, O! glorious dajj And yon bright charioteer the fun, no more Sh:.ll I behold, cv'n now thou hear'ft my laft My dying word^: O! light, O! facred foil Ol Salamis, my coun:rv, and her g-ods, Ο ! noble Athens, Ο ! my lov'd companions, Ye A J A χ. ^9 Ye rivers, fountains, and fair fields of Troy, And you my honour'd parents, Ο ! farewell ! 'Tis the laft word Ajax fliall fpeak on earth. The reft be utter'd to the iliades below. [Ajax falls on his fword and dies»] SCENE II. CHORUS. SEMICHORUS I. Labour on labour ! toil on toil ! Ο whither Have we not wander'd ? yet no place informs us Where Ajax is ; but foft, I hear a voice. SEMICHORUS 11. 'Twas ours, your friends. SEMICHORUS I. What news ? SEMICHORUS II. We've fearch'd along The weftern fhore. SEMICHORUS I. And is he found ? -' S Ε Μ I- The Chorus who had been in fearch of Ajax enter at different parts of the ftage, having divided thenilch'es into two parts, the better to difco- ver him j they meet as it were by chance, and ailc each other concerning him. ^6 A J A Χ. S Ε Μ I C Η ο R υ S II. Alafs ! VVc met with nought but toil; no fight of him. SEMICHORUS I. We from the eaft return with hke fuccefs ; I'or none have feen or heard of him that way. SEMICHORUS II. Who will inform us ? who will fay- Where cruel Ajax bent his way ? Will not the watchful hind, who void of ileep Hangs laborious o'er the deep ? From high Olympus will no pitying god, Will no kind Naiad of the flood, If chance they fee the cruel Ajax ftray, Tell us where he bent his way ? For Ο ! 'tis dreadful weary 'd thus to rove, Whilft all our pains fuccefslefs prove, To reach the deftin'd goal, or find the man we love. TECMESSA. [from within] Alafs! alafs! SEMICHORUS I. Hark ! from the neighb'ring grove I heard a voice. SEMI- A J A χ. ^7 SEMICHORUS L It is the wretched captive, The wife of Ajax, the poor fad Tecmeila. SCENE III. TECMESSA, CHORUS. TECMESSA. Ο ! I am loft, my friends, undone, deftroy'd ! CHORUS. Ha ! what hath happen'd ? TECMESSA. Ajax Hes before me, Slain by the fword which he had biiry'd here, CHORUS. Fatal fiire was our return, Thy untimely death to mourn. Me, and all thy faithful train, Cruel Ajax, hail thou flain, I Sad Ο ! I am loft, &c. Tecmeflli, as well as the Chorus, alarm'd by the pro-r phccy of Chalcas as recounted by the meirenger, had been in Icarch of her hufband, and on her return ifunibles on his body ; the Chorus, we muil fuppole, are at the forepart of the ftage, and Tecmeila at the back, in the place where Ajax had faU'n upon his fword. The Chorus here, agreeable to what I before obferved was culfomary in the inipaflion'd parts of the drama, fing in ftrophe and a::tifirophe : I have therefore put it into rhimc, the betCQr to diflinguiih it. ^S A J A χ. Sad event alas! to mc! Sadilcr, woman, ftill to thee. TECMESSA. Ol I have rcafon now to weep indeed. CHORUS. What hand perform'd the horrid deed? TECMESSA. His own, DoubtkTs it was: the fword he fell upon, Here, fax'd in earth, declares it muft be fo. [Approaching towards the body.] CHORUS. Alone without one pitying friend, Cam'ft thou to this dreadful end ? Was I not myfclf to blame, Who ncrrledlful never came ? Bring him, Tecmeffa, to my eyes. Tell mc, where thy Ajax lies. TECMESSA. He is not to be fcen : this folded crarment Shall hide the horrid fi^ht : a fisht no friend Wou'd wiHi to fee; whilfl: from his noftrils itreams The black blood, more full iffuing from the wound Made by his own deftrudive hand : Ο ! me ! What A J A χ. ^9 What muft I do ? what friend will raifc him up r Ο ! where is Tcucer ? he ihoii'd have been here To pay his laft fad duty to a brother : Ο ! wretched Ajax ! but to think, alas ! What once thou haft been, and what now thou art, Thy very foes muft fure lament thy fate. CHORUS. Ajax, long iince in thy obdurate mind, Thy iad purpofe was deilgn'd j Long iince wert thou refolv'd to feek repofe, From thy never- ceaiing woes ; This from the daily figh, the nightly tear. This from thy forrows did I fear; This from thy hate which nought cou'd e'er aflvvage; And 'gainft th' Atridie all thy rage: For never did thy foul contentment know, But ftill with lierceft indigrnation slow, Since great Achilles' arms were given to thy foe. TECMESSA. O! me! CHORUS. Alas ! I know the wound muft pierce Thy inmcft foul. I 2 TEC- 6ο A J Χ. TECMESSA. Unhappy loft Tecmefla! CHORUS. O! I believe thou art indeed unhappy, Bcrcav'd of fuch a friend. TECMESSA. Thou but belicv'ft it, I am too certain ; for I feel it here. CHORUS. I know thou doft. TECMESSA. What fervitude, my child, Muft we endure ? who will proted us now ? CHORUS. Doubtlefs thy fears of future pain, From the Atridis all are vain, For never can they mean fuch ills to thee ; Unfeeling they of human woe, Nor love nor piety cou'd know ; May heav'n avert the fad calamity I TECMESSA. The gods ordain'd it, and it muft be fo. CHORUS. But he hath fuffer'd more than he deferv'd. Τ Ε C- A J A χ. 6i τ Ε C Μ Ε S S A. Jove's dreadful daughter Pallas (o decreed His fate, to gratify her lov'd Ulyiles. CHORUS, ■ Ulyfles, ever pleas' d to fee His madnefs, now will fmiie at thee, Will laugh at Ajax' woes, nor pity thine : By him the curs'd Atrids led. Perhaps will triumph o'er the dead, And in the cruel mirth with pleafure join. Τ Ε C Μ Ε S S A. Let them rejoice, let them infult him now With favage joy, but when the dreadful day Of battle comes, whom living they defpis'd, When dead they fhall lament : fools never know The treafure's value, till the treafure's loit : But far more bitter was his death to me Than fweet to tliem : to Ajax 'twas mofl: welcome; Death was his only wiili, and he obtain'd it : Then wherefore iliou'd they triumph ? by the hand Of heav'n, and not by theirs ray Ajax fell. Then let Ulyfles fmile: lie is not theirs. He lives not for the Grecians ; he is gone, And has bequeath'd his forrows all to mc. SCENE ίζ A J A χ. S C Ε Ν Ε IV. TEUCER, TECMESSA, CHORUS. Τ Ε U C Ε R. Alas ! alas ! CHORUS. Hark ! 'tis the voice of Teucer In niournful fighs lamenting our lad fate. TEUCER. O! Ajax, is it fo? my deareft brother, Dear as thcfe eyes to me, hath fame faid true. And art thou gone ? Unhappy fate ! Wretch that I am. CHORUS. Ο ! Teucer, he is dead. TEUCER. CHORUS. 'Tis fo indeed. TEUCER. Alas ! CHORUS. O! thou hail caufe to weep. TEUCER Dreadful calamity! J A X. i5 τ Ε υ C Ε R. CHORUS. It is indeed Too much to bear. Τ Ε U C Ε R. Ο ! wretched, wretched Teuccr ! Where is the child ? is he at Troy ? CHORUS. Alone And in the tent. Τ Ε U C Ε R. Will ye not bring him to me, Left he iliou'd fall a vidim to the foe ? Ev'n as the hunters feize the lion's whelp Left to its helplefs dam : quick ! fly ! aillft me. For all are glad to triumph o'er the dead. CHORUS. To thee, Ο ! Teucer, he bequeath'd the care Of his lov'd child, and thou obey'ft him well. TEUCER. Ο Ajax ! never did thefe eyes behold A fight fo dreadful ; came I then for this With lucklefs fpeed ? Ο I melancholy journey I To 64 A J A Χ. To feck thcc long in vain, and thus at laft To find thee dead before me, O! my brother! Quick througli the Grecian hoft, as if fome god Had brouglit the tidings, fprcad the dire report Of thy untimely flite, far from thee then I heard and wept, but now, alas ! I fee And am undone; my bcft, my deareft Ajax! Unveil the body; let me view it well, And count my miferies; horrid fpedlacle! Ο ! rafn advent'rous deed ! what weight of woe Tliy death has laid on me! alas! to whom Or whither ihall I go ? Ο ! wherefore, Teucer, Wert thou not here to flop a brother's hand ? What will our poor unhappy father fay, The wretched Telamon, will he receive me AVith looks of love and pleafure, when I come Witliout his Ajax ? Ο ! he never will. Ev'n in the bcft of times he was not wont Ί ο fm.le, or joy in aught. What then will now His anger vent? will he not fpeak of me As of a fiitliltfs bafe unworthy fon, The fpurious oll'spring of a captive mother, Who hath betray'd and ilain his beil-iov'd Ajix To giin his fair poiTeaicns after death? nr hiis A J A X. 6^ Thus will his wrath, iharpen'd by peeviih age, Upbraid me guiltlefs; and to flav'ry doom'd A wretched exile from his native land Shall Teucer wander forth : fuch dreadful ills Muft I exped: at home: at Troy my foes Are num'rous, and my friends alas how few! Thou art the caufe of all : for Ο ! my Ajax, What fhall I do ? how can I fave thee now From this fad fate ? Ο ! who could have forefeen That Hedor, long fince dead, at laft ihould prove The murtherer of Ajax ? By the gods I do befeech you, mark the fate of both : The belt, which Ajax did to Hedor give, Dragg'd the brave Trojan o'er the bloody held Till he expir'd ; and now behold the fword. Which Hedor gave to Ajax, is the caufe Of Ajax' death : Erynnis' felf did forge The fatal fteel, and Pluto made the belt; Dreadful artificer! But this, and all That happens to us, is the work of heav'n. If there be thofe who douht it, let them hold Their diif'ring judgments, I fhall keep my own. CHORUS. Teucer, no more ; but rather now prepare To bury Ajax, and defend thy felf Κ Again ^ ίδ A J A χ. Againft thy foe, whom yonder I behold This way advancing, with malignant fmile. And looks of ill intent. Τ Ε U C Ε R. Who can it be? From th' army, think'il: thou? CHORUS. 'Tis the man whofe caufe We came to iight, ev'n Menelaus. Τ Ε U C Ε R. 'Tis ib. As he approaches nigh, I know him well. SCENE V. MENELAUS, TEUCER, CHORUS. MENELAUS. Stop there; to thee I fpeak ; let go the body, I will not have it touch'd. TEUCER. Why touch it not ? MENELAUS. Bccaufe it is my will, and his who leads The Grecian hoft. TEUCER. A J A χ. 6η τ Ε υ C Ε R. But wherefore is it fo ? MENELAUS. Greece fondly hoped that fhe had brought a friend, And firm ally, but by experience found That Troy herfelf was not fo much our foe As Ajax was, who nightly wander'd forth With deadliefl: rage to murther all our hoft, And, but fome god did fruftrate his intent. The fate himfelf hath met had been our own ; Then had he triumph'd ; but the gods ordain'd It fhou'd not be ; and 'gainft the flocks and herds Turn'd all his fury: wherefore, know, there lives not A man of courage or of pow'r fufficient To bury Ajax : on the yellow fliore He fhall be caft ; to be the food of birds That wander there : thou may'ft refent it too, But t'will be vain ; at leaft we will command When dead, whom living we cou'd ne'er fubdue, Nor afk thy leave : he never wou'd fubmit. But now he muft : yield therefore, or we force thee. 'Tis the Plebeian's duty to obey The voice of thofe who bear authority. And he who doth not is the worfl of men ; Κ 2 6S A J A Χ. For never can the ftatc itfclf fupport By uliolcfome laws, where there is no fubmiillon : An army's beft defence is modeft fear Λικί rev'rence of its leaders, without thefe It cannot concjuer : it becomes a man How great foe'er his ftrength, ftill to remember A httle, very little, may deftroy him. He who is guarded by humility And confcious fliame, alone in fafety lives ; But where licentious freedom and reproach Injurious reign, each as his will direds Still ading, know, that city foon muft fall I'^rom all its blifs, and fink in deepeft woe. Remember then, rcfped is due to me. Let us not think when pleafure is enjoy'd We muft not fufFcr too, and tafte of pain; I'or thefe to mortals ftill alternate rife. There liv'd rot one fo proud and arrogant As Ajax was: I will be haughty now; It is my turn: take heed then, touch him not, Left, while thou ftriv'ft to bury him, thyfelf Shou'd drop into the tomb. CHORUS. A J A χ. 6p CHORUS. Ο ! Menelaus, Do not with maxims grave, and wifdom's rules Mix foul reproach and ilander on the dead. Τ Ε U C Ε R. It ihou'd not move our wonder, Ο ! my friends. To fee the vulgar err, of meaner fouls, And birth obfcure, when men ib nobly born Will talk thus bafely : tell me, Menelaus, For 'twas thy firft aflertion, didft thou bring Our Ajax here to help the Grecian hoil, Or came he hither by himfelf alone Conduced? whence is thy command o'er him, Or thefe his followei-s? who gave thee pow'r, Who gave thee right ? thou may 'ft be Sparta's king. But art not ours: Ajax was bound by law No more to thee than thou wert bound to Ajax; Thyfelf no gen'ral, but to others here Subjedled, therefore lord it where thou may 'ft ; Command thy flaves, go, threaten, and chaftife them ;, But I will bury Ajax, fpite of thee, * And of thy Brother, for I heed thee not: He fail'd not here to quarrel for the wife Of Menelaus, like a hireling flave, But. 70 A J A Χ. But to fultill tlic ftriclly-binding oath Which he had fworn; he did not come for thee; For ho dcfpis'd fo poor a caufe ; he came With all liis heralds, and a num'roiis train, And brought his captains too; remember therefore ΊΊιν clamours ne'er iliall turn me from my purpofe, W'jiilll thou art what thou art. Μ Ε Ν Ε L A U S. A tongue like thine But ill becomes thy ftate: 'tis moft unfeemly. Τ Ε U C Ε R. A keen reproach with juftice on its fide Is alwa)'s grating. MENELAUS. This proud archer here Talks loudly. Τ Ε U- Striclly-b'inding oath, &c. Tyndarus, the father of the fair Helen, obliged all his davighter's lovers to take an oath, that on which of them foever the liappy lot ihould fall to marry her, the reft iliould unite in his defence, and, in cale of any attempt to carry her off, ihould join their forces to recover her. The event juftify'd the necellity of this oath. Teucer therefore tells Mene- laus, that ic was not any perfonal regard to him which induced AjiX to join the army, but his refulution to fulfil this folemn engagement. This prcu J archer, &c. The foot- foldiers among the Grecians were divided into the ψ.-λί/ and the οτλίτχι. The &ν?ατχι or armed foldiers, bore heavy ar- jnour, engaging with bruad fliields, and long fpears : Whereas the 4ιλ« or light ?rmed men fought with arrows, and darts, or ibmetimes ftones and ihiigs, an- r^oying their enemies at a diftance, like our modern Indians, but unfit for dole %hc: A J A χ. 71 τ Ε υ C Ε R. 'Tis no mean illib'ral art. MENELAUS. If thou coud'ft bear a iliield, how infolent And haughty woud'ft thou be ! when naked thus Thou boaft'ft thy valour. Τ Ε U C Ε R. Naked as I am I ihou'd not fly from thee with all thy arms. MENELAUS. Thy tongue but fpeaks thy pride. Τ Ε U C Ε R. I fhou'd be proud When I am juft. MENELAUS. Doth juilice bid me love Him who deftroy'd me ? Τ Ε U C Ε R. Art thou then deitroy'd? That's ftrange indeed, living and dead at once. Μ Ε Ν E-• fight: thefe, to which Teucer belonged, were inferior in honour and dignity to the heavy-armed foldiers ; Menelaus therefore reproaches him as a man of no rank, alluding probably to the cuftom among the -^ιλοι of ihooting their ar- rows, and then retiring behind the iliields of the heavy-armed for protedion. Homer, whom Sophocles never lofes fight of, defcribes Teucer ailing in this- manner. See the 8th book of the Iliad. 71 A J A X. Μ Ε Ν Ε L A υ S. For liim I had been (o : the gods preferv'd me. Τ Ε U C Ε R. Do not dilhonour then the pow'rs divine That ilu'd thee? Μ Ε Ν Ε L A U S. Do I violate their laws ? Τ Ε U C Ε R. If thou forbid' il the burial of the dead Thou doft offend the gods. .MENELAUS. He was my foe, And therefore I forbid it. Τ Ε U C Ε P. Art thou fure That Ajax ever was thy foe.? Μ Ε Ν Ε L A U S. I am : Our hate was mutual, and thou know'ft the caufe, Τ Ε U C Ε R. Bccaufe thou wert corrupted, thy falfe voice Condcmn'd him. Μ Ε Ν E- 7i^y fa/fe voice, cfr. The Scholiafts on this place inform us that in the fa- mous conteft between Ajax and UlylTes for the arms of Achilles, the Icrmer loft them by the cafting vote of Menclaus, A J A χ. 73 Μ Ε Ν Ε L A υ S; Τ was the judges' fault, not mine. Τ Ε U C Ε R. Thus may'ft thou fcreen a thoufand injuries. MENELAUS. Some one may iliffer for this infolence. Τ Ε U C Ε R. Not more perhaps than others, MENELAUS. This alone Remember, buryd he ihall never be. Τ Ε U C Ε R. Do thou remember too, I fay, he ihall. MENELAUS. So have I feen a bold imperious man With froward tongue, before the ilorm began. Urging the tardy mariner to fail. But when the tempeft rofe, no more was heard The coward's voice, but wrap'd beneath his cloaH Silent he laid, and fuffer'd ev'ry foot To trample on him ; thus it is wjth thee. And thy foul tongue; forth from a little cloud Soon as the ftorm fhall burft, it will o'erwhelm thee, And ftop thy clamours. h Τ Ε U- ί74 A J A Χ. Τ Ε υ C Ε R. I too have beheld A man with folly fwol'n reproach his friends Opprcfs'd with fore calamity, when ftrait One came like me, with indignation fir'd. Saw, and addrefs'd him thus, <' ceafe, iliamelefs wretch, " Kor thus opprcfs the dead ; for, if thou doft, " Remember thou ihalt fuffer for thy crime:" Thus fpake he to the weak infulting fool; Methinks I fee him here ; it muft be he, Ev'n Menclaus; have I guefs'd aright? MENELAUS. 'Tis well; I'll leave thee: 'tis a folly thus To talk with thofe whom we have pow'r to puniili. [Exit. SCENE VI. TEUCER, CHORUS. Τ Ε U C Ε R. Away, this babbler is not to be borne. CHORUS. Weak infulliiig fool, (ic. There is fomethlng in the raillery of this fcenc which will probably appear very rough, when compared with the refinement of modern manners: The heroes of Sophocles, like thole of Homer, are not remarkable for their delicacy, " II fautconvenir (fays Brumoy) que les heros " Grecs fe traitent un pen a la Grecque, c'eft a-dire, aflez incivilement ; mais " telle etolt la maniere d'une nation d'ailleurs fi polie ; cela n'eil pas pour nous ** plaire aujourd'hui," A J A χ. 75 CHORUS. The conteft will grow warm : Ο ! Teucer, hailc, Prepare fome hollow fofs for the remains Of Ajax, raife him there a monument, By after ages ne'er to be forgotten. TEUCER. And, lo ! in happy hour this way advancing The wife and fon of our unhappy friend, To pay due honours, and adorn his tomb : SCENE VII. TECMESSA, EURYSACES, TEUCER, CHORUS. TEUCER. Come hither, boy, bend down and touch thy father ; There iit, and holding in thy hands this hair And hers and thine, the fuppliant's humble treafure, Offer thy pious prayers for thy dead father : If from yon hoftile camp the foe fhou'd come To drive thee hence, far from his native land, L 2 Whoe'er HGlding in thy hands &c. It was cuftomary among the Grecians on the death ot friends or relations to tear and cut off their hair to tlirow it on the dead body, or lometimes into the hine.ral pile, with a delign to render the ghoil of the deceafed perfon propitious, as well as to ihevv their grief for the lofs of hirn : v/c find Eltdra performing this cere- mony in honour of Oreftes whom Ihe fuppofed dead. η6 A J A Χ. Whoe'er he be, iinbury'd may he lye, From his whole race uprooted, torn away, Ev'n as this hair which here I cut before thee; Ο ! guard it well, my child, and you my friends, Behave like men, aiTift, protedl him now; Till I return, and, fpite of all our foes. Perform the rites, and raife a tomb to Ajax. Exit. SCENE VIII. TECMESSA, EURYSACES, CHORUS. CHORUS. STROPHE I. When will the happy hour appear, That comes to calm our ev'ry fear, From endlefs toil to bring us fweet repofe. To bid our weary wandrings ceafe. To fold us in the arms of peace. And put the wifh'd-for period to our woes? For fmce the day when firft to Troy we came. Nought have we known but grief, reproach, and fhame. A Ν Τ I- Scene VIII. Menclaus goes out with an intention, we muft fup- pofe, to hiiiig back with him a proper force to fecure the execution of his orders which Teucer had treated with contempt ; Teucer retires to find out a proper place Ici the interment of Ajax, and leaves TecmeiTa and Euryfaces weeping over the body: the Chorus fings a pathetic dirge, la- naendng the niiferies of war, and their own unhappy condition. A J A χ. 77 ANTISROPHE I. Ο ! that the man, who erft infpir'd With horrid rage, our Grecians fir'd To ilaught'rous deeds, and taught them firft to fight, E'er he had learn'd the dreadful trade, Himfelf had mingled with the dead, Or fcatter'd wide in air, or funk in endlefs night! For Ο I from war unnumber'd evils flow, The inexhaufted fource of ev'ry human woe. — -^ STROPHE II. By war diflurb'd the genial board No longer will its fweets afford ; Their fragrant odours round my head The verdant wreaths no longer fpread; Nor muiic's charms my foul delight, Nor love with rapture crown the night; No love alas ! for me, but grief and care ; For when I think of Troy I ftill deipair, And wet with many a tear my wild diihevell'd hair. ANTISROPHE II. Nor nightly fear nor hoflile dart Whilft Ajax liv'd, appall'd my heart, But all our pleafures now are o'er, The valiant Ajax is no more: O• 78 A J A Χ. Ο coil Μ I climb the woody fteep Tliat hangs incumbent o'er the deep, From Sunium's cHff by waves for ever beat 1 Thence ilioii'd my eye the lovely proiped greet. And fmilc on Hicred Athens riiing at my feet. End of A C Τ IV. 1 ACT V (7P) ACT V. SCENE I. TEUCER, AGAMEMNON, CHORUS. Τ Ε U C Ε R. THIS way I bent my hafty fteps to meet The Grecian chief, who hither comes prepar'd To vent his keen reproaches. AGAMEMNON. I am told That thou, ev'n thou, the fon of a vile Have, Haft dar'd to utter fouleft calumny Againft thy prince, and pafs'd unpuniih'd for itj Mean as thy birth is, 'Vvhat had been thy pride And high demeanor, had thy mother iprung From noble blood ? barbarian as thou art. How coud'ft thou praife a wretch who like thvieif Was nothing ? we, it feems, for thou haft fworn it, Are not the mafters or of Greece or thee; AjaK So A J A Χ. Ajiix alone, thou fay'ft, was leader here. Shall wc be thus infultcd by our ilaves ? W ho is this boartcr? and what mighty deed Hath he perform'd which I cou'd not have done? Is there no Hero in the Grecian hoft But Ajax? Vain indeed were our refolves In the warm conteft for Achilles' arms, If Tcucer yet fhall queftion the decree, Againll the gen'ral voice; refifting ftill, And ftill reproachful, with delufive arts Tho' conquer'd, yet oppofmg: wholefome laws Will nought avail, if thofe whom juftice deems Superior, to the vanquifh'd muft refign, And fir ft in virtue be the laft in fame; It muft not be; not always the huge fize Of weighty limbs enfures the vidory; They who excel in wifdom are alone Invincible: thou feeft the brawny ox How the fmall whip will drive him thro' the field 5 What if the mcd'cine be apply'd to thee For thy proud boafting, and licentious tongue ! Twill be thy portion foon, unlefs thou learn'ft: More wildom; henceforth, mindful what thou art, Bring with thee one of nobler blood to plead Thy A J A χ. 8i Thy caufe; for know, the language which thou talk'ft Is barb'rous, and I underftand thee not. CHORUS. I can but wiili that wifdom may attend To guide you both. Τ Ε U C Ε R. Alas ! how very foon Are all the merits of the dead forgotten ! Ο ! Ajax, is the memory of thee Already loft, ev'n by the man for whom Thy life ib oft was ventur'd in the held ! But now 'tis paft, and buried in oblivion : Thou wordy fland'rer ! can'ft thou not remember When baffled and unequal to the foe Cloie pent within the walls our forces lay, Can'ft thou not call to mind who came alone To your deliv'rance, when devouring flames Tow'r'd o'er our fliips, when He6tor leap'd the fofs And rufli'd amongft us, then who fought for Greece? Who drove him back but Ajax, who, ihou fay 'ft, Cou'd never light ? did he not fight for you ? He met the noble Heclor hand to hand, Unbidden dared the fortune of the field ; He fcorn'd the coward's art to fix his 'ot Μ In Si A J A Χ. In ilic moift earth; forth from the crefted helmet It fprang the firfl : inch were the deeds of Aja^x, And I was witncfs of them ; I, the ilave, For fo thou cairit me, fprung from a barbarian: How dares a wretch like thee to talk of birth! Wlio was thy grandfire? caii'ft thou not remember That old barbarian, Phrygian Pelops, tell me WJio was thy ilithcr, Atreus, was he not? That worfi: of men, who at a brother's table Scrv'd up his children, horrible repaft ! Thy mother too a Cretan, and a flave ; A vile adultrefs, whom thy father caught And head-long caft into the fea : fhalt thou Talk then to me of birth, to me, the fon Of valiant Tclamon, renown'd in war, And wedded to a queen, the royal race Of great Laomedon, and faireft gift Of iam'd Alcides ? thus of noble blood From either parent fprung, ihall I difgrace The man whom thou inhuman wou'dft ftill keep Unbury'd here ? doft thou not bluih to think on't ? But, mark me well ; if thou doft caft him forth, Not he alone inglorious on the plain Shall lye, together we will periOi all : To A J A χ. 8j To dye with glory in a brother's caufe Is better far than fighting for the wife Of Agamemnon, or of Menelaus : For thy own fake, and not for mine, remember If thou provoke me, thou'lt be forry for it, And wiih'd thou'dft rather fear'd than anger'd Teucer. SCENE II. ULYSSES, AGAMEMNON, MENELAUS, TEUCER, CHORUS. CHORUS, Ulyiles, if thou mean' ft not to inflame. But to compofe this dreadful ftrife, thou com'ft In happieft hour. ULYSSES. Far off I heard the voice Of the AtridiE o'er this wretched corie ; Whence rofe tiie clamour, friends ? MENELAUS. With bitt'reft words This Teucer here, Ulyffcs, has revil'd me. ULYSSES. What words? for if he heard the fame from thee, I blame him not. Μ 2 A G A- S4 A J A Χ. AGAMEMNON. He did provoke me to it. ULYSSES. What inj'ry hath he done thee ? AGAMEMNON. He declares The body ihall have fepulture, himfelf Perforce will bury Ajax, fpite of me, And of my pow'r. ULYSSES. Shall I be free, and fpeak Tlic truth to thee without reproach or blame? AGAMEMNON. Thou mayft ; for well thou know'il I hold Ulyfles Of all the Greeks my beft and deareft friend. ULYSSES. Then hear me, by the gods I muft iiitreat thee ; Do not, remorfelefs and inhuman, caft The body forth unbury'd, nor permit Authority to trample thus on juftice. E'er fmce our conteft for Achilles' arms. Hath Ajax been my foe, and yet I fcorn To ufe him bafely ; ev'n Ulyfles owns Ol all the Grecian chiefs who came to Troy (Except A J A χ. S^ (Except Achilles) Ajax was the bravefl. Do not deny him then the honours due To worth fo great; for know, it were a crime Not againft him alone but 'gainft the gods, A violation of the laws divine. To hurt the brave and virtuous after death, Ev'n tho' he liv'd thy foe, is infamous. AGAMEMNON. Plead'ft thou for Ajax ? ULYSSES. Yes; I was his foe Whilfl: juftice wou'd permit me ; but he's dead ; Therefore thou fhoud'ft not triumph, nor rejoice With mirth unfeemly o'er a vanquifh'd man. AGAMEMNON. 'Tis not fo eafy for a king to ad By honour's ftrideft rules. ULYSSES. 'Tis always fo, To hearken to the counfels of a friend. When he advifes well. AGAMEMNON. But know, the o;ood And virtuous ftill fubmit to thofe who rule. ULYSSES. So A J A χ. ULYSSES. No more: when thou art vanquiili'd by thy friends, Thou art thyfclf the conqu'ror. AGAMEMNON. Still remember For whom thou plead'ft, Ulyfles. ULYSSES. For a foe, But for a brave one. AGAMEMNON. Do ft thou thus revere Ev'n after death thy enemy ? ULYSSES. I do: Virtue is dearer to me than revenge. AGAMEMNON. Such men are moft unftable in their ways. ULYSSES. Our dcarcft friend may one day be our foe. AGAMEMNON. Doft thou defire fuch friends ? ULYSSES. I cannot love Or praife th' unfeeling heart. ' A G A- J A χ. 87 AGAMEMNON. This day fhall Greece Mark us for cowards. ULYSSES. Greece will call us juft, AGAMEMNON. Woud'ft thou perfuade me then to grant him burial? ULYSSES. I wou'd, and for that purpofe came I hither. AGAMEMNON. How ev'ry man confulfs his own advantage. And ads but for himfelf! ULYSSES. And who is he Whom I fhou'd wiili to ferve before UlyiTes? AGAMEMNON. 'Tis thy own work, remember, and not mine. ULYSSES. The deed will win thee praife, and ev'ry tongue Shall call thee good. AGAMEMNON. Thou know'ft I'd not refufe UlyiTes more, much more than this ; but Ajax Or bury'd or unbury'd is the fame, And 88 A J A Χ. And muft be hateful ftiU to Agamemnon; But do as it bcleems thee beft. CHORUS. Ulyffes, The nun who fays tliou art not wife and good Is fenfelefs and unjuft. ULYSSES. I tell thee, Teucer, Henceforth I am as much the friend of Ajax As once I was his foe: ev'n now I mean To join with thee, a fellow-labourer 111 all the pious offices of love, Nor wou'd omit, what ev'ry man fhou'd pay The honours due to fuch exalted virtue ! TEUCER. Ο ! bcft of men, thou haft my thanks and praife, And well defervTt them, for thou haft tranfcended My utmoft hopes. I little thought the worft Of all his foes among the Grecian hoft Wou'd thus alone defend, alone proteft The dead from infult, when thefe thund'ring leaders United came, to call his body forth Vv^th ini^imy ; but may the god who rules O'er high Olympus, and the vengeful furies, Daugh- A J A χ. 8p Daughters of Jove, the guilt-rewarding fifters, With all-deciding juftice foon repay The haughty tyrants : for thy offer'd aid, Son of Laertes, in the funVal rites, Perhaps it might offend the honour'd ihade Of our dead friend, it cannot be accepted ; For all beilde we thank thee : if thou wiirft To fend afllftance from the Grecian camp, 'Twill be receiv'd ; the reft ihall be my care. Thou haft perform'd the duty of a friend. And we acknowledge it. ULYSSES. I wou'd have lent My wi'ling aid, but iince it muft not be, I fhall fubmit; farewel. [Exit UlyiTes. SCENE III. AGAMEMNON, MENELAUS, TEUCER, EURYSACES, CHORUS. TEUCER. Thus far is right ; The time already paft doth chide our iloth : • My Iriends, be vigilant j let fome prepare The hollow fofs, fome o'er the facred fkime Place the rich trinod for the fun'ral bath j Ν Fcrth fo A J X. Forth frnm the camp a chofcn band rnuil bear His ghttVing arms, and trophies of the war. J^o ihou, my child, if thou haft ftrength, upHft [to Euryfaces, Thy father's body ; fee, the veins, yet warm, Spout forth with blood ; hafte, help, aiTift me, all Who bear the name of friends, and pay with me Your laft fad duties to the noble Ajax ; For never was on earth a better man, CHORUS. Whatever of good or ill weak mortals know, Muft from their beft of guides, experience, flow j Jjcck then no farther ; for to man is giv'n C~~x^ The prefent ftate, the future left to heav'n. IVbatecr of good or ill &c. The fentiment in the original is, if I am not niillaken, exadly agreeable to my interpretation, though the Greek carries with it fame degree of obfcurity ; it feems defign'd by Sophocles as a kind of moral to the drama ; I have therefore taken the Hberty more fully to exprefs, and explain it in the tranflation. For a complete defence and illuftration of this play in all its parts, I refer my readers to Hedelin's critique on Ajax, fub- join'd to his pratique du theatre, or, whole art of the ftage. F Ν I S. iiifiiiii^##^i^?iii=BSi^it^li^i^^i^^ili^i^iii^i[#ii^ Ε L Ε C τ R Α. ?'^^^^^^ί'^^^^5^'ϊ^ί^3^^^?^ί5^^^5^3^^5|ί^^^^|^^^ΐ|^^ϊ^^ Dramatis Perfonae. Ε L Ε C τ R A, daughter of Agamemnon and Clyt^mnestra. ORESTES, brother of Electra. Ρ Υ L A D Ε S, friend of Orest es. GOVERNOR of Orestes. CLYT.EMNESTRA, wife to ^Egisthus. CHRYSO THEMIS, fifter of Electra. ^ G I S Τ Η U S, king of Argos and Mycenae. CHORUS, Compofed of the principal Ladies of Mycen^. SCENE, Mycen^, before the palace of ^gisthus» ( 9Ί ) , ■ ■ ^— ^— — ■— .1 .. .,, -.11. Ι^...-.^^ _^^» ■ * ■ — ~ ' Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. Α C τ Ι. SCENE Ι. ORESTES, PYLADES, GOVERNOR of ORESTES, GOVERNOR. Ο Son of great Atrides, he who led Embattled Greece to Troy's devoted walls, At length behold what thy defiring eyes So long have fought, behold thy native foil, ; Thy much-lov'd Argos, and the hallo w'd grove Ο Of The fcene lies jufl: before the gates of the palace of iEgifthus ; on the back part of it is reprefented a view of the two cities of Argos and Myce- nae, the temple of Juno, and the grove of lo, which mufl: altogether have made a noble and magnificent appearance, as the Greeks fpared no expence in the decorations of their theatre. The place of adion, the perfons, with the whole view and fubjeft of the piece, are pointed out to us, in the firft fcene, with that accuracy, plainnefs and fimplicity, for which Sophocles is fo emi- iiently diftinguilh'd. The hallow d grove of L•. To, the daughter of Inachus, who was transform'd into a heifer by Jupiter to conceal her from the rage of Juno, who difcover'd and placed her under the guardianfliip of Argus. She afterwards fent a gad-iiy to iling her into madnefs. The ilory is tul4 in the firil book of 0/id's Metamorph. ^S Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Of Ιο, frantic maid: on this fide lies The Lycian forum, on the left the fane Of Juno far renown d: behold! we come To rich Mycenas, and the ilaught'rous houfe Of Pclops' haplcfs race, from whofe fad walls Long fmce I bore thee, at thy fiflers hand Gladly recciv'd, and with paternal care To this bleft day have fofter'd up thy youth, Till riper years fliou'd give thee to return, And pay with dire revenge thy father's murther. Now, my Oreftes, and thou dear companion Of all our fuff rings, much-lov'd Pylades, Let deepeft counfel fway our juft refolves ; For lo ! rcfplendent Phoebus with his light Calls up the chearful birds to early fong, And 7he Lycian forum. A p^ace facred to Apollo Χυχιοζ or λυκοκτοΐΌ? the wolf-ilayer, fo call'd from his killing wolves when under the diiguilia of a ihepherd to Admetur.. The fane of Juno. Between Argos and Mycenae, which are often miflaken by the tragic poets for the fime city, was placed the magni- ficent temple of Juno. Before the time oF Agamemnon they had each a ciftindl fovereign : he fiiil: united and ruled over them both. 7he flaughfrous houfe of Pdops. A family which furniih'd ample matter for the tragic poets. The ftories, here alluded to, of Tantalus, Pe- lops, Thyefles, Agamemnon, &c. are too well known to need any il- lullration. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. ρρ And gloomy night hath loft her ftarry train : Come then, my friends, and e'er th' avvaken'd city Pours forth her bufy throngs, this inftant here Let us confult ; believe me, 'tis no time For dull delay ; tis the deciiive hour, And this the very criiis of our fate. ORESTES. What proofs thou giv'ft me of the nobleft nature And true benevolence, thou good old man ! Of fervants fure the faithfuleft and beft That ever bore the name : the gen'rous fteed, Tho' worn with years, thus keeps his wonted courage. And warns his mafter of approaching danger; Like him thou ftirr'ft me up to noble deeds, And foUow'ft me undaunted : but attend To what I have refolv'd, and if I err, Let thy fuperior judgment fet me right. When to the delphic oracle I flew. Eager to know how on my father" s foes I beft might fatiate my revenge, the god Enjoin' d me not by force or open arms To ruih upon them, but with guileful arts And filent well- conduced fraud betray them. Such was his will j thou therefore, foon as time Ο 2 Shall lOO Ε L Ε C τ R A, Shall lend thee opportunity, unknown And unfufpcaed (as thy abfence hence For fo long fi^acc and hoary age iliall make thee) Muft ftcal upon them, learn their fecret counfels, As foon thou may'lt, and quick inform us of themj Say thou'rt of Phocis, from Phanoteus fent By one who is their friend and firm ally; Say, and confirm it with a folemn oath Oreftes is no more, by a rude ihock Thrown fiom his chariot at the Pythian games j Be this thy tale; mean time (for thus the god His will divine cxprefs'd) my father's tomb With due libations and devoted hair Ourfelves will crown ; and thence returning bring, From the dark covert where thou know'ft 'twas hid, I'he brazen urn ; there, we fhall tell the tyrant. Thrice Front Phanoteus fent, Cfc. Phvioteus was a fmall midland town of Phocis, a city of Greece, famous for the Oracle of Delphos : according^ to ijtrabo it was formerly call'd Panope. • yli the Pythian games, (sic. The games here mention'd, and which are del'cribed in the iccond ait, were not inlTitured till live hundred years af- ter the death of Oreil;es ; Sophocles therefore is found guilty by the critics of a flagrant anachronifm in this place. Mr. Brumoy however endeavours to defend him by obferving that though the lateit yEra of their firft celebra- tion is dated at the 48th Olympiad, Apollo might neverthelefs, immediately after the dellrudion of the Pytho, have himfclf inftiiuted ; fomething like the grand folemnity, which was many years afterwards heightened and improved by the public exhibition of thefe gam.es under the influence of the civil power. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. ΙΟΙ Thrice welcome news ! Oreftes' aihes lie. What fhou'd deter me from the pious fraud ? Since my feign'd death but gains me real fame, And I iliall wake to better life : the deed, Which brings fuccefs and honour, muil be good. Oft times the wifeft and the beft of men From death like this have rofe with added greatnefs ; Ev'n fo thy friend to his deluded foes Shall foon return unlook'd for, and before them Shine like a ftar with more diftinguifh'd luilre. Ο ! my lov'd country, and its guardian gods, Receive Oreiles, and with happy omen Propitious fmile, and thou, paternal feat. For lo ! by hcav'ns command I come to purge thee Of vile ufurpers, and avenge thy wrongs ; Drive me not from thee an abandon'd exile With inlamy, but grant me to poffefs My father's throne, and fix his injur'd race. Thus far 'tis well : my faithful miniiler, Thou I'bc pious fravd Gfr. The Greeks, who were remarkably fuperilitious, entertaiii'd a notion that to fci'j-ii themfclves dead had Ibmethin^ in it ο ο both wicked ard dangerous ; thty were apprehenfive that death would not be thus mock'd, but would revenge the fraud by coming upon them in reality. Oreftes* endeavours to ihake ofF theie fears, and to vindicate him- felf by the example of others who had done the fame, and pafs'd unpu/- rifli'd. ΙΟΙ Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Thou to thy office, we to ours with fpecd ; So time and opportunity require, On whom tlic fate of mortals muft depend. IL L Ε C Τ R A. [from within.] Ο mifcry ! GOVERNOR. Methought a mournful voice Spake from within. ORESTES. Perhaps the poor Eledra, Shall we not ftay and hearken to it ? GOVERNOR. No: Firft be Apollo's great behefts obey'd Before thy father's tomb ; that pious deed Pcrform'd fhall fire our fouls with nobler warmth And crown our bold attempt with fair fuccefs. [Exeunt. SCENE F/V/? be yipoUos, &c. The meeting of Eleilra and Orciies in this place would apparciitly have fpoil'd the whole ot'conomy of the damaj it is therefore artfully defer'd by the poet, at the fame time tb.at the reafon alledged by the old man gives us the moft favourab'e idea of the piety ot the anticntf. Λ brother has an opportunity of feeing and converfing with a filler whom he loved, and fiom whom he had been feparated twenty years, but he forgoes it, in order previoufiy to perform a religions duty. Chriftians may read and profit by the example. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. 105 SCENE II. Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. Ο ! facred light, and Ο ! thou ambient air I Oft have ye heard Eledra's loud laments, Her iighs, and groans, and vvitnefs'd to her woes, Which ever as each hateful morn appear' d I pour'd before you ; what at eve retir'd I felt of anguiili my fad couch alone Can tell, which water'd nightly with my tears Received me forrowing ; that befl; can tell What pangs I fuiFer'd for a haplefs father, Whom not the god of war with ruthlefs hand Struck nobly fighting in a diftant foil, But my fell mother, and the curs' d ^gifthus, The part'ner of her bed, remorfelefs flew ; Untimely didft thou fall, lamented fhade. And none but poor Eledlra mourns thy fate ; Nor fhall flie ceafe to mourn thee, while thefe eyes View the fair heavens, or behold the fun j Never, Ο ! never ! like the nightingale Whofe Like the mghtingak, &c. Philomela the daughter of Pandion, and fif- ter of PiOcne^the wife of Tereus. The poet, both in this and the follow- ing fcene, takes the nightingale for Procne, as it was Procne and not Phi- lomela who ferved up her Υυη Itys to Tereus in revenge for the injury done to her fiiler. ^Efchylus, Euripides, and Ariftophanes alfo fuppofe Procne to have been changed into a nightingale. IC4 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. Whole plaintive fong bewails her raviili'd brood ; Here will I llill lament my father's wrongs, And teach the echo to repeat my moan. Ο ! vc infernal deities, and thou Terreflrial Hermes, and thou, Nemefis, Replete with curies, and ye vengeful furies. Offspring of Gods, the miniffers of wrath To vile adult'rers, who with pity view The flaughter'd innocent, behold this deed ! O! come, alTifl:, revenge my father's murther; Quickly, O! cpickly bring me my Oreftes j For lo I iink beneath oppreilive woe, And can no longer bear the weight alone. SCENE III. CHORUS, ELECTRA. CHORUS. O! wretched daughter of an impious mother! Wilt thou for ever mourn, for ever thus "' With unavailing tears, and endlefs forrow Lament the royal Agamemnon's fate. By a vile woman's wicked arts betray 'd ? PeriiK the hand (forgive the pious curfe. Ye hcav'nly pow'rs!) that gave the deadly blow! Ε L Ε C- Ε L Ε C τ R Α. 105 Ε L Ε C τ R Α. My noble friends, and partners in afHidion, Who thus, to footh my forrows, kindly try Each art which love and friendiliip can inlpirei Ye come to comfort me, I know ye do, I know my tears are friiitlefs all and vain; But O! permit me to indulge my griefs. For I muft weep. CHORUS. Thy tears can ne'er recall him From the dark manilons of the common grave, No, nor thy pray'rs -, they can but make thee wretched^ And fmk thee deeper in calamity ; Why art thou then fo fond of mifery ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Devoid of fenfe and feelino; is the heart That can forget an injur'd parent's wrongs. I love the airy meifenger of Jove, The mournful bird that weeps her Itys' fate, And ev'ry night repeats the tender tale ; Thee too I rev'rence as a goddefs, thee, Ρ Unhappy Meffenger cf Jove. Procne, called the meflenger of Jove, from her uflier- .in^ in the fpriiig. See the note on Philomelap ΐοδ Ε L Ε C τ R Α• Unliappy Niobc ! for ΠϋΙ thou wccpTt, And from the marble tears eternal flow. CHORUS. Tut O! rcflcft, that not to thee alone Misfortune comes, that comes to all: behold Iphianaffa, and Chryfothemis, And him who hides his grief, illuftrious youth,, Thy lov'd Orefics, thcfc have fuffer'd too. Ε L Ε C Τ R A, Orciles! yes, Mycenae fhall receive In happy hour her great avenger ; Jove With fmilcs aufpicious fhall conduct him to me ;; For him alone I wait, for him, a wretch Dcfpis'd, of children and of nuptial rites, Hopelefs I wander ; he remembers not What I have done for him, what fuiFer'd, ftill. WitR^ Unhajpy Nicbe. Niobe, the daughter of Tantalus,, and queen of Thebesj. feign'd by the poets to be turn'd into ίΐοηε, after the dtath of her chil- dren. See Ovid's Met. Book VI, Jphiiuwffa and Chryjoiheinis. Homer (11. Book IX) mentions three daugh-• t€rs of Agamemnon, Chyfothemis, Laodice, and Iphianafii. Euripides takes no notice of any but Iphigcnia, (who wns ficrificcd) and Elect's. P^llibly/ the Laodice of Homer is the Eleclra of bophoclcs. 1 he poets took the liberty of changing circumlfances of this nature, not effential to the fubjedtj, as they thought proper.. Ε L Ε C τ R A 107 With airy promifes he mocks my hopes, And yet he comes not to me. CHORUS. But he will. Defpair not, daughtei•; Jove is yet in heav'n, The god who fees, and knows, and governs all : Patient to him fubmit, nor let thy rage Too far tranfport thee, nor oblivion drown The juft remembrance of thy matchlefs woes; Time is a kind indulgent deity. And he fliall give thee fuccour, he fhall fend The god of Acheron, from Chryfa's fhores To bring Oreiles, and avenge thy wrongs. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. O! but the while how much of life is gone! And I a hopelefs wretched orphan ftill, Without a friend to guard, or to proted me ; Difgrac'd, diilionour'd, like a ftranger clad in bafe attire, and fed with homeliefl: fare. CHORUS. Sad nev/s indeed the haplefs meifenger To Argos brought, that fpoke the wifh'd return Ρ 2 OF From Cbryfas p?ores. Chryfa, or ChryiTa was a town of Phocis by the ri- ver fide, of which Strophiui, the father of Pylades, was king; this is the place where Orcftes was privately educated, and accounis for the fo iiiuch celebrated ifisndiliip of the two princes. lo8 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. Of tiiy lovM father to his native foil ; Fatal the night when Agamemnon fell Or bv a mortal or immortal hand ; The work of fraud and luft, a horrid deed Γ Whoe'er perform'd it. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. O! detefted feaft Γ Ο! day, the bitt'refi: fure that ever rofe ! With him I perifh'd then; but may the gods Repay the murtli'rers ; never may they hear The voice of joy, or tafte of comfort more. CHORUS. Ccafe thy complaints, already hail thou fufFer'd For thy loud difcon tents, and threat'ned vengeance. 'Tis folly to contend with povv'r fuperior. Ε L Ε C Τ R Tl'c ivork of fraud αηάΐΐίβ. iEgiilhus and Clytsmneftra are faid to have V'atch'd Agamemnon as he came out of the bath, when they threw over his head a fliirt without anj'opening at the neck, entangled in this they niurther'd- hinij thus was the fcheme laid by fraud aJid treachery and executed by luft. Whoe a• perform d it. The Chorus fcems fearful of attributing that crime to Clytasmneftra and T^gifthus, vvhich they knew them guilty of, and. to doubt whether they were at liberty to imprecate the divine vengeance on them for it. Dacier attributes this to the author's own idea of government, as requiring the implicit iubmiffion of fubjeds to their king, wl>ether he was their lawful fovereign or an ufurper. Perhaps a better reafon for this diffidence vxx-Ay be affign'd from the natural modefty of the fex, and the impiety of curiing thufe who had at leail done no injury to th^m.. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. ιορ Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Folly indeed, and madnefs ! but my griefs Will force their way, and whilft Eledra breathes She muft lament ; for who will bring me comfort^ Or footh my forrows ? let me, let me goj And weep for ever. CHORUS. 'Tis my love intreats ; Trufl me, I feel a mother's fondnefs for thee. And fain wou'd fave thee from redoubled woes. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. And wou'ft thou have me then negled: the dead ? Forget my father ? can there be fuch guilt ? When I do fo may iiifamy purfue me ! And if I Vv'cd, may all the joys of love Be far remov'd ! if vengeance doth not fall On crimes like thefe, for ever farewell jufticej Shame, honour, truth and pictVj farewell [ CHORUS. I feel a mother s fondnefs, <£c. The Chorus Is coinpofed of tlie principal ladies of Mycena; ; the nir of authority with which they addrcfs Eledtra, their calling her daughter, with other circumftances, make it moll: probable that,, as Dacier has remark'd, they were not virgins, but matrons of rank αιιφ quality in tl>e city. no Ε L Ε C τ R Α. CHORUS. P.irdun nic, daughter ; if my warmtli offend, Glad I fubniit; we'll follow, and obey thee. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. I am mvfclf to blame, and blufh to think How much unfit I fecm to bear the weight Impos'd upon mc ; but indeed 'tis great : Foigive mc, friends, a woman born as I am, Mufl flic not grieve to fee each added minute Frauglit with new mif 'ries ? thus to be a flave Ev'n in my father's houfe, and from thofe hands Which Hied his blood to aik the means of life ! Think what my foul muft fuffer to behold The curs'd TEgiflhus feated on the tlirone Of Agamemnon, in the very robes Which once were his; to fee the tyrant pour Libations forth ev'n on the flital fpot, Wliere the fad deed v/as done ; but woril of all To fee the murtherer ufurp his bed. Embrace my mother, (by that honour'd name If I may call a guilty wretch like her) Who pleas'd returns his love, and of her crimes ynconfcious fnlJcs, nor fears tli' avencrin-^ furies, Bui ever as the bloody day returns ο ώ Which Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Ill Which gave the royal vidim to her wiles, Annual the dance and choral fong proclaim A folcmn feaft, nor impious facriiice Forgets ilie then to her proteding gods. Shock'd at the cruel banquet I retire, And in fome corner hide my griefs, deny'd Ev'n the fad comfort to indulge my forrows ;: For Clytaemneftra in opprobrious terms Reviles me oft, " To thee alone, fhe cries, " Is Agamemnon loft, detefted maid I " Think'ft thou Eledlra only weeps his fate ? *' Perdition on thee ! may th' infernal gods " Refufe thee fuccour, and protraa; thy pains ! "" Thus rails fhe bitter, and if chance ihe hear Orefles is approaching, fbung with rage Wild uiQ exclaims, " Thou art th' accurfed cauicj, " This is thy deed, who ilole Orefles from me, " And hid him from my rage ; but be aflur'd '^ E'er lonnr niv venj^eance fliall o'ertake thee for it! Theia- Prcchiiffi (I foJemn feafl. Notlilng cou'd add more to the horror of the ffrime than fiich a ciic.umftance. Ciyia;innefl.ra, not content with niurthering her husband, inftitutes a fulcmn feait in commemoration ofthe happy event, and calls it, with true! raillerV; the fupper of Agamemnon. Dinias, in his hif- tory of Argci=, informs us it was on the 13th of the iiionth. Gameiion, M'hidfc aniwcrs to the beginning of our January,. Ill Ε L Ε C τ R Α. rhcfc tlircats her noble lord ftill urges on; 'J'liat vile adult'rer, that abandoned coward, Whole fearful foul call'd in a woman's aid To execute his bloody purpofes. iMcan-time Ekara fighs for her Oreftes, llcr willi'd avenger; his unkind delay Deftroys my hopes ; alas ! my gentle friends, Who can bear this, and keep an equal mind ? To fuffer ills like mine, and not to err From wild diftradlion, wou'd be ftrange indeed. CHORUS. But %, Ele6tra, is the tyrant near ? Or may we fpeak our thoughts unblam'd ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Thou mayfl: ; I had not elfe beyond the palace dared To wander hither. CHORUS. Ϊ wou'd fain have afk'd thee- E L Ε C Τ R A. Aflc what thou wilt, iEgiRhus is far off. CHORUS. Touching thy brother then, inform me quick If au2,ht thou know'ft that merits firm belief. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. 113 Ε L Ε C τ R Α. He promifes, but comes not. CHORUS. Things of moment Require deliberation and delay. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Ο ! but did I delay to fave Oreftes ? CHORUS. He boafts a noble nature, and will ne'er Forget his friends : be confident. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. I am, Were I not fo I had not liv'd till now. CHORUS. But foft ; behold the fair Chryfothemis Advance this way, and in her hand ihe bears Sepulchral offerings to the ihades below. Q^ SCENE Sepulchral offerings. The libations, or fepulchral offerings here mention'd, were generally honey, wine, milk, water, and barley- flour; thefe were de- fign'd to render the ghoft kind and propitious, and were therefore call'd ^οΛί 7\^υντήξΐοι or ^-ίλκτΜΟίοι ; thefe were pour'd upon the ground or grave-ilone, ^nd together with a certain form of words offer'd to the decealed. 114 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. SCENE IV. C Η R Υ S Ο Τ II Ε Μ I S, Ε L Ε C Τ R A, C Η Ο R U S. C Η R Υ S Ο Τ Η Ε Μ I S. Still, my Elcilra, pouring forth thy griefs? Art tliou not yet by fad experience taught How little they avail ? I too muft feel And cou'd refent, as, were thy iifter's pow'r But equal to her will, our foes fhou'd know. Mean time with lower'd fails to bear the ftorm Bchts us heft, nor, helplcfs as we are. With idle hopes to meditate revenge ; Yield then with me, and tho' impartial juftice Plead on thy fide, remember, if we prize Or life or liberty, we muft obey. Ε L EC Τ R A. It ill becomes great Agamemnon's daughter Thus to forget her noble father's worth, And take a bafe unworthy mother's part ; For well I fee from whom thv counfels flow : Nought from thyfelf thou fay 'ft but all from her : Either thy reafon's loft or if thou haft it. Thou haft forgot thy friends who fhou'd be dear And precious to thee: of thy boafted hate Again ft our foes, and what thou vaunt'ft to do, If Ε L Ε C τ R Α. lij If thou had'ft pow'r, I reck not ; whilft with me Thou wilt not join in great revenge, but ftill Diffuad'ft me from it ; is't not cowardly To leave me thus ? tell, I beg thee, tell me What mighty gain awaits my tame fubmiilion, Shou'd I fupprefs my griefs : I can but live, That I do now, a wretched life indeed ! But 'tis enough for me, and I am happy Whilft I can torture them, and to the dead Pay grateful honours ; (if to them fuch care Aught grateful can beftow) thy hate, I fear me Is but in word : thou doft befriend the murth'rers : For me, not all the wealth they cou'd beftow, Not all the gifts which they have pour'd on thee, Shou'd bind me to 'em : take thy coftly banquets, And let thy days with eafe and pleafure flow ; Give me but food, and I am fatisfy'd. I wifli not for thy honours, nor woud ft thou, If thou wer't wife, receive 'em at their hands. Thou might'fl: be daughter to the beft of fathers, And art thy mother's only ; take that name. And henceforth all fhall mark thee as a wretch Who hath betray'd her father and her friends. ClZ C II ο R υ S. ιιδ Ε L Ε C τ R Α. CHORUS. I do intrcat you, let not anger come Between you thus; you both have reafon'd well, And mueli of mutual beneht may flow, If each to other lend a patient ear. CHRYSOTHEMIS. Cuflom, my noble friends, hath made reproach Familiar to me, and fo well I know Her haughty mind, I had been fllent ftill But that 1 fiw the danger imminent, And came to warn her of the fatal ftroke, Wliich foon muft end her, and her griefs together. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Tell me this mighty danger, if aught more It threaten than Eledra long hath borne, I yield me to thy counfels. CHRYSOTHEMIS. Hear me then : Know, thou art doom'd, unlefs thou dofi: refrain Thy clam'rous griefs, far from the light of day. And this thy native foil, within a cell Difmal and dark to fpend the poor remains Of thy fad life, and there lament thy fate. Ε L Ε C- Ε L Ε C τ R Α. 117 Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Is it decreed ? miift it in truth be fo ? C Η R Υ S Ο Τ Η Ε Μ I S. Soon as iEgifthus fliall return, it mufl:. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Quick let him come ; I long to fee him here. C Η R Υ S Ο Τ Η Ε Μ I S, Alas ! what dreadful imprecations thefe ! Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Wou'd he were prefent, if for this he comes I CHRYSOTHEMIS. What ! to deftroy thee ! is thy mind difturb'd ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. That I might fly for ever from thy iight. CHRYSOTHEMIS. Wilt thou not think how to preferve thy life ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Mine is a bleffed life indeed to think of. CHRYSOTHEMIS. It might be bleft, if thou woud'ft have it fo. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Teach me not bafely to betray my friends. CHRYSOTHEMIS. I do not; all I aik thee is to yield To pow'rs fuperior. Ε L Ε C^ nS Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Fawn on them thjfelf; Thou doft not know Eledra. CHRYSOTHEMIS. Sure it better Dcfcrves the name of wifdom to avoid Tlian haften thy deilruclion. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. No, to dye Were pleafure, cou'd I but avenge my father. CHRYSOTHEMIS. Our flither, doubt it not, will pardon thee. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. *Tis mean to think fo. CHRYSOTHEMIS. Wilt thou not confent ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Never Ο ! never be my foul fo weak. CHRYSOTHEMIS, Then to my errand : fare thee Vv'ell. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. To whom, Cliryfotlicmis, and whither doft thou bear Thofe f4cred off 'rin^s ? C Η R Υ- Ε L Ε C τ R Α. πρ C Η R γ S ο τ IT Ε Μ Ι S. Το our father's tomb From Clytcemneflra. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. To the man flie hated ? The man, my iiiler CHRYSOTHEMIS. Whom ihe kill'd, I know Thou vvou'dft have faid. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Why, what ihou'd move her to it ? CHRYSOTHEMIS, If I miftake not, horrors late imprefs'd From a fad viilon. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Ο ! my country's gods. Succour me now ! CHRYSOTHEMIS. What hopes doft thou conceive From this ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. The dream : and I will tell thee all. CHRYSOTHEMIS. I know but little of it, Ε L Ε C- 120 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Tell me that : Oft' times to words, how few foe'er they be, Is giv'n the pow'r to fave or to deftroy. CHRYSOTHEMIS. Once more to light return'd (fo fame reports) Before her our lov'd father did appear, The royal fceptre wielded in his hand Which now ^gifthus bears, whence feem'd to fpring A green and leafy branch, whofe wide extent O'er all Mycenaj fpread its verdant fhade. This did I learn, and this alone, from one Who liften'd long attentive while flie told Her vifion to the fun ; hence all her fears. And hence my deftin'd journey, Ε L Ε C- Once more to light, &c. In the Coephori of iEfchylus, Clytiemneftra dreams that flie was brought to bed of a dragon to whom ihe gives fuck, and who draws out all her blood. Sophocles, who borrow'd this incident from his predecefior, has alter'd and Improved it ; the circumftances here related are more intcrefting, and the interpretation more obvious ; befides that, it is render'd in- ftrument;il to the plan of the drama, by fending Chryfothemis to her father's tomb, where ihe finds the offerings of Oreftes, which prepares the difcovery of his unexpected arrival. ToU her vificn to ike Sun. It was cuflcmaiy among the antients, when they had been terrify 'd by bad dreams, to open their windows in the morn- ing, and relate their dreams to the fun, who, they imagin'd, as he had po'.xer to difpel the darknefs, could alfo turn afide all the evils which the p.cceding night hid threat'ned them with ; Apollo was therefore ftiled «τοτ/)3ταο5 or the averter of evil, and had images ereded to hini undef Vhat title. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Ill Ε L Ε C τ R Α. By the gods Let me conjure thee, hear me; if thou doft not, Too late fhalt thou repent, when for thy guilt Evil o'ertake thee ; Ο ! Chryfothemis ! Never, I beg thee, to our father's tomb Bear thou thofe off 'rings ; 'twere a horrid deed, From fuch a woman ; give 'em to the winds, Let them be hid, deep bury'd in the fands, And not the fmallefh grain efcape to reach That hallow'd place; let 'em remain for her, Safe in the earth till flie fhall meet 'em there. None but this fhamelefs, this abandon'd woman .,^ Wou'd e'er with impious off 'rings thus adorn The tomb of him flie murther'd : by the dead Think'ft thou fuch gifts can be with joy receiv'd ? Gifts from that hand, which from his mangled corfe Sever'd his lifelefs limbs, and on the head R Of Sever d his lifelefs limbs. The word ψΰΐ,'χ^ΆΧιχτη in the original, and which is made ufe ot" by /Efchylus alio, is iuppol'ed by the commentators to allude to a luperilitious cuftom of achrotireiing, or cutting oft" the external parts of the peribn flain, and fixing them under their arm-pits ; a kind of charm, which the murtherer imagined would prevent him from fending the furies to revenge his murther. IZZ Ε L Ε C τ R A, Of the poor victim wip'd her bloody fvvord :' Madnefs to think that off 'rings and ablutions Cou'd purge fuch crimes, or waih her ftains away ; Kever, Ο ! never : but of this no more. Inflant, my fifter, thy devoted hair With thefe diihevell'd locks, and this my zone, Plain as it is and unadorn'd, fhalt thou Bear to our father ; wretched off 'rings theie ! But 1 'tis all Eledra now can give. Bear them, and fuppliant on thy knees implore him To fmile propitious, and aiTift his children; Pray for Oreftes too, that foon with pow'r He may return, and trample on our foes ; So Hiall a fairer tribute one day grace His honour'd tomb than now we can beftow. Trufl: me, my fiflcr, we are iliil his care, I know, we are ; from him the νίβοη came. The horrid dream that fhook her guilty foul : Now then, I beg thee, be a friend to me; Be to thyfclf a friend ; a friend to him, Of all 'mankind the deareft, our dead father. CHORUS, Wip'd her bloody fwor J. The murtherer wiped the inftrument of the mur- ther ill the hair οϊ the deceaied, and then waih'd it, perfuaded that this would wipe away ihe guiit alio. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. 123 CHORUS. Well doth the pious virgin fpeak, and thou MufI: yield to her requefts. CHRYSOTHEMIS, And fo I will. Where reafon didates, ftrife fhou'd never come ; But quick, difpatch, fulfill her juft commands, Yet, O! my firiends, remember, our attempt Is full of danger, and let nought efcape That may betray me to my cruel mother; For, if it reach her ear, this daring ad, I fear me much, fhall one day coil us dear. [Exit Chryfothemis. SCENE V. CHORUS, ELECTRA. CHORUS. STROPHE. Or my prophetic mind is now no more, Attentive as of oldT to wifdom's lore, R 2 Or Scene V. This is thefirfl fong; or intermede of ihe Chorup, who, after hear- ing the dream related by Chryfotheinis, draw from it fair omens oi Eleftra's fuccefs, and vengeance on the mnrtherers of Agamemnon : it is remarkable that Eleilra remains on the ftage all the time; a plain proof among many others that (as it is obferved in the dilTertation) tlie divifion of thefe tragedies into ads is merely arbitrary, and of late invention, as it would be ablurd for the principal character to appear thus between the acTts, 124 Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Or iuAicc comes, with fpeedy vengeance fraught ; 13chold ! the goddefs arm'd with pow'r appears, . .7 It murt: be fo, by Clytiemneftra's fears, And tlie dire dream that on her fancy wrought : Thy father, not unmindful of his fate, Shall hidier come his wrongs to vindicate ; And, in his gore imbrued. The fatal axe with him fhall rife, Shall aik another facrificc. And drink, with him the cruel tyrant's blood, ANTISTROPHE. Lo ! with unnumber'd hands, and countlefs feet The fury comes her deftin'd prey to meet. Deep in the covert hid ihe glides unfeen. Hangs o'er the trembling murth'rer's head, Or fteals to the adult'rous bed, An awful witnefs of the guilty fcene ; Doubtlefs the dream with all its terrors meant For crimes like thefe fome dreadful puniiliment, If mortals aught from nightly vifions know. If truth from great Apollo's ihrine Appears in oracles divine, Prefaging blifs to come, or threatening future woe. Ε Ρ Ο D E. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. U^: Ε ρ ο D Ε. Ο ! Pe^ops, to thy country and to thee, The flital courfe brought woe and mifery ; For iince the time when from his chariot thrown, For thee the guilty wreath to gain, The haplefs Myrtilus was ilain. Nought has thy wretched race but grief and forrow known. End of ACT I. Ihe haplefs Myrtihs. To underftand this paiTage it is necelTary to be ac- quainted with t'tie iollowing ftory. Oenomaus had a beautitul daughter, named Hippodamia, whom be refufed to give in marriage, becaufe the oracle declared that a Ion in-law would be fatal to him ; he promired however to beftow his daughter on any man who ihould conquer him in the chariot-race, on condition that all, who were vanquiili'd by him, fliould be put to death : many bold adventurers accepted the terms, and perifli'd in the attempt; the horfes of Oenomaus were fwift as the wind, and confequentiy invincible ; thefe examples however did not deter Pelops, who enter'd the lifts againft Oenomaus, and bribed his charioteer Myrtilus with- a promifc of half his kingdom if he fucceeded ; Myrtilus liften'd to his offers, and purpoiely forgot to put the pins into the wheels of his mailer's chariot, which broke in pieces in the middle of the courfe. Pelops efpoufed Hippodamia, but afterwards, inftead of performing his promife to Myrtilus, chofe rather to get rid of this inftrument of treachery by throwing him into the fea. Mercury, who it fcems was the father of Myrtilus, revenged the murther of his fon by entailing curfes on Pelops and all his pofterity. It appears by this, that the Heathens believed that God punifli'd the crimes of fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation. ACT 11. 11(5 Ε L Ε C Τ R A, ACT II. SCENE I. CLYT/EMNESTRA, Ε L Ε C Τ R A, CHORUS. CLYTiEMNESTRA. 7Γ? G I S Τ Η U S abfent, who alone cou'd curb Thy haughty fpirit, and licentious tongue ; At large, it feems, thou rov'ft, and unreilrain'd, No dcf'rcnce paid to my authority, But on thy mother ever pouring forth Bitter invedives, while the lift'ning croud Are taught to hold me proud, and fierce of foul, A lawlcfs tyrant iland'ring thee and thine ; I am no iland'rer, I abhor the name, But oft rcvird, of force I muil reply. And fend thy foul reproaches back upon thee. Thou fay'ft I Hew thy father ; that alone Is left to plead for all thy infolence. I do confefs the deed, and glory in it ; I flew thy lather ; yet not I alone, I had the hand of juftice to alTifi: me, And fhoud have had Eledra's : well thou know'il That cruel father, for whom thus tliy tears InceiTant Ε L Ε C τ R Λ. 127 Inceflant flow, that fluhcr ilew his child ; ne, he alone of" all the Greciiin hoil Gav^e up his daughter, horrid lacriiice 1 To the o£Fcndcd gods : he never felt A mother's pangs, and therefore thought not of them ; Or if he did, why flay the innocent ? For Greece thou tellfl: me : Greece cou'd never claim A right to what was mine ; or did fhe fall For Menelaus ? he had children too, Why might not they have dy'd ? their parent's guilt, Source of the war, more juftly had deferv'd it j Or think'ft thou death with keener appetite Cou'd feaft on mine, and Helen's not afford As fvveet a banquet ? why was all the love, To me and to my child fo juftly due, With lavifli hand beftow'd on Menelaus ? Was he not then a bafe inhuman father ? He was : and fo, cou'd Iphigenia fpeak. Thy He had children too. According to Homer (See OdviT. b. 4.) Menelaus had only one child, Hermione. Hefiod gives him two, Hermione and Nicoilra- tiis : the latter tradition was more agreeable to Sophocles ; becaufe, if Meneiaus had but one child, the lois would have been greater to him than to Agamem- non, who had many ; this we fee, would deftroy the force of Clyiasmneftra's argument, which is ftrengthen'd by the other fuppontion. Coiid Iphigenia fpeak. Clytjemneftra endeavours to palliate her guilt by re- proaching Agamemnon with the facrifice of Iphigenia. Euripides Itrengthens this izS Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. Thy brcathlcfs fifter, (he too wou'd declare: Know then, I grieve not; iKame or penitence I feci not for the deed ; and if to thee It fccni fo heinous, weigh each circumftance, Remember what he did, and lay the blame On him who well deferv'd the fate he fuffer'd. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. TJiou haft no plea for bitternefs like this; Thou can'ft not fay that I provok'd thee to it, I have been fdent : had I leave to fpeak I cou'd defend an injur'd father's caufe, And tell thee wherefore Iphigenia fell. CLYTii:MNESTRA. I do permit thee ; and if modeft thus Thou hadft addrefs'd me always, thy free ipeech Had ne'er offended, Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Haft thou not confefs'd That thou did'ft flay my father ? whether juftice Appro\'c or not, 'twas horrid to confeis it ; But this plea by the addition of another, which the ladies will allow to have been ftill more forcible, viz. that Agamemnon kept another woman, and even brought her into the fame houfe with his wife. The fait is thus alluded to by Ovid, Dum fult Atrides una contentus, & ilia Caila fuit ; vitb eft improba faita viri. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. ΐΖί> But juftice never coii'd perfuade thee, no ; I'll tell thee who it was, it was iEgifchus, The wretch with whom thou livTt ; go aik the goddcfs, Th' immortal huntrefs, why the winds were ftay'd So long at Aulis; but thou muft not aik The chafte Diana ; take it then from me ; My father once, as for the chace prepar'd, Carelefs he wander'd thro' her facred grove, Forth from it's covert rous'd a ipotted hind. Of faireft form, with tow'ring antlers grac'd, Purfu'd and ilew her ; of the deity Something with pride elate he utter'd then Difdainful ; quick refenting the affront, Latona's daughter ftay'd the Grecian fleet. Nor wou'd forgive, till for her flaughter'd beail Th' offending father facrinc'd his cliild. Thus Iphigenia fell ; and but for her, S Greece Thou ηιηβ not αβ the chafle ΏΙαηα. A murtherer and adulterefs, like Cly- tamneilra, muii: not dare approach or fpeak to the goddefs of chaftity. Cly- tiemneftra feels the reproach, but at the fame time, to perfuade Eleilra that Hie was not afftded by it, a few lines after we find her invoking that goddcls, " by chafle Diana, foon as j^igiilhus comes, &ς." My father once Cyc. There is certainly an impropriety (though not, as I re- member, obferved by any of the cominentatcrs) in relating this ftory to Cly- ta^mneftra, who, we mull fiippofe, could be no ftranger to it. Sophocles, however, thought it might be neccffiry to acquaint the audience with this circumifance, and therefore took this m.ethod to inform them of it. 130 Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Greece ne'er liaJ fLcn or Ilion's lofty tow'rs, Or her own native foil ; the father ftrove J η vain to five, and not for Menelaus He gave her up at lafl-, but for his country. Suppofe a brother's fondnefs had prevail'd, And fhe was giv'n for him, wou'd that excufe Thy horrid deed ? what law requir'd it of thee ? That law alone by which thyfelf muil fall ; If blood for blood be due, thy doom is fix'd. Plead not fo poorly then, but tell me why Thou liv'ft adult'rous thus with a vile ruffian, Thy bafe aiTiflant ? why are thofe, who Iprung From thy iirit nuptials, cail unkindly forth lor his new race? was this thy piety? Was this too to revenge thy daughter's death ? In pure revenge to wed her deadliefl: foe Was noble, was it not ? but I forget. You are my mother, fo it feems you fay, And I muft hold my peace ; but I deny it ; I lay you are my miilrefs, not my mother • A cruel miibefs that afiiids my foul, And makes this weary life a burthen to me. Oreiles too, the haplefs fugitive, Who once cfcap'd thy fatal hand, now drags Ε L Ε C τ R A 151 A loatlifome being; him, thou fay'ft, I look'd for To join in my revenge, and fo I did ; I wou'd have been reveng'd, I tell thee fo : Say, I am bafe, malicious, impudent, Abuilve, what thou wilt ; for if I am, It ipeaks my birth, and I refemble thee. CHORUS. Refentment deep hath fir'd the virgin's breaft; Whether with truth and juftice on her fide She fpeak, I know not. CLYTiEMNESTRA. Can they plead for her ? What care, what love, or tendernefs is due To an abandon'd child, who ihamelefs thus Reviles a parent ? is there, after this, A crime in nature ilie wou'd bluili to ad; ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. I am not bafe, nor iliamelefs, as thou caH'il me, For know, even now I bluih for what is paft, Indecent warmth, and words that ill became My tender years, and virgin modeftv ; But 'twas thy guilt, thy malice urg'd mc to it ; From bad examples, bad alone we learn, I only err'd becaufe I follow'd thee. S 2 C L Y- ,32 Ε L Ε C τ R Α. CLYTiEMNESTRA. Impudent wretch ! and am I then the caufe Of all thy clam'rous infolence ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Thou art : Foul is thy fpeech, becaufe thy deed was foul ; For words from adions flow. CLYT^MNESTRA. By chafte Diana, Soon as iEgifthus comes, thy boldnefs meets Its juft reward. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Is this thy promis'd leave. So lately granted, freely to unfold What now incens'd thou doft refufe to hear ? CLYTiEMNESTRA. Have I not heard thee, and in bafe return With lucklefs omen doft thou now retard My pious facrifice? Ε L EC- IViih lucklefs omen &c. The antients were of opinion, that if, during the time of facrifice, thev heard any thing melancholy, it was an ill omen ; in the begini.ii g of thuie therefore that were public, filence was enjoin'd to all pre- fent i hence the phrafe of favete Unguis. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. 133 Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Ο ! far from me Be guilt like that ; perform it, I befecch thee ; In holy filcnce fliall thefe lips be clos'd, And not a v/ord efcape to thwart thy purpofe. CLYTiEMNESTRA. [fpeaking to one of her attendants.J Hither do thou the facred oif'rings bring Of various fruits compos'd, that to the god Whofe altars we adorn, my fervent pray'r May rife accepted, and difpel my fears. Hear then, Apollo, great protedlor, hear My fecret vows, for with no friendly ear rfoftly.! My voice is heard ; her malice wou'd betray, Shou'd I unveil my heart, each word I uttcr'd, And fcatter idle n.imours thro' the croud. Thus then accept my pray'rs, Lycean Phcebus I [aloud.] If in the doubtful viilons of the night Which Hear m•^ fecret vcws. Brumoy obferves on this pafiage, that ClytiEmneftra here retires towards a corner of the fcene, near the altar, where ihe makes her prayer, and oiftrs the facrifice, whilft tleotra remains upon the ila^e at a little diftance from her ; we moil fuppole her therefore, ipeaking pa t of this fpcech aloud, and part foftly, fo as not to be over-heard by Eledlra ; ihe implores Apollo to mark rather the purport, than the words of her prayer; ths ilie utiers in a low voice, till ihe comes to, Lycean Phoebus, 6cc. which ilie fpeaks aloud. 154 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. Wliich broke my ll umbers, aught prefaging good Thou Icc'rt, propitious Ο ! confirm it all ; But if of dire portent, and fraught with ill To mc and mine they came, avert the omen. And lend the evil back upon my foes! Ο ! if there arc, wliofc fraudful arts confpire Ίο cafl mc forth from all my prefent blifs, Let 'cm not profper, but protect me ftill ί Grant mc to live and reign in quiet here, To fpend each happy hour with thofe I Ιονζ-, With thofe my children who have ne'er offended By malice, pride and bitternefs of foul. Grant this, indulgent Phoebus ! what remains Unafk'd, thou feeil j for nought efcapes the eye Of gods, fuch knowledge have the fons of Tove! SCENE 11. GOVERNOR of ORESTES, C L Υ Τ ^ Μ NE S Τ R A, Ε L Ε C Τ R A, CHORUS. GOVERNOR. Js this the royal palace of .'Eairdius ? y 1 it) *■ CHORUS. Wilhihofe my children Sfi•. IphianalTit and Chryfuthemis, wlio had not af- tronted her j in ορροΓιη.,π to tledra, who had. Wlmt remaim ηηφ.Ι, [^c, Moft probably the death of Oreftes and Eledra, which fiic did not dare to mention in the prclencc of her dauahter. Clytai.Ti- reltrascharader IS finely drawn j her very prayers we fee are wicked, and i^reeable to her adions. 'k If* Ε L Ε C τ R Α. 159 CHORUS. Stranger, it is, GOVERNOR. And this, for fuch her form And look majeftic ^eak her, is his queen ; Is it not fo ? CHORUS. It is. GOVERNOR. Great fov'reign, hail ! With joyful news I come, and from a friend. To thee and to iEgifthus. CLYTiEMNESTRA. Stranger, welcome ; Say, iiril, from whom thy meffage ? GOVERNOR. From Phanoteus A Phocian fends thee things of utmoft moment. CLYTtEMNESTRA. of moment fay'ft thou ? what ? impart them quick ; Of friendly import, if from thence they come, I know they muft be. GOVERNOR; Briefly then, 'tis this : Oreiles ,^ό Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Orcftcs ib no more. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Undone Eledra ! Now am I loft indeed. What fay'ft thou? fpeak, Regard not her ; go on. GOVERNOR. I fay again, Oreftes is no more. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Then what am I ? I too am nothing. CLYT^MNESTRA. [to Eledra.] Get thee hence, away ! Difturb us not : moft welcome meffenger ; [to the Governor,] Go on, I beg thee, let me hear it all ; Say how he dy'd ; tell evry circumftance. GOVERNOR. For tliat I came, and I will tell thee all. Know then, Oreftes at the Pythian games, Eager Orrftes at the Pythian games, (fc. Our mojern crltigs will perhaps be of opi- rjioii, that this defcription of the Pythian game?, (o much admired by the favour- er& Ε L Ε C τ R Α. 137 Eager for glory met aiTembled Greece ; Soon as the herald's far-refoundins voice Proclaim'd the coiirfe, the graceful youth appear'd, And was by all admir'd : fuccefsful foon He reach' d the goal, and bore his prize away. Ne'er did thefe eyes behold fuch feats perform'd By mortal ftrength ; in ev'ry courfe fuperior He rofe victorious : theme of ev'ry tongue Was the brave Argive, great Atrides' fon, Λνΐιο led the Grecian hoft ; but Ο ! in vain Doth human valour ftrive, when pow'r divine Purfues vindidlive ! the fucceeding morn Uprofe the fun, and with him all the train Of youthful rivals in the chariot race ; One from Achaia, one from Sparta came^ Τ Of ers of antiquity, is too long, and rather interrupts than carries on the bufinefs of the drama ; it will be in vain therefore to inform them, that this circumftantial detail was necelTary to give the ftory an air of veracity in the eyes of the perfon to whom it is related, at the fame time that the author had by this means an opportunity of ihewing his poetical and defcriptive talents in the narration. In evry ccurfe fuperior, &c. The τηντίχ,'^Χον or quinquertium, here alluded ίο, confifted of five exercifes, viz. leaping, running, throwing, darting, and wreftling; Oreiles conquer'd in every one ofthtm; this was the bufinefs of the firfl day of the games, the fecond was employ'd in the chariot-race, which is here minutely and accurately defcribed. One from Achaia, &c. In the Greek it is the firil from Achaia, the fecond from Sparta, and fo on to the tenth, which would have made an awkwaid ap- pearance in Englifh j I have therefore taken the liberty to vary the method of .enumerating them in the tranllation. 153 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. Of Afric's fons advanc'd a noble pair, And join'd the throng; with thcfe Oreftcs drove His fwift Theflalian fteeds ; i^tolia next For yellow courfers fam'd ; and next Magncfia ; And Athens, built by hands divine, fent forth Her ikilful charioteer; an i^nian next Drove his white Horfes thro' the field ; and laft A brave Boeotian clos'd the warrior train. And now in order rang'd, as each by lot Determin'd ftood, forth at the trumpet's found They rufh'd together, iliook their glitt'ring reins, And lafh'd their foaming courfers o'er the plain. Loud was the din of ratt'ling cars involv'd In dufty clouds ; clofe on each other prefl: The rival youths, together flopt, and turn'd Together all : the haplefs ^nian firil, His fiery fleeds impatient of fubjedlion. Entangled on the Lybian chariot hung; Confufion foon and terror thro' the croud Difailrous fpread ; the jarring axles rung ; Wheel 'jltha:s, built by hands divine. Sophocles, who was an Athenian, takes every opportunity ot doing honour to his countrymen ; Athens, we fee, is diftinguifli'd by him in the ΗΛ as built by hands divine ; and the Athenian charioteer I'eleded fiom the rival chiefs, to contend with his hero OreiteSj who had eafily overcome all the reft. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. I5J> Wheel within wheel now crack'd, till Chryfa's jfleld Was with the fcatter'd ruins quite oeripread. Th' Athenian cautious view'd the diftant danger. Drew in the rein, and turn'd his car aiide, Then paft them all. Oreftes, who fecure Of conqueft lagg'd behind, with eager pace Now urg'd his rapid courfe, and fwift purfu'd. Sharp was the conteft ; now th' Athenian firil, And now Oreftes o'er his couriers hung, Now ilde by iide they ran; when to the laft And fatal goal they came, Atrides' fon, As chance with ilacken'd rein he turn'd the car, Full on the pillar ftruck, tore from the wheel Its brittle fpokes, and from his feat down drop'd Precipitate ; entangled in the reins His fiery courfers dragg'd him o'er the field, Whilft fhrieking crouds with pity view'd the youthj Whofe gallant deeds deferv'd a better fate. Scarce cou'd they flop the rapid car, or loofe His mangled coric, fo drench'd in blood, fo chang'dj That fcarce a friend cou'd fay it was Oreiles. Strait on the pile they burnt his fad remains, And, in an urn enclos'd, a chofen few From Phocis fent have brought his afhes home, Τ 2 To 140 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. To reap due honours in his native land. Thus have I told thee all, a dreadful tale ! But Ο ! how iiir more dreadful to behold it. And be like me a vvitnefs of the fcene ! CHORUS. Ah mc ! the royal race, the antient houfe Of my lov'd mafler is no more ! CLYTiEMNESTRA. Great Jove I Th' event was happy, but 'tis mix'd with woe. For, Ο ! 'tis bitter to refledl, that life And fafety muft be piirchas'd by misfortunes. GOVERNOR. Why grieve you, madam ? CLYT.EMNESTRA. 'Tis a bitter taflc To bring forth children ; tho' a mother's wrong'd, A mother cannot hate the babe flie bore. GOVERNOR. Then with ungrateful news in vain I came ; CLY- T/i mixd -mth ivoe. Dacier highly commends the art of the poet in Clytiem- neOr.i's txpielhun of uneafineib ar the dea h of Oreftes ; as to have received the news vvuhout ai;y marks oi tender.. cii> or compafliun would have been Ihocking to nature and humanity. But perliaps a better reafon for this diflembled forrow may be iiiawn from her w iliingnefs to prelerve fome decency and appearance af virtue in ihe e^ti ot tiie nielTengcr. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Γ4Ι CLYTyEMNESTRA. Ο no ; moil welcome is the man who brincrs Such joyful tidings, that a thanklefs child Is gone, who left a tender mother's arms, To live a voluntary exile from me ; Ne'er to thefe eyes return'd, but abfent rag'd. And threaten'd vengeance for his murther'd father ; Day had no reft for me, nor did the night Bring needful ilumbers, thoughts of inftant death Appall'd me ever ; but my fears are gone ; He cannot hurt me now, nor worfe than him, This vile domeftic plague, who haunts me ftill To fuck my vital blood ; but henceforth fafe, Spite of her threats, fhall Clytasmneftra live. •. ^ Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Now, my Oreftes, I indeed muft mourn Thy cruel fate, embitter'd by reproach, And from a mother's tongue ; this is not welL CLYTi^MNESTRA. With him it is, and wou'd it were with thee ! Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Attend, Ο ! Nemeils ! and hear the dead ! CLYTiEMNESTRA, She heard that voice which beft deferv'd her ear, And her decrees are juft. Ε L Ε C- 141 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Go on, proud woman ; Infult us now, whilft fortune fmiles upon thee. CLYTiEMNESTRA. Dofl: thou then hope that we iliall fall hereafter ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. No ! we are fall'n ourfelves, and cannot hurt thee. CLYT^MNESTRA. Thrice worthy is that meflenger of joy Whofe gladfome news ihall flop thy clam'rous tongue. GOVERNOR. My taik perform'd, permit me to retire. CLYTiEMNESTRA. No, ftranger, that were an affront to thee, And to our friend who fent thee here. Go in, And leave that noify wretch to bellow forth Her forrows, and bewail her loft Oreftes. [Exeunt, SCENE ΠΙ, ELECTRA, CHORUS. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Mark'd ye, my friends, did ye obferve her tears ? Did ihe lament him? did the mother weep For her loft child ? Ο no j ihe fmiled and left me ; Wretched Ε L Ε C τ R Α. 143 Wretched Eleclra ! Ο my dear Orcftcs ! TIiou haft undone me ; thou wert all my hope. I thought thou vvoud'ft have liv'd to aid my vengeance For our lov'd father s death ; depriv'd of both Whither fliall I betake me! left at laft A flave to thofe whom moft on earth I hate, The cruel murtli rers ; muft it then be fo ? Never, Ο never ! thus bereft of all, Here will I lay me down, and on this ipot End my fad days ; it' it offend the tyrants, Let 'em deftroy mc ; 'tw.ll be kindly done ; Life is a pain ; I \/ou d not wi'li to keep it. CHORUS. Where is thy thunder, Jove ? or, where thy pow'r, Ο Here tviH I lay me ώινη. ^leftra, iliock'd at the behaviour of Clytaimneilra, and apprehenfive of ftill worfe treatment than ibe had ever yet received, is re- iolv'd never to re-enter the palaqe of ^gifthus ; but lays herfelf down in an- guifli on the ground to lament her misfortunes. There is fomething not un- like this in Shakefpear's king John, where Conilance throws herfelf on the Earth. See king John, ait 3, fcene 1. Where is thy thunder, Jove, &c. I fee no reafon for making the alteration here propoled by Dacier, and putting thefe words into the mouth ofEledtra; furely the reflection comes naturally from the chorus, who had been witnelTes of Cly- tsmnellra's behaviour on the nev/s of Orcites' death. It may not be improper here toobferve that this is generally call'd the fecond intermede, or fong of the chorus ; who in conjunilion with Eleolra remaining on the ftage, as at the end of the firif aft, fing a kind of dirge, lamenting the mileries of their friend, and endeavouring to comfort her under them ; this is all in Strophe and Antiftrophe, and moft probably wasfet tomufic : it ihou'd therefore, according to my plan, have 144 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. Ο Plurbus ! if thou doft behold this deed \nd not avenge it? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Oh! CHORUS. Why mourn'ft thou thus ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Alas ! CHORUS. Ο ! do not groan thus, Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Thou deftroy'ft me. CHORUS. How have I hurt thee? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Why thus vainly try To give me comfort, when I know he's dead ? You but infult my woes. CHORUS. Yet weep not thus. Think have been put Into rhyme, to diftinguifti it from the other parts of the drama ; but as itconfiils of queftion and anfwer, it would have made but a ftrange and uncouth appearance in that garb. I have therefore preferved the blank verfe, which my readers will, I believe, think with me was much more fuitable to it, Ε L Ε C τ R Α. 14J Think on the golden bracelet that betray 'd Amphiaraus, who now Ε L Ε C Τ R A. O! me! CHORUS. In blifs Immortal reigns among the ihades below. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Alas! CHORUS. No more ; a woman was the cauie, Th' accurfed caufe. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. She fuffer'd, did ihe not? CHORUS. She did ; ihe periih'd. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Yes ; I know it well ; He found a kind avenger of his wrongs, But I have none, for he is ravifh'd from me. U CHORUS. Ί be golden bracelet that betray d Amphiaraus. Amphitiraus was a famous foothfayer. During the time of (he. Theban war, he was folicited by Adraftus to affill: Polynices, his fon-in-lav.% Amphiaraus, forefeeing by his art that_ if he went he'ihould be flain, hid himfelf, but was difcover'd by his wife Eriphyle, whom Polynices had bribed with a golden bracelet. Amphiaraus, being thus obliged to appear at the fiege of Thebes, perilli'd there. AlcmxOn his Ion re•- icnged hjs lathei's death, and llew his mother Eriphyle. Ίφ Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. CHORUS. Thou art indeed unhappy. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. 'Tis too true. I am moft wretched, it comes thick upon me; My forrovvs never ceaie. CHORUS. We fee thy woes. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Therefore no more attempt to bring me comfort; There is no hope. CHORUS. What fayTt thou ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. There is nonCp. None left for me; my noble brother ilain. CHORUS. Death is the lot of human race. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. But, oh ! Not death like his ; entangled in the reins. His mangled body dragg'd along the field, CHORUS. A ftrange un thought of chance. ELEC- Ε L Ε C τ R A 147 Ε L Ε C τ R Λ. And then to fall A wretched ftranger in a foreign land. CHORUS. Ο ! horrible ! Ε L Ε C Τ R A. No iifter there to clofe His dying eyes, to grace him with a tomb, Or pay the laft fad tributary tear. [Exeunt. End of A C Τ II. U 2 ACT III. 14S Ε L Ε C τ R Α. ACT III. SCENE I. CIIRYSOTHEMIS,ELECTRA, CHORUS, CHRYSOTHEMIS, ϋ Ο R G I V Ε mc, fifter, if my hafty fteps Prcfs unexpeded on thee; but I come With joyful tidings, to relieve thy toils, And make thee happy. EL Ε C TR A. What can' ft thou have found To foften ills that will admit no cure? CHRYSOTHEMIS, Orcftes is arrived; as fure as here I ftand beiore thee, the dear youth is come. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Can'ft thou then make a mock'ry of my woes ? Or do ft thou rave ? CH R Y- My hajly ficps, (iff. Camerarius, in a note on this paiTage, very gravely re- marks, that a lady fliould never run, " quoniam in mulieribus cundabunda omnia magis pn-bantur," bei.aufe it's more becoming in women to do every thing deliberately. Dacier likcwife, with the refinement of a true French cririr, obferves, that it would be highly indecent in a virgin and a princefs to waik f-ift : Sophocle, fays he, ne manque pas a, une feule bien-feance. Of fuch 'ϊι^ζα^ου$ ai,imadverfit,ns as theie, do principally confill the illuilrations of bi'th the antient and modern commentators on Sophocles ; fcarce one of which (Brumoy excepted) items to have read him with any taile or judgment. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Γ4Ρ C Ιΐ R γ S ο τ Η Ε Μ I S. No, by our father's gods, I do not mean to feoff; but he is come. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Alas! who told thee fo? What tongue deceiv'd Thy credulous ear? CHRYSOTHEMIS. Know, from myfelf alone I learn'd the truth, and confirmations ilrong Oblig-e me to believe it. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. What firm proof Can'ft thou produce? what haft thou feen or known To raife fuch filatt'ring hopes? C Η R Υ S Ο Τ Η Ε Μ Τ S. Ο ! by the gods I beg thee but to hear me, then approve Or blame, impartial. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. If to tell thy tale Can give thee pleafure, fiy it; I attend.. CHRYSOTHEMIS. : Know then, that foon as to our father's tomb- Eager I came, my wond'ring eyes beheld Down i^o Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Down from its fide a milky fountain flow, As latclv pour'd by fome benignant hand ; Wit!i various flow'rs the £icred fpot adorn'd Encreas'd my doubts ; on ev'ry fide I look'd And liften'd long impatient for the tread Of human footfteps there; but all was peace. Fcarlcfs approaching then the hallow'd fpot, I fiwv it fpread with frefh devoted hair ; Inftant my foul recail'd its deareft hope, Nor doubted whence the pious off' rings came ; I fnatch'd them up and illent gaz'd, while joy Sprang in my heart, and flU'd my eyes with tears. They were, they muft be his ; ourfelves alone Excepted, who cou'd bring them ? 'twas not I, And 'tis not giv'n to thee to leave thefe walls Ev'n for the gods ; our mother fcarce wou'd do So good an office ; or ev'n grant fhe might. We muft have known it foon -, be confident,• It Our mother fcarce, &c. This affertion may probably appear ftrange from the mouth of Chryfothemis, who had herfelt ίο lately been fent by Clytaem- neftra with offerings to the tomb of Agamemnon ; v/hy therefore might not (he have made thelc libations alio ? There is no way of reconciling this feeming inconfiftency, but by fuppofing that the libations here mention'd were of a dif- ferent nature from the former ; the firil were an expiatory offering to turn afide the vengeance of the deceafed ; the lait, of that kind which was generally inade uie of to llgnify the peculiar love and affeition of thofe who made ihem, Ε L Ιΐ C τ R Α. ι^ι It was Orcfles then ; rejoice, Eleilra ; Sifter, rejoice ; the fame deftrudive pow'r Doth not for ever rule ; behold at laft: A milder god, and happier 1^4 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Alas! And com'ft thou then to prove the dreadful tale Already told ? ORESTES: What you have heard I know not, But of Oreftes came I here to fpeak By Strophius's command. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. What is it, fay; Ο how I dread thy meifage! ORESTES. [ihewing the urn.] Here behold His poor remains Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Ο ! loft, undone Eledlra ! Tis then too plain, and mis'ry is compleat.; ORESTES. If for Oreftes thus thy forrows flow, Know that within this urn his aflies lye. Ε L Ε G- Uloat you hnve heard J know not. To prevent any fufplcion of fraud or con- nivance, Urelits pretends to bean utter ftranger to the mellage brought bv the governor. Ί he news coming thus by different hands, and at different times, cunli.ms the report more ftrongly, and heigdiens the furprize at the diicovery. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. i^S' Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Do they indeed ? then let me, by the gods I do intreat thee, let me fnatch them from thee, Let me embrace them, let me weep my fate, And mourn our haplefs race. ORESTES. Give her the urn, Whoe'er fhe be ; for not with hoftile mind She craves the boon ; perhaps fome friend, perhaps By blood united. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. [taking the Urn.] Ο ! ye dear remains Of my Oreftes, the moil: lov'd of men ! How do I fee thee now ! how much unlike What my fond hopes prefig'd, when laft we parted I I fent thee forth with all the bloom of youth Frefh on thy cheek, and now, Ο ! difmal change ! I bear thee in thefe hands an empty fhade. Wou'd I had dy'd e'er I had fent thee hence, E'er I had fav'd thee from the tyrant's hand ! Wou'd thou had' ft dy'd thyfelf that dreadful day. And Whoeer βε be. Oreftes muil already imagine that the perfon he talk'd to was one υί his lifters ; but as he had been fo long abfent could not be lure that it was Eicdtra j the chorus ibon after puts him out of doubt by mentioning her name. i66 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. And join'd thy murtlier'd father in the tomb, Rather th:in thus a wretched exile falFn, Ι•\ΐΓ fVoni thv" iifter, in a foreign land ! I was not there with pious hands to waili Thy breathlefs corps, or from the greedy flanie To gather up thy aihes ; what have all My pleafing toils, my fruitlefs cares avail'd, Ev'n from thy infint years, that as a mother I watch'd thee fWl, and as a mother lov'd ? I wou'd not truft thee to a fervant's hand, But was myfelf the guardian of thy youth. Thy dear companion ; all is gone with thee ; Alas ! thy death, like the devouring ftorm. Hath borne down all ; my father is no more, And thou art gone, and I am going too ; Our foes rejoice ; our mother, mad with joy, Smiles at our mis'ries ; that unnatVal mother, She To wrr/Jj thy breathlefs corps. The cuftom of waihing the body of the de- ceaftd is vtry aiitlent ; this office was always, performd bv the neareft relati- onf; Socrates as wc are iqfoiin'd by Piato, walL'd himfelf before his execu- tion, probably to prevent it's btiiig done by grangers ; Alceftis, Hkewife, iti Euripides, after flie h'd deteriinined to dye for her huiband, wafhes herfelf. Τ h• Romans adopted thii cuitom from the Greeks ; and we find the mother of HaryaUis, making the lame complaint as Eledlra, Nee te tua funera mater Produxi, preflive oculos aut vulnera lavi, ViRG. Mn. 1. 9. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Ι6η She whom thou ofc has promis'd to dcRroy ; But cruel fate hath blafted all my hopes, And for my dear Oreftes, left mc nought But this poor ihadow : Ο ! th' accurfed place, Where I had fent thee ! Ο I my liaplefs brother. Thou haft deftroy'd Eledra ; take me then, Ο ! take me to thee ! let this urn enclofe My ailies too, and duft to duft be join'd, That we may dwell together once again ; In life united by one haplefs fate, I vvou'd not wiil'i in death to be divided ; The dead are free from forrows. CHORUS. Fair Eledlra I Do not indulge thy griefs ; but, ϋ ! remember. Sprung from a mortal like thyfelf, Oreftes Was mortal too, that we are mortal all. ORESTES. [afide.] What fhall I fay ? I can refrain no longer. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Why this emotion? ORESTES, ^^ Γιή.ίοώίβ. In the onijmal, it is rw^^nHv m ro μ-Λί^ίν, " nothing to " nor in^r ;" | have 'akrn the liberty to adopt a phrafe familiar to ourfelves, and which equally expicflcs the fenfe of n:!y author. 16S Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. ORESTES. [looking at Ekara.] Can it be Eledra ? rliat lovely form ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. It is indeed that wretch. ORESTES. Ο I dreadful ! Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Stranger, doft thou weep for me ? ORESTES. By impious hands to periili thus ! Ε L Ε C Τ R A. For me Doubtlefs thou weepTt, for I am chang'd indeed. ORESTES. Of nuptial rites, and each domeftic joy To live depriv'd ! Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Why doft thou gaze upon me ? :fi ORESTES. Alas ! I did not knov/ I was fo wretched. Ε L Ε C Τ R A, Why, what hath made thee fc ? ORESTES. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. ιίρ ORESTES. I fee thy woes. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Not half of them. ORESTES. Can there be vvorfe than thefe I Ε L Ε C Τ R A. To live with murtherers! ORESTES. What murth'rers, whom ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. The murth'rers of my father ; bound to ferve them, ORESTES. Who binds thee ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. One who calls herfelf a mother ; A name ilie little merits. ORESTES. But fay, how ? Poth {he witlihold the means of life, or adt With brutal violence to thee ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Both, alas ! Are my hard lot ; fhe trys a thoufand means Ζ To 170 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. To make mc wretched. ORESTES. And will none aflift, Will none defend thee ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. None. My only hope Lies buried there. ORESTES. Ο ! how I pity thee ! Ε L Ε C Τ R A. 'Tis kindly done; for none will pity me, None but thyfelf; art thou indeed a ftranger, Or doth fome nearer tye unite our forrows ? ORESTES. I cou'd unfold a tale; — but, fay, thefe virgins, May I depend on them ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. They are our friends, And faithful all. Ο R S S Τ Ε S. Then lay the urn afide, And I will tell thee. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Do not take it from me ; Do Ε L Ε C τ R Α. 171 Do not, dear ftranger. ORESTES. But I muft indeed. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Do not, I beg thee. ORESTES. Come, you'll not repent it. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Ο ! my poor brother ! if thy dear remains Are wrefted from me, I am moil unhappy. ORESTES. No more; thou muft not grieve for him. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Not grieve For my Oreftes ? ORESTES. No ; you fhou'd not weep. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Am I unworthy of him then ? ORESTES, O! no! But do not grieve. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Not when I bear the aflies 2 2 Of 171 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. Of my dear brother ! ORESTES. But, they are not there, Unlefs by fidlion, and a well- wrought tale That hath deceiv'd thee. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Where then is his tomb? ORESTES. The living need none. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Ha ! what fay'ft thou ? ORESTES. Truth. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Does he then live? ORESTES. If I have life, he lives. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. And art thou he ? ORESTES. Look here, and be convinc'd ; This The living need none. The Greek is τ» ζωντοζ κκ m τάφο;, which I have tranilated literally. Brumoy, who is feldom guilty of miftake?, has let the Tenfe ilip liim, and only fays, " il eft pleiii de vie." Ε L Ε C τ R Α. 175 This mark, 'tis from our father. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Ο ! bleft hour ! ORESTES. Blefled indeed ! Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Art thou then here ? ORESTES. I am. Ε L Ε C- This mark. What this mark was, has greatlv puzzled the commentators ; the Icholialb, whofe conjedures are generally whimfical, will needs have it to be feme remains of the ivory ihoulder of Pelops, which was vifible in all his defcendants, as thofe of Cadmus were mark'd with a lance, and the Seleucid And fay he Jiv'd, I think I fliou'd believe himj And Ο ! when thou art come fo far, 'tis fit I yield to thee in all, do thou dire6t My ev'ry ilep ; but know, had I been left Alone, ev'n I wou'd not have fail'd in all, But conquer'd bravely, or as bravely fell. ORESTES. No more. I hear the footfteps as of one Coming this way. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Strangers, go in, and bear That which with joy they cannot but receive, But which with joy they will not long poiTefs, SCENE II. GOVERNOR of Orestes, ELECTRA, ORESTES, CHORUS. GOVERNOR. Madnefs and folly thus to linger here ! Have ye no thought ? is life not worth your care ? Do ye not know the dangers that furround you ? A α 2 Had Strangers^ go ;«, ^c. Elcflra, inform'd that fome one was coming to- wards thein, changes her tone and manner, and addrtHes Oreftes and Pylades as ftrangers ; what ilie fays, we may oblerve, is purpofcly ambiguous, as llie was apprehenfive of being over-heard. iSo Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. Had I not ^vatch'd myfelf before the palace, E'er ye had entered, all your fecret plan Had been difcover'd to our foes within ; Wherefore no more oi this tumultuous joy, And leno;then'd conv^erfe ; 'tis not fitting now, Go in ; away, delays are dangerous At fuch an hour^ our fate depends upon it. ORESTES. May I with fafety ? is all well within ? GOVERNOR. None can fufped you. ORESTES. Spake you of my death As we determin'd ? GOVERNOR. Living as thou art, They do account thee one among the dead. ORESTES. And are they glad ? what fay they ? GOVERNOR. By and by We'll talk of that; let it fuffice, that all Is right within ; and that which moil they think fo. May prove moft fatal to them. Ε L Ε C- Ε L Ε C τ R Α. ϊ8ι Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. [pointing to the Governor.] Who is this ? ORESTES. Do you not know ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. I cannot recoiled: him, ORESTES. Not know the man to whom you trufled me ? Under whofe care Ε L Ε C Τ R A. When ? how ? ORESTES. To Phocis fent, I Tcap'd the tyrant. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Can it then be hcj Among the faithlefs only faithful found When our dear father fell ? ORESTES. It is the fame. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. [to the Governor.] Deareft of men, great guardian of our race, Art thou then here ? thou, who haft fav'd us both From iSz Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. From countlcfs woes ; fvvlft were thy feet to bring Gkid tidings to me, and thy hand ftretch'd forth It's welcome fuccour ; but, Ο ! why deceive me ? Why woud'ft thou kill me with thy dreadful tale, Ev'n when thou had'll fuch happinefs in ftore ? Hail ! flithcr, hail ! for I muft call thee fo, Know, thou hail: been to me, in one fhort day, Both tlic mofl hated, and moft lov'd of men. GOVERNOR. No more of that ; we fball have time enough To talk of it hereafter ; let us go ; This is the hour ; the queen is now alone, And not a man within ; if ye delay, Expeil to meet more formidable foes, In wifdom and in numbers far fuperior. ORESTES. We will not talk, my Pylades, but ad. Let us iro in : but to the grods, who guard This place, be firft due adoration paid. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Hear then, Apollo, great Lyca;an, hear Their Swift ivtre thy feet, &c. The expreffion in the original is remarkable, iiiis;• e^^Mu iroS'Mi' ύτΓϊίξίτ-ήΐ/.χ, dulciiriinum habens pedum minifterium ; not unhke tliat of the prophet Ifaiah, " how beautiful upon the mountains arc the " feet of him that bringeth glad tidings !" Hear then, Apollo, &c. Eledlra's prayer is made before the altar of Apollo, winch ftood at the eptrance of the palace, where Clyta?miieftia had paid her devotions Ε L Ε C τ R Α. iSj Their humble pray'r I Ο ! hear Eledlra too, Who with unfparing hand her choiceft gifts Hath never fail'd to lay before thy altars; Accept the little all which now remains For me to give, accept my humbleft pray'rs, My vows, my adorations ; fmile propitious On all our counfels ! Ο ! ailift us now, And fhew mankind what puniihment remains For guilty mortals from offended heav'n. C FI Ο R U S; STROPHE. Behold, he comes ! the ilaughter-breathing god Mars, ever thirfting for the murth'rer's blood ; And fee the dogs of war are clofe behind ; [Exeunt* Nought devotions in the former fcene ; this gives an air of folemnity to the adion, and leffens the horror of the murtherj by reprefenting it as an aol of piety, and agreeable to the will of heaven. Behold he comes &c. This is the fourth intermede or fong of the chorus, and is fuppofed to divide the fourth and fifth ads ; it is fhorter, we may ob- ferve, than any of the reft, probably fo contrived by the author, to relieve the impatience of the fpedtator, who is naturally eager to fee the cataftrophe j it is not therefore a time to amufe hici with poetry and defcription, but to prepare him for the event ; which is here done in a few words, finely adapted to that purpole. The dogs of war. Kurg? αφυκτοι, gr. canes inevitabiles. Shakefpear has ex^ ailly the lixme image, " Cry havock, and let flip the dogs of war." See prologue to Henry the fifth. iS4 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. Nought can cfcape their all-devouring rage; This did my confcioiis heart long fince prefage, And the fair dream that ftruck my raptur'd mind, ANTISTROPHE. 'J"h' avenger ftcals along with filent feet, And lliarpen'd fvvord, to his paternal feat, His injured fatlier's wrongs to vindicate ; Conceafd from all by Maia's fraudful fon, Who fafe conduds him till the deed be done, Nor longer will delay the needful work of fate, [Exeunt. Maid s frmidf III fon. Mercury was the god of fraud and treachery, and call'd /οΛίίί, or the deceiver; to him therefore was attributed all fecret fchemes and expeditions, good or bad. The propriety of Mercury's pecuHar afliflance in this place may lilievvife be accounted for from liis relation to Myrtiius who was fliin by Pclops. End of ACT ly. ACT V. ο Ε L Ε C τ R A; A C Τ V. SCENE I. ELECTRA, CHORUa Ε L Ε C Τ R A. I my dear friends, they are about it now, 185 The deed is doing ; but be ftill. CHORUS. What deed?^ How ? where ? ELECTRA. She doth prepare the fun'ral banquet; But they are not far from her. Bb CHORUS. Ο / n7y dear friends, &c. To avoid the horror of a murther on the ftage, which, however familliar to us, the antients conlider'd as fliocking and difguft- ful, Sophocles has contrived that it rtiall be done within the palace ; but as Eledra had received no commands from the oracle to revenge the death of Aga- memnon, there would have been an indecency and impropriety in making her a witnefs or acceffary to the murther : flie therefore leaves her brother to kill Clytiemneftra, ar.d com.es out ; which at the fame time gives her an opportu- nity of watching the arrival of yEgiithus, and preventing any interruption from him. Tiie appearance of Eledra on the ilage in this place is abfolutely necef- fary, as without it no reafon could be aflign'd for the return of Oreftesj and thus the reft of the bufmefs of the drama muft have been tranfailed out of fight cf the audience, who would confequently remain ftrangers to the cataftrophe. Thefiinr'd banquet. The Greek is Λε?>!τα. χοσμίΐ, lebetem parat, alluding to the TrecJiix»'?;', or funeral banquet, which was ufually fpread on the tomb of thedecealed by the neareft relation. This banquet Lledra imagines that Cly- tyjmneftra was already preparing for Oreftes, whom flie fuppofed dead : but they, fays flie, are not far from her; that is, they who are preparing one fof her. The fentence, vye fee, is purpofely left unfiaiih'd, jS6 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. CHORUS. Why then leave them? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. To watch ^gifthus, left he fteal upon us And blaft our purpofe. CLYTiEMNESTRA. [Behind the fcenes.] Ο ! I am betray *d ! My palace full of murth'rers ; not a friend Left to proted me. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Some one cries within ; Did you not hear? CHORUS. It is too horrible For mortal ear ; I tremble at the found. CLYT^MNESTRA. [within] TEgifthus, Ο ! where art thou ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Hark ! again The voice, and louder. CLY- Some one cries '■^ithin. Dacier puts thefe words into the mouth of one of the womtn that compofe the chorus ; becaufe, (fays lie) Eledra would never have iaid " /&»?<• i/Hir cries out," as ilie knew it muil be Clytasmneflra. The reader may take his choice in regard to this alteration ; 1 have left it as it ilands in the original, being a matter of no great confequence. Ε L Ε C τ R A: 187 CLYT^MNESTRA. [within.] O! my child, my child! Pity thy mother, pity her who bore thee. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Be thine the pity which thou fhewd'ft to him, And to his father. CHORUS. Ο ! unhappy kingdom ! Ο ! wretched race ! thy mifery is full ; This day will finiih all. CLYT^MNESTRA. [within] Ο ! I am wounded ! Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Another ftroke. Another, if thou can'ft. Bb 2 CLY- Ο / unhappy kingdoml The chorus, though fatisfied that ClytiEmneftra de- ferved to die, and that this adlion of Oreftes was commanded by the gods, are notwithllanding fliock'd at the execution of it : they lament the prefent, and cxprefs their fear of future miferies in the houfe of Pelops : it is iaipoffible, in their opinion, that a ilnnily could ever profper where a wife had kill'd her huf- band, and a child murther'd his mother. There is fomething in this reflection ftnking and pathetic. Another ftroke, ifc. " Ce mot fait fremir," (fays Brumoy) " thefe words make one fliudder." Dacier is hkewife of opinion that all the art of the poet is infufficient to reconcile us to the fiercenefs of Eleclra. We cannot, (fiy thefc gentlemen) hear without horror a fifter exhorting her brother to murther her own mother ; nature ftarts at fuch inhumanity : Oreftes ihould be revenged, but by fome other hand. Thefe, and many other accufations of the fame kind, are brought agaiiift Sophocles, who P.ands indided of cruelty by the French critics: iheir'"delicacy is, itfeems, grcatlv fliock α at what they call the atrocity of th^ ' ailion. ,88 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. CLYTiEMNESTRA. Ah me! again! Ε L Ε C Τ R A. O! that iEgifthus too Groan'd with thee now. CHORUS. Then vengeance is compleat. The dead arife and ihed their murth'rers blood Li copious flreams. SCENE II. ORESTES, PYLADES, GOVERNOR of Orestes, ELECTR A, CHORUS. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Behold them here ; their hands Dropping with gore ; a pious facrifice To the great god of war. How is't Oreiles ? ORESTES. Tis very well ; all's well, if there be truth In adion. I am notwithftanding, of opinion, that the more indulgent Engliili reader will acquit the poet, when he confiders the manners and charader of the people before whom the play was reprefented. 1 he munher of Clytajmneftra, we are frequently put in mind, was by command of the oracle ; and was there- fore look'd on by the antients, however contrary to the didates of nature, as an ad of piety. Their idea of fatality was, of itfelf, fuiBcient to take away all the horror and cruelty of it; befides which, it may be added in favour of Sophocles, that the ftory of Clytasmneftra, the perfons cuncern'd in her death, and every circumftance attending it, was too well known to the whole audience to admit of any material alteration in the condud of it. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. ι8;> In great Apollo's oracles, ihe's dead. Thou need'ft not fear a cruel mother now. CHORUS. No more J iilgifthus comes. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Inftant go in j Do ye not fee him ? joyful he returns. CHORUS. Retire j thus far is right, go on, and proiper. ORESTES. Fear not, we'll do it. CHORUS. But immediately. ORESTES. I'm gone. [Exeunt Oreftes, Pylades Ε L Ε C Τ R A. and Gov.] For what remains here to be done, Be it my care ; I'll whifper in his ear A few foft flatt'ring words, that he may ruih. Unknowing down precipitate on ruin. SCENE III. ^GISTHUS, ELECTRA, CHORUS. iE G I S Τ Η U S. Which of you knows ought of thefc Phocian guefts. Who Which of you knows, &c. Clytaemneftra, we are to fuppofe, on receiving the news of Oreftes's death, had fent a mellage to /Egiftlius to acquaint him with it j he returns home therefore immediately to enquire into the particulars. 1^0 Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Who come to tell us of Oreftes' death ? You firfl: I aik, Eledlra, once fo proud And herce of foul ; it doth concern you moil ; And therefore you, I think, can beft inform me. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Yes I can tell thee ; is it po/Hble I ihou'd not know it ? that were not to know A circumftance of deareft import to me. uE G I S Τ Η U S. Where are they then? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Within. ^ G I S Τ Η U S. And i|3ake they truth ? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. They did ; a truth not prov'd by words alone, But fads undoubted. ^ G I S Τ Η U S. Shall we fee him then? Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Ay, and a dreadful fight it is to fee. iE G I S Τ Η U S. Thou art not wont to give me ίο much joy ; Now I am glad indeed. Ε L Ε C- Ε L Ε C τ R Α. ιρι Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Glad may 'ft thou be, If aught there is in that can give thee joy. ^ G I S Τ Η U S. Silence within, and let my palace gates Be open'd all ; that Argos and Mycenae May fend her millions forth to view the fight; And if there are who nouriih idle hopes That ftill Oreftes lives, behold him here, And learn fubmiillon, nor inflame the croud Againft their lawful fov'reign, left they feel An angry monarch's heavieft vengeance on them. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Already I have learn'd the talk, and yield To pow'r fuperior. SCENE IV. Opens and difcovers the body of Clyt^mnfstra extended on a bier, and cover'd with a veil. ORESTES, PYLADES, GOVERNOR of Orestes, ^GISTHUS, ELECTRA, CHORU S, anda croud of Spectators from the city. ^ G I S Τ Η U S. What a fight is here ! O! Glad may β thou be. This fpeech of Eledlra, as well as that which goes be- fore it, is purpofely ambiguous ; iEgifthus believes ilie is talking of Oixftes, whilft ihe ipeaks ofClytiemneflra. ΐί>ζ Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Ο ! deity fupreme ! this cou'd not be But by thy will ; and whether Nemeiis Shall ftill overtake me for my crime, I know not. Take off the veil, that I may view him well; He was by blood ally'd, and therefore claims Our decent forrows. ORESTES. Take it off thyfelf ; Tis not my office; thee it beft befits To fee and to lament. ^ G I S Τ Η U S. And fo it does ; And I will do't: fend Clytasmneftra hither, [taking off the veil. ORESTES. She is before thee. ^GISTHUS. fwif exaifvTo o'' 7^" ^'"'^t/ ''^"^"''^°^' ^^^'^h' ''^^'■^l^y tranflated, an- iwe.s exaaiy to our phrafe, « it did not>// ouL" ^■'iZs' t Wo ; hirifTr r '° ^'■' .'^''''-''' '^^^ "^ bufinei^ with them ; intprefting, naturaU nTtaily dnnfatf ""ΐκ'^^Ρ^"^ ^° me infinitely the mod more affeftin^ than the fcene hef r' ' ^'""°' Ρ°^^^'^ ^^ afpeftacle i. repreftmed'as exiting t the ta h"cf the "'7' "Γ'-"Τ ^"' ^^^^'^^'^^'•' g oil tne aeatn ci the only perfon in the world whom he Ε L Ε C τ R Α. ipj ^Έ G I S τ Η υ S. Ha ! what do I fee ? ORESTES. Why, what's the matter ? what affrights thee fo ? Do you not fee him ? iE G I S Τ Η U S. In what dreadful fnare Am I then fall'n? ORESTES. Dofl thou not now behold That thou art talking with the dead ? iE G I S Τ Η U S. Alas ! Too well I fee it, and thou art — Oreiles. Cc ORESTES. he had to fear, and whofe dead body he expedls to fee before him ; inftead of this, on lifting up the veil, he is fliock'd, not with the corps of Oreiles, but that of his own wife ; he perceives at once that Clytienineftra is murther'd, that Oreftes is alive and clofe to him, and that he has nothing to expedt him- felf but immediate death : the fudden change of fortune to all the perfons con- cern'd, the furprife and defpair ofiEgifthus, the joy and triumph in the coun- tenances of Oreftes and Eleitra, muft: altogether have exhibited a pidlure wor- thy the pencil of a Raphael to execute : how it was afied on the Greek ft:age, we cannot pretend to determine, moft probably with tafte and jiidgmcnt. Let the Engliih reader conceive thofe inimitable aLtors, Quin, Garrick, and Gibber in the parts of ^^gifthus, Oreftes, and Eledra, and from thence form to hiin- felf fome idea of the effedl v/hich fufh a cataftrophe would h^ve on a Britith audience. IP4 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. ORESTES. So f^rcat a prophet thou, and guefs fo ill! /Έ G I S Τ Η U S. I know that I am loft, undone for ever; But let me fpeak to thee. Ε L Ε C Τ R A. Do not, Oreftes ; No, not a word ; what can a moment's fpace Profit a wretch like him to death devoted? Quick let him dye, and caft his carcafe forth To th' dogs and vultures ; they will beft perform Fit obfequics for him: by this alone We can be free and happy. ORESTES. Get thee in ; This is no tune for talk ; thy life, thy life. ^GISTHUS. So great a prophet ZSc. This is a fneer of Oreftes, on his being difcovcr'd by ^^gifthus, who had the reputation of a prophet. 'They will bcft perform &c. Amongft the Greeks, to be deprived of the rites of fepuhure was accounted a puniiliment woife than death itfelf. The origiiial doth not mention dogs and vultures, but only fays, let liim be given τΆ^ίυσι, fclis pollinftoribus vel libitinariis, to the only buriers (if we may ufe the expreffion) that he deferves. Ε L Ε C τ R A ϊ$^ iE G I S τ Η υ S. But why go in ? if what thou mean'il to do Be juft, what need of darknefs to conceal it? Why not deftroy me here? Q R. Ε S Τ Ε S. It is not thine Now to command : hence to the fatal place Where our dear father fell, and perilh there. iE G I S Τ Η U S. This palace then is doom'd to be the witnefs Of all the prefent, all the future woes Of Pelops' haplefs race. ORESTES. Of thine, at leafl: C C 2 jft Hence to ihe fatal place &c. ^giflhus muft be ilain in the very fpot where he kill'd Agamemnon ; this heightens the iuftice of the pdtion, and at the fame time prevents the fpiUing oF blood on the ftage, which Sophocles judi- cioufly avoids. The juftice of Oreftes puts us in mind of a fimilar paff-ge in holy writ, " in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, Ihall dogs *' hck thy blood, even thine." See I Kings, 21, 19, Of thine at leaf &c. The antients were of opinion, that the words of -dying men were always prophetic ; vi'.gilthus therefore perceiving that his death was determined, foretells the fate of Orelles, doom'd to be tormented for the murther of his mother; Oreftes interrupts his fpeech, by afluring him that his own fate was unavoidable : the Engliih reader will recoiled a pa- rallel jp6 Ε L Ε C Τ R Α. It ihall be witnefs; that's my prophecy, And a moft true one. ^ G I S Τ Η U S. 'Tis not from thy father» ORESTES. Thou talk' ft, and time is loft. Away. iE G I S Τ Η U S. I follow. ORESTES. Thou ftialt go firft. ^ G I S Τ Η U S. Think'ft thou I mean to fly ? ORESTES. No; but I'd make thy end moft bitter to thee In ev'ry circumftance, nor let thee choofe The fofteft means. Were all like thee to periih Who violate the laws, 'twou'd leflen much The guilt of mortals, and reform mankind. [Exeunt. CHORUS. irallel pnflage in Shakefpear, where Richard the third cuts off the prophecies of Henry the fixth, with Die, prophet, in thy fpeech ; For this among the reft was I ordain'd. Ε L Ε C τ R Α. Ί^η CHORUS. Ο ! race of Atreus ! after all thy woes, How art thou thus by one advent'rous deed To freedom and to happinefs reftor'd \ FINIS. ¥)ί(^)^){()50«)^)^)^ίί^)^^)^.^)^)ί()Κ)ΐ(^)^'^)^^)ί(^)ί(^^^βί^)^»^^>^)«^)^^ PHILOCTETES. Χ)^)ί()^)ί()ί()!(^)ί(^)ί()ί(^)ί()*ί)^^^^^)ί()«()ί()!θ^)ί0ί()^)^)Κ)ί()ί()Ο()Κ)ί0^)ί6 Dramatis Perfonse. ULYSSES, king of Ithaca. Ν Ε Ο Ρ Τ Ο L Ε Μ U S, fon of Achilles. Ρ Η I L Ο C Τ Ε Τ Ε S, fon of Paean and companion of Hercules. A S Ρ Y. HERCULES. CHORUS Compofed of the companions of Ulysses and Neoptolemus. SCENE Lemnos, near a grotto, in a rock by the iea-fide. C ^01 ) ρ HILOGTETES• A C τ Ι. S C Ε Ν Ε I. ULYSSES, NEOPTOLEMUS, ATTENDANT. ULYSSES. AT length, my noble friend, thou braveil fon Of a brave father, father of us all, The great Achilles, we have reach'd the ihorc Of fea-girt Lemnos, dcfart and forlorn. Where never tread of human ftcp is ίί:ζη. Or voice of mortal heard, five his alonCj Poor Philodetes, Piean's wretched fon, D d V/hom Poor FhiJcBctes, &€. It is reported of PhilciEletes, that Hercules, at his death on mount Hyllus, bequeath'd to him, as a teillmony of his tflecm, liisbowaiul arrows; the extraordinary virtues of which we fliall find frequently alluded to- jn this piece. Philodetes after this, being in fearch of an altar dedicated to hia dectaltd friend, in the )fland of Chryfa, was there bit by a ferpent ; the woui.d: fciicf'd, and aa incurable ulcer enfucd, notwilhftanding which he proceeded in 201 Ρ Η I L Ο C Τ Ε Τ Ε S. Whom here I left; for fuch were my commands From Grccia's chiefs, when by his fatal wound Opprcfs'd, his groans and execrations dreadful Alarm'd our hofls, our facrcd rites profan'd, And interrupted holy facrifice. But why fhou'd I repeat the tale? the time Admits not of delay, we muft not linger, Left he difcover our arrival here, And all our purpos'd fraud to draw him hence Be ineffedualj lend me then thy aid: Surveying in his voyage to ailifl: at the fiege of Troy ; where the wound growing defpe- rate, his continual cries and groans interrupted the motions of the war, and probably dishearten'd the foldiers ; the Grecian cliiefs therefore thought it advifeable to remove him from the army. A fuperilitious belief was inftill'd into the multitude, that Philodtetes was ftruck by the hand of the gods with an incurable diftemper; and Ulyffes was order'd to carry him to Lemnos, an uninhabited ifland in the i^gean fea, and leave him there to the care of provi- dence. In this miferable fituation he remain'd for ten years ; the Greeks in the mean time are inform'd by an oracle, that Troy could never be conquer'd without the arrows of Hercules, then in the poffeffion of Fhilodetes. Ulyfl'es and Ncoptolemus are dilpatch'd with commands to bring him to the fiege. The manner in which this expedition was conduited, and the means made ufe of by the artful UlyiTes to gain the arrows of Hercules, conftitute the fub- jt'6l of the tragedv ; which though extremely barren of dramatic incidents, and diverted of every theatrical ornament, abounds at the fame time in fuch amia- ble fimplicity, luch ftrength of colouring, and propriety of charatSer and man- ners, as may, perhaps, render it even more pleafing to the judicious and claf- fical reader than thoie plays of Sophocles where the table is apparently more intcrtfting, and the manners much more fimilar to our own. The celebrated ^rchbilliop of Cambray was fo ftruck with the ftory of Fhilodetes, that he has taken the pains to weave it into his excellent work, where it forms a very ^^autiful epiipdc, ^ee Tclemaque, b. i ^, PHILOCTETES. 205 Surveying round thee, canil thou fee a rock With double entrance ; to the ilin's warm ravs In winter open, and in fummcr's heat Giving free paflage to the welcome breeze? A little to the left, there is a fountain Of living water, where, if yet he breathes, He ilakes his thirft \ if aught thou feeft of thisj Inform me ; fo ihall each to each impart Council mofl: fit, and ferve our common cauie. NEOPTOLEMUS. [leaving UlyiTes a little behind him. If I miflake not, I behold a cave, Ev'n fuch as thou defcrib'ft. ULYSSES. Doft thou ? which way ? NEOPTOLEMUS. Yonder it is; but no path leading thither. Or trace of human footftep. ULYSSES. In his ceil A chance but he hath lain him down to reft ; Look if he hath not. NEOPTOLEMUS. [advancing towards the cave.' Not a creature there, D d 2 ULYSSES. i04 Ρ Η I L Ο C Τ Ε Τ Ε S. ULYSSES. Nor ίϋοΗ, nor murk of houihold preparation? NEOPTOLEMUS. A nilHc bed of fcattcr'd leaves. ULYSSES. What more ? NEOPTOLEMUS. A wooden bowl, the work of fome rude hand, With a few fticks for fuel. ULYSSES. This is all His little trcafure here. NEOPTOLEMUS. Unhappy man! Some linen for his wounds. ULYSSES. This muft be then I lis place of habitation ; far from hence He cannot roam ; diftemper'd as he is, It were impoHible ; he is but gone A little way for needful food, or herb Of pow'r to 'fwage and mitigate his pain. Wherefore difpatch this fervant to fome place Of obfervation, whence he may efpy His PHILOCTETES. 20? His cv'ry motion, left he rufli upon us. There's not a Grecian whom his foul fo much Cou'd wi£h to crufli beneath him as Ulyflcs. [Makes a fignal to the attendant, who retires. SCENE II. NEOPTOLEMUS, ULYSSES, NEOPTOLEMUS. He's gone to guard each avenue ; and now, If thou haft aught of moment to impart Touching our purpofe, fay it ; I attend. ULYSSES. Son of Achilles, mark me well ; remember What we are doing, not on ftrength alone, Or courage, but on condu6l will depend ; Therefore if aught uncommon be proposed, Strange to thy ears, and adverfe to thy nature, Reflea; that 'tis thy duty to comply. And adl conjundlive with m^. NEOPTOLEMUS. Well ! what is it ? ULYSSES. We muft deceive this Philo£letes ; that Will be thy tafk ; when he ftiall aik thee who And what thou art, Achillea' fon, reply; Thus ιο6 PHILOCTETES. Thus far within tlic verge of truth, no more; Add, that rcfentment hr'd thee to forfake The Grecian fleet, and feek thy native foil, Unkindly us'd by thofe who long with vows Had fought thy aid to humble haughty Troy, And when thou cam'ft, ungrateful as they were, The arms of great Achilles, thy juft right, Gave to Ulyffes; here thy bitter taunts And fharp invedives Hb'rally beftow On me; fay what thou wilt, I ihall forgive, And Greece will not forgive thee if thou doft not; For againft Troy thy efforts all are vain Without his arrows : fafely thou may'ft hold Friendihip and converfe with him, but I cannot. Thou wert not with us when the war began, Nor bound by folemn oath to join our hoft As I was ; me he knows, and if he find That I am with thee, we are both undone. They muft be ours then, thefe all -conquering arms ; Remember T/jc arms of great Achilles. The ccnteft concerning the arms of Achilles was I'olely between Aj ix and UlyiTes ; we have no account that Neoptolemus laid any claim to them. As Phiiodetes however had been abient during the whole affoir, Ulyilcs was at liberty to fubftitute Neoptolemus in the room of Ajax, cipeci.illy as his being the fon of Achiles naturally jiilhfied his preten- lions to ihe arms of his father j the fidlion therefore was probable. 7hc/e all-ccnqining arms. A dilpute concerning a bow and arrows may prctably Item to a modtm critic buc an unpromifmg fubjeot for a tragedy ; but tlie ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S. 207 Remember that. I know, thy noble nature Abhors the thought of treachery or fraud j But what a glorious prize is vidlory ! Therefore be bold; we will be juft hereafter. Give to deceit and me a little portion Of one fliort day, and for thy future life Be call'd the holieft, worthieft, beft of men. NEOPTOLEMUS. What but to hear alarms my confcious foul, Son of Laertes, I lliall never prailife. I was not born to flatter or betray ; Nor I, nor he (the voice of fame reports) Who gave me birth ; what open arms can do Behold me prompt to ad, but ne'er to fraud Will I defcend ; fure we can more than match Γη the defenders of Sophocles muft deiire him to recolledl, that on thofe arrows, however unintereltina; the circumftance may at fiiil appear, depended no lefs than the fate of a whole nation •, politically confider'd therefore, it was a point of the utmoft confeqaence ; if the poet had not thought fo, he would certainly have bten inexcufab'.e in bringing down a deity at lall:, as we fliall lee in the ca- iailrophe, to determine it. We will be jufl hereafter. This advice is put with great propriety into the mouth of the artful Ulyfles, who, like other fubtle pandars to vice, perfuades his friend to the commilTion of a crime, and at tlie fame time propofes the pal- liative of future repentance and virtue. An evafive and fubtle excule for guilt, which has perhaps done more injury to the caufe of religion and trulh than any .other whatever. Neoptclemus anfwers it v/ith ajl t!ie honeft indignation that fuch a lentiment deferved. The charadters, wc may obfcrve of the Lwo heroes-, a;e finely contralled, and ferve like light and fliade, o-reatly to animaLe and en- iiven the whole beaiitiful piiiiure. 2o8 ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S. In llrength a foe thus lame and impotent. I came to be a helpmate to thee, not A bafe betrayer; and Ol king, believe me, Rather, much rather would I fall by virtue, Than rife by guilt to certain vidory. ULYSSES. Ο ! noble youth, and worthy of thy ilre, When I like thee was young, like thee of ftrength And courage boaftful, little did I deem Of human policy , but long experience Hath taught me, fon, 'tis not the pow'rful arm But foit enchanting tongue that governs all. NEOPTOLEMUS. And thou woud'il have me tell an odious falfehood ? ULYSSES. He muft be gain'd by fraud. NEOPTOLEMUS. By fraud ? and why Not by perfuaiion ? ULYSSES. He'll not liften to it; And force were vainer ilill. NEOPTOLEMUS. What mio;hty pcw'r Hath he to boail ? "" ^ ^ ULYSSES. ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S. ζο^ ULYSSES. His arrows vving'd with death Inevitable. NEOPTOLEMUS, Then it were not iafe Ev'n to approach him. ULYSSES. No J unlefs by fraud He be fecur'd. NEOPTOLEMUS. And think'ft thou 'tis not bafe To tell a lye then ? ULYSSES. Not if on that lye Depends our fafety. ., NEOPTOLExMUS. Who ihall dare to tell it Ε e Without Think' β thou 'tis not bafe &c. The charader of Ncoptolemus is copied from that of his father, who is reprefcnted by Homer as of an open and ingenuous difpofition, and a foe to lying and diflimulation j in the ninth book of the Iliad, he crys out, Ερζ3•0(3ί ')/α.ξ μ.01 xnvoi όμωί αΐίχο ττυλντιν, Οί ό• ΐποον f/.iv neu^ii in (^ξΐσιν, αΑλο Se Sx-^iu Who dares think one thing, and another tell. My heart deteifs him as the gates of hell. Popr." words that d:;ferve, though from a heathen writer, to be written in letters of gold, and graven, as Solomon fays, in the tablets of the heart. 110 ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S. Without a bluili? ULYSSES. We need not bluili at aught That may promote our int'reil and fuccefs. NEOPTOLEMUS. But vvhcre's the int'reil: that ihou'd biafs me? Come he or not to Troj, imports it aught To Neoptolemus ? ULYSSES. Troy cannot fall Without his arrows. NEOPTOLEMUS, Said'ft thou not, that I Was deftin'd to deftroy her ? ULYSSES. Without them Nought canft thou do, and they without thee nothing» NEOPTOLEMUS. Then I muil have them. ULYSSES. When thou haft, remember Then Ί muft have them. The fl:ru2:gle between ambition and virtue in the breaft of Neoptolemus, is natural and afFeding. The fubtle Ulyfles had difco- ver'd that his foible was the love of glory, and therefore attacks him in the only part where he was open to pe-fLufion. The virtue of Neoptolemus ft^ggers at the revVdfJ propofed, and he fubniits to a treachery which his foul abhors. ■I ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S, 211 Α double prize awaits thee. NEOPTOLEMUS, What, Ulyffes? ULYSSES. The glorious names of valiant and of wife. NEOPTOLEMUS. Away ; Γ11 do it. Thoughts of guilt or fhame No more appall me. ULYSSES. Wilt thou do it then ? Wilt thou remember what I told thee of? NEOPTOLEMUS. Depend on't ; I have promis'd ; that's fuiEcient. ULYSSES. Here then remain thou ; I muft not be feen ; If thou flay long, I'll fend a faithful fpy Who in a failor's habit well difo;uis'd May pafs unknown ; of him, from time to time, What beft may fuit our purpofe thou fhalt know. I'll to the fhip ; farewel ; and may the god Who brought us here, the iraudful Mercury, And great Minerva, guardian of our country, And ever kind to me, proteil us ftill. [Exeunt. Ee2 SCENE ^hefraudf id Mercury. See note in Eledra, p. 184. iiz ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S. SCENE III. CHORUS, NEOPTOLEMUS. CHORUS. Mailer, inftrud us, ftrangers as we are, What we may utter, what we muft conceal, Doubtlefs the man we feek will entertain Sufpicion of us j how are we to ad: ? To thofe alone belongs the art to rule, Who bear the fcepter from the hand of Jove; To thee of right devolves the pow'r fupreme, From thy great anceilors deliver'd down; Speak then, our royal lord, and we obey. NEOPTOLEMUS. If you wou'd penetrate yon deep recefs To fee the cave where Philodetes lyes. Go Mafler, inftruEl us &c. According to the original defign of the chorus, their chief bufinefs was to take the part of dillrefs'd virtue ; to counter-ad: the bad effedts that might arife from vicious charadlers, and to draw moral infer- ences from the adion of the drama : they are generally therefore, as in the two preceding plays of Ajax and Eledra, attendants on, and friends to the hero or heroine of the piece ; a propriety which the fubjeit of the tragedy be- fore us would by no means admit, the diilrefs of Philodtetes arifing in a great meafure from his being left alone in the illand ; the chorus, for this reafon, is compofed not of the friends of the hero, but the fuldiers and followers of Ulvifes and Ncopto emus ; we muft not be farprifed therefore to find them confuring with their mafters to deceive Fhiloftetes, and throughout the play aiding and aiiifting the defigns of their commanders ; they, notwithftanding, perform the .-fliJum virile prcfcribed by Horace, and exprefs their pity and concern for the man, whom it is not in their power to relieve. PHILOCTETES. Zij Go forward ; but remember to return When the poor wand'rer comes this way, prepar'd To aid our purpofe here, if need require. CHORUS. Ο ! king, we ever meant to fix our eyes On thee, and wait attentive to thy will ; But, tell us, in what part is he conceal'd ? 'Tis fit we know the place, left unobferv'd He ruili upon us ; which way doth it lye ? See' ft thou his footfteps leading from the cave,, Or hither bent ? NEOPTOLEMUS. [advancing towards the cave» Behold the double door Of his poor dwelling, and the flinty bed. CHORUS. And whither is its wretched mafter gone? NEOPTOLEMUS. Doubtlefs in fearch of food, and not far off; For fuch his manner is ; accuftom'd here, So fame reports, to pierce with winged arrows His favage prey for daily fuftenance, His wound ftill painful, and no hope of cure. CHORUS, ZI4 PHILOCTETES. CHORUS. Alas ! I pity him ; without a friend, W'itJiout a fellovv-fuff'rer, left alone, Dcpriv'd of all the mutual joys that flow From fucct focicty, diftemper'd too; How can he bear it ? Ο ! unhappy race Of mortal man ! doom'd to an endlefs round Oi forrows, and immeafurable woe 1 Second to none in fair nobility Was Philodetes, of illuftrious race ; Yet here he lyes, from ev'ry human aid Far off rcmov'd in dreadful folitude, And mingles with the wild and favage herd ; With them in famine and in mifery Confumcs his days, and weeps their common fate Unheeded, fave when babbling echo mourns In bitt'reft notes refponiive to his woe, Ν Ε Ο P-- j^Ias ! Ipity him,^ic. The lamentation of the chorus in this fcene, as it flands in the original, is in Strophe and Antiftrophe, and was therefore moft probably, as I have before obferved, fet to mufic and fung ; but as it makes at the lame time part of their converfation with Neoptolemus, I could not throw It into ode or rhyme without interrupting the narration, and giving a motley appearance to the dialogue ; I have therefore left it in blank verfe. The de- fcription of Philoftetes's diftrefs, in this pafiage, is in the Greek inimitably beau^ tiful, which I have endeavour'd to give my readers fome imperfeft idea of w yietranflation. ^ PHILOCTETES. zi? Ν Ε ο ρ τ ο L Ε Μ υ S. And yet I wonder not ; for if aright I judge, from angry heav'n the fentence came; And Chryfa was the cruel fource of all ; Nor doth this fad difeafe inflid him ftill Incurable, without aflenting gods ; For fo they have decreed, left Troy fhou'd fall Beneath his arrows e'er th' appointed time Of it's deftrudlion come. CHORUS. No more, my fon ; NEOPTOLEMUS. What fayft thou? CHORUS. Sure I heard a difmal groan Of fome afflided wretch. NEOPTOLEMUS, Which way ? C Η Ο R U So From angry heavn^ t£c. The ftory of Philoiletes, as related in the fif- teenth hoc k of Telemaque, differs from that of Sophocles in this particular ; Philoeetes there informs Telemachus that he drop'd by chance one of the arrows of Hercules on his own foot, and that the wound remain'd lor a long time incurable. He likewiie attributes this misfortune and all the diftrefs, which he fuffer'd at Lemnos, to his crime in difcovering to Ulylfes the place where Hercules died, and which he had folemnly fworn to conceal. The gods theie- fore puniih'd him for his perjury. ιιό ρ HI L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S. CHORUS. ev'n now 1 hear it, and the found as of fome ftep Slow-moving this way, he is not far from us ; His phiints are louder now; prepare, my fon. NEOPTOLEMUS. For what ? CHORUS. New troubles ; for behold he comes ; Not like the fhepherd with his rural pipe And chearful fong, but groaning heavily ; Either his wounded foot againil fome thorn Hath ftruck, and pains him forely, or perchance He hath efpicd from far fome fliip attempting To enter this inhofpitable port, And hence his cries to fave it from deitrudlion. 1 [Exeunt, iSV like the Px'^herd, &c. Otway has caught this image in his Orphan. " Sweet as the fliepherd's pipe upon the mountain." End of A C Τ I. ACT IL PHILOCTETES. 217 ACT II. SCENE I. PHILOCTETES, NEOPTOLEMUS, CHORUS; PHILOCTETES. Ο A Y, welcome ftrangers, what difaftrous fate Led you to this inhofpitable fliore, Nor haven fafe, nor habitation fit Affording ever ? of what dime, what race? Who are ye ? fpeak ; if I may trufi: that garb Famihar once to me, ye are of Greece, My much-lov'd country ; let me hear the found Of your long-wiih'd for voices ; do not look With horror on me, but in kind compailion Pity a wretch deferted and forlorn Ff In S^)'y lijelcome flrangers, &c. The abfurdlty of dividing the Greek tragedies into five acfts, which is perpetually recurring to us, appears remarkably evident in this place. Brumoy was obliged to make this the beginning of the fecond adl, though it is apparent the ftage is not empty. Philodtetes enters to Necptolemus and the Chorus whilft they are talking of him. There was, how- ever, no other method of dividing the play without making the firft aft three times as long as any of the reft: ; 1 have therefore follow'd this divilion merely Ibr a paufe to the Englifli reader. Do not look, &c. Philoiletes, we may naturally imagine, after ten years flay on an uninhabited iiland, made but an uncouih and favage appearance j this addrefs to the chorus thereiore, who arc lliock'd at his figure, is extremely natural, os is indeed almoii every thing which Soohocles puts into the muuths of every cl. grader in the drama. ii3 Ρ Η I L Ο C Τ Ε Τ Ε S. In this fad j>lace • Ο ! if ye come as friends, Speak then, and anfvver, hold fome coriverfe with me, For this at Icaft from man to man is due. NEOPTOLEMUS. Know, flranger, firft what moft thou feem'ft to wifh ; We arc of Greece. PHILOCTETES. Ο ! happinefs to hear ! After fo many years of dreadful iilence, How welcome was that found ! Ο ! tell me, fon, What chance, what purpofe, who conducled thee ? What brought thee hither, what propitious gale ? Who art thou ? tell me all ; inform me quickly. NEOP TOLEMUS. Native of Scyros, thither I return; My name is Ncoptolemus, the fon Of brave Achilles. I have told thee all. PHILOCTETES, Dear is thy country, and thy father dear 1Ό me, thou darling of old Lycomede ; But tell me in what fleet, and whence thou cam'il. NEOP- Native of Scy res, &c. Scyros was an IflanH in the ^lean fea, of which Lycon-edrs was king ; hither Achilles was brnuiiht in woman's apparel to a- Zau.I T^^oi^" war, and fallin.si in love with D.idamii, the kings dauf^hther, Ws ^v o" -P Γ;. "'^''''f'^' '' ''^ Neoptolen.us. This explains what toC I0V.S, vvna-cl'iuiodtctcs calls hi;nth. " darling of old Lycomede." ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε & ζι^ NEOPTOLEMUS. From Troy. PHILOCTETES. From Troy ? I think thou wert not with us, When firfl: our fleet fail'd forth. NEOPTOLEMUS. V/ert thou then there? Or know'il thou aught of that great enterprize ? PHILOCTETES. Know you not then the man whom you behold ? NEOPTOLEMUS. How fhou'd I know whom I had never feen ? PHILOCTETES. Have you ne'er heard of me, nor of my name ? Hath my fad ftory never reach' d your ear ? NEOPTOLEMUS. Never. PHILOCTETES. Alas ! how hateful to the gods, How very poor a wretch muft I be then, That Greece fliou'd never hear of woes like mine! But they who fent me hither, they conceal'd them, And fmile triumphant, uliilil my cruel wounds Grow deeper ilill. Ο ! fprung from great Achilles, F f 2 Behold 2ZO Ρ Η I L Ο C Τ- Ε Τ Ε S. Behold before thee P;uan's wretched fon, With whom, a chance but thou hail: heard, remain The dreadlul arrows of renovvn'd Alcides, Ev'n the unhappy Fhilodetes, him Whom the Atrid^e and the vile UlyiTes Inhuman left, diftemper'd as I was By the cnvenom'd fcrpent's deep-felt wound ; Soon as they faw that, with long toil opprcfs'd, Sleep had o'erta'en me on the hollow rock, There did they leave me when from Chryfa's lliore They bent their fatal courfe ; a little food And thefe few rags were all they wou'd beftow ; Such one day be their fate ! Alas ! my fon, How dreadful, thinkTc thou, v/as that waking to m^, When from my fleep I rofe and faw them not ! How did I weep ! and mourn my wretched ftate ! When How did I weep, &i: The charafter of Melifknder in the Agamemnon of Thompioii, is a clofe imitation of the Philodtetes. Our excellent defcriptive poet has there transfufed the fpirit of !-ophocles, and painted the miferies of Ibhtude in the warmeft colours. Thompfbn even improves on the paflage be- fore us in the following lines, which are fo beautiful that I cannot help trans- fcribing them. Call: on the wildeft of the Cyclad iiles, Where never human foot had mark'd the iliore, Thtfe ruffians left me yet, believe me, Areas, Such is the roo'ed love we bear mankind. All ruffians as they were, I never heard A found fo difmal as their parting oars. See Thomp. Agam. adl 3; Thefentimentin thetwo laft lines is remarkably natural and pathetic j but I refer my readers to the play itfelf, which abounds in many fine imitations of the antient tragedy, ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S, 221 When not a ihip rcmaiii'd of all the fleet 1 hat brought me here ; no kind companion left To miniftcr or needful food or balm To my iad wounds : on evVy fide I look'd, And nothing favv but woe ; of that indeed Meafure too full : for day fucceeded day, And ftill no comfort came; myfelf alone Cou'd to myfelf the means of life afford,. In this poor grotto ; on my bow I liv'd : The winged dove, which my fliarp arrow flew. With pain I brought into my little hut, And feailed there ; then from the ' broken ice I ilak'd my thirit, or crept mto the wood For ufeful fuel ; from the flricken flint I drew the latent fpark, that warms me ftill. And ftill revives, this with my humble roof Preferve me, fon ; but Ο ! my wounds remain ! Thou fee'fl an ifland defolate and wafte ; No friendly port, nor hopes of gain to temptj The winged dove, &€. H^ibs were my food, thofe blefTed ilores of healthy. Only, when winter irom my daily learch Withdrew my verdant meal, I was oblig'd In faithlefi inares to feize, which truly griev'd me. My iylvan friends, that ne'er till then had known. And therefore dreaded lefs, the tyrant inan. See Thompfon's Agamemnon» ziz ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ £ S. Nor ΙιοΛ to welcome iii the traveller; Few feck the wild iiihofpitable iliore. By iidv'crfe winds, Ibmctimes th' unwilling guefts, - As well thou mayft fuppofe, were hither driv'n ; - But when they came, they only pity'd me, Gave mc a little food, or better garb To fliicld me from the cold ; in vain I pray'd Tliat they wou'd bear me to my native foil, For none wou'd liften : here for ten long years Have I remain'd, whilil mifery and famine Keep• frelTi my wounds, and double my misfortune. This have th' Atridie and UlyiTes done, And may the gods with equal woes repay them ! CHORUS. Ο ! fon of Pa^an, well might thofe, who came And faw thee thus, in kind compaflion weep; I too muft pity thee ; I can no more. Ν Ε Ο Ρ Τ Ο L Ε Μ U S. I can bear witnefs to thee, for I know By fad experience what th' Atridie are. And what, UlyiTes. Ρ Η ί L Ο C Γ Ε Τ Ε S> Haft thou faficr'd then ? And coPc thou hate them too? Ν Ε Ο P- ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S. 225 NEOPTOLEMUS. ο ! that thefe hands Cou'd vindicate my wrongs ! Mycenas then And Sparta iliou'd confefs that Scyros boafts Of fons as brave and valiant as their own. PHILOCTETES. Ο ! noble youth ! but wherefore cam' ft thou hither ? Whence this refentment? NEOPTOLEMUS. I- will tell thee all, If I can bear to tell it: know then, foon As great Achilles dy'd PHILOCTETES. Ο ! fhay, my fon, Is then Achilles dead ? NEOPTOLEMUS. He is, and not By mortal hand, but by Apollo's fliaft Fell glorious. Ρ Η I L Ο C' T>':ycejiince thus it is <3ς. Addifon had probably this paflage in view, when h© makes his Cato fay, ' When vice prevails, and impious men bear fway, '' The poll of honour is a private flation." PHILOCTETES. zji I woii'd not fee the man I cannot love. My barren Scyros iliall afford me refuge, And home-felt joys delight my future days. So, fare thee well, and may th' indulgent gods Heal thy fad wound, and grant thee ev'ry wifli Thy foul can form ; once more, farewel. I go> The firft propitious gale. PHILOCTETES. What ! now, my fon ? So foon ? NEOPTOLEMUS. Immediately ; the time demands We fliou'd be near, and ready to depart. Ρ FI I L Ο C Τ Ε Τ Ε S, Now, by the memVy of thy honour'd fire. By thy lov'd mother, by whate'er remains On earth moil dear to thee, Ο ! hear me now. Thy fuppliant ; do not, do not thus forfike me. Alone, opprefs'd, deferted, as thou fce'ft, In this fad place ; I fliall, I know I muft be A burthen to thee, but, Ο ! bear it kindly, For ever doth the noble mind abhor Th' vingcn'rous deed, and loves humanitv; Difgrace attends thee if thou doft forfake me. If zl,^ Ρ Η 1 L Ο C Τ Ε Τ Ε S. If not, immortal fiime rewards Uvf goodnefs. Thou mayft convey me iafe to OEta's ihores In one iliort day; I'll trouble you no longer; Hide me in any part where I may leafl: Moleft you. Hear me ; by the guardian god Of the poor fuppliant, all-proteding Jove, I beg, behold me at thy feet, infirm, And wretched as I am, I clafp thy Jinees; Leave me not here then, where there is no mark Of human footftep ; take me to thy home, Or to Euboea's port, to OEta, thence Short is the way to Trachin, or the banks Of Sperchius' gentle ftream, to meet my father, If yet he lives ; for, oh ! I beg'd him oft By thofe who hither came, to fetch me hence. Or he is dead, or .they neglectful bent Their hafty CGurfe to their ovv^i native foil. Be thou my better guide ,; pity and fave The poor and wretched. Think, my fon, how frail And iull of danger is the ftate of man^ Now Hide mc in any place. Tlie original fays, " throw me into the fink, " toredeck, or ftern ;" there was no neceiluy of fpecifying thefe in the tran- flation. To Euhtvds port i^c. Eubeea was a large iiland in the iEgean fea, now qall'd Negropcnt. OEta, a mountain in Theffaly, now call'd Bunina. PHILOCTET Ε S, 255 Now profp'rous, now adverie ; who feels no ills Shou'd therefore fear them ; and when fortune fmiles Be doubly cautious, left deftrudlion come Remorfelefs on him, and he fall unpitied. CHORUS. Ο ! pity him, my lord, for bitt'reft woes And trials moft fevere he hath recounted ; Far be fuch fad diftrefs from thofe I love ! Ο ! if thou hat'ft the bafe Atridie, now Revenge thee on them, ferve their deadlieft foe ; Bear the poor fuppliant to his native foil ; So fhalt thou blefs thy friend, and 'fcape the wrath Of the juft gods, who ft ill protect the wretched. NEOPTOLEMUS. Your proffer'd kindnefs, friends, may coft you dear ; When you iliall feel his dreadful malady Opprefs you fore, you will repent it. CHORUS. Never Shall that reproach be ours. Η h Ν Ε Ο P- When fortune fmUcs, &€. This is almoft literally traiiilated, and the exadt fenfe of the orioinal. Brumoy has added " c'eft alors qu'il eft beau de lecourir " les malheureux," " this is the time when it moft becomes us to fuccoiir the " unhappy ;" a lentiment not improper in the mouth of Phuodetes, but which is not in Sophocles. Ο / ptiy him, &c. This, in the original, is the antiftrophe to the little fong pf the chorus, which I took notice of p. 226. The reafon why I have not put i( into the fame meafure as the other is fufficiently obvious. Z54 Ρ Η I L Ο C Τ Ε Τ Ε S. NEOPTOLEMUS. In gen'rous pity Of the afflidled thus to be o'ercome Were moft difgraceful to me; he ihall go. May the kind gods fpeed our departure hence, And guide our veiTels to the wiih'd-for ihore f PHILOCTETES. Ο ! happy hour ! Ο ! kindeft, beil of men ! And you my dearefl: friends ! how fliall I thank you ? What fhall I do to iliew my grateful heart ? Let us be gone, but Ο ! permit me firil To take a laft farewel of my poor hut, Where I fo long have liv'd ; perhaps you'll fay I muft have had a noble mind to bear it; The very iight to any eyes but mine Were horrible, but fad neceility At length prevail'd, and made it pleaiing to me. CHORUS. One from our fhip, my lord, and with him comes A ftranger ; flop a moment till we hear Their bus'nefs with us. Enter a Spy in the habit of a merchant, with another Grecian, SCENE The ϋ-ηβά for foore. Tn the original, ' the place which we wifli to fail to.* The expreilion, we lee, is purpofely ambiguous ; Neoptolemus means Troy, and Philoilctes underftands it as fpoken of Scyros, his native country. My poor hut. The Greek is aoixoc eiaaix.mi*', ' my uninhabitable habitation ;' this would not bear a literal tranflation. ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S• 23? SCENE II. NEOPTOLEMUS, PHILOCTETES, CHORUS, SPY, SPY. Son of great Achilles, Know, chance alone hath brought me hither, driv'n By adverfe winds to where thy veiTels lay, As home I fail'd from Troy ; there did I meet This my companion, who informed me where Thou might'ft be found : hence to purfue my courfe And not to tell thee what concerns thee near Had been ungen'rous, thou perhaps mean time Of Greece and of her counfels nought fuipeding, Counfels againft thee not by threats alone Or words enforc'd, but now in execution. NEOPTOLEMUS. Now by my virtue, ftranger, for thy news I am much bound to thee, and will repay Thy fervice ; tell me what the Greeks have done, Hh 2 SPY. Son of great Achilles^ &c. This fpy is probably the fame perfon who made his appearance in the nrft fcene, and was lent out to watch for Philodletes. Ulylfes fends him back in the difguife of a merchant, to carry on the plot, and haften as much as poffible the departure of Neoptolemus and Philootetes. Ulyfles had already defired Neoptolemug to frame his anfwcrs according to the hints given him by the fpy, ai.d to aot in concert with him ; Neoptolemus, therefore, purpolely turns the difcourfe to Ulylks, to give the fpy an ofiportu- iiity of mentioning his dcfign on Fhiloitctcs. He blends truth and fallliiood, we fee, together as artfully as poifible, which prevents the leall fufpicion of fraud or treachery. 2^6 ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S. SPY. A fleet already fails to fetch thee back, Condudled by old Phoenix, and the fons Of valiant Thefeus. NEOPTOLEMUS. Come they then to force me? Or am I to be won by their perfuafion ? SPY. I know not that ; you have what I cou'd learn. NEOPTOLEMUS. And did th' Atridas fend them ? ■ SPY. Sent they are, And will be with you foon. NEOPTOLEMUS. But wherefore then Came not UlyiTes ? did his courage fail ? SPY. He, e'er I left the camp, w^ith Diomede On fome important eriibafly fail'd forth In fearch NEOPTOLEMUS. Of whom? The fons oflbefeus, Acamas and Demophoon. SPY. PHILOCTETES. Z37 SPY. There was a man but ftay, Who is thy friend here, tell me, but fpeak foftly. NEOPTOLEMUS. [whifpering him. The famous Philodetes. S Ρ Υ. Ha! begone then, Aik me no more ; away, immediately. PHILOCTETES. What do thefe dark myfterious whifpers mean ? Concern they me, my fon ? NEOPTOLEMUS. I know not what He means to fay, but I wou'd have him fpeak Boldly before us all, whate'er it be. S Ρ Υ. Do not betray me to the Grecian hoil, Nor make me fpeak what I wou'd fain conceal ; I am but poor ; they have befriended me. NEOPTOLEMUS. In me thou feeft an enemy confeft To the Atridse; this is my beft friend Becaufe he hates them too; if thou art mine. Hide nothing then. SPY, 23S ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S. SPY. Confider firft. NEOPTOLEMUS. I have. SPY. The blame will be on you. NEOPTOLEMUS. Why, let it be^ But Tpeak, I charge thee. SPY. Since I muft then, know, In folemn league combin'd, the bold UlyiTes, And gallant Diomede have fworn, by force Or by perfuailon to bring back thy friend : The Grecians heard Laertes' fgn declare His purpofe, far more refolute he feem'd Than Diomede, and furer of fuccefs. NEOPTOLEMUS, But why th' Atrids, after fo long time, Again fhou'.d vviih to fee this wretched exile, Whence this defire ? came it from th' angry gods To puniih thus their inhumanity ? SPY. ί can inform you ; for perhaps from Greece Of ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S. 23Ρ of late you have not heard ; there was a prophet, Son of old Priam, Heleniis by name, Him in his midnight walks, the wily chief UlyiTes, curfe of ev'ry tongue, efpy'd ; Took him, and led him captive, to the Greeks A welcome fpoil ; much he foretold to all, • And added laft, that Troy fliou'd never fall Till Philo Ulyfles ? ULYSSES. Ay, 'tis i, I who perforce will carry thee to Troy Spite of Achilles' fon. PHILOCTETES» [raifing his arm as intending to throw an arrow at Ulyfles; Not if I aim This fliaft aright. NEOPTOLEMUS. Now by the gods I beg thee Stop thy raili hand. C^''^y"''§ ^^o\d of him; Ρ Η I L Ο C Not if I aim, &c. Ulyffes, ftrongly oppofing and protefling againfl: the reftitution of the arrows, Philoiletes no fooner regains them than, warm with refentment, he aims an arrow at his breaft, but is withheld by Neoptolemus. Mr. de Fenelon, in his Telemsque, has varied a httle from Sophocles in this- particular. He fuppofes Ulyfles to have made a fiin to Neoptolemus to reftore the arrows j and that Phiioiletes notwithflanding, in the heat of paflion, drew the bow againft his enemy, but was ftop'd by Neoptolemus. ' I was aihamed ' of myfelf, fays Philodetes (fee Tel. b. 15) for thus uiing my arrows againft • him who had reflcred them to me, and at the fame time could not bear the ' thought of being indebted for any thing to a man whom 1 fo abhor'd." This, as Brumoy judicioufly obferves, is fpirited, hut not agreeable to the conducft of Sophocles j as the propriety of charaderis deilroy'd by making Ulyfles confent to the reftoration of the arrows, and likewife by the ungenerous behaviour cf Philodletes in endeavouring to kill his benefador. zS6 ρ Η I L Ο C Τ Ε Τ Ε S. PHILOCTETES. Let go my arm. NEOPTOLEMUS. I will not ; Shall I not il.iy my enemy? NEOPTOLEMUS. ' Ο ! no, 'Twou'd cail dillionour on us both. PHILOCTETES. Thou know 'ft Thefe Grecian chiefs are loud pretending boafters, Brave but in tongue, and cowards in the field. NEOPTOLEAIUS. I know it ; but remember, I reftor'd Thy arrows to thee, and thou hai•!: no caufe For rage, or for complaint againfi: thy friend. Ρ Η I L Ο C Τ Ε Τ Ε S. I own thy goodnefs ; thou hail: iliewn thyfelf Worthy thy birth, no fon of Sifyphus, But of Achilles, who on earth preferv'd A fame unfpotted, and amongfl: the dead Still fliines fuperior, an iiluftrious fliade. •I NEOP No fo?i of Zifyphin. See note p. 220. The injuries he had received from L'lylks are alwd)s uppernioft in his tlioughtt, and he talits every opportunity ui ihevving his rclcntment of them, ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S. 287 Ν Ε ο ρ τ ο L Ε Μ υ S. , Joyful Ι thank thee for a father's praifc, And for my own ; but Hflen to my words, And mark me well ; misfortunes, which the gods Inflidt on mortals, they perforce muft bear, But when opprefs'd by voluntary woes They make themfelves unhappy ; they deferve not Our pity or our pardon ; fuch art thou j Thy favage foul, impatient of advice, Rejeds the wholefome counfel of thy friend, And treats him like a foe ; but I will fpeak, Jove be my witnefs ! therefore hear my words. And grave them in thy heart ; the dire difeafe Thou long haft fuffer'd is from angry heav'n, Which thus afflids thee for thy rafli approach To the fell ferpent, whicli on Chryfa's fliore Watch'd o'er the facred treafures ; know beiidcj. That vvhilll: the fun in yonder earl: fliall rife. Or in the weil: decHnc, diiremper'd flill Thou ever llialt remain, unlefs to Troy Tliy willing mind tranfport thee ; there the fons Of uEfculapius fhall reitore thee, there By my ailiftance flialt thou conquer Troy ; I On Chryfdsf.ore. See the fir ft note, p. 201... 288 Ρ Η I L Ο C Τ Ε Τ Ε S. Ι know it well; for that prophetic iage, The Trojan captive Helenus, foretold It HiOird be fo ; ' proud Troy (he added then) * This very year muft fall, if not, my life * Shall anfwer for the falfehood:' therefore yield; Thus to be deem'd the iirft of Grecians, thus By Pagan's fav'rite fons to be reftor'd, And thus marked out the conqueror of Troy, Is fure diftinguiili'd happinefs. PHILOCTETES. O! life Detefted, why wilt thou ftill keep me here! Why not difmifs me to the tomb ? alas ! What can I do? how can I diibelieve My gen'rous friend ? I muft confcnt, and yet Can I do this, and look upon the fun ? Can I behold my friends, will they forgive, Will they affociate with me after this ? And you, ye heav'nly orbs that roll around me. How Hoiv can I iHpelievc, &c Philoiletes, moved by the generofity of Neop- tukiViUS in reftoring the arrows, is ahnoft perfuaded to lay alide his refentment and fail for Troy, but at the lame time cannot bear the thought of joining Ulyfies and the Atridas ; this doubt and uncertainty caufes a new iituation in the drama, which keeps up the attention of the audience. One cannot help ob- ferving with what a variety of interelling circumftances Sophocles has contrived to embelliih a fubjeit fo finiple as to appear at hfll: fight incapable of adniitting any. PHILOCTETES. 28^» How will you bear to fee me link'd with tliofe Who have deftroy'd me, ev'n the fons of Atreus, Ev'n with Ulyfles, fource of all my woes ? My fuff 'rings paft I cou'd forget, but Ο ! I dread the woes to come, for well I know When once the mind's corrupted, it brings forth Unnumber'd crimes, and ills to ills fucceed. It moves my wonder much, that thou, my friend, Shou'dil thus advife me, whom it ill becomes To think of Troy ; I rather had believ'd Thou wou'dft have fent me far, fir off from thofe Who have defrauded thee of thy juft right. And gave thy arms away ; are thefe the men Whom thou wou'dft ferve ? whom thou wou'dft thus compel me To fave and to defend ? it muft not be. Remember, Ο ! my fon, the folemn oath Thou gav'ft to bear me to my native foil ; Do this, my friend, remain thyfelf at Scyros, And leave thefe wretches to be wretched ftill. Thus ihalt thou merit double thanks, from me, And from my father ; nor by fiiccour giv'n To vile betrayers, prove thyfelf as vile. Ν Ε Ο Ρ Τ Ο L Ε Μ U S. Thou fay'ft moft triiiy ; yet confide in heav'n, Ρ ρ Truft z^ PHILOCTETES. Truft to thy friend, and leave this hated place. PHILOCTETES. Leave it ? for whom ? for Troy and the Atridae ? Thefe wounds forbid it. NEOPTOLEMUS. They iliall all be heal'd, Where I will carry thee. PHILOCTETES. All idle tale Thou teU'ft me, furely, doft thou not? NEOPTOLEMUS. I fpeak What beft may ferve us both. PHILOCTETES. But, ipeaking thus,, Doft thou not fear th' offended gods ? NEOPTOLEMUS. Why fear them? Can I offend the gods by doing good ? PHILOCTETES. What good ? to whom ? to me or to th' Atrids ? NEOPTOLEMUS. I am thy friend, and therefore wou'd perfuade thee. PHILOCTETES. And therefore give me to my foes. NEOP- I ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S, ζρι NEOPTOLEMUS. Alas ! Let not misfortunes thus traniport thy foul To rage and bitternefs. PHILOCTETES. Thou woud'ft deftroy me: NEOPTOLEMUS. Thou know'ft me not. PHILOCTETES. I know th' Atridae well, Who left me here. NEOPTOLEMUS. They did ; yet they perhaps, Ev'n they, Ο ! Philo6tetes, may preferve thee. PHILOCTETES. I never will to Troy. NEOPTOLEMUS. Vv hat's to be done ? Since I can ne'er perfuade thee, I fubmit ; Live on in mifery. PHILOCTETES. Then, let mc fuFier ; SuiTer ί mufl: ; but, Ο ! perform tliy promife ; Think on thy pHg'ntcd filth, and guard mc home Ρ ρ 2 Inflant 2pi PHILOCTETES. Inftant, my friend, nor ever call back Troy To my remembrance ; I have felt enough From Troy already. NEOPTOLEMUS. Let us go, prepare. PHILOCTETES. Ο ! glorious found ! NEOPTOLEMUS. Bear thyielf up. PHILOCTETES. I will, If poifible. NEOPTOLEMUS, But how fhall I efcape The wrath of Greece? PHILOCTETES. Ο ! think not of it. NEOPTOLEMUS. What If they iliou'd waile my kingdom ? PHILOCTETES. I'll be there,. NEOPTOLEMUS. Alas! what canft thou do? PHILOC- PHILOCTETES. 2^3 PHILOCTETES. And with thefe arrows Of my Alcides NEOPTOLEMUS. Ha ! what fay'ft thou ? PHILOCTETES. Drive Thy foes before me; not a Greek ihall dare Approach thy borders. NEOPTOLEMUS. If thou wilt do this, Salute the earth, and inftant hence. Away. SCENE IV. HERCULES, ULYSSES, NEOPTOLEMUS^ PHILOCTETES, CHORUS. HERCULES defcends and fpeaks. Stay, fon of P^ean ; lo ! to thee 'tis giv'n Once more to fee and hear thy lov'd Axides, Wha- Stay, fon of Paan iSc. Hercules after a life fpent in the laborious fcrvice Ci'i virtue, was admitted into heaven by his father Jupiter, and rank'd among the gods. Agreeably to his charadler whilfl: upon earth, he leaves the regions of peace and happineis only to ferve his country and his friend. To jullify the poet, with regard to this appearance of a deity, it may not be improper here to obferve, that Philodetes is defcribed as fierce and inexora- ble, with a mind fower'd by injuries, and a heart harden'd by calamity ; he is not to be foiten'd by the art and fubtlety of UlylTes, nor fubdu'd by the honour and generofity of iNeoptoIemus i a change of will could not therefore take place 2(?4 ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S. Wlio for tliy ilike hath left yon heav'nly manfions, And conies to tell thee the decrees of Jove ; To turn thee from the paths thou mean'ft to tread, And guide thy footfteps right ; therefore attend. Thou knovv'ft what toils, what labours I endur'd, E'er I by virtue gain'd immortal fame ; Thou too like me by toils muft rife to glory ; Thou too, muft fuffer, e'er thou can'fl; be happy ; Hence with thy friend to Troy, where honour calls, Where health awaits thee ; where, by virtue rais'd To higheft rank, and leader of the war, Paris, it's hateful author, flialt thou flay, Lay wafte proud Troy, and fend thy trophies home, Thy valour's due reward, to glad thy lire On OEta's top : the gifts which Greece beftows Muft thou rcfjrve to grace my fun'ral pile, And be a monument to after ages Of p'.ace without departing from that propriety of charadler which Sophocles al- ways religioufiy obftrves. The deicent of Hercules is, on this account, both neceff.iry and beautiful; for though in fome of the Greek tragedies, the inter- pufuion of the gods can perhaps hardly be juftified, the fevercli: critic will, I believe, here acknowledge the * dignus vindice nodus' oi Horace. To the man- ner of this appearance and the machinery made ufe of on the occafioa we are left entire ftrangtrs ; we have no lights from antiquity concerning the decora- tions of the theatre, and are only told in general, that they were made with the utmoil fpl.endor and magnihcence ; the charader of Hercules during his fliort flay isjuftain'd with great dignity ; he fays no more than what is abfp-f lu;ely neceffar^ on the occaiion, and then reafcends. PHILOCTETES. 2^5• Of thefe all-conq'ring arms. Son of Achilles, [turning to Neoptolemus• (For now to thee I fpeak) remember this, Without his aid thou can'iT: not conquer Troy, Nor Philoiletcs without thee fucceed ; Go then, and, like two lions in the field Roaming for prey, guard ye each other well ; My iEfculapius will I fend ev'n now To heal thy wounds ; then go, and conquer Troy j But when you lay the vanquiili'd city wafle, Be careful that you venerate the gods ; For far above all other gifts doth Jove, Th' almighty father, hold true piety ; Whether we live or dye, that flill furvives Beyond the reach of fate, and is immortal. NHE-e-^-T^trrt-E- Μ tf -&.— ; "( ι ^ ^^ Once more to let me hear that wiHi'd-for voice,, To fee thee after fo long; time, was bliis I cou'd not liope for. Ο ! I will obey Thy great commands ηιοίΐ v/iUingly. PHI LOG- Ee careful, C^c. This is fuppofed by tlie commentators to convey a kind of proplietic cenfure of Neoptolemus, who afrer his return to Troy murther'd the aged Priam, even at the altar of Hercjean Jove. Wbeiber we live or die, &c. Whether we Hve, we live unto the Lord, and. whether we die, we die unto the Lord ; whether we live therefore, or die, W'C are the Lord's. St. Paul's epiflle to the Romans, c, 14, v. 8. 2^5 ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S, # P-H-^-tr-CKG-T Ε Τ Ε S. And Ι. HERCULES. Delay not then ; for, lo ! a profp'rous wind Swells in thy fail ; the time invites, adieu. [Hercules reafcends. SCENE V. PHILOCTETES, ULYSSES, NEOPTOLEMUS, CHORUS. |P Η I L Ο C Τ Ε Τ Ε S. I will but pay my falutations here, And inftantly depart To thee, my cave, Where I fo long have dwelt, I bid farewel ; And you, ye nymphs, who on the wat'ry plains Deign to reiide, farewel ; farewel the noife Of beating waves, which I fo oft have heard From the rough fea, which by the black winds driv'n O'erwhehn d me fhiv'rino; ; oft th' Hermaean mount Echo'd my plaintive voice, by wint'ry florms Afflidled, and returned me groan for groan. Now, ye freih fountains, each Lycosan fpring, I IF Hcrmaan mount. A mouritain in Lemnos ; though fome are of opinion that the word Hermsean is only an epithet gent-nilly appropriated to moun- tains, from Hermes or Mercury, the god of iiills and groves. Each Lycaan fpring. Fountains facred to Apollo Lycius. ρ Η I L ο C τ Ε τ Ε S. 257 Ι leave you now; alas! I little tliought To leave you ever ; and thou Tea-girt iHe, Lemnos, farewel ; permit me to depart By thee unblam'd, and with a profp'rous gale To go where fate demands, where kindeft friends By counfel urge me, vvliere all-powerful Jove In his unerring wifdom hath decreed. CHORUS. Let us be gone, and to the ocean nymphs Our humble pray'rs prefer that they wou'd all Propitious fmile, and grant us fafe return. End of the FIRST VOLUME.. Q.^ Lately publiih'd. By THOMAS F R A Ν C Κ L I N, M, A, Fellow of Trinity-college, Cambridge. I. '' I ^ Η Ε epiilles of Phalaris, tranilated from the Greek. ■*• To which are added fome feledt epiftles of the moft eminent Greek writers. Price 5 s. II. Translation; a poem. Price is, •Printed for R. F R A Ν C Κ L I N, in Russel-Street» Covent-Garden-, τ II Ε TRAGEDIES Ο F CL Ε S 7 From the GREEK; By THOMAS F R A Ν C Κ L I Ν, Μ. A^ Fellow of Trinity- College, and Greek ProfeiTor in the Univerfity of Cambrldgei. V Ο L. II. ^^■^•^ ΚΙί Z'?^ w \ - #-' t\ Λ I , V w^ X: L ^etivma in• /ubi«o •^ίντβτΜηα . LONDON: Printed for R. FRANC KLIN, in Covent-Garden, 173?. C^Citi^^OilfcCfcwbtXiw&vGii^u^jc^o^yUvb'.^uC'^ ANTIGONE. qpqpqpqpqpqpQpqpqpqp<:^qf'qc:qpqpqpqpqpqpqpip«::^qpi5P^'qp':i A 2 Dramatis Perfonae. C R Ε ο Ν, king of Thebes. Ε U R Υ D I C E, Wife of Creon. Η i£ Μ Ο N, Son of Creon. ANTIGONE, Daughter of Oedipus. I S Μ Ε Ν E, iifter of Antigone, TIRESIAS, a prophet. A MESSENGER, GUARD, SERVANT and ATTENDANTS. CHORUS, Compofed of antient Men of Thebes. ( 5 ) ANTIGONE. ι ACT! SCENE I. ANTIGONE, ISMENE. ANTIGONE, Ο I My dear iifter, my beft-lov'd Ifmene, • Is there an evil, by the wrath of Jove Referv'd for OEdipus' unhappy race, We have not felt already ? forrow and fhame, And bitternefs and anguifli, all that's fad, All O! my dear Jifter, &c. Eteocles and Polynices, fons of the unfortunate Oedipus, having an equal claim to the kingdom of Thebes, had agreed to di- vide the power, and to reign year by year alternately ; but Eteocles ftep- ing firil into the Throne, and tailing the Iweets of iovereignty, broke the con- trail, and maintain'd himlelf in the poficflion of his dominions. Polynices, in revenge, railed an army of Argians, and made an incmhon on Thebes j a battle cnfued, and after much ilaughter on both fides, the brothers agreed to (decide it by lingle combat j they iought, and v.'ere llain by each other. After 6 ANTIGONE. All that's diftrefsful hath been ours, and now This dreadful edi£l from the tyrant comes To double our misfortunes; haft thou heard What harfh commands he hath impos'd on all, Or art thou ftill to know what future ills Our foes have yet in ftore to make us wretched ? I S Μ Ε Ν E. Since that unhappy day, Antigone, When by each other's hand our brothers fell, And Greece difmifs'd her armies, I have heard Nought that cou'd give or joy or grief to me. ANTIGONE. I thought thou wert a ftranger to the tidings, And therefore call'd thee forth, that here alone I might impart them to thee. I S Μ Ε Ν E.. Ο 1 what are they ? For fomething dreadful labours in thy breaft. ANTIGONE^ After the death of the brothers the kingdom of Thebes devolved to their uncle Creon, whofe firft aft of fupreme power was an edidt forbidding all rites of fepiilture to Polynices, as a traitor ; and pronouncing inftant death on any who Ihould dare to bury him. Here the adlion of the tragedy commences, the fub- jedl of which is the piety of Antigone in oppofition to the edidt of Creon, with the diftrefles confequent upon it. The time and place are exadlly mark'd out in the firft fcene, where Antigone calls her fifter out of the palace into the ad-, joining area, to inform her of the decree which had been iffued out on the preceding day, and her refolutions concerning it. ANTIGONE. 7 ANTIGONE. Know then, from Creon, our indulgent lord, Our haplefs brothers met a different fate, To honour one, and one to infamy He hath coniign'd ; with fun'ral rites he grac'd The body of our dear Eteocles, Whilft Polynices' wretched carcaie lies Unbury'd, unlamented, left expos'd A feaft for hungry vultures on the plain ; No pitying friend will dare to violate The With funVal rites, &c. Of all the honours paid to the dead, the care of their funerals was look'd upon by the antients as moft neceffary and indifpenlible ; as to be deprived of lepulture was accounted the greateft misfortune, and the higheil injury. No imprecation was therefore fo terrible as that any perfon might a,2rci7rToi ίκτητττίίν ;;:^2rovoi, ' die deftitute of burial :' it was not to be wonder'd at that they were thus felicitous about the interment of their dead, •when they were ftrongly poiTefs'd with the opinion that the fouls of the de- ceafcd could not be admitted into the Elyfian fliades, but were forced to wan- ■der defolate and alone, till their bodies v/ere committed to the earth. Nor was it fufficient to be honour'd with the folemn performance of their funeral rites, except their bodies were prepared for burial by their relations, and in- ter'd in the fepulchres of their fathers ; we muft not therefore be furprifed to find the whole play of Antigone turning on this fingle incident j for though the burial of a dead body would make but an indiitcrent foundation for a modern tragedy, it is a fubjeft of dignity and importance, and highly fuitable to the notions and genius of antiquity. Unlamented. This was the judgment which God denounced againft Jehoia- kim, king ofjudah: ' they ihall not lament for him, faying, ah ! my brother, * or ah ! fifter ; they ihall not lament for him, faying, ah! lord, or ah ! his * glory; he lliall be buried with the burial of an afs, &c. Jerem. 22, v. 18, 19. The cuftoms and manners of the Greeks were originally drawn from the eaftera nations, wnich accounts for the fimilitude ίο obfa-vable in Sophocles and other iicathen writers with foine parts of holy writ. 8 ANTIGONE. The tyrant's harili command, for public death Awaits til' ofiender; Creon comes himfelf To tell us of it, i-jch is our condition ; This is the crifis, this the hour, Ifmene, That muft declare thee worthy of thy birth, Or iliew thee mean, bafe, and degenerate. I S Μ Ε Ν E. What woud'ft thou have me do ? defy his pow'r ? Contemn the laws? ANTIGONE. To ad with me, or not: Confider and refolve. I S Μ Ε Ν E. What daring deed Woud'ft thou attempt ? what is it ? fpeak. ANTIGONE. To And take the body, my Ifmene. Ϊ S Μ Ε Ν E. Ha! And woud'ft thou dare to bury it, when thus We are forbidden? ANTIGONE. Ay, to bury Him j J oin He ANTIGONE. ρ He is my brother, and thine too, Ifmene ; Therefore confent or not, I have determin'd I'll not difgrace my birth. I S Μ Ε Ν E. Hath not the king Pronounc'd it death to all ? ANTIGONE. He hath no right, No pow'r to keep me from my own. I.S Μ Ε Ν E, Alas ! Remember our unhappy father's fate, His eyes torn out by his own fatal hand, Opprefs'd with fliame and infamy he dy'd ; Fruit of his crimes ! a mother, and a wife, Dreadful alliance ! felf-devoted, fell j And laft, in one fad day, Eteocles And Polynices by each other flain. Left as we are, deferted and forlorn, What from our difobedience can we hope Vol. II. Β But Confent ornot, &c. The charaders of Antigone and Ifmene are an exad counterpart to thofe of Eleflra and Chrylotbemis ; the fiercenefs and refulution of the one is contrafled by the foftnefs and tiinidi.y of the other. The Icnti- nients are nearly the fame throughout, and indeed, the hmilitude oi circuin- jiUnces confider'd, this was almoft unavoidable. ΙΟ ANTIGONE. But mifcry and ruin ? poor weak women, Hclplcfs, nor form'd by nature to contend With powerful man ; we arc his fubjeds too ; Therefore to this, and worfe than this, my fifter. We muft fubmit : for me, in humbleft pray'r Will I addrefs me to th' infernal pow'rs For p.irdon of that crime which well they know Sprang from neceiTity, and then obey ; Since to attempt what we can never hope To execute, is folly all and madnefs. ANTIGONE. Wert thou to proffer what I do not aik, Thy poor afilftance, I wou'd fcorn it now ; A6t as thou wilt; I'll bury him myfdf; Let me perform but that, and death is welcome : I'll do the pious deed, and lay me down By my dear brother ; loving and belov'd We'll reft together: to the pow'rs below, 'Tis fit we pay obedience; longer there We muft remain, than we can breathe on earth, There I iliall dwell for ever; thou, mean time, What the gods hold moil; precious may 'ft defpife. I S Μ Ε Ν E. I reverence the gois ; but, in defiance Of ANTIGONE. II Of laws, and unaflifted to do this, It were mofi: dang'rous. ANTIGONE. That be thy excuie, Whilft I prepare the fun'ral pile. I S Μ Ε Ν E. Alas ! I tremble for thee. Β 2 ANTIGONE, 1 tremhh for thee &c. The Antigone of Rotrou, an old French poet, whom Brumoy calls Coineille's mailer, is a pretty exa£t copy, and in many parts an almoft literal tranilation of Sophocles ; it feems to be written with fpirit, as the jeader will fee by the following quotation. IsMEN. Ah, que vous me caufez une frayeur extreme ! Antig. Ne m'epouvantez pas, & tremblez fur vous-mcme. IsMEN. Soyez fecrette au moins, comme je vous promets Que par moi ce deifcin ne fe fcaura jamais. Antig. Si rien eft a cacher, cachez votre foiblefle, Je fais gloire pour moi que ma vertu paroiiTe. JiMEN. Comme dans les dangers vous vous precipitez ! Antig. Avec autant d'ardeur que vous les evitez. IsMEN. Je vous I'ai dit cent fois, cette a-uvre fera vaine. Antig. Bien, mon pouvoir ceflant fera ccffcr ma peine. IsMEN. Mais ce n'eft pas affez d'entreprendre ardemment : L'honneur de I'entreprile eft en I'evenement. Antig. Vos raifons, comme vous, font de fi peu de force, Que, loin de m'arreter, cet obftacle m'amorce. LaiiTez indifterent mon bon ou mauvais fort j Voyez, fi ]e peris, mon naufra^e du port, pour moi je tiens plus chere & plus digne d'eijvie Unc iz ANTIGONE. ANTIGONE. Tremble for thyfelf, And not for me. r S Μ Ε Ν E. Ο ! do not tell thy purpofe, I beg thee, do not; I lliall ne'er betray thee. ANTIGONE. rd have it known ; and I iliall hate thee more For thy concealment, than, if loud to all, Thou woud'ft proclaim the deed. I S Μ Ε Ν E. Thou hail a heart Too daring, and ill-fuited to thy fate. ANTIGONE. I know my duty, and I'll pay it there Where 'twill be beil: accepted. I S Μ Ε Ν E. Coud'ft thou do it ; But 'tis not in. thy pow'r^ ANTIGONE. Une honorable mort qu'une honteufe vie ; Et fie mes ans enfin voir terminer le cours Ne fera qu'arriver ou je vais tous les jours. isMEN. Allez done : que le Ciel pour vous & pour mon frere Conduife ce deffein mieux que je ne I'efpere ! Mais vos loins, fi mon cceur ne m'abufe auiourd'hui, Prcparent un cercueil plus pour vous que pour lui. ANTIGONE ij ANTIGONE When I know that It will be time enough to quit my purpofe. I S Μ Ε Ν E, It cannot be; 'tis folly to attempt it. ANTIGONE. Go on, and I iliall hate thee ; our dead brother,. He too iliall hate thee as his bitt'reil foe; Go, leave me here to fuffer for my rafhnefs ; Whate'er befals, it cannot be fo dreadful As not to dye with honour. I S Μ Ε Ν E. Then farewel, Since thou wilt have it fo ; and know, Ifmene Fities thy weaknefs, but admires thy virtue. [Exeunt. S C Ε Ν Ε II. CHORUS. STROPHE Γ. By Dirce's fweetly-flowing flream, Ne'er did the golden eye of day On By Dirces fweetly-flowing ftream, (it. The kingdom of Thebes, which had been torn to pieces by the diflention of the two brothers, being at length by their deaths reftored to peace and tranquiHty, the principal and moil antient in- habitants, who form the chorus, are brought together with the utmoit propriety to fing a fong of triumpli on the accafion : as they are the friends and counfeU lors of Creon, we find them condem.ning Polyniccs as author of the war,, and rejoycing in his defeat. George Ratafier, the only Latin traiiilator who has ever done juflice to SophocleSj has. tura'd this noble chorus into a good iapphic ode.. 14 ANTIGONE. On Tlicbes with fairer luftre beam, Or fhinc with more aufpicious ray. See, the proud Argive with his filver fhield, And ghtt'ring armour quits the hoilile plain; No longer dares maintain the lucklefs field, But vanquiili'd flies, nor checks the loofen'd rein. With dreadful clangor, like the bird of Jove, On fnowy wings defcending from above, His vaunted pow'rs to this devoted land In bitt'refl: wrath did Polynices lead, With creftcd helmets, and a num'rous band He came, and fondly hop'd that Thebes fliou'd bleed. ANTISTROPHE L High on the lofty tow'r he flood. And vievv'd th' encircled gates below. With fpears that thirfted for our blood, And feem'd to fcorn th' unequal foe ; But With dreadful clangor^ ζ£ε. Ratallerus renders it thus, Ut Jovis fummo veniens olympo Armiger plumis coopertus albis, Devolat, late ftrepituq; acuto /Eihera complete Conftitit celfa? fuper arcis sdes, Fnfe munitus, galeaq; & armis, Up.dequaque haltis inhiabat urbi Sanguine tinilis. Vidns at fiigit trepide, priufquam Pcflet infanas fatiare fauces, Et nimis noilro cupidum cruore Tingere guttur. ANTIGONE. 15 But fraught with vengeance, e'er the riiing flame Cou'd vvafte our bulwarks, or our walls furroundj Mars to aflifl: the fiery ferpent came, And brought the tow'ring eagle to the ground. That god, who hates the boaftings of the proud. Saw the rude violence of th' exulting croud ; Already now the triumph was prepared, The wreath of vift'ry, and the feftal fong, IVhen Jove the clafli of golden armour heard. And hurl'd his thunder on the guilty throng. STROPHE II. . Then Capaneus, elate with pride. Fierce as the rapid whirlwind came, Eager 7he fury ferpent, &c. By the dragon or fiery ferpent, we are to underftand the Theban army attack'd by the eagle Polynices. Tlie fchoHails, who r.re al- ways full of whimfical conjedlures, will needs have it that the Thebans are here call'd ferpents as defceiidants of Draco, the fon of Mars and Tilphofa, or, as the f.jns of Cadmus, who fow'd the .ferpep.t's teeth that fprung up into arm'd men, as related in the third book of Ovid's metamorphofes ; though it is, after all, moil probable that Sophocles meant no more than a comparifon of the two armies with creatures of moft remarkable enmity to each other, in imitation of his great mailrer Homer, who has mads ufe of this very image on a fimilar occafion. See Iliad, b. 14, v. 201, with an imitation of it by Virgil, /En, b. II, V. 75 I. Tbat gcd 'who bates, C^c. Φ/Λί?/ ο Bioi (fays Herodotus)• τα. υΊτίο-ί-χοντ-χ. rrxvTci y-oAvetv, ' God loveth to cut off every thing that is proud' ; agreeable to which is the fentiment of the holy pfaimifi:, ' The Lord preferveth the faithful, and plenteouily rewardeth the proud doer, Pfatni 31, v. 19. Then Capaneus, Cs'c. Capaneus was one of the feven c-'ptains who came againft Thebes : after he had mounted to the top of the κλίαακ?;, or fcaling ladders, he was beat dov/n with fi:ones and llain ; which gave the poets an op- portunity of reporting him to have been flruck dead with lightning, Scatias calls him, ' fuperum conlemptor,' ' a contemner of the gods.' i6 ANTIGONE. Eager he feem'd on ev'ry fide To fpiead the all- devouring flame ; But foon he felt the winged light'ning's blaft, Bv angry heav'n with fpeedy vengeance fent, Down from the lofty turrets headlong caft, For his foul crimes he met the punifliment. Each at his cate longr time the leaders ftrove. Then fled, and left their arms to conqu'ring Jove ; Save the unhappy death-devoted pair, The wretched brethren, who unconquer'd flood, With ranc'rous hate infpir'd, and fell defpair, They reek'd their vengeance in each other's blood. ANTiSTROPHE II. And lo ! with fmiles propitious fee To Thebes, for num'rous carrs renown'd, The goddifs conies, fair vi6lory, With fame and endlefs glory crown'd ! Henceforth, no longer vex'd by war's alarms, Let all cur forrows, all our labours ceafe ; Come, let us quit the din of ratt'ling arms. And fill our temples with the fongs of peace. The god of Thebes fhall guide our fteps aright, And crown with many a lay the feflive night. But Each at his ^ale, c?c The Greek is, the kven leaders ftood at the feven gates. ANTIGONE. 17 But fee, ftill anxious for his native land, Our king, Menceceus' valiant fon, appear ; With fome fair omen by the god's command He comes to meet his aged council here. [Exeunt. End of ACT I. VOL. He C ACT H, i8 ANTIGONE. ACT II. SCENE I. CREON, CHORUS. , C R Ε Ο N. A Τ length oiir empire, iKook by civil broilsj The gods to peace and fafety have reftor'd ; Wherefore, my friends, you had our late requefl: That you fhou'd meet us here; for well I know Your firm allegiance to great Laius, next To OEdipus, and his unhappy fons; Thefe by each other's hand untimely ilain, To me the fceptre doth of right defcend, As next in blood : never can man be knovvn^ His mind, his will, his paillons ne'er appear Till pow'r and office call them forth ; for mc, / 'Tis my firm thought, and I have held it evefj That he who rules and doth not follow that Which wifdom counfels, but reftrain'd by fear y Shuts up his lips, muft be the worfl: of men ; Nor do I deem him worthy who prefers A friend, how dear foever, to his country, Shou'd I behold (witnefs all-feeing Jove) This city wrong'd, I never wou'd be filent, Never ANTIGONE. 19 Never woii'd make the foe of Thebes my friend, For on her fafety mufl depend our own ; And if fhe flouriih we can never want Aififtance or fupport : thus wou'd I aft, And therefore have I fent my edid forth Touching the fons of OEdipus, commanding That they fhou'd bury him who nobly fought And dy'd for Thebes, the good Eteocles, Gracing his mem'ry with each honour due To the illuftrious dead; for Polynices, Abandon'd exile, for a brother's blood Thirfting infatiate, he who wou'd in flames Have wafted all, his country, and his gods, And made you flaves, I have decreed he lye Unburied, his vile carcafe to the birds And hungry dogs a prey, there let him rot Inglorious, 'tis my will; for ne'er from me Shall vice inherit virtue's due reward. But him alone who is a friend to Thebes, Είνίησ or dead fliall Creon rev'rence ililL "" Q2 -CHORUS. moil antient inhabuants of J '^^^^^' /\7;°? Λ' ^^alous reaard for the public 20 ANTIGONE CHORUS. Son of Mciiicccus, 'twas thy great beheft: Thus to reward them both ; thine is the pow'r O'er all fupreme, the living and the dead. C R Ε Ο N. Be careful then my orders are obey'd. CHORUS. Ο ! iir, to younger hands commit the taik» C R Ε Ο N. I have appointed fome to watch the body, CHORUS. What then remains for us ? C R Ε Ο N. To fee that none By your connivance violate the law. CHORUS. Scarce will the man be found fo fond of death As to attempt it. C R Ε Ο N. of all his precautions, bury the body, he prepares them for that feverity with which he had refolved to treat the offender. The council, we may obferve, is coinpofcd of flaves, who are obliged to aflent to what they could not approve, and fubmit to orders which they could not refift. By this lively reprefentation of the eviiS and miferies of an arbitrary government, the poet pays an oblique compliment to his countrymen the Athenians, who would naturally take a plea- fure in comparing it wich the freedom and happinefs of their own. The cho- rus, according to Horace, fl:iould indeed always appear as the friends of dif- trels'd virtue j but in this cafe Sophocles, we fee, is excufable, as it could not be done, confidering whom they are compofcd of, with any degree of propriety. ANTIGONE. 21 C R Ε ο Ν. Death is the reward Of him who dares it -, but oft'times by hope Of fordid gain are men betray'd to ruin. SCENE 11. MESSENGER, CREON, CHORUS. MESSENGER. Ο ! king, I cannot boaft, that hither fent I came with fpeed, for oft my troubled thoughts Have driv'n me back ; oft to myfelf I faid, Why doft thou feek deftru6lion? yet again If thou report it not, from other tongues Creon muil hear the talej and thou wilt fufFer: With doubts Hke thefe opprefs'd, flowly I came, And the ihort way feem'd Kke a tedious journey ;.\^ At length I come, refolv'd to tell thee all : VvHiate'er th' event, I muft fubmit to fate. CREON. Whence are thy fears, and why this heiltation ? MESSENGER. Firft for myfelf; I merit not thy wrath ; It Firftfor myfelf, &c. The fervant in Terence prefaces his tale with the like formality; Here, primum te arbitrarl quod res eft velim, Quicquid hujus fadtum eft, culpa non fadlum eft mei* 21 ANTIGONE. It was not I, nor have I feen the man Who did the guilty deed. C R Ε Ο N. Something of weight 'Thou haft t' impart, by this unufual care To guard thee from our anger. MESSENGER. pear will come Where danger is. C R Ε Ο Ν. Speak, and thou haft thy pardon. MESSENGER. The body of Polynices fome raih hand Hath bury'd, fcatter'd o'er his corps the duft:, And fun'ral rites performed. C R Ε Ο Ν. Who dar'd do this? Μ Ε S S Ε Ν G Ε R. 'Tis yet unknown ; no mark of inftrument Is left behind ; the earth ftill level all, "Nor worn by track of chariot wheel j the guard. Who watch'd that day, call it a miracle ; No tomb was rais'd; light lay the fcatter'd .earthy ANTIGONE. 2j As only meant t' avoid th' imputed curfe; Nor Gou'd we trace tlie fteps of dog or beail Failing that way ; inftant a tumult rofe, The guards accused each other ; nought was prov'd. But each fufpeded each, and all deny'd, Off'ring in proof of innocence to grafp The burning ftcel, to walk thro' fire, and 'take Their folemn oath they knew not of the deed;. At length, one mightier than the reft, propos'd (Nor cou'd we think of better means) that all Shou'd be to thee difcover'd ; 'twas my lot To As only meant^ Gfi". In Greece the perfon was look'd on as accurfed, and guilty of the greateft inhumanity, who pafs'd by an unburied corps without carting duft or foft earth upon it, which in cafes of necefiity was confider'd as• fufficicnt to gain the ghort's adiniflion into Plato's dominions ; travellers, there- fore, though in ever io much hafte, if they met with a dead body, thought it their duty to fprinkle it three times in this manner. This cuftom is alluded to by Horace. Quanquam feftinas, non eft mora longa, licebit Injedto ter pulvere, curras. Lib. i, od. 28,• To grafp the burning fled. It was ufual, in antient Greece, for perfonsac- cufed of any confiderablc crime to clear themfelves from the imputation, by taking a folemn oath that they were not guilty of it, at the fame time holding in their hands a red hot iron call'd Μυί^ξΐο?, which, if they exprefs'd no itwi^ of pain, was admitted as a futucient proof of their innocence. To ix-alk thro fire. This method of clearing themfelves 13 exadlly fimilar to our Saxon cuitom of purgation by fire-ordeal, wherein the perfon accufed pafs'd blindfold and bare-footed over red-hot plough-lhares. This is faid to have been perform'd by Emma, the mother of Edward the confelTor, to vindicate her honour from the fcandal of incontinency with Alwyn, bifliop of Wincheiter. 24 ANTIGONE. To bring th' unwelcome tidings, and I come To pour my news unwilling into ears, Unwilling to receive it, for I know None ever lov'd the mcffengcr of ill. CHORUS. To me it feems as if the hand of heav'n Were in this deed. C R Ε Ο N. Be filent, e'er my rage. Thou raili old man, pronounce thee fool and dotard ; Horrid fuggeftion ! think'ft thou then, the gods Take care of men like thefe ? wou'd they preferve. Or honour him v/ho came to burn their altars, Profane their rites, and trample on their laws? Will they reward the bad ? it cannot be : But well I know, the murm'ring citizens Brook'd not our mandate, fhook their heads in fecret, And ili-afFedLcd to me, wou'd not ftoop Their haughty creils, or bend beneath my yoke ; By hire corrupted, fome of thefe have dar'd The vent'rous deed : gold is the worft of ills That ever plagu'd mankind; this waftes our cities. Drives forth their natives to a foreigrn foil. Taints the pure heart, and turns the virtuous mind To ANTIGONE. ij To bafeft deeds ; artificer of fraud Supreme, and fource of ev'ry wickednefs : The wretch corrupted for this hateful purpofe Muft one day fuffer ; for, obferve me well, As I revere that pow'r by whom I fwear, Almighty Jove, if you conceal him from me, If to my eyes you do not bring the traitor. Know, death alone ihall not fuffice to glut My vengeance ; living ihall you hang in torments Till you confefs, till you have learn'd from me There is a profit not to be defir'd. And own, difhoneft gains have ruin'd more Than they have fav'd. MESSENGER. Ο ! king, may I depart, Or wait thy further orders. C R Ε Ο N. Know'fl: thou not Thy ipeech is hateful ? hence. λΐ ESSENCE R. Wherefore, my lord ? C R Ε Ο N. Know you not why ? Vol. II. D ' MESSEN- ζά ANTIGONE. MESSENGER. I but offend your ear, They who have done the deed afflid your fouL C R Ε Ο N. Away ; thy talk but makes thy guilt appear* MESSENGER. My lord, I did not do it. C R Ε Ο N. Thou hail fold Thy life for gain. MESSENGER. 'Tis cruel to fufpeft me. C R Ε Ο N. Thou talk'ft it bravely ; but, remember all, Unlefs you do produce him, you fhall find The mis'ries which on ill-got wealth await. [Exit. MESSENGER. Wou'd he were found I that we muil leave to fate ; Be't as it may, I never will return; Thus fafe beyond my hopes, 'tis fit I pay My thanks to the kind gods who have preferv'd me. [Exit. SCENF ANTIGONE. 27 SCENE III. CHORUS. STROPHE I. Since firft this adive world began, Nature is hufy all in ev'ry part ; But pailing all in wifdom and in art, Superior iliines inventive man : Fearlefs of vvint'ry winds, and circling waves, He rides the ocean, and the tempeft braves ; On him unweary'd earth with laviih hand, Immortal goddefs, all her bounty pours. Patient beneath the rigid plough's command. Year after year the yields her plenteous ftores. ANTISTROPHE I. To drive the natives of the wood From their rude haunts, or in the cruel fnare, To catch the wing'd inhabitants of air. Or trap the fcaly brood ; D 2 To Since firfl this &C. This inter mede, or fong of the clrorus, feems to have 'kfs connedtion with the fubjeit of the tragedy, than perhaps any other in So- ;phoc!es ; it defcribes the extenfive range of human fcience, and it's application to good or evil purpofes, according to the difpofitions of men. ' Cctte morale ' (lays Brumov) tombe fur le pretendu coupable, qui a eu I'adrcife de rendre ' les derniers devoirs a, Polynice, m?.lgre I'aUention des gardes, lans pouvoir ' toutefois eviter Ic fupolice qui I'actend.' But furelv the refinement of French criticifm is required to diicover an allufion lo diltant : the ode however abounds in fine fentinicnt and exprefhon, and if not necefiary to the bufinefs may, at leafl, be confider'd as an agreeable ornament of the drama» 28 ANTIGONE. To tame the fiery couiTer yet unbroke With the hard rein, or to the untry'd yoke To bend the mountain bull, who wildly free O'er the fteep rocks had wander'd unconfin'd ; Thefe are the arts of mortal induftry, And fuch the fubtle pow'r of human kind. STROPHE II. By learning, and fair fcience crown'd, Behold him now full-fraught with wifdom's lore. The laws of nature anxious to explore, With depth of thought profound. But nought alas ! can human wifdom fee In the dark bofom of futurity. The pow'r of wifdom may awhile prevail, Awhile fufpend a mortal's fleeting breath, But never can her fruitlefs arts avail To conquer fate, or ftop the hand of death. A Ν Τ I S Τ R Ο Ρ Η E. II. Man's ever-adive changeful will Sometimes to good fhall bend his virtuous mindj Sometimes behold him to foul deeds inclin'd, And prone to ev'ry ill. Who guiltlefs keeps the laws is ftill approv'd By ev'ry tongue, and by his country lov'd j But ANTIGONE. 2p But he who doth not, from his native land A wretched e.\ile, far, Ο ! far from me May he be driv'n, by angry heav'n's command, And live devote to fliame and infamy. CHORUS. Amazement ! can it be Antigone, ■ Or do my eyes deceive me ! no, fhe comes. Ο ! wretched daughter of a wretched father, Hail thou tranfgrefs'd the laws, and art thou ta'en In this adventurous deed, unhappy maid ? SCENE IV. ANTIGONE, GUARD, CHORUS. GUARD. Behold the woman who hath done the deed ; Tth' very aft of burial wc furpris'd her. Where is the king? CHORUS. Return'd as we cou'd wiiK ;, Ev'n now he comes this way.. SCENE Far, Ο ! far from me, &c. The Greek is μ-ήτξμ,οι ττχζίττιοί yevonoy ' ne . ' mecum habitet,' ' let not iuch a one live under the fame root with me/ Vetabo, fays Hotace, fub iifdem Sit trabibus, fragilemve mecum Solvat Phafelum, Lib. 3. od. 2, JO ANTIGONE. S C Ε Ν Ε V. CREON, ANTIGONE, GUARD, CHORUS. C R Ε Ο N. Whom have we here? Doth Jiiilice fmile upon us ? GUARD. Ο \ my lord, Never ihou'd man too confident affert, ^iuch lefs by oath ihou'd bind himfelf to aught. For foon our judgments change, and one opinion Deftroys another ; by thy threats alarm'd But now, I vow'd I never vvoud return. Yet thus preferv'd, beyond my hopes, ί come, Bound by that duty Vvhich I owe to thee And to my country, to bring here this virgin. Whom, as fhe fprinkled o'er her brother's duft The vary'd wreath, we feiz'd ; the wilhng taik Was mine, nor as of late by lot determin'd. Receive her then, Ο ! king, judge and condemn The guiky, as it berl becomes thy wifdom ; i-lencclorth I ftand acquited. C R Ε Ο Ν. But fay hov/j Where d;d'il thou find her? GUARD„ ANTIGONE. ji GUARD. To fay all, 'twas i)ie M^ho buried Polynices. C R Ε Ο N. Art thou fure ? GUARD. Thefe eyes beheld her. C R Ε Ο N. But, fay, how difcover'd ?' GUARD. Thus then it was ; no fooner had I left thee Than mindful of thy wrath, with careful hands From off the putrid carcafe we remov'd The fcatter'd duft, then to avoid the ftench, Exhaling noifome, to a hill retir'd ; There watch'd at diftance, till the mid-day fun: Scorch'd o'er our heads ; fudden a ftorm arofe, Shook every leaf, and rattled thro' the grove,. Filling: the troubled element; we clos'd Our eyes, and patient bore the wrath of hcav'n :• At length the tempeft ceas'd ; when we beheld This virgin iiTuing forth, and heard her cries Diftrefsful, like the plaintive bird who views The plunder'd neft, and mourns her raviili'd young;. Ev'a 3Z ANTIGONE. Ev'n tlius the maid, when on the naked corfe She cail her eyes, loud ihriek'd, and curs'd the hand That did the impious deed, then fpiinkled o'er The crumbled earth, and from a brazen urn Of richeft work to the lov'd rclicks thrice Her due libations pour'd ; we favv, and ftrait Purfu'd her ; unappall'd ihe feem'd, and ftill As we did queftion her, confefs'd it all. It pleas'd, and yet methought it griev'd me too. To find ourfelves releas'd from woes is blifs Supreme, but thus to fee our friends unhappy Embitters all ; I muft be thankful ftill For my own fafety, which I hold moil dear. C R Ε Ο N. Speak thou, who bend'ft to earth thy drooping head 5 Dofl: thou deny the fad ? ANTIGONE. Deny it? no: Twas L C R Ε Ο N. [to the guard. Retire, for thou art ftee, and now [turning to Ant. Be brief, and tell me; heard'ft thou our decree? ANTIGONE 1 did; 'twas public; how cou'd I avoid it? C R Ε Ο N. ANTIGONE. 33 C R Ε ο Ν. And dar'ft thou then to difobey the law ? ANTIGONE. I had it not from Jove, nor the juft gods Who rule below ; nor cou'd I ever think A mortal's law of pow'r or ftrength fufficient To abrogate th' unwritten law divine, Immutable, eternal, not like thefe Of yefterday, but made e'er time began. Shall man perfuade me then to violate Heav'n's great commands, and make the gods my foes ? Without thy mandate, death had one day comej For who ihall 'fcape it ? and if now I fall A little fooner, 'tis the thing I wiili. To thofe who live in mifery like me, Believe me, king, 'tis happincfs to dye ; Without remorfe I iliall embrace my fate j But to my brother had I left the rites Of fepulture unpaid, I then indeed Had been moil wretched; this to thee may feem Madnefs and folly ; if it be, 'tis fit J Hiou'd ad thus, it but rcfemblcs thee. VOL. II. Ε CREON. If it be &c. Liter.liy tranflated it wou'd be ' I talk foolilWy to a fool ;' this is exactly what Eledlra fays to Clytemn^Eftra. • ■ ^ i?ee Eledi-a, v. i. p. 131. 34 ANTIGONE. C R Ε ο Ν. Sprung from a fire pervcrfe and obftinate, Like him, ilie cannot bend beneath misfortune ; But know, the proudcft hearts may be fubdu'd; Hail: thou not mark'd the hardeft fteel by iire Made foft and flexible ? myfelf have {ecn By a flight rein the fiery courier held. 'Tis not for flaves to be fo haughty ; yet This proud offender, not content, it fcems, To violate my laws, adds crime to crime; Smiles at my threats, and glories in her guilt j If I fliou'd fuffcr her to 'fcape my vengeance. She were the man, not I ; but tho' flie fprang Ev'n from my fiftcr, were I bound to her By ties more dear than is Hcrccean Jove, She fliou'd not 'fcape ; her fifter too I find Accomplice in the deed ; go, call her forth, [to one of the attendants. She is within, I faw her raving there. Her fenfes loft, the common fate of thofe Who Ilercaan yove. Jupiter IIercs:us, fo call'd from being the guardian of every man's private habitation : in times of war and public calamity, altars were eredled to him, to which the unhappy fled as an afylum. Priam is reported la have been ilaiii before one of thefe, as is alluded to by Ovid, Cui iiihil Herca-'i protuit ara Jovis. Ov. in ibin» ' The common fate &c. According to the old adage. Ouos deus vuk pcrdere, deiiicntat prius^ ■ANTIGONE. 59 Who pradlife dark and deadly wickednefs. [turning to Antigone» I cannot bear to fee the guilty ftand Conviiled of their crimes, and yet pretend To glois them o'er with fpecious names of virtue, ANTIGONE. I am thy captive ; thou woud'ft have my life j Will that content thee ? C R Ε Ο N. Yes ; 'tis all I wiih. ANTIGONE. Why this delay then, when thou know' ft my words To thee as hateful are, as thine to me ? Therefore difpatch ; I cannot live to do A deed more glorious ; and fo thefe wou'd all [pointing to the Chorus. Confefs, were not their tongues reftrain'd by fear ; It is the tyrant's privilege, we know, To fpeak and ad whate'er he pleafe, uncenfur'd. C R Ε Ο N. Lives there another in the land of Thebes, ¥/ho thinks as thou doft ? ANTIGONE. Yes, a thoufand j thefe, Ε 2 Theie 3^ A Ν Τ I G Ο Ν E= Thefe think fo too, but dare not utter it. C R Ε Ο N. Doil thou not bluih? ANTIGONE. For what? why bluih to pay A fifter's duty ? C R Ε Ο N. But, Eteocles, Say, was not he thy brother too? ANTIGONE. He was. C R Ε Ο N. "Why then thus rev'rence him who leaft deferv'd it ? ANTIGONE. Perhaps that brother thinks not fo. C R Ε Ο N. He muil. If thou pay'ft equal honour to them both. ANTIGONE. He was a brother, not a flave. C R Ε Ο N. Tie was. The original is, ' be was my brother by the iiime father, and by * the fame mother ;' the Greek wrrers, th rugh generally concife, are fonietimes very prolix, as in the p.,fla^e hetbre us, where the fentiment takes up a who'e line in the origiim!, and is beuer exprefs'd in thefe two words of the trau- uation. ANTIGONE. 37 C R Ε ο Ν. One fought Againil that country, which tlie other iliv'd. ANTIGONE. But equal death the rites of fepulture Decrees to both, C R Ε Ο N. What ! reverence aHke The guilty and the innocent ! ANTIGONE. Perhaps The gods below efteem it jufi. C R Ε Ο N. A foe Though dead, ihou'd as a foe be treated ftilL ANTIGONE. My love iliall go with thine, but not my hate, C R Ε Ο N. Go then, and love them in the tomb ; but knoWj, No woman rules in Thebes, whilil Creon lives.. CHORUS. Lo ! at the portal ftuids the fair Ifmenc, Tears in her lovely eyes, a cloud of grief Sits on her brow, wetting her beauteous cheek With pious forrows for a iiiler's fate. CREON. ^8 ANTIGONE. SCENE VI. ISMENE, ANTIGONE, C R Ε Ο xM, CHORUS. C R Ε Ο N. Come forth thou ferpent, Httle did I think I'hat I had nouiiili'd two luch deadly foes To fuck my blood, and caft me from my throne: What fay'ft thou ? wer't thou 'complice in the deed, Or wilt thou fwear that thou art innocent? ISMENE. I do acknowledge it, if flic permit me, I was accomplice, and the crime was mine. ANTIGONE. 'Tis falfe, thou did'ft refufe, nor wou'd I hold Communion with thee. ISMENE. But in thy misfortunes Let me partake, my ilfter, let me be A fellow-fuiFrer with thee. ANTIGONE. Witnefs, death, And ye infernal gods, to which belongs The great, the glorious deed 1 I do not love Thefe friends in word alone. ISMENE. ANTIGONE. 5P I S Μ Ε Ν Ε. Antigone, Do not defpife mc, I but aik to dye With thee, and pay due honours to the dead, ANTIGONE. Pretend not to a merit which thou haft not» Live thou ; it is enough for me to periih. I S Μ Ε Ν E. But what is life without thee ? ANTIGONE. ΑΓκ thy friend And patron there. [pointing to Creon. I S Μ Ε Ν E. Why that unkind reproach, "V^'hen thou fhoud'il rather comfort me ? ANTIGONE. ■ Alasl It gives me pain when I am forc'd to ijieak So bitterly againft thee. I S Μ Ε Ν E. Is there aught That I can do to fave thee ? ANTIGONE. Save thvfelf, I fliall not envy thee, ISMENE. 40 ANTIGONE. I S Μ Ε Ν Ε. And will you not Permit mc then to iliare your fate? ANTIGONE. Thy choice Was Hfe; 'tis mine to dye. I S Μ Ε Ν E. I told the oft' It wou'd be fo. ANTIGONE. Thou did'ft, and vvas't not well Thus to fulfill thy prophecy? I S Μ Ε Ν E. The crime Was mutual, mutual be the puniiliment. ANTIGONE. Fear not; thy life is fafe, but mine long iince Devoted to the dead, C R Ε Ο N. Both ieem depriv'd Of reafon ; one indeed was ever thus, I S Μ Ε Ν E. Ο ! king, the mind doth feldom keep her feat When funk beneath misfortunes. C R Ε Ο N. ANTIGONE. 41 C R Ε ο Ν. Sunk indeed Thou wert in vvretchednefs to join with her. I S Μ Ε Ν E. But what is life without Antigone ? C R Ε Ο N. Then think not of it; for fhe is no more. I S Μ Ε Ν E. Wou'd'ft thou deftroy thy fon's long-deftin'd wife ? C R Ε Ο N. Ο ! we ihall find a fitter bride. I S Μ Ε Ν E. Alas ! He will not think fo. C R Ε Ο N. Γ11 not wed my foil To a bafe woman. ANTIGONE Ο 1 my deareft Ha:mon ! Vol. 11. F And O! ive β:αΙΙ fiid a fitter bride. The original is Κοχσψ.οι yxo γ^ <Ιτίοων ασα yvai, ' arabilia iunt aliorum arva, which literally trariilated is ' there are other ' fields to be li I'd,' As this ima^e might be thought a little too grofs for mo- dern delicacy I havedrop'd it, and only retain'd the fentiment which it wa> de- fjgn'd to convey. Ratallerub has luftcn'd ic thus, ' liaud ia^mina; deerunt cre- andis libeiis. O! my dedrefl Hcetncn. Antigone's love of Hsmon heightens the diftrefs of ihe tragedy, by fctting in a ilronger light die tyranny of Crcon, who thus facri- fices ^.^ ANTIGONE. And is it thus thy flither doth difgrace thee ? C R Ε Ο N. Such an alHance were as hateful to me As is thylclf. I S Μ Ε Ν E. Wilt thou then take her from him ? C RE Ο Ν. Their nuptials lliall be finiOied by death,. I S Μ Ε Ν E. She then mufl periih? C R Ε Ο N. So muil you and I ; Therefore no more delay ; go, take them hence, Confine them both : henceforth they iliall not ftir ; When death is near at hand the braveft fly. CHORUS. - STROPHE I. Thrice happy they, whofe days in pleafure flow, . Who never tafte the bitter cup of woe , For iices thehappinefs of his Ton to his refentment. Antigone becomes likewiie a l^reater objcdl of compaiTiun ; in fpite of all her courage and refolution, a figh tfcapcs her for the fate of Hceuion, dooni'd to feel fuch misfortunes from an unnatural father. Her complaint coniiits but of a line, which a modern writer would have Ipun out to many a page. Thrice happy they, ΐβο. This beautiful intermede, or fong of the chorus, arires naturaliy from the preceding Qircumftances, and laments the ruin of the family of OEdipus. 'Ihe flrophe, on the power and knowledge of Jupiter, is noble and poeiical, and gives us a favourable idea of heathen piety and virtue. ANTIGONE. 45 For when the wrath of heav'a deicends On feme devoted houfc, there foul difgrace, With grief and all her train attends, And fhame and forrow o'erwhelm the wretched race. Ev'n as the Thracian fca, when vex'd with ftorms, Whilft darknefs hangs incumbent o'er the deep, When the bleak North the troubled fcene deforms, And the black finds in rapid whirlwinds fweep, The o-roanino; waves beat on the tremblino; iliore, DO Ο ' And echoing hills rebellow to the roar. ANTISTROPHEI. Ο ! Labdacus, thy houfe mufl: perifh all j i Ev'n now I fee the ilately ruin fill ; Shame heaped on iliame, and ill on ill, Difgrace and never-ending woes ; Some angry god purfues thee fcill, Nor grants or fifety or repofe : One fair and lovely branch unwithcr'd flood And brav'd th' inclement ilvies j F 2 But 0! Labdacus, &c. The genealogy of the unfortunate houfe of OEdipus runs thus, ' Cadmus, Polydorus, Labdacus, Laias, OEdipus, Etcoc'es, Poly- nices, Antigone and Jfmene. One fair and lovely branch, (j'c. The chorus here plainly alludes to the un- fortunate Antigone, whom PluLo, or the infernal gcds^ obliged to pay fuiicral lites to her broifter Polynices. 44 ANTIGONE. But Pluto comes, inexorable god, She finks, ilie raves, ilie dyes, STROPHE IL Shall man below controiil the gods above. Or human pride reftrain the povv'r of Jove, Whofe eyes by all-fubduing ilcep Are never clos'd as feeble mortals are, But ilill their watchful vigils keep Through die large circle of th' eternal year? - - , Great lord of all, whom neither time nor age With envious flroke can weaken or decay ; He, v^ho alone the future can prefage. Who knows alike to-morrow as to day ; Whilft wretched man is doom'd, by heav'n's decreCj To toil and pain, to iin and mifery. ANTISTROPHE. II. Oft times the flatt'rer hope, that joy infpires. Fills the proud heart of man with fond defires ; He fFbcfe eyes, &c. " Tie tliat keepeth thee will not flumber. Behold he that *' keepeth Ifiacl ihall neither flumber nor fleep." Pfalm, 12 1, v. 3, 4. Th' eternal year. The Greek is ακακατοι ©swi- /w-jjis;, ' the untlred months * of the soda,' which conveys a fine imaoe, but w^ould not admit of a Uteral tranflation. ANTIGONE 4^ He, careleis trav'ller, wanders ftill Thro' life, unmindful of deceit, Nor dreads the danger, till he feci \ The burning fands beneath his feet. When heav'n impels to guilt the madd'ning mind, Then good like ill appears, And vice, for univerfal hate defign'd, The face of virtue wears, [Exeunt, He, carelejs travller, Gfc. Sophocles fays, ΕΐίΤοτί S" vi'ev, ΐξΤΓβι Tlpiv Ίτυσι ^ep[j.co ttoSO, tis ΤΓξοσΛξ'ο ' Nihil eniin Icienti contingit,. * Priufquam igni ardenti pedem quis admoverlt.' This beautiful image is, we fee, but imperfedtly glanced at in the original j I have endeavour'd to exprefs it more fully in the tranilation. Horace feems to have caught this idea in his ' Incedis per ignes 5 Suppofitos cineri dolofo.' HoR, End of A C τ π. A C τ nt 40 ANTIGONE. ACT III. SCENE I. CREON, HiEMON, CHORUS. CHORUS. ip> Ε Η ο L D, Ο ! king, thy youngeil hope appear, TJie noble Hasmon ; loft in grief he feems, Weeping the fate of poor Antigone. CREON. He comes, and better than a prophet, foon Shall we divine his inmoft thoughts : my fon, Com'ft thou, well-knowing our decree, to moura Thy promis'd bride, and angry to difpute A fither's will ; or, whatfoe'er we do Still to hold beft, and pay obedience to us ? Η ^ Μ Ο N. My fither, I am thine ; do thou command, And I in all things ihall obey ; 'tis fit My promis'd nuptial rites give place to thee. CREON. It will become thee with obedience thus To bear thee ever, and in ev'ry ad: To yield fubmiflive to a father's will : "i'is therefore, Ο ! my fon, thi^t men do prav For ANTIGONE. 47 For children, who with kind officious duty- May guard their helplefs age, reiiil their foes, And, like their parents, love their parent's friend ; But he, who gets a difobedient child. What doth he get but mifery and woe ? His enemies will laugh the wretch to fcorn. Take heed, my fon, thou yield not up thy reafon, In hopes or pleafure from a worthlefs woman ; For cold is the embrace of impious love. And deep the wounds of filfe diflembled friendfhip 5 Hate then thy bitt'reft foe, defpife her arts, And leave her to be wedded to the tomb ; OF all the city her alone I found Rebellious ; but ί have her, nor fhall Thebes Say I'm a lyar ; I pronounc'd her fate, And flie mufc periili ; let her call on Jove Who cTuards the rights of kindred, and the ties Of nature; for if thofe by blood united Tranigrcfs His enemies &c. The fcrioture expreHion which I have here made iife of, fecms to convey the moft exndl idea of the original : one cannot read this pailiije of Sophocles, without recoUeding the words of the holy Plalmill ; ' Like as the arrows in the hand olf the giant, even fo are the young • children; ' H.ippy is the man that hath his quiver full of them ; they ΠιλΙΙ not be * ailiamed \whcn they fpeak wiih tneir enemies in the gate. rial. 127, V. 5, (k 48 ANTIGONE. Tranfgrefs the laws, I hold myfelf more n€ar Ev'ii to a ilrangcr : who in private life Is juft and good, will to his country too Be faithful ever ; but the man who proud And fierce of foul contemns authority, Dcfpifcth juflice, and o'er thofe who rule Wou'd have dominion, fuch fhali never gain Th' applauding voice of Creon ; he alone, Whom the confenting citizens approve, Th' acknowledg'd fov'reign, fliou'd in all commanc* JiiR: or unjuft his laws, in things of great Or little import, whatfoe'er he bids, A fubjccl is not to difpute his will 5 lie knows alike to rule and to obey ; And in the day of battle will maintain The forcmoil: rank, his country's bcft defence.. Rebellion is the worft of human ills; This ruins kingdoms, this deftroys the peace V- I I Of fh' acknoivIeJged f'jv reign &c. Sophocles, with the utmoft proprie'y, puts the maxims of arbitrary government into the mou:h of a tyrant, vvhofe cha- ;;adcr he dcfij^ns to rend-jr more-odioas and deeltiblc to his country:nen> the free citizens of Athens, In the old poet Rotrou, we fiud the paiT.igc belore V» thu5 illuftfated and adapted to a French theatre ; ' Siir Ics dcffeins des R.ois, conime fur ceux des dieux, ' pes fideles fujets duivent fermer les yeux, ' Et foumettant leur fens au pouvoir des couronnes, ' Chiles que foient les loi?i, croire qu'elles font bonnes. ANTIGONE. 4P Of nobleft fiimilies, this wages war, And puts the brave to flight ; whilfl: fair obedience Keeps ail in fafety ; to preferve it ever Shou'd be a king's firft care ; we will not yield To a weak woman ; if we muil fubmit, At leaft we will be conquer'd by a man, Nor by a female arm thus fall inglorious. Η ^ Μ Ο N. Wifdom, my father, is the noble ft gift The gods beftow on man, and better far Than all his treafures ; what thy judgment deems Moft lit, I cannot, wou'd not reprehend ; Others perhaps might call it wrong ; for me, My duty only bids me to inform you If aught be done or faid that cafts reproach Or blame on you : fuch terror v/ou'd thy looks Strike on the low plebeian, that he dare not Say aught unpleafing to thee ; be it mine To tell thee then, what I of late have heard In fecret whifper'd : your afilidled people VOL. II. G United Such terror &c. Rotrou has tranilated, or rather paraph rafed this with fpirit J Jamais la verite, cette fille timide, J'oiir entrer chez les rois ne trouvc qui la guide, Au lieu que le menfonge a mille partilans, Et vous tit pie'ente par piille courtilans. ^o ANTIGONE. United mourn th' unhappy virgin's fate Unmerited, mofl: wretched of her fex, To dye for deeds of fuch diftinguilli'd virtue, For that (he wou'd not let a brother ]ye Unburied, to the dogs and birds a prey ; Was it not rather, fay the murm'ring croud, Worthy of golden honours, and fair praife ? Such are their dark and fecret difcontents. Thy welfare, and thy happinefs alone Are all my wifh ; what can a child defire More than a father's honour, or a father More than his child's ? Ο ! do not then retain Thy will, and ilill believe no fenfe but thine Can judge aright : the man who proudly thinks None but himfelf or eloquent, or wife. By time betray'd, is branded for an ideot ; True wifdom will be ever glad to learn, And not too fond of pow'r ; obferve the trees That bend to wint'ry torrents, how their boughs Unhurt remain, whilft thofe that brave the florm. Uprooted JFhi!i can a child &c. The filial piety, obedience, and foftnefs of Hsemon, is finely contralUd to the imperious feverity, and inexorabie cruelty of his father ; we cannot, af the fame time, but perceive that his anfwer to Creon is, confidering his circu.nltuices, rather too cold, and fententious, ' la mo- * rale (as Brumoy obfervcs) elt poulleo ailez loin, a la maniere des Grecs.' ANTIGONE. 5•! "Uprooted torn, iliall wither and decay ; The pilot, whofe unilacken'd fail defies Contending winds, with ihatter'd bark purfucs His dang'rous courfe ; then mitigate thy wrath. My father, and give way to fweet repentance. If to my youth be aught of judgment giv'n, He, who by knowledge and true wifdom's rules Guides ev'ry adion, is the firft of men ; But fince to few that happinefs is giv'n, The next is he, who, not too proud to learn, Follows the counfels of the wife and good. CHORUS. Ο ! king, if right the youth advife, 'tis fit That thou fiioud'il: liften to him ; fo to thee Shou'd he attend, as beft may profit both. C R Ε Ο N. And hav'd we liv'd fo long then to be taught At laft our duty by a boy like thee ? Η iE Μ Ο Ν. Young tho' I am, I fiill may judge aright ; Wifdom in adiion lyes, and not in years. G 2 C R Ε Ο N. Wifdom in αδϋοη iic. ' Honourable age (ia^'S Solomon) is not that which *= ftandeth in length of time, nor that is meafured by number of years j but ^ wifdom is the gre-y hair unto jnen, and an unlpottcd life is old age.* Book of Wifdom. ζζ ANTIGONE C R Ε ο Ν. Call you it wifdom then to honour thofe Who difobcy the laws? Η ^ Μ Ο N. I wou'd not have thee Proteil the wicked, C R Ε Ο N. Is flie not moil guilty ? Η ^ Μ Ο Ν» Thebes doth not think her fo. C R Ε Ο N. Shall Thebes prefcribe To Creon's will ? Ή ^ Μ Ο N. How weakly doft thou talk ! C R Ε Ο N. Am I king here, or fhall another reign? Η iE Μ Ο N. 'Tis not a city, where but one man rules. C R Ε Ο N. The city is the king's. Η ^ Μ Ο Ν. Go by thyfelf then, And rule henceforth o'er a deferted land, CREON. ANTIGONE. ' 5•^ C R Ε ο Ν. [to the chorus. He pleads the woman's cauie. Η ^ Μ Ο N. If thou art ihe, I do ; for, Ο ! I fpeak but for thy fake -, My care is all for thee. C R Ε Ο N. Abandon'd wretch ! Difpute a father's will ! Η iE Μ Ο N. I fee thee err. And therefore do it. C R Ε Ο N. Is it then a crime To guard my throne and rights from violation? Η ^Έ Μ Ο N. He cannot guard them, who contemns the godsj / And violates their laws. C R Ε Ο N. Ο ! thou art worfe, More impious ev'n than her thou h:ifl; defended. η JE Μ Ο N. J^iought have I done to merit this reproof. CREON, ^4 ANTIGONE. C R Ε ο Ν. riaR thou not pleaded for her? Η iE Μ Ο N. No J for thee, And for myfclfi for the infernal gods. C R Ε Ο N. But know, ilie fliall not live to be thy wife. Η yE Μ Ο N. Then flie muft dye; another too may fall. C R Ε Ο N. Ha ! doil thou threaten me ? audacious traitor. Η .E Μ Ο N. What are my threats ? alas ! thou heed'ft them not. C R Ε Ο N. Tliat thou ihalt fee; thy infolent inftrudlion Shall coil thee dear. Η ^ Μ Ο Ν. But for thou art my father, Now Another too may fail. The Greek is Οαϊ/κσ' όλα rtvx- ' whenever (lie dies ' ihe willdertroy romebcdy.' The fenle, we lee, is purpofely left ambiguaub; Creon imagines that fiiemon has a defign upon his life ; it appears atteΓ\^ards that he meant his own. This whole Ictne confiils, in the original, of fliort speeches of one verlc each, containing an equal number of fyllaDles in every line, which, one would imagine, mult have caufed a difagreeable monotony throughout j a circumflance which I have endeavour'd to avoid in the tranil i- 4ion by frequently dividing the blank verfe between the two fpeakers, which relievcb the car of the reader, and would 0:1 the Aage give more hfe and fpirif to the adtion. ANTIGONE. ζ^ Now wou'd I fay thy fenfes were impair'd. C R Ε Ο N. Think not to make mc thus thy fcorn and laughter. Thou woman's ilave. Η IE Μ Ο Ν. Still wou'd'ft thou fpeak thyfclf, And never Hften to the voice of truth ; Such is thy will. C R Ε Ο N. Now by Olympus here I fwear, thy vile reproaches fhall not pafs Unpuniili'd ; call her forth : before her bridegroom [To one of the attendants-^ She fliall be brought, and perifh in his fight, Η iE Μ Ο N. Thefe eyes fhall never fee it : let the Haves Who fear thy rage fiibmit to it ; but know, 'Tis the laft time thou fhalt behold thy fon. [Exit HxmoUe SCENE II. C R Ε Ο N, CHORUS, Sudden in anger fled the youth ; Ο ! king, A mind oppreis'd like his is defperate. C R Ε Ο N. Why, let him go; and henceforth better learn Than ς6 ANTIGONE. Than to oppofe me; be it as it may, Death is their portion, and he ihall not fave them. CHORUS. ^luft they both dye then? C R Ε Ο N. No ; 'tis well advis'd, Ifmene lives j but for Antigone CHORUS. Ο ! king, what death is ihe decreed to fuffer ? C R Ε Ο N. Far from the haunts of men I'll have her led, And in a rocky cave, beneath the earth, Bury'd alive; with her a little food, Enough to fave the city from pollution ; There let her pray the only god £he worfhips To fave her from this death : perhaps he will, Or if he doth not, let her learn how vain It is to reverence the pow'rs below, [^ExitCreon, SCENE With her a little food. To deilroy any one by famine was look'd on by the Grecians as impious; j^^robably- (as is obferved by tlie icholiafton this paffuge) becaufe it reflected dil'grace on any country to fuffer its inhabitants to perifli by hunger ; when they buried perfons ahve, therefore, it was cuftomary to give them a fmall quantity of vidtuals, ' oircui μ,ιχσμ^ί- (fays Sophocles) u7rex(^vyji ' τΓολίί,' ' that the city might efcape pollution ;' a piepe of Pagan fuperftition not unlike our modern jefuitifm, calculated, we may obferve, with a defign to itparate crimes from guilt, and give tyrants a power to gratify their refeptmenr with iaipunity. ANTIGONE. 57 SCENE III. CHORUS. STROPHE I. Mighty pow'r, all pow'rs above. Great unconquerable love ! Thou, who ly'ft in dimple lleek , On the tender virgin's cheek, Thee the rich and great obey, Ev'ry creature owns thy fway. O'er the wide earth and o'er the main Extends thy univerfal reign; All thy madd'ning influence know, Gods above, and men below ; / All thy pow'rs refiftlefs prove. Great unconquerable love ! ANTISTROPHE I. Thou can'ft lead the juft aftray From wifdom and from virtue's way ; The ties of nature ceafe to bind, When thou diilurb'ft the captive mind. Behold, enilav'd by fond deiire, The youth contemns his aged fire, VOL. IL Η Enamour'd Mighty poivr, &c. The ladies v/ill probably be furprifed, and, I doubt not equally plealcd, to meet, in lb antient a writer as Sopnocles, with an o>le ex- prelBy on the power ot love ; though they may ac ihe lame time find iault With iBy author's brevity on a lubjeCl lu extcaiivc. ίδ ANTIGONE. Enamour'd of his beauteous maid, Nor laws nor parents are obey'd ; Thus Venus wills it from above. And great unconquerable love. CHORUS. Ev'n I, beyond the common bounds of grief. Indulge my forrows, and from thefe fad eyes Fountains of tears will flow, when I behold Antigone, u]ihappy maid, approach The bed of death, and haften to the tomb. SCENE IV. ANTIGONE, CHORUSo ANTIGONE. Farewel, my friends, my countrymen, farev/el ! Here on her lail fad journey you behold The Farewel, my friends, &c. This lamentation of Antigone, though perhaps more agreeable to the taile of the antients than our own, is extremely beautiful and pathetic ; we meet with another of the fame kind in the laft adt of the Iphi- genia in Auhs, by Euripides. Sucli, we may imagine, was the lamentation of the daughter of Jcptha, when ihe went with lier companions and bewail'd her virginity upon the mountains, as it is relate i in the 1 2th chapter of the book of Judges. Brumoy judicijuily obferves on this pallage, that the grief here ex- preis'd by Antigone is not in the leaft inconfiftent with her charadter ; as to meet death with infenfibility is rather brutality than heroifm. At the fame time that Antigone makes the ficrifice of life, fhe feems confcious of its value : her complaints are the laft fighs ol nature, which, fo far from diminifhing true ijreatnefs of mind, ferve but to give it a more diftinguiih'd luftre. The fpeech- es of Antigone (in the original) areinftiophe and antiftrophe, but as they are interrupted by rhe replies ui the chorus, would, I thought, have appear'd auk- ward in ode cr rhyme •, 1 have therefore preferved the blank verfe. ANTIGONE. 0 ANTIGONE. C R Ε ο Ν. Quick let my laft, my happieft hour appear; Wou'd it were come, the period of my woes ! Ο ! that I might not fee another day ! CHORUS. Time muft determine that : the prefent hour Demands our care ; the reft be left to heav'n. C R Ε Ο N. But I have wiih'd and pray'd for't. CHORUS. Pray for nothing ; There's no reveriing the decrees of fate. C R Ε Ο N. Take hence this ufelefs load, this guilty wretch Who ilew his child, who ilew e'en thee, my wife I know not whither to betake me, where To turn my eyes, for all is dreadful round me, ' And fate hath weigh'd me down on every iide. CHORUS. Wifdom alone is man's true happinefs ; We are not to difpute the will of heav'n j For ever are the boaftings of the proud By ANTIGONE. pi By the juft Gods repay'd, and man at laft Is taught to fear their anger, and be wife. And man a c. This moral refleilion, naturally arifing from the adion of the drama, concludes the tragedy of Antigone ; a piece, which for the con- du£l of its plot, the juftnefs of its charailers, and the propriety of its fenti- ments and exprefiions cannot be too much admired. That fimplicity, and want of incidents, which modern critics may condemn, were probably among thofe beauties which recommended it to the favour of antiquity : it met with re- markable fuccefs on the Athenian itage, having been reprefented there (ac- cording to Ariilophanes the grammarian) two and thirty times, and was look'd on as fo confiderable a teiiimony of the author's merit, as to procure for him in rew^ard the government of Samos. Μ 2 1 i τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. Dramatis Perfonse. HERCULES. Η Υ L L U S, his Son. DEIANIRA, wife of Hercules. L I C Η A S, a Herald. ATTENDANT on Deianira. NURSE. OLD MAN. MESSENGER. CHORUS, Compofed of Virgins of Trachis. SCENE before the palace of C Ε Υ X in Trachis. Ci?0 τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. ACT! S C Ε Ν Ε . I. DEIANIRA, ATTENDANT. D Ε I A Ν I R A. F antient fiime, and long for truth rccciv'd, Hath been the maxim, that nor good nor ill Can mortal life be call'd before we dye ; Alas ! it is wot fo ; for, Ο ! my friends, E'er Trachinia. The titles of the antient tragedies were ufually given them ei- ther from the perfons concern'd, the biifmefs of the drama, or the place where it was tranfaded : the Trachinix is fj call'd from Trachis, a fmal! country of Phthiotis in Theflaly : to this place, Deianira had accompanied Hercules in his voluntary banifliment, and remain'd under the proteilion ol" Ceyx the king, during the abfence of her hulband on his expedition to OEchalia. ]S or good, nor ill, &c. This obfervation is generally attributed to Solon, who lived long after Deianira ; Sophocles is therefore here accufed nf an ana- chronilm ; but as the remark is no lefs obvious than true, we need not be furpriied to find it quoted as proverbial, even in the earlieil ages. p<5 TRACHINIiE. E'er to the fliades of Orcus I defcend, Too well I know that Deianira s life Hath ever been, and ever muft be wretched: Whilft in my native Pleiiron, ^neus watch'd My tender years with kind paternal care, If ever woman fuffer'd from the dread Of hated nuptials, I endur'd the worft And bittVeft woes, when Achelous came, The river-sod, to aik a father's voice And fnatch me to his arms; with triple form He came affrighting \ now, to fight appear'd A bull, and now with motley fcales adorn'd A wreathed ferpent, now with human fiiape And beilial head united ; from his beard, Shadov/'d with hair, as from a fountain, drip'd The ever-flowing water ; horrid form ! This to cfcape, my pray'rs inceffant rofe, That ί might rather dye than e'er approach His Pkurcn. A ci'y of iEtolia, and the refidence of /Eneus, king of that coutiiry, and lather of Deiaiiiia. Achciotis. A flunous river, arifing out of mount Pindus, and dividing Rs\j\\\ from /icarnaniaj the fabuiuus account of his perfon and power, is received by the andent posts, and explain'd by the mythologifts ; for a full dftail of tliis t vtraordinary couitfliip, the reader may turn to the inftruolive Uvid. See Kiet. b. 9. TRACHINIiE. P7 His hated bed, when, lo ! the welcome hour, Tho' late, arriv'd, that brought the fon of Jove And fair Alcmena to my aid ; he came, He fought, he free'd me ; how the battle pafs'd Who unconcern'd beheld it heft can tell ; Alas! I faw it not, opprefs'd with fear, Left from my fatal beauty fhou'd arife Some fad event ; at length, deciding Jove Gave to the doubtful fight a happy end, If I may call it fo ; for, fmce the hour That gave me to Alcides' wiih'd-for bed, Fears rife on fears ; ftill is my anxious heart Solicitous for him ; oft-times the night. Which brings him to me, bears him from my arms To other labours, and a fecond toil : Our children too, alas ! he fees them not, But as the huibandman who ne'er beholds VOL. Π. Ν His Oft-times ihe iiight &c. Ovid had probably this paiTage of Sophocles be- fore him, when he wrote the following lines in his epilUe from Deianira to ilercules, Vir mihi femper abeft, & conjuge notior hofpes, Monftraque, terribiles perfequiturque feras ; Ipfa domo vacua votis opcrata pudicis Torqueor, infefto ne vir ab hofte cadat ; Inter ferpentcs, aproiquc avidofque leones Jador, 6c efuros terna per ora canes. See Ep. 9. Is SiS TRACHINI^. His din'mt lands, Hive at the needful time or feed or harveil: ; wand'ring thus, and thus Returning ever, is he fent to fcrve I Icnow not whom ; when crown'd with vidory, Tlien mofl; my fears prevail ; for fince he ilew The valiant Iphitus, at Trachis here We live in exile with our gen'rous friend, The hofpitable Ceyx ; he mean-time ϋπον) mi -whom. Probably Euryftheu?, king of MycencE. . Duros mille labores Rege fub Euryilheo, fatis junonis iniquie, Pertulit. Virg. ^Έη. γ. The fates having, it feems, decreed before the birth of Hercules and Euryft- heus, that the firft born of them iliould rule over the other, the implacable Juno, who was refolved to revenge the infidelity of Jupiter on his offspring, contrived (no very diflicult matter indeed for the goddefs of child-birth) to bring Euryilhcus into the world firft, who accordingly took the lead, nude ufe of his privilege, and impofed on the noble Hercules what taiks he thought proper : for an account of his moft diftinguifh'd labours, my readers may turn to the faithful chronicles of Ovid. See Met. b. 9. Since tejlew &c. Iphitus, (as the ftory is told by Homer, in the Odyfley) was the fon of Eurytus, and flain by Hercules, who, being a guell: at his court, broke through the laws of hofpitality, and murther'd the young prince, in order to poflefs himfelf of fome beautiful mares, which, after the commifllon ofthisfadt, he took away with him : Sophocles (as we fliall find in the fe- cond adl) has varied this circumllance. Accoruing to Brumoy, who takes it from the commentators, the perfon flain by Hercules was a young man, a relation of iEneus, our hero's iather- in-law ; the murther was by a cafual blow, and unpremeditated : Hercules no'.withftanding, according to the cuftom of his country, fubmitted to a vo- luntary banilhment for one year, having condudted Deianira and his family to Trachis, and committed them to the care of Ceyx, as mention'd by Hefiod. ' "Γξ"'^"Ό' i^6 Toi τα.ξί'λ.ίχ.υνων Hi κ;)υκα α,να,κτα, > • τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. p^ Is gone, and none can teU me where ; he went And left me nioft unhappy ; Ο ! fome ill Hath fure befali'n him ! for no little time Hath he been abfent ; 'tis full fifteen moons Since I beheld him, and no meiTenger Is come to Deianira ; fome misfortune Doubtlefs hath happen'd, for he left behind A dreadful fcroU : O! I have pray'd the gods A thoufand times it may contain no ill. ATTENDANT. My royal miftrefs, long have I beheld Thy tears and forrows for thy loft Alcides ; But if the counfels of a ilave might claim Attention, I wou'd fpeak, wou'd aik thee wherefore Amongft thy fons, a numerous progeny, None hath been fent in fearch of him, and chief Thy Hyllus, if he holds a flither's health And fafety dear : but, ev'n as we cou'd wiili, Behold him here, if what I have advis'd Seem fitting, he is come in happieft hour To execute our purpofe. Ν 2 SCENE My royal m'ljlrcfs &c. The firft introduflion of conficlantes on the ilage has by Ibme been attributed to the French writers ; the Icene before us is, how- ever, a proof that it is of much more antient original : in the moderns it is perhaps more excufable, bccaufe tlae chorus of the Greeks feems to have ren- der'd it altogether unnecefiary. 103 TRACHINIiE. SCENE II. HYLLUS, DEIANIRA, ATTENDANT. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Ο ! my fon, Oft from tlic mcancft tongue the words of truth And fafety flow; this woman, tho' a flave, Hath fpoke what wou'd have well become the mouth Of freedom's felf to utter. HYLLUS. May I know What ihe hath faid? DEIANIRA. She fays it doth refledt Difgrace on thee, thy father fo long abfent, Not to have gain'd fome knowledge of his fate. HYLLUS. I have already, if I may rely On what report hath faid of him. DEIANIRA. Ο ! where, Where is he then, my fon? HYLLUS. Thefe twelve months paft, If fame fay true, a Lydian woman held him In τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. loi In iliameful fervitude. D Ε I A Ν I R A. If it be fo, May evVy tongue reproach him. Η Υ L L U S. But I hear He now is free. D Ε I A Ν I R A. And where doth rumour fay He is ? aUve or dead ? Η Υ L L U S. 'Tis faid, he leads Or means to lead his forces tow'rds Euboeaj . , . The land of Eurytus. D Ε I A Ν I R A. .^S .J5 " Alas ! my fon, Doft thou not know the oracles he left Touching that kingdom. Η Υ L L U S. No, I know not of them; What were they ? D Ε I A Ν I R A. There, he faid, or he fliou'd dye, Or, if he ihou'd furvive, his life to come Wou d joz τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. Wou'ii all be I nippy : wilt thou not, my fon, Jn ihii important crifis ftrive to aid 'Ihy lather? if he lives, we too ihall live In liitety ; if he dyes, we perifli with him. Η Υ L L U S. Mother, I go; long lince I had been there But that tlie oraele did never reach Mine ears before; mean-time that happy fate, Which on my father ever wont to fmile Propitious, fhou'd not fuffer us to fear; Thus fiir inform'd, I will not let the means Of truth eicape me, but will know it all. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Hafte then away, my fon, and know, good deeds Tho' late perfornVd are crown'd with fure fuccefs. SCENE III. CHORUS, DEIANIRA, ATTENDANT. STROPHE I. On thee we call, great god of day, To wliom the night, with all her ftarry ftrain, Yields her folitary reign, To fend us fome propitious ray : Say On iLec ice call, ifc. This is the nrft appearance of the chorus, compofed nioll pi(;perly oi the principal virgins oi'Trachisj who come in to condole with the τ R A C Η I Ν I ./Ε. 103 Say thou, whofe all-beholding eye Doth nature's every part defcry, What dang'rous ocean, or what land unknown From Deianira keeps Alcmena's valiant ion. ANTISTROPHE I. For fhe nor joy nor comfort knows. But weeps her abfent lord, and vainly tries To clofe her ever-ftreaming eyes, Or footh her forrows to repofe : Like the fad bird of night, alone She makes her folitary moan ; And flill, as on her widow'd bed reclin'd She lyes, unnumber'd fears perplex her anxious mind. S Τ R Ο Ρ Η Ε II. Εν'η as the troubled billows roar. When angry Boreas rules th' inclement ikies, And waves on waves tumultuous rile To laiL the Cretan fhore : Thus forrows ftill on forrows preft. Fill the great .Alcides' breafl; Unfading the affliifted Deianira, and ofierup a beautiful addrefs to Apollo ; in which are intermix 'd, according to the cuftom of the antients, moral refiedions on the inftability of human affairs. The whole iong naturally arifes from the circum- ftances of the Drama, and is, according to Horace's rule, of a piece with the bufinefs of it. £04 τ R A C Η I Ν I .Ε. Unlading yet ΠιλΙΙ his fair virtues bloom, And fonie proteding god preferve him from the tomb. ANTISTROPHE 11. Wherefore, to better thoughts incUn'd, Let us with hope's fair profpe6l fill thy breaft:, Calm thy anxious thoughts to reft, And eafe thy troubled mind : No blifs on man, unmix'd with woe, Doth Jove, great lord of all, beftow; But good with ill and pleafure ilill with pain, Like heaven's revolving figns, alternate reign. Ε Ρ Ο D E. Not always do the ihades of night remain, Nor ever with hard fate is man opprefs'd ; The wealth that leaves us may return again, .Sorrow and joy fucceiTive fill the breaft ; Fearlefs then of every ill. Let chearful hope fupport thee ftill : Remember, queen, there is a pow'r above ; And when did the great father, careful Jove, Forget his children dear, and kind paternal love? D Ε I A Ν I R A. The fame, it feems, of Deianira's woes Math rcach'd thine ears, but, O! thou little know'ii What τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. 105 What I have fuffer'd ; thou haft never felt Sorrows like mine ; and long may be the time E'er fad experience ihall afflidl thy foul With equal woes ί alas I the youthful maid In flow'ry paftures ftill exulting feeds, Nor feels the fcorching fun, the wint'ry ftorm, Or blaft of angry winds ; fecure ihe leads A life of pleafure, void of ev'ry care, Till to the virgin's happy ftate fucceeds The name of wife ; then fhall her portion come Of pain and anguiih, then her terrors rife For hufband and for children ; then perchance You too may know what 'tis to be unhappy, And judge of my misfortunes by your own. Long lince opprefs'd by many a bitter woe, Oft have I wept, but this tranfcends them all ; For I will tell thee, when Alcides laft Forth on his journey went, he left behind An antient fcroll ; alas ! before that time In all his labours he did never ufe To fpeak as one who thought of death, fecure VOL. Π. Ο Always The youthful maid, &c. Horace has caught this image. Qu£e velut latis equa trima campis, Ludit exultim, metuitque tangi, Nuptiarum expers. B. 3, Od. 11, .-/J lo6 Τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. Always he fccm'd of viclory, but now This writing marks as if he were to dye, The portion out rcfcrv'd for me, and wills His children to divide th' inheritance; Fixes the time, in fifteen moons, it %s, lie iliou'd return; that paft, or he muft perifh, Or, if he 'fcapc the fatal hour, thenceforth Shou'd lead a life of happinefs and joy: Thus had the gods, it faid, decreed, his life And toils fhou'd end ; fo from their antient beach Dodona's doves foretold : th' appointed hour Approaches that muft bring th' event, ev'n now, My friends, and therefore nightly do I ftart From my fweet flumbers, ftruck with deadly fear, Left I fhou'd lofe the deareft beft of men. CHORUS. Of better omen be thy words; behold Dodonas doves. At Dodona, a city of Chaonia in Eplrus, was a temple dedicated to Jupiter Dadonaus, and in a grove near it a beach-tree on which two doves fate and prophecy'd : the fcholiaft in this place turns the doves into old women, becaufe the word inMia. is not far from τολξοι, and therefore may fignify grey: the opinion of Euftitheus is rather more rational, who fuppofes thcfe doves to have been the prieftelles of Jupiter, and fo call'd becaufe they made their predidtion; by the obfervation of thofe birds j a much better conceit than that of Herodotus, who very gravely affures us, that the old women were call'd doves becaufe their lanajiiage wa; barbarous, and as unintelligible as that of '^'''ds J and tur the fame reafon they might as well have been call'd par- tridges or quails. τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. 107 A mefienger, who bears (for on his brow I fee the laurel crown) fome joyful news. SCENE IV. MESSENGER, DEIANIRA, ATTENDANT, CHORUS. MESSENGER. I come, my royal miftrefs, to remove Thy fears, and bring the firft glad tidings to thee, To tell thee that Alcmena's fon returns With life and vidlory; ev'n now he comes To lay before his country's gods the ipoils Of glorious war. DEIANIRA. What doll thou fay, old man? What doft thou tell me? MESSENGER. That thy dear Alcides, Thy valiant lord, with his vidlorious bands. Will foon attend thee. DEIANIRA. From our citizens Did ft thou learn this, or from a ft ranger's tongue ? MESSENGER. The herald Lichas, in yon flow'ry vale, But now reported, and I fled impatient Ο 2 Soon io8 Τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. Soon as I heard it, that I firft might tell thee Aiid be rewarded for the welcome tale. D Ε I A Ν I R A. But wherefore tarries Lichas, if he bring Glad tidings to me ? MESSENGER. 'Tis impoiTible To reach thee, for the Melian people throng Around him, not a man but longs to know Some news of thy Alcides, ftops his journey, Nor will releafe him till he hear it all j Spite of himfelf he waits to fatisfy Their eager doubts ; but thou wilt fee him foon. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Ο ! thou, who dwell'il: on OEta's facred top, Immortal Jove ! at length, tho' late, thou giv'ft The wiih'd-for boon ; let ev'ry female now, You that within the palace do reilde, And you, my followers here, with fhouts proclaim The bleft event ! for, lo ! a beam of joy, I little hop'd, breaks forth, and we are happy, - - STROPHE. Quick let founds of mirth and joy Ev'ry chcarful hour employ ; Hafte, _ ^ick Idfowjds ξ^ο. This fecond fong of the chorus is a hymn of thanks- giving to Apollo and Diana. Deianira, on the agreeable news of her huiband's arrival, τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. . lop ^g» Hafte, and join the feftive fon( You, who lead the youthful throng, On whom the fmiles of profp'rous fate, And Hymen's promis'd pleafures wait, Now all your lo Paeans iing. To Phoebus, your protedlor and your king. ANTISTROPHE. And you, ye virgin train, attend, Not unmindful of your friend. His ilfter huntrefs of the groves, Who ftill her native Delos loves, Prepare the dance, and choral lays, To hymn the chafte Diana's praife; To her, and her attendant choir Of mountain-nymphs, attune the votive lyre, Ε Ρ Ο D E. Already hath the god poiTefs'd My foul, and rules the fov'reign of my breaft ; EvoCj arrival, calls together her friends and fervants to partake of her happinefs ; it was probably accompanied both with mulic and dancing, ad tibiam, fays Ca- merarivis, choream agitatam apparet ; I liave endeavour'd to adapt the Engliih meafure to the feftivity of the fubjeit ; thofe who contend for the divifion into adls as parted by the fongs of the chorus, will pleafe to remember this is the fecond intermede. Sov reign of my breafi. Almofl: a literal tranflation of ' Tuoan' g/xa? d^^ivai ' tyrant of my foul'; an expreffion which carries with it a remarkably modem air, and much in the ilile of our dramatic lovers. no TRACHINI^. Evoe, Bacchus I lo ! I come to join Thy tlirong ; around me doth the Thyrfus twine, And I an'i fiird with rage divine; See ! the glad meffenger appears To cahn thy doubts, and to remove thy fears ; Let us our lo Paeans fmg To Phcebus, our protedor and our king. End of A C Τ h ACT II. τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. III ACT 11. SCENE I./ DEIANIRA, CH Θ .R U S. D Ε I A Ν I R 'a> '~T^ Η Ε S Ε eyes deceive me, friends," or I behold A crowd approach this way, arid 'with them comes The herald Lichas : let me welcome llim, If he bring joyful news. SCENE II. LICHAS, lOLE, SLAVES, DEIANIRA, CHORUS. LICHAS. My royal miftrefs. We greet thee with fair tidings of fuccefs. And therefore ihall our words deferve thy praife. DEIANIRA. Ο ! thou dear meflenger, inform me firil What firft I wiili to know, my lov'd Alcides, Doth he yet live, ihall I again behold him? LICHAS. I left him well ; in health and manly ilrength Exulting. , DEI- 112 Τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Where? in his own native land, Or 'midfl: Barbarians? L I C Η A S. On Euboea's fhore lie waits, with various fruits to crown the altar, And pay due honours to Cenaean Jove. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Commanded by fome oracle divine Performs he this, or means but to fulfill A vow of gratitude for conqueft gain'd ? L I C Η A S. For vid'ry o'er the land, whence we have brought Thefe captive women, whom thou fee' ft before thee. D Ε I A Ν I R A, Whence come the wretched ilaves ? for, if I judge Their ftatc aright, they muft indeed be wretched. L I C Η A S. Know, when Alcides had laid waftc the city Of Eurytus, to him and to the gods Were thcfe devoted. DEI- Centt'in Jove. So call'd from Centum, a promontory in Euboea, where altai.s wtre railed, and facrifice offer'd up to him. The heathens, after vidory, never omitted paying their grateful acknowledgements to the fupreme power : ihougli mirtakcn in the objedt of their worlhip, they are, perhaps, not unwor- thy oi our imitation in their pundual and devout performance of it. τ R A' C Η I Ν I iE. 113 D Ε I A Ν I R A. In Oechalia then Hath my Alcides been this long long time? L I C Η A S. Not fo ; in Lydia, (as himfelf reports) Was he detain'd a ilave ; fo Jove ordain'd ; And who ihall blame the high decrees of Jove ? Sold to barbarian Omphale, he ferv'd Twelve tedious months; ill brook'd he the foul iliame; Then in his wrath he made a folenin vow He wou'd revenge the wrong on the baie author, And bind in chains his wife and all his race : Nor fruitlefs the refolve, for when the year 01 ilav'ry pail had expiated the crime Imputed, foon with gather'd force he march'd 'Gainil the devoted Eurytus, the caufe (For fo he deem'd him) of thofe hateful bonds ; Within his palace he had erft receiv'd VOL. II. Ρ Alcides, Omphale. A queen of Lydia. Hercules, who, like many other heroes, was a dupe to women, became fo enamour'd of her as to fubmit to every tafk which ihe thought proper to impofe on him ; fhe found him a willing Have and treated him accordingly, put a diftaff in his hands, and fent him to fpin u-ith her maids. Thisfadl, according to general tradition, was prior to his marriage with Deia- nira : Sophocles, however, has taken the poetical liberty to change the time as raoft agreeable to his purpofe. Lichas foftens the matter to ueianira, and makes it an involuntary fervitude ; though he well knew that his mafter had in reality fold himfelf. He calls her Barbarian Omphale, becaufe the Greeks look'd on all nations but themfelvcs as fuch. 114 Τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. A'cidcs, but with bitt'reft taunts revil'd him, Boafting, in Ipitc of his all-conqu'ring arrows, His Ton's fiipcrior ikill, and faid a ilave Like liim iKou'd bend beneath a freeman's pow'r; Then 'midft the banquet's mirth, enflam'd with wine, Caft forth his antient gueft; this to revenge When Iphitus to fearch his paftur'd fteeds Came to Tyrinthia, Hercules furpris'd, And, as he turn'd his wand'ring eyes aiide, Kurl'd head-long from the mountain's top; great Jove, Father of men, from high Olympus faw And difapprov'd the deed, unworthy him Who ne'er before by fraud deftroy'd his foes j With open force had he reveng'd the wrong, Jove had forgiv'n, but violence conceal'd The gods abhor, and therefore was he fold To ilav'ry ; Eury tus' unhappy fons Were puniih'd too, and dwell in Erebus ; Their city is deftroy'd, and they, whom here Thou fee'fl:, from freedom and profperity, Reduc'd Hurrd hcndkng &c. ' It is furprifing (fays Brumoy) that Sophocles ihould ' impute luch an adion to his hero, even in an account that is afterwards ' found to be fiditious.' But the French critic forgets that he had a foundation for this ftory in Homer, as we obferved in a former note. τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. tij Reduc'd to wretchednefs ; to thee they come, Such was Alcides' will ; which I, his ilave, Have faithfully perform'd ; himfelf e'er long Thou fhalt behold, when to paternal Jove He hath fulfiil'd his vows: thus my long tale Ends with the welcom'ft news which thou cou'd'ft hear, Alcides comes. CHORUS. Ο ! Queen, thy happinefs Is great indeed, to fee thefe flaves before thee. And know thy lord approaches. D Ε I A Ν I R A. 1 am happy : To fee my Hercules with vid'ry crown'd 'Tis fit I fhou'd rejoyce ; and yet, my friends, If we confider well, we ftill fhou'd fear For the fuccefsfu], left they fall from blifs. It moves my pity much when I behold Thefe wretched captives in a foreign land Without a parent, and without a home. Thus doom'd to ilav'ry here, who once perhaps Enjoy'd fair freedom's beft inheritance: Ο ! Jove, averter of each mortal ill, -Let not my children ever feel thy arm . Ρ 2 Thus U6 Τ R A C Η I Ν I Λ. Thus raisM againft tliem ! or, if 'tis decreed, Let it not be whilft Deianira lives : The fight of thefe alarms my fears : but tell me Thou poor afflidcd captive, who thou art; [^to lole. Art thou a mother ? or, as by thy years Thou feem'it, a virgin, and of noble birth? Can'ft not thou tell me, Lichas, whence fhe fprangj^ Inform me, for, of all thefe ilaves, fhe moft Hath won my pity, and in her alone Have I obferv'd a firm and gen'rous mind. LICHAS. Why aik of me? I know not who fhe is; Perhaps of no mean rank. DEIANIRA. The royal race Of Eurytus? LICHAS. I know not, nor did e'er ~ Inquire. DEIANIRA. : ? And did'ft thou never hear her name From her companions? LICHAS. Never. I perform'd My τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. 117 \uy work in iilence. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Tell me then thyielf, ' 7hou wretched maid, for I am moft unhappy Till I know who thou art. L I C Η A S. She will not fpeak; I know £he will not; not a word hath paft Her lips, e'er jQnce ihe left her native land, But ftill in tears the haplefs virgin mourns The burthen of her fad calamity ; Her fate is hard : fhe merits your forgiveneis• D Ε I A Ν I R A. Let her go in : I'll not difturb her peace. Nor wou'd I heap frefli forrows on her heady She hath enough already: we'll retire. Go where thou wil't ; my cares within await me. [to lole, [Exeunt Lichas, lole, and flaves. SCENE She will not /peak. Nothing can bt better imagined, or more artfully con- trived, than the concern which Deiaiiira expreiles for lole : the youth, beauty, and modcfty of the fair captive plead ftrongly in her behalf, and the queen is, as it were, enamour'd of her rival. She is anxious to know who and what ihe is ; but lole, whofe bufinefs it was ίο conceal herfelf, remains filent. CaiTan- dra behaves in the fame manner with regard to Clytiemneftra, in the Agamem- non of iEfchylus. hS τ R a C hi ν I JE. SCENE III. MESSENGER, D Ε I A Ν I R A, CHORUS; MESSENGER. Stay tlice awliilc. I have a tale to tell Touching thefc captives, which imports thee nearly, And I alone am able to inform thee. D Ε I A Ν I R A. What doft thou know? and why woud'ft thou detain me? MESSENGER. Return, and hear me; when I fpake before I did not fpeak in vain, nor ihall I now. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Woud'ft thou I call them back, or mean'ft to tell Thy fccrct purpofe here to me alone ? MESSENGER. To thcc, and thcfe thy friends, no more. D Ε I A Ν I R A. They're gone ; Now fpcak in fafety, MESSENGER. Lichas is difhoneft, And Stay tice awbik. This is tlie fame meflenger who appear'd in the iirft adl to announce the arrival of Lichas : he is moved by the unhappy fituation of Dei- anira, and ftops her, as ihe is going out, to difclofe the fecret to her, and acquaint her with the treachery of Lichas. τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. up And either now, or when I faw him laft Hath utter'd falihood. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Ha .' what doft thou fay r I underftand thee not, explain it quickly. MESSENGER. I heard him fay, before attendant crouds, It was this virgin, this fair ilave deftroy'd OEchalia's lofty tow'rs, 'twas love alone That v/aged the war, no Lydian fervitude, Nor Omphale, nor the pretended fall Of Iphitus (for fo the tale he brings Wou'd fain perfuade thee) know, thy own Alcides, For that he cou'd not o;ain th' aflentino: voice of Eurytus to his unlawful love. Laid wafte the city where her father reign'd, And ilew him ; now the daughter, as a ilave> Is fent to thee; the reafon is too plain. Nor think he meant her for a ilave alone, The maid he loves, that v/ou'd be ftrange indeed. My royal miilrcfs, moft unwillingly Do I report th' unwelcome news, but thought It was my duty : I have told thee truth, And the Trachinians bear me witnefs of it. Wretch j:o τ R a C η ι ν ι .ε. Wretch that I am! to what am I referv'd ? What hidden peftilence within my roof Have I receiv'd unknowing! haplefs woman; She fcem'd of beauteous form and noble birth ; Have you not heard her name, for Lichas faid He knew it not. MESSENGER. Daughter of Eurytus, Her name lole; he had not enquir'd Touching her race. CHORUS. Perdition on the man, Of all moil wicked, who hath thus deceiv'd thee. D Ε I A Ν I R A. W'hat's to be done, my friend ? this dreadful news Afflids me fordy. CHORUS. Go, and learn the whole From his own lips, compel him to declare The truth. D Ε I A Ν I R A. I will \ thou counfel'ft me ario;hc. Shall Perdition on the man, &c. The chorus here throws an oblique refledion on Hercules for his faliliood to Deianira ; though it is fo worded, probably wiih a purpokd ambiguity, as to be applicable to the herald Lichas. TRACHINIiE, izi CHORUS. Shall we attend you? D Ε I A Ν I R A. No J for fee he comes, Uncall'd, SCENE IV. LICHAS, DEIANIRA, ATTENDANT, MESSENGER, CHORUS. LICHAS. Ο ! queen, what are thy laft commands To thy Alcides? for ev'n now I go To meet him, DEIANIRA. Haft thou ta'en fo long a journey To Trachis, and wou'dft now fo foon return, E'er I can hold fome further converfe with thee ? LICHAS. If thou wou'dft queftion me of aught, behold me Ready to tell thee. VOL. Π. Q^ DEl• 0/ queejt, &c. The mefienger's information having made the prefence of , Lichas on the ftage immediately neceffary, he is introduced with propriety to take his leave of Deianira, who embraces this opportunity to found him with regard to the accufation, which ilie does with all the fubtlety of a woman, and s\\ the dignity of a queen, ufmg every artifice to draw him into a confefiion, and at laft periuading hirn to it by an affcdted indifference about her huiband's idelity. lit TRACHINIiE. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Wilt thou tell me truth ? L I C Η A S. in all I know; (o bear me witnefs, Jove! D Ε I A Ν I R A. Who is that woman thou hail brought ? L I C Η A S. I hear She's of Eubcea; for her race and name I know them not. D Ε I A Ν I R A, Look on me; who am I? L I C Η A S. Why aik me this? D Ε I A Ν I R A. Be bold, and anfwer me. L I C Η A S, Daughter of OEneus, wife of Hercules, If I am not deceiv'd, 'tis Deianira, My queen, my miftrefs. DEIANIRA. Am I fo indeed? Am I thy miftrefs ? LICHAS. JJ I am not deccivd. This may, perhaps, appear odd to the Englifli rea- der, but It is almoft a literal tranflation of the original, ' u μ,γ, χυρων λέυκω /χατοία,' ' nili perperam video, nifi oculi me fallunt.' τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. 125 L I C Η A S. Doubtlefs. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Why, 'tis well Thou doft confefs it: then what puniihment Wou'dft thou deferve, if thou wer't faithlefs to her ? L I C Η A S. How faithlefs? mean ft thou to betray me? D Ε I A Ν I R A. No: The fraud is thine. L I C Η A S. 'Twas folly thus to ftay And hear thee; I muft hence. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Thou flialt not go Till I have aflc'd thee one ihort queftion. L I C Η A S. Aik it, For fo it feems thou art refolv'd. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Inform me j (^ 2 This Forfo it feems, &c. The Greek is, « aiynXos u, 'you are not very filent, or, • not much, given to filence ;' a kind of impertinent familiarity from a fervant to a miftrefs which modern delicacy v/ould fcarce admit ; I have therefore foiten'd it a little in the tranllation. 124 τ R A C Η I Ν I Ai. This captive, doil thou know her ? L I C Η A S. I have told thee; What wou'dft thou more ? D Ε I A Ν I R A. Didft thou not fay, this Have, Tho' now, it feems, thou know'ft her not, was daughter Of Eurytus, her name lole ? L I C Η A S. Where ? To whom did I fay this ? what witnefs have you ? D Ε I A Ν I R A. Aflcmbled mukitudes ; the citizens Of Trachis heard thee. L I C Η A S. They might fay they heard Reports hke thefe ; but muft it therefore feem A truth undoubted? D Ε I A Ν I R A. Seem ? didft thou not fwear That tliou hadft brought this woman to partake The bed of my Alcides? L I C Η A S. Did I fay fo ? But τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. US' But tell me who this ftranger is. D Ε I A Ν I R A. The man Who heard thee lay, Alcides' love for her, And not the Lydian, laid the city waile. L I C Η A S. Let him come forth and prove it ; 'tis no mark Of wifdom thus to trifle with th' unhappy. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Ο ! do not, I befeech thee by that pow'r, Whofe thunders roll o'er OEta's lofty grove, Do not conceal the truth ; thou fpeak'fl: to one Not unexperienc'd in the ways of men ; To one who knows we cannot always joy In the fame objecl : 'tis an idle tafli To take up arms againfc all-pow'rful love ; Love which commands the gods ; love conquer'd me, And wherefore ihou'd it not fubdue another, Whofe nature and whofe paiTions are the fime ? If my Alcides is indeed opprefs'd With this fad malady, I blame liim not; That This Jlranger. It is plain from hence, that the mefienger, who had accufed Lichas, remains on the ftage during all this fcene ; Lichas bids him ftand forth and make good his charge j Deianira prevents him, and takes a better method to bring him to confeffion, 125 τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. That were a folly \ nor this haplefs maid, Who meant no ill, no injury to me; 'Tis not for this I fpeak ; but, mark, me well ; If thou wcrt taught by him to utter falihood, Λ vile and Hiameful lefibn didft thou learn; And if thou art thy own inftrudor, know. Thou ilialt fecm wicked ev'n when moil ilncere, And never be believ'd ; fpeak then the truth ; For to be branded with the name of liar Is ignominy nt for flaves alone, And not tor thee ; nor think thou canft conceal it ; Thofc who have heard the tale, will tell it me. If fear deters thee, thou hail little caufe ; For to fufpccl his faliliood is my grief, To know it, none; already have I feen Alcides' heart eilrang'd to other loves. Yet did no rival ever hear from me One bitter word, nor will I now reproach This wretched Have, ev'n tho' ilie pines for him With ftrongefl love : alas 1 I pity her, Whofe beauty thus hath been the fatal caufe Of all her mis'ry, laid her country wafie, And brought her here, far from her native land, A helplefs captiv^e : but no more of this ; Only τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. IZ7 Only remember, if thou muft be flilfe, Be falfe to others, but be true to me. CHORUS. She fpeaks moil kindly to thee; be perfuaded ; Hereafter thou fhalt find her not ungrateful j We too will thank thee. L I C Η A S. Ο ! my deareil miftrefs, Not unexperienc'd thou in human life. Nor ignorant; and therefore nought from thee Will I conceal, but tell thee all the truth: 'Tis as he faid ; and Hercules indeed Doth love lole : for her fake alone OEchalia, her unhappy country , fell ; This, (for 'tis fit I tell thee) he confefs'd, Nor will'd me to conceal it; but I fear'd 'Twou'd peirce thy heart to hear th' unwelcome tale, And therefore own I wou'd have kept it from thcc ; That crime, if fuch it was, I have committed ; But fince thou know'ft it all, let mc entreat thee, For her fake and thy own, Ο ! do not hate This wretched captive, but remember well, What thou haft promis'd, faithfully perform. He U8 Τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. He, wliofe viaorioiis arm hath conquer'd all, Now }iclds to her, and is a ilave to love. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Tis my refolve to ad as thou advifeft ; I'll not refill: the gods, nor add freih weight To mv calamity : let us go in, That thou may'ft bear my orders to Alcides, And with them gifts in kind return for thofe We have receiv'd from him ; thou muft not hence With empty hand, who hither brought'ft to me Such noble prefents, and fo fair a train. [Exeunt. SCENE V. C Η Ο Pv U S. STROPHE. Thee, Venus, gods and men obey, And univerfal is thy fvvay ; Need I recount the pow'rs fubdu'd by love? Neptune who iliakes the folid ground. The king of Erebus profound. Or, the great lord of all, fiturnian Jove ? To He, ivhofe vi^Ionous arm &c. Qiiem nunquam Juno feriefqne immenfa laborum, I'Vegeiit, huic lolen impoluifle jugum. Ovid. TJi'e, Venus, &c. This is the third intermede, or fong of the chorus: my female readers will pleafe to obferve that the gallant Sophocles has here given iH another ode to love, which naturally introduces an account of the combat of Hercules and Acheloiis for Deianira, the heroine of the drama. τ R A C Η I Ν I ^, izp To mortals let the long defcend, To pity our afflidled friend, And footh the injur'd Deianira's woes: For her the angry rivals came, For her they felt an equal flame, For her behold the doubtful battle glows. ANTISTROPHE. In dreadful majefty array 'd, Affrighting fore the fearful maid, Uproie the horned monarch of the flood ; He, who through fair iEtolia's plain. Pours his rich tribute to the main ; A bull's tremendous form bely'd the god ; From his own Thebes, to win her love, With him the happier fon of Jove, The great Alcides came, and in his hand The club, the bow, and glitt'ring fpear; Whilft Venus, to her vot'ries near, Wav'd o'er their heads her all-deciding wand. Ε Ρ Ο D E. Warm, and more warm the confli(il grows. Dire was the noife of rattling bows. Of front to front oppos'd, and hand to hand j VOL. II. R Deep ijo τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. Deep was the animated ftrife For love, for conquefli, and for life ; Alternate groans re-echo'd thro' the land : Whilft penfive on the diftant iliore, She heard the doubtful battle roar, Many a fad tear the haplefs virgin ihed ; Far from her tender mother's arms, She knows not yet for whom her charms She keeps, or who ihall ihare her bridal bed. [Exeunt. End of A C Τ II. ACT III. τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. 131 ACT III. ' SCENE I. DEIANIRA, CHORUS. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Τ\/Τ γ guefl:, in pity to the captive train, Laments their woes, and takes his kind farewel} Mean- time, my friends, in fecret came I here To pour forth all my mis'ries, and impart To you my inmoil thoughts, my lail refolve : Alas ! within thefe walls I have receiv'd. Like the poor failor, an unhappy freight To fink me down, no virgin, but a wife, The wife of my Alcides ; his lov'd arms Now muft embrace us both : my faithful lord (Faithful and good I thought him) thus rewards My tender cares, and all the tedious toils I fuffer'd for him ; but I will be calm -, For 'tis an evil I have felt before : And yet to live with her ! with her to ihare My huiband's bed ! what woman cou'd fupport it ! Her youth is Pcealing onward to it's prime, Whilft mine is wither'd, and the eye, which longs R 2 To 152. τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. To pluck the opening flovv'r, from the dry leaf Will turn afide ; her younger charms, I fear, Have conquer'd, and henceforth in name alone Shall Deianira be Alcides' wife. But ill do rage and violence become The prudent matron, therefore mark me well, And hear what I have purpos'd, to relieve My troubled heart : within a brazen urn, Conceal'd from ev'ry eye, I long have kept That antient gift which NeiTus did bequeath me, The hoary centaur, who was wont for hire To bear the trav'ller o'er the rapid flood Of deep Evenus, not with oars or fail He ftem'd the torrent, but with nervous arm Oppos'd, and pafs'd it : me, when firfl: a bride I left my father's hofpitable roof With my Alcides, in his arms he bore Athwart Ne£us. This ftory, which is the foundation of the piece before us, ftrip'd of all it's poetical ornaments, is as tollows. Neflus was one of that fabulous race call'd centaurs, half man and half horfe ; his ufual employment was the carrying paficngers over the river Evenus ; Deianira entrufted herfelf to his care ; the centaur fell in love with, and would have raviih'd her ; Hercules perceiving his defign, (lew him with one of his arrows, poifon'd with the blood of the Lernaian hydra: Neilus, to revenge himfelf on his rival, told Deianira in his laft moments, that if ever her huiband proved faithlefs ihe might recall his love by dipping his garment in feme of that blood which was then ftream- iiig from him ; Deianira believed him, and preferved the philtre ; the confe- quence of this forms the fubjeil of the Trachiniae, τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. 133 Athwart the current, half way o'er, he dar'd To ofFer violence, I ihriek'd aloud ; When lo 1 the fon of Jove, his bow fwift bent, Sent forth a ihaft, and pierc'd the monfter's breail, Who with his dying voice did thus addrefs me, * Daughter of OEneus, liften to my words, * So ihalt thou profit by the laft fad journey * Which I ihall ever go; if in thy hand * Thou take the drops out-flowing from the wound * This arrow made, dip'd in th' envenom'd blood * Of the Lernaean hydra, with that charm ' May'ft thou fubdue the heart of thy Alcides;, * Nor fhall another ever gain his love :' Mindful of this, my friends, (for from that hour In fecret have I kept the precious gift) Behold a garment dip'd ith' very blood He gave me, nor did I forget to add What he enjoin'd, but have prepar'd it all j I know no evil arts, nor wou'd I learn them, For they who pradife fuch are hateful to me ; I only wifh the charm may be of pow'r To win Alcides from this virgin's love, And bring him back to Deianira's armsj if i^4 Τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. If ye fliall deem it lawful, but if not I'll go no farther. CHORUS. Cou'd we be aiTur'd Such is indeed th' effea, 'tis well determin'd. D Ε I A Ν I R A. I cannot but believe it, tho' as yet Experience never hath confirm'd it to me. CHORUS. Thou flioud'ft be certain ; thou but feem'ft to knew If thou hafl never try'd. D Ε I A Ν I R A. I'll try it foon ; For fee ev'n now he comes out at the portal : Let him not know our purpofe ; if the deed Be wrong, concealment may prevent reproach; Therefore be hlent. S C Ε Ν Ε II. LICHAS, DEIANIRA, CHORUS. L I C Η A S. Speak thy laft commands, Daugliter of OEneus, for already long Have we delay 'd our journey. DEI- τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. T59 D Ε I A Ν I R A. Know then, Lichas, That whilft thou commun'dft with thy friends, myfelf Have hither brought a garment which I wove For my Alcides, thou muft bear it to him ; Tell him, no mortal muft with touch profane Pollute the facred gift, nor fun behold it, Nor holy temple, nor domeftic liearth, E'er at the altar of paternal Jove Himfelf fhall wear it ; 'twas my folemn vow Whene'er he ihou'd return, that, cloth'd in this, He to the gods fhou'd offer facrifice. Bear too this token, he will know it well ; Away : remember to perform thy office, But go no farther, fo fhall double praife, And favour from us both reward thy duty. L I C Η A S. If I have aught of ikill, by Hermes right Inftruded Nor fun behold it Gfc. Deianira probably gave this caution becaufe flie imagined that the virtue of her charm wou'd be extracted by fire, and confe- quently, if held near that, wou'd have no eifedl when Hercules put it on. T/j/i token. This token was a σφ^ατ'ί?, or feal-ring, which Deianira fent with the veft, to convince Hercules that it came from her. By Hermes &c. Hermes or Mercury always appears as meflenger of the gods, and favourite errand-boy of Jupiter ; he therefore naturally prefided over mortal melTengers, and is properly mention'd by the herald as his patron and inilrudor. 136 τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. Intruded in his art, I will not fail To bear thy gift, and faithful to report What thou haft faid. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Begone ; what here hath paft Thou know'ft. L I C Η A S. I do ; and ihall bear back the news That all is well. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Thou art thyfelf a witnefs How kindly I receiv'd the gueft he fent me. L I C Η A S. It fiU'd my heart with pleafure to behold it. D Ε I A Ν I R A. What can'ft thou tell him more ? alas ! I fear He'll know too well the love I bear to him ; Wou'd I cou'd be as certain he'd return it ! [Exeunt. SCENE To bear thy gift. Ignaroque Lichae, quid tradat nefcia, ludlus Ipfa fuos tradit. fays the elegant Ovid, who has told this ilory in a mofl: agreeable manner in the ninth book of his raetamorpholis. τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. 137 SCENE ΙΙΓ. CHORUS. STROPHE I. You, who on OEta's craggy fummit dwell. Or from the rock, whence guihing riv'lets flow, Bathe in the warmer fprings below, You, who near the Melian bay To goiden-ihafted Dian hymn the lay. Now hafte to firing the lyre, and tune the vocal ihell, ANTISTROPHE I. No mournful theme demands your peniive ftrain, But fuch as kindled by the facred fire The mufes might themfelves admire, A loud and chearful fong ; for fee. The fon of Jove returns with vidory, And richeft fpoils reward a life of toil and pain.^ Vol. II. S STROPHE ToUy who on Oetas, &c. This is the fourth fong or intermede of the Chorus? who, reioicing at the expedled arrival of Hercules, invite the neighbouring youths and maidens to celebrate the feftival, and welcome the returning conqueror. Warmer fprings, &c. It is reported that Vulcan firil raifed warm fprings in Trachis or Sxily for the ufe of Hercules, whence warm baths were ufually call'd λ«τρα. Ηρακλίίο, ' Herculean Baths.' The Melia7i bay, &c. The bay of Melis was not far from Trachis and adjoining to Artemifium, celebrated by the famous fea-fight between the Gre- cians and the Perfians, on the fame day with the battle at Thermopylae 3 near it was a temole facred to Diana. 138 TRACHINIiE. STROPHE 11. Far from his native land he took his way : For twelve long moons, imcertain of his fate, Did we lament his exil'd ftatc, What time his anxious wife deplor'd With never-ceaiing tears her abient lord j But Mars at laft hath clofed his long laborious day. ANTISTROPHE II. Let him from fair Eubasa's ifle appear; Let winds and raging feas oppofe no more. But waft him to the wiih'd-for fliore; Th' anointed veft's perfuaiive charms Shall bring him foon to Deianira's arms, Soon fhall we fee the great the lov'd Alcides here. End of A C Τ ΠΙ. ACT IV. Far from his native land, &c. The laft Strophe and Antiftrophe bf this Chorus are fo droUy iranllatcd by Mr. Adams, that I cannot refufe my reade.s a fight of it. It runs as follows ; S Τ R Ο Ρ Η Ε II. ' He whom, abfcnt from home twelve months, we waited for, being on the ' rough fea, knowing nothing of him, but his dear miferable wife, the wretched • lady, with ever dreaming tears afflidted her fad heart j but now raging • Mars hath finiih'd the term of his labours.' ANTISTROPHE II. * Let him come, nor let his iliip ftand ftill e'er he arrives at this city, * leaving this ifland habitation, where he is faid to facrifice, whence let him * come haftening all the day, clad with this well befmeared coat ot reconci- ' liation of his love to Dcianira, as the Centaur direiled her.' τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. xjp ACT IV. SCENE I. DEIANIRA, CHORUS. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Λ L A S I my friends, I fear I've gone too far. CHORUS. Great queen, in what ? DEIANIRA. I know not what; but dread Something to come, left where I had moft hope Of happinefs, I meet with bitt'reft woe. CHORUS. Mean'ft; thou thy gift to Hercules? DEIANIRA. I do; Nor wou'd I henceforth counfel thofe I lov'd To do a dark and defp'rate deed like this. Uncertain of th' event. CHORUS. How was it ? ipeak, If thou can'ft tell us. S 2 DEIANIRA. 140 Τ R A C Η I Ν I 7E. D Ε I A Ν I R A. O! 'twas wonderful! For you ihall hear it ; know then, the white wool Wherein I wrap'd th'anointed veil, untouch'd By any hand, drop'd fclf-confum'd away, And down the ftone, ev'n hke a Hquid, flow'd Diffolving: (but 'tis fit I tell you all) Whate'er the wounded centaur did enjoin me Mindful to praaife, facred as the laws On brazen tablets grav'd, I have perform'd: Far from the fire, and from the fun's warm beams He bad me keep the charm, from ev'ry eye In fecret hid, till time ihould call on me T'anoint and ufe it: this was done; and now, The fleece in fecret pluck'd, the charm prepar'd. Long from the fun within a cheft conceal'd. At length I brought it forth, and fent the gift To my Alcides, when behold a wonder, Moil ilrangc for tongue to tell, or heart of man Ev'n The white ilooI, &c. This wool was probably made ufe of as a fponge, with which, after dipping it in the blood, ilie wetted the magic robe; this imbibing the fiery and poilonuus particles, on being expufed to the air, took fire, and con- fumed away, a circumftance which cou'd not fail to alarm the fears of Deia- nira, who now begins to repent of her hazardous attempt : her remorfe is na- turally and pathetically defcribed, and at the fame time gradually prepares the audience for the cataltrophe. τ R A C Η I Ν I ;E. 141 Ev*n to conceive! perchance the wool I caft Into the funfliine ; foon as it grew warm It fell to duft, confuming all away In moil ftrange manner, then from th' earth uproie In frothy bubbles, e'vn as from the grape In yellow autumn flows the purple wine: I know not what to think; but much I fear I've done a horrid deed : for, why, my friends. Why fliould the dying favage wiih to ferve His murth'rer? that could never be: O! no; He only meant by flatt'ry to deftroy Me his deftroyer : truth is come too late. And I alone have flain my dear Alcides. I know that by his arrows Chiron fell ; I know whate'er they touch'd they ftill were fatal | That very poifon mingled with the blood Of dying Nefliis, will not that too kill My Hercules ? it muft : but if he dies, My refolution is to periili with him;. Thofe Chiron. Chiron was one of the Centaurs, and was wounded by Hercules with one of his arrows dip'd in the blood of the Hydra : the ftory is told at large in the fifth book of Ovid's Fafti. Deianira recolledls that Hercules had ilain NeiTus alio with one of the fame arrows which ilie knew to be poifon'd j the eftedl was the fame on both, and the confequence but too vifible with re- gard to Hercules himfelf. ,41 1 R A C Η I Ν I ^. α hofc, who their honour and their virtue prize, C:ui never live with infamy and fliame. CHORUS. 'Tis fit we tremble at a deed of horror; But 'tis not fitting, e'er we know th' event, To give up hope, and yield us to defpair. D Ε I A Ν I R A. There is no hope when evil counfel's ta'en. CHORUS. But when we err from ignorance alone, Small is the crime, and flight the puniihment; Such is thy fault. D Ε I A Ν I R A. The guiltlefs may talk thus, Who know no ill ; not thofe, who are unhappy. CHORUS. No more ; unlefs thou mean'ft thy fon fhou'd hear thee, Who now returns from fearch of thy Alcides : Bthold him here. S C Ε Ν Ε II. HYLLUS, DEIANIRA, CHORUS. Η Υ L L U S. Ο ! wou'd that thou wert dead ! Wou'd τ R A C Η I Ν I .Ε. 143 Wou'd I were not thy fon ! or, being fo^ Wou'd I cou'd change thy wicked heart ! D Ε I A Ν I R A, My ion. What means this paiTion ? Η Υ L L U S. ♦ Thou haft ilain thy huiband ; This very day my father haft thou flain. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Alas ! my child, what fay'ft thou ? Η Υ L L U S. What is paft, And therefore muft be; who can e'er undo The deed that's done ? D Ε I A Ν I R A. But who cou'd fay I did it? Η Υ L L U S. I faw it with thefe eyes j I heard it all From his own lips. D Ε I A Ν I R A. Where did'ft thou fee him then ? Tell me, 1 quickly tell mc. Η Υ L L U S. 144 Τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. Η γ L L υ S. If I muft, Obfcrve me well: when Hercules, retum'd From conqueft, had laid wafte the noble city Of Eurytus, with fair triumphal fpoils He to Euboea came, where o'er the fea, Which beats on ev'ry hde, Cenieum's top Hangs dreadful, thither to paternal Jove His new rais'd altars in the leafy wood He came to viilt ; there did my glad eyes Behold Alcides firil : as he prepar'd The frequent vidim, from the palace came Lichas thy MeiTcnger, and with him brought The fatal gilt: wrap'd in the deadly garment (For fuch was thy command) twelve oxen then Without a blcmifh, firftlings of the fpoil, He flew ; together next a hundred fell, The mingled flock : pleas'd with his gaudy veft And There did my glad eyes &c. It is obferved that the diilance from Cena?um to Trachis is too great to admit of Hyllus's return in the iliort time which So- phocles has a'.low'd him ; for how could Hyllus perform this journey, fee his father, affift at the facrifice, be a witnefs of his agonies, and re- turn bick to Trachis, during the reprefcntation of little more than one ad ? Tlie unity of time is here apparendy broken. The poet, as Brumoy imagines, prcfumcd on the diftance ot Athens, from the fcene of adion, and probably nu't with indulgence from his fpedators, though it was not agreeable to his ulual accuracy in thefc particulars. τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. 145: And happy in it he awhile remain'd, Off 'ring with joy his grateful facnfice ; But lo ! when from the holy vidim rofe The bloody flame, and from the pitchy wood Exhal'd it's moifture, fudden a cold fweat Bedew'd his limbs, and to his body ftuck As by the hand of fome artificer Clofe joyn'd to ev'ry part, the fatal vefl: ; Convulilon rack'd his bones, and through his veins, Like the fell ferpent's deadly venom, rag'd ; Then queftion'd he the wretched guiltlefs Lichas By what detefted arts he had procur'd The poifon'd garb; he, ignorant of all, Cou'd only fay, it was the gift he brought From Deianira ; when Alcides heard it, Tortur'd with pain, he took him by the foot, And hurl'd him headlong on a pointed rock That o'er the ocean hung; his brains daih'd forth With mingled blood flow'd thro' his clotted hair In horrid ftreams ; the multitude with ihrieks Lamented loud the fury of Alcides, And Lichas' haplefs fate ; none durft oppofe His raging phrenzy ; proftrate on the earth Τ ϊο Ι4(ί Τ R A C Η I Ν I yE. Now wou'il he lay and groan ; and now upriiing Woii'd bellow forth his griefs; the mountain-tops Of Locris, and Euboca's rocks return'd His dreadful cries ; then on the ground out-ftretch'd In bitt'reft wrath he curs'd the nuptial bed Of OEneus, and his execrations pour'd On thee his worft of foes: at length his eyes, Diltortcd forth from the furrounding fmoak, He caft on me, who midft attending crouds Wept his fid fate ; * approach, he cry'd, my fon, < Do not forfake thy father, rather come * And ihare his fate than leave me here ; Ο ! haftej * And take me hence ; bear me where never eye * Of mortal fhall behold me ; Ο ! my child, * Let me not perilli here :' thus fpake my father, And I obey'd: diftracted with his pains A veffel brings him to this place, and foon Living or dead you will behold him here. This have thy horrid machinations done For thy Alcides : Ο ! may juftice doom thee Τ i righteous puniQiment, if it be lawful For me to call down vengeance on a mother, As fure it is, on one who hath difclaim'd All τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. 147 All piety like thee ; the earth fuftains not A better man than him whom thou haft murther'd, Nor ilialt thou e'er behold his like again. [Exit Deianira, CHORUS. Whence this abrupt departure? know'ft'thou not To go in filence thus confirms thy guilt ? Η ^ Μ Ο N. Let her be gone : and may fome profp'rous gale Waft her far off, that thefe abhorring eyes May never fee her more : what boots the name Of mother, when no longer flie performs A mother's duty ? let her go in peace. And, for her kindnefs to my father, foon May file enjoy the bleffmg flie beftow'd. Τ 2 CHORUS. Nor β.^(ΐ1ί ihou, ^c. ' Οττοην άλλον «κ ο^ει Toxg.' fays the original. Shake- fpear makes his Hamlet fpeak the lame language. Take him ior all in all, I fliall not look upon his like again. Hamlet. To go in filence, &c. This filence exadly refembles that of Eurydice In the Antigone before taken notice of, and, as Brumoy obferves, is innnitely preferable to Ovid's frequent repetition of Impia quid ceflas, Deianira, mori ? ' On ne s'exhorte point (fays the French critic) a mourlr, quand le defleln * en eft bien pris. Deaucoup moins le fait on avec tant d'artj Ic filence eft "* plus eloquent, bz, plus vif.' 148 τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. CHORUS. STROPHE I. True was the oracle divine, Long fince dcliver'd from Dodona's iLrine, Which faid, Alcides' woes iliou'd lafl: Till twelve revolving years were paft ; Then ihou'd his labours end in fvveet repofe : Behold, my friends, 'tis come to pafs, 'Tis all fulnll'd ; for who, alas 1 In peaceful death, or toil or ilav'ry knows? ANTISTROPHE I, If deep within his tortur'd veins The centaur's cruel poifon reigns, That from the Flydra's baleful breath Deftrudlive flow'd, replete with death, On him another fun fhall never rifej The venom runs thro' ev'ry part. And, lo! to Ncflus' direful art Alcides falls a helplefs facriiice. STROPHE True ivas tht oracle^ &c. This is the fifth intermede or f )ne of the Chorus, and, if we divide the play into ads, muil conckide the fourth, as it is the only part where the rtage can be iuppofed vacant : it turns, we fee, on the double fenfe of the oracle, which was now ?ccompli(h'd in the death of Hercules. This oracle is mention'd bv Deianira iu the nrft icene of the trajjedy, and by Hercules himfcif alio in the iafl. τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. 14^ STROPHE ΙΓ. Poor Dcianira long deplor'd Her waining charms, and ever faitlilefs lord ; At length by evil counfel fway'd Her paiTion's diotates ihe obey'd, Refolv'd Alcides' doubtful truth to prove ; But now, alas ! laments his fate In ceafelefs woe, and finds too late A dying huiband, and a foreign love. ANTISTROPHE II. Another death muft foon fucceed, Another vidim foon fhall bleed. Fatal, Alcides, was the dart That pierc'd the rival monarch's hearty And brought lole from her native land ; From Venus did our forrovvs flow, The fecret fpring of all our woe. For nought was done but by her dread command. [Exeunt. End of ACT IV. ACT V. Another death ζ^ο. The Chorus foretells tlie dea;h of Deianira, who had already declared that if ihe did not lucceed in the attempt to regain her hui- band's affedlion, ilie wou'd not long furvive him ; tills prepares the audience for the Icene that follows. ip τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. A C Τ V. SCENE I. [A noife within the palace. CHORUS. /^ R I'm deceiv'd, or I did hear loud ilirieks Within the palace ; 'twas the voice of one In anguilh ; doubtlefs fome calamity Hath lall'n upon us now ; what can it be ? But fee, yon matron, with contradled brow And unaccuftom'd fadnefs, comes to tell The dreadful news. S C Ε Ν Ε 11. NURSE, CHORUS, NURSE. What woes, my haplefs daughters, Alcides' fatal gift hath brought upon us? CHORUS. What doil thou tell us ? NURSE. Deianira treads The laft fad path of mortals. CHORUS. Is flie gone? NURSE. τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. I?I NURSE. *Tis Co indeed, CHORUS. What! dead! NURSE. Again I fay She is no more. CHORUS. Alas I how did flie periili ? NURSE. Moil fearfully : 'twas dreadful to behold. CHORUS. How fell flie then? Ν U R SE. By her own hand. CHORUS. But wherefore? What madnefs, what diforder ? what cou'd. move her To perpetrate fo terrible a deed ? Thus adding death to death. NURSE. The fatal fteel Deftroy'd her. CHORUM. 1^2 Τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. CHORUS. Did'ft thou fee it; NURSE. I was by, Clofe by her fide. CHORUS. How was it ? NURSE. Her own arm Struck the fad blow. CHORUS. Indeed ! NURSE. Moil veritably. CHORUS. In evil hour this rival virgin came To bring deftrudiion here. NURSE. And fo ihe did ; Had'ft thou like me been witnefs to the deed, Thou woud'il much more have pity'd her. CHORUS. Alas ! How coud a woman do it? NURSE» τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. i^j NURSE. 'Tvvas moil dreadful, As thou ilialt hear, for I will tell thee all. Soon as £he enter'd at the palace gate And faw her fon prepare the fun'ral bed. To th' inmoft chamber filent fhe retir'd From ev'ry eye, there, at the altar's feet Falling, lamented loud her widow'd ftate; And ever as fhe lit on aught her hands Had us'd in happier days, the tears wou'd flow ; From room to room ihe wander' d, and if chance A lov'd domeftic crofs'd her fhe wou'd weep And mourn her fate, for ever now depriv'd Of converfe fweet, and hymenaeal joys ; Then wou'd ilie ftrew her garments on the bed Of her Alcides, (for conceal'd I watch'd Her ev'ry motion) throw herfelf upon it, And as the tears in a warm flood buril forth ; V Ο L. II. U ' Farewel ! j^nd ever as β}ε lit &c. Such little incidents as thefe, arifing with propriety from fituation and circumftance, contribute as much as any thing to point out the fuperiority of a good writer : in Sophocles we always meet with the lan- guage of nature, and a complete knowledge of the human heart, without any of thofe forced conceits and refinements fo frequent in modern writers: nothing can exceed the fimplicity and elegance of this defcription ; Virgil felt all it's iJierit, and has copied it clofely. Sec νΈη. b. 4. 1^4 Τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. « Farevvel ! {(he cry'd) for ever farewel now « My nuptial couch! for never fhalt thou more * Receive this wretched burthen i' thus fhe fpake, And with quick hand the golden button loos'd, Then cafl: her robe afide, her bofom bared And fcem'd prcpar'd to ftrike ; I ran and told The dreadful purpofe to her fon, too late We came, and faw her wounded to the heart ; The pious fon beheld his bleeding mother And wept, for well he knew, by anger fir'd, And the fell centaur's cruel fraud betray'd, Unweetinrr fhe had done the dreadful deed : Clofe to her fide he laid him down, and join'd His lips to hers, lamenting fore that thus He had accus'd her guiltlefs ; then deplor'd His own fad fate, thus fuddenly bereav'd Of both his parents : you have heard my tale. Who to himfelf ihall promife length of life ? None but the fool : for, Ο ! to day alone Is ours J we are not certain of to-morrow. CHORUS. Which fhall I weep ? which moft our hearts fhou'd fill With grief, the prefent, or the future ill ? The dying, or the dead ? 'tis equal woe To feel the ftroke, or fear th' impending blow. STROPHE. τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. 175• STROPHE. Ο ! for a breeze to waft us o'er Propitious to fome diftant fliore ! To fliield our fouls from fore affright, And fave us from the dreadful iight : That iight the hardeft heart wou'd move In his laft pangs the fon of Jove ; To fee the poifon, run through ev'ry v^ein, And limbs convuls'd with agonizing pain. ANTISTROPHE. Behold th' attendant train is nigh, I hear the voice of mifery ; Ev'n as the plaintive nightingale, That warbles fvveet her mournful tale ; U 2 Silent Ο / for a breeze, &ί•. This is the fixth and lail intermede, or fong of the chorus, wlio, alarm'd at the approaching fate of Hercules, and ihock'd at the death of Dcianira, lament their own diRrefsful fituation, as obliged to be wit- nelies of fo melancholy a fcene : it is remarkable, that throughout this pl;iy the chorus's are every one of them clofely attach'd to tne fubjeit, and arife natu- rally from the various circumftances of it. Som:: d'ljiant joore. The learned reader, who confults this paffage in the original, will End that the fcholiafts have entirely milliken the meaning of it ; and, according to cuftom, milled the tranllators, one of whom renders it thus, * Utinam aliquis afpiret fecundus noflram ad domum ventus !' ' Would to ' heaven a favourable wind would blow us home !' though it is apparent that as the chorus confifts of virgins of Trachis, they were at home alreav?y, and only wiih'd to be removed for a time, to avoid a fight ίο difagreeable as the death of Hercules. Ratallerus, who, as I obferved, is the only tranflator that Γ '--s t-j hiivc undc;-fi:ood Sophocles, perceived this abiurdity, and has given ϊ^ό τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. Silent and flow they lead him on ; Hark ! I hear Alcides groan ! Again 'tis filence all! this way they tread; Or flceps he now, or refts he with the dead? J SCENE III. HERCULES, HYLLUS, NURSE, CHORUS, ATTENDANTS. HYLLUS. Alas I my father ; whither ihall I go, Wretch that I am ! Ο ! where iliall I betake me ? What will become of thy afflided fon ? ATTENDANT. Speak foftly, youth, do not awake his pains j Refrain thy grief, for yet Alcides lives, Tho' verging to the tomb; be calm. HYLLUS. What fay 'ft thou ? ^ Doth he yet live? ATTENDANT. Μ He doth ; difturb not thus His flumbers, nor provoke the dire difeafe. HYLLUS. Alas! I cannot bear to fee him thus. [Hercules awakes. HER- τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. 1^7 HERCULES. Ο ! Jove ! where am I, and with whom ? what land Contains the wretched Hercules, oppreis'd With never-ending woes ? ah, me ! again The deadly poifon racks me. ATTENDANT. [to Hyllus.] See'ft thou not 'Twere better far to have remain'd in filence, And not awak'd him. HYLLUS. 'Twas impoillble Unmov'd to look on fuch calamity ; I cou'd not do it. HERCULES. Ο ! Cenaean rocks. Where fmoak the facred altars ! is it thus Ο ! Jove, thou doft reward my piety ? What dreadful punifhment is this thy hand Hath laid on me, who never cou'd deferve Such bitter wrath? what incantations now, What / Jove, where am I. Hercules, we muft fuppnfe. is here brought oa the ftage on a couch or litter, * affertur (fays Camerarius) inter cruciatus fo- * pitus in ledlulo ;' his pains intermitting for a (hort time, he is drop'd into a flumber ; in this condition he is met by Hyllus, who imagines him to be dead j the chorus perceive he is only afleep ; he awakes in agony ; the fcene ftrongly refembles one in the Hippolytus oi Euripides. i^S Τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. Wh.U pow'r of mcd'cine can affuage my pain, Unlcls f^rcat Tove ailiftcd ? health to me Without hiin, were a miracle indeed. Let mc, Ο I let me reft, refufe me not A little llumber ; why will ye torment me ? Why bend me forward ? Ο ! 'tis worfe than death ; Had you not waked me, I had been at peace: Ασαιη it raises with redoubled force ; Where are you now, ye thanklefs Grecians, where, Whom 1 have toil'd to ferve on the rough main, And through the pathlefs wood? where are ye now To help a dying wretch ? will no kind hand Stretch forth the friendly fword, or in the flame Confume me ? none, alas ! will cut me oij From hated life, ATTENDANT. Ο ! youth ! affift thy father; It is beyond my ftrength ; thy quicker ilght May be more ufeful. Η Υ L L U S. My poor aid is ready j Eut wherefoe'er I am, 'tis not in me T' expel the fubtle poifon that deilroys him; ; ι^'λ is ihe wW cf jcve, HEK- TRACHINIiE. i^p HERCULES. My fon, my fon, Where art thou ? bear mc up, ainil me ; 1 Again it comes, th' unconquerable ill, The dire difeafe ; Ο ! Pallas, aid me now, Draw forth thy fvvord, my fon ; ilrike, ftrike thy father. And heal the wound thy impious mother made; Ο ! cou'd I fee her like, myfelf deftroy'd, I fliou'd be happy ! brother of great Jove, Sweet Pluto, hear me ! Ο ! with fpcedy death Lay mc to reil, and bury all my woes. CHORUS. The anguiili of th' unhappy man, my friends. Is terrible ; I tremble but to hear him. HERCULES. What hath this body fuffcr'd ! Ο ! the toils. The labours I endur'd, the pangs I felt, Unutterable woes 1 but never aught So dreadful as this fore calamity Opprefs'd Akidcs ; not the wife of [ove, Nor vile Euryflheus cou'd torment me thus, As / the toils iic. This pathetic lamentation of Hercules hath met with univerfal applaule from the admirers and critics of antiquity. The great Ro- man orator has left us a tranilation of it, which remains almoil: the only fpeei- men of his poetical abilities. See Tully's Tufculan queftions, b. 2. i6o Τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. As OEneus thy deceitful daughter hath: Oh ! 1 am tangled in a cruel net, Wov'n by the furies ; it devours my fleih, Dries up my veins, and drinks the vital blood j My body's withered, and I cannot break Th' indiflbhible chain : nor hoftile fpear, Nor earth-born giants, nor the favage herd, The wild Barbarian, or the Graecian hoft, Not all the nations I have journey'd o'er Cou'd do a deed like this : at laft I fall Like a poor coward, by a woman's hand, Unarm'd, and unaffiflied ; Ο ! my fon, Now prove thyfelf the offspring of Alcides j Nor let thy rev'rence of a mother's name Surpafs thy duty to an injur'd father ; Go, bring her hither, give her to my wrath. That I may fee whom thou wilt moft lament. When thou behold'ft my vengeance fliU on her ; Fear not, my fon, but go ; have pity on me. Pity thy father ; all muft pity me, Whilft they behold, ev'n as the tender maid, Alcides weep, who never wept before. I bore my forrows all without a groan. But now thou fee'ft I am a very woman, Come τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. i6i Come near, my child; O! think what I endure, For I will ihew thee; look on this poor body, Let all behold it: what a fight is here! . Oh ! me ! again the cruel poifon tears My entrails, nor affords a moment's eafe. O! take me, Pluto, to thy gloomy reign; Father of lightning, mighty Jove, fend down Thy bolt, and ftrike me now ! again it racks, It tortures me ! Ο ! hands, that once had ftrength. And you, my iinewy arms, was it by you The terrible Nemnsan lion fell. The dreadful hydra, and the lawlefs race Of centaurs ? did this wither'd hand fubdue The Erymanthian boar, wide-wafting plague ! And from the ihades of Orcus dras to li^ht The triple-headed monfter ? by this arm Did the fierce guardian of the golden fruit In Libya's defarts fall ? unnumber'd toils Have I endur'd of old, and never yet Did mortal bear a trophy from Alcides : But nervelefs now this arm ; fee, from the bone VOL. II. X Starts Ncmaan lion. Nemsa was a wood near Argia in Peloponneius, where Hercules flew a lion of prodigious Γιζε and fiercenefs. The Erxmanibian bear. Erymanthus was a mountain of Arcadia, where Hercules Hew a wild boar that infellcd the country. i6z r R A C Η I Ν I iE. V,,.,.. Darts the loofe flefh; I wafte beneath the povv'r Of this dark peftilence : Ο ! Hercules, Why boaft thy mother fprung of nobleil race, And vainly call thyfelf the fon of Jove? But, mark me well; this creeping fhadov/ ftill, Poor as it is, fliall yet revenge itfelf On her who did the execrable deed; Wou'd ilie were here to feel my wrath, to know And teach mankind, that Hercules tho' dead, As vvhilft he liv'd, can fcourge the guilty ilill ! CHORUS. Unhappy Greece ! how wilt thou mourn the lofs Of fuch a man ! Η Υ L L U S. Permit me but to fpeak, Diilemper'd as thou art, my father, hear me ; Nought fhall I aik unfit for thee to grant ; Be calm and liften to me; yet thou know'ft not How groundlefs thy complaints, and what new joy Awaits thee ftill. HERCULES. Be brief then, and inform me ; My pains afflift me ίο I cannot guefs Thy iubtle purpofe. HYLLUS. τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. 163 Η γ L L υ S. 'Twas to fpeak of her, My mother ; 'twas to tell thee of her ftate And how unweeting ihe offended thee. HERCULES. Thou worft of children ! woud'ft thou then defend The murth'rer of thy father ? dar'il thou thus Recall the fad remembrance of her crime ? Η Υ L L U S. It mufl: not be conceal'd ; I know too well I can no longer hide it. HERCULES. What .? her guilt .? 'Tis known already. Η Υ L L U S. Thou'lt not always think fo. HERCULES. Speak then, but take good heed thou ihew thyfelf Worthy thy father. Η Υ L L U S. Know then, — (he is dead ! HERCULES. Ο ! dreadful ! miirther'd ? by what hand ? Η Υ L L U G. Her own. X 2 HER- 1^4 Τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. HERCULES. Wou'd ihe had faH'n by mine! Η Υ L L U S. Alas ! my father, Did'ft thou know all, thy anger wou'd be chang'd To pity for her. HERCULES. That were ftrange indeed ; Why doft thou think fo ? Η Υ L L U S. She did mean thee well, But err'd unknowing. HERCULES. Mean't ilie well to flay Thy father? Η Υ L L U S. Thy new marriage was the caufe : She had prepar'd a philtre for thy lovfc, And knew not 'twas a poifon. HERCULES. But, fay, who So ikill'd in magic arts at Trachis here Cou'd give her this? Η Υ L L U S. The favage centaur Neflus, Who τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. 16'; Who did perfuade her 'two«'d reilore thy love Giv'n to another wife. HERCULES. Undone Alcides ! I dye, my child ; there is no life for me ; Alas 1 I fee it now ; I fee my woes ; Hyllus, away, thy father is no more ; Begone, and call thy brothers, call Alcmena, The wife, alas ! in vain, the wife of Jove ; Go, bring them here, that with my lateft breath I may declare my fate long ilnce foretold By oracles divine. HYLLUS. Alcmena's gone To Tyrinth ; with her many of thy fons Remain ; fome dwell at Thebes, the reft are here, And wait u'ith me to hear, and to obey thee. HERCULES. Then liilen to me, for the time is come When thou mud prove thyfelf indeed my fon ; Know, Jove, my heav'nly £re, long fmce foretold I was not born to periih by the hand Of To Tyriitth. Tyrinth or Tyrinthia was a city ia rtie neighbourhood of Argos. ιί6 Τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. or livino• man, but from fome Jiabitant OF Pluto's dark abode iliou'd meet my fate j 'J'hc centaur Neffus (fo was it fulfiU'd) Though dead deftroy'd me: but Γ11 tell thee more, New oracles confirmed the old, for know When to the Selli's facred grove I came, (The wand'ring priefts who o'er the mountains roam, And reft their weary'd limbs on the cold ground) An antient oak prophetic did declare That if I liv'd to this decifive hour, Here all my labours, all my toils fliou'd end : I thoueht it told me I fhou'd live in peace; Alas! it only meant that I muft dye, For death vv'ill put an end to ev'ry care. Since thus it is, my fon, thou too mufl join To eafc Alcidcs ; let me not reproach thee. But )icld thy Vv'iliing aid, nor e'er forget The bcPt of law?, obedience to a father. HYLLUS. Of Ihing man. Tlic original is irviovToi μηί'ίνοζ, which literally tranllated anlwers exactly to our commoa exprellion, ' no man breathing ;' but this is too low and iamiliar for tragedy : it is obfervable that there is a ftrong refem- blance between the oracles of antiquity, and the witches of modern times : we cannot read the pailage before us without recoUedling a parallel one in Shakcfpear, where he makes his witches foretell ' That none .of woman born fliould flay Macbeth ;' which is accomplifli'd by it's proving afterwards that Duncan * Was from his mother's womb untimely rip'd,' in the fame manner as Hercules fell by the artifice of NeiTus, long after his death. τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. Η γ L L υ S. Thy words affright me ; but declare thy purpofe ; Behold me ready to perform thy orders Whate'er they be. HERCULES. Firil give me then thy hand. Η Υ L L U S. But why this pledge, and wherefore anxious thus Doft thou require it ? HERCULES. Wilt thou give it me. Or doft refufe ? Η Υ L L U 8. There, take it ; I obey. HERCULES. Firft fwear then by the head of Jove my fire. Η Υ L L U S. I will ; but what ? HERCULES. Swear that thou wilt perform All I enjoin thee. Η Υ L L U S. Bear me witncfs, fove ! I fwear. ii7 Η Ε R- i6S Τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. HERCULES. And imprecate the wrath divine If thou perform'ft it not. Η Υ L L U S. I £hall not fail ; But, if I do, may vengeance fwift o'ertake me. HERCULES. Thou knovv'ft the top of OEta's facred hill, Η Υ L L U S. I know it well, and many a facrifice Have offer'd there. HERCULES. That is the deftin'd place, Where thou, aiTifted by thy chofen friends, My fon, muft bear the body of Alcides ; There ilialt thou cut thee many a leafy branch From the wild olive and deep-rooted oak, Then cafl me on it, take thy torch, and liglit My fun'ral pile ; without one tear or groan Unmanly do it, if thou art my fon ; For if thou fuirft, remember, after death A father's curfcs will fit heavy on thee. Η Υ L L U S. Alas 1 my father, v/hat haft thou commanded ? TRACHINIiE. itfp what haft thou bade me do ? HERCULES. What muft be done, Or thou art not the fon of Hercules. Η Υ L L U S. A dreadful deed ! and muft I then become A parricide, and murther thee ? HERCULES. O! no! My kind phyftcian, balm of all my woes. Η Υ L L U S. Myfelf to caft thee in the flames ! is that An office fit for me ? HERCULES. If that alone Seem dreadful to thee, yet perform the reft. Η Υ L L U S. I'll bear thee thither. HERCULES. Wilt thou raife the pile ? Η V L L U 8. I will do any thing but be myfelf Thy executioner. V Ο L, II. Υ HER- 170 Τ R A C Η I Ν I Λ, HERCULES. , *Tis well, my fon : But one thing more, and I am fatisfy'd ; 'Tis but a little. Η Υ L L U S. Be it e'er (o great, I fliall obey. HERCULES. Thou know'ft the virgin daughter Of Eurytus. Η Υ L L U S. lole? HERCULES. Her, my fon ; Remember, 'tis a father's laft command. And thou haft fworn obedience ; that lole I do bequeath thee; take her to thy arms When I am dead, and let her be thy wife ; It 1 Take ker ίο iky arms. It γππΠ: be acknowledged that the requeil: of Her- cules is of a very extraordinary nature : the fon is defired, or rather com- manded to marry his father's miftrefs, and this, not to ihield her from the rcfcntment of the injured mother now dead, but only, as it fliould feem, that fo valuable a treafure iliould not go out of the family, Hyllus remonitrates againil; it, but in vain, and at laft gives his father a promife of confent, which we do not however remember to have read that he ever perform'd. Racine is fuppofed by Brumoy to have copied this incident in his Mithridate, though with feme difference in the circumftance, his ion being reprefented as an ad- mirer of his father's miftrefs, and therefore well prepared to receive the legacy. τ R A C Η I Ν I ^. 171 It is not fitting fhe who lay by th' fide Of Hercules to any but the fon Of Hercules fhou'd e'er defcend ; to thee Alone I yield her : ipeak. not, but obey me ; After thy kind compliance to refufe So flight a favour were to cancel all. Η Υ L L U S. [afide.] Alas ! diftemper'd as he is, to chide him Were moft unkind 3 and yet, what madnefs this ! HERCULES. Thou wilt not do it then ? Η Υ L L U S. What ! marry her, Who ilew my mother I her, who hath brought thee To this fad ftate ! it were an ad: of phrenzy : Death be my portion, rather than to live With thofe I hate. HERCULES. [turning to the chorus.] He will not pay me then The duty which he owes a dying father : But if thou doft not, curfes from the gods Await thee. Υ 2 HYLLUS. Who lay hy ih' β(1β of Hercules. This Is a literal tranflation of the original ** ίμ.οα ττΑίυΡοΐί κ,Κι^ίισα,ν y and anfwers exaftly to our own idiom, *' She might lay by th* fide of an emperor, and command him taflcs.' Shake fpear's Othello, 172 τ R Λ C Η I Ν I τΕ. Η γ L L υ S. Ο ! thou rav'fti it is the rage Oi thv diftemper makes thee talk fo wildly. HERCULES. Thou haft awaken'd all my woesj again They torture now. Η Υ L L U S. Alas ! what doubts arife, What fears perplex me! HERCULES. Mean'ft thou to difpute A father's will ? Η Υ L L U S. Muft I then learn of thee To do a wicked deed ? HERCULES. It is not wickedj If I requeft it of thee. Η Υ L L U S. Is it juft ? HERCULES. It is ; the gods are witneiTes 'tis juft. Η Υ L L U S. Then by thofe gods 1 fwear, I will perform What τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. 173 What thou command^fl: : I never can be deem'd Or bafe, or impious, for obeying thee. HERCULES. 'Tis well, my fon ; one added kindnefs more. And I am fatisfy'd : before the racks Of dire convuliion, and the pangs of madnefs Again attack me, throw me on the pile. Hafte then, and bear me to it, there at lail I ihall have peace, and reft from all my forrows. Η Υ L L U S. Since 'tis thy will, my father, we fubmit. HERCULES. Now, e'er the dreadful malady return, Be firm, my foul, ev'n as the harden'd fteel; Sufpend thy cries, and meet the fatal blow With joy and pleafure ; bear me hence, my friends, For you have fhewn yourfelves my friends indeed, And prov'd the bafe ingratitude of thofe From whom I fprang, the cruel gods, who faw Unmov'd the woes of their unhappy fon. *Tis not in mortal to forefee "his fate; Mine is to them difgraceful, and to me Moft terrible, to me of all mankind The moft diftrefs'd, the poor, the loft Alcides, CHORUS. 174 Τ R A C Η I Ν I iE. CHORUS. lole, come not forth, unhappjr virgin, Already haft thou feen enough of woe, And yet freili forrows wait thee ; but remember, All is decreed, and all the work of Jove. lolc, &c. lolc, wc mufl: fuppofe, is coming on the ftage, anxious to know the fate of Hercules, but is ilop'd by the chorus, and prevented from being a witnefs of the melancholy fcene. Hercules is led out by Hyllu?, who had prumifcd to accompany him to mount 0£ta, where he expired. This tragedy gave rife to the Hercules Furens of Seneca, and the Hercule Mourant of Rotrou ; they who will take the trouble to perufe thefe imperfedt copies of Sophocles, will eafily perceive how much the Latin and French poets have deviated from the fimplicity and beauty of the original. FINIS. )i^^^imy)omymM)m)ii^^^ OE D I ρ υ S TYRANNUS. )^)^)ί()ΐ(^θί()!0^)4()ί(¥)^^^θί()ί()^)!(5^)^)ί(^^)^)Κ)ί^^)ί(3^)ί()!()ί()ί(¥)ί(¥)«(¥ Dramatis Perfonae, OE D I ρ υ S, king of Thebes, J Ο C A S Τ A, wife of OEdipus, C R Ε Ο N, brother to Jocafta, -: TIRESIAS, a blind prophet of Thebes, •Ά"" S Η Ε p'ii Ε R D from Corinth, A Μ Ε S S Ε Ν G Ε R, An Old Shepherd, formerly belonging to Laius, High Priest of Jupiter, CHORUS Compofed of the Priests and Antient Men of Thebes, Theban Youths> Children of OEdipus, Attendants, &c. SCENE Thebes, before the palace of OEdipus. ( 177 ) OE D I Ρ U S Τ Υ R A Ν Ν υ S. « A C Τ Ι. SCENE I. OEDIPUS, HIGH PRIEST of Jupiter. OE D I Ρ U S. A My lov'd fons, the youthful progeny • Of antient Cadmus, wherefore ilt you here VOL. II. Ζ And It is fcarce pofTible to conceive any thing more folemn and magnificent than the opening of this tragedy ; in the front of the fcene is the palace of OEdipus j before it, an ahar eretfed to him ; at the foot of which, we fee a number of voung men of tiie firft quahty in Thebes, with boughs of luppHcation in their hands, and prortrate on the earth ; with them the High-Priell of Jupiter, and a Uttle behind, fevtral other priefts and old men, as preparing for a facrifice ; beyond them we have adiltant view of the two temples of Minerva, with their altars, and a large concourfs of people ftanding round them, feeming, by various aits of worihip, to deprecate the general calamity; the fcencry and deco- arions, neceflary on this occafion, account in fome meafure for the otherwife incredible expence which the Athenians are faid to havr been at, in the repre- fentation of this piece. 0/ my lovdjons, &c. OFdipus, alarm'd at the groans and lamentations of bis people thronging to the altar, comes out of his palace to enquire into the caufe 178 OE D I Ρ υ S And fuppliant thus, with facred boughs adorn'd, Croud to our altars ? frequent facrifice, And pray'rs and fighs and forrows fill the land. I cou'd have fent to learn the fatal caufe ; But fee, your anxious fov'reign comes himfelf To know it all from you ; behold your king, Renowned OEdipus ; do thou, old man, For beft that ofiice fuits thy years, inform me, Why you are come ; is it the prefent ill That calls you here, or dread of future woe? Hard were indeed the heart that did not feel For caufe of their diftrefs ; this humanity and tendernefs recommend his charader to the audience, and naturally excite that pity and compairion which the poet intends to raife for his fucceeding misfortunes ; he calls his fuhjeds the progeny of Cadmus, who was the founder of Thebes, about two hundred years before his time. With facred boughs adorn d. When prayers and fupplications were to be made, either in the temples or other places, the petitioners carry'd boughs in their hands, bound round with fillets of white wool ; this was always look'd on as a mark of dirtrefs, which entitled them to a peculiar regard, render'd their perfons facred, and proteded them from all violence ; it is not improbable, but that this cuftom among the Greeks was borrow'd fiom the Jews, whom we find carrying boughs on folemn feflivals. See Macchab. Chap, J3. Renoumcd OEdipus. Dacier obferves in this place, that OEdipus's mention of himfelf anfwers the double purpofe, of making his perfon known to the fpec- tators on his firft entracce, and at the fame time conveying to them an idea of his chsrader as proud and felf-fufficient ; the latter of thefe reafons, afcribed by Dacier, may perhaps appear unneceflary to thofe who are acquainted with the manners and genius of antiquity; the heroes ofHoirer and Virgil, we may ren ember, make no fcruple oi boafting their own abilities and perfedions j ucphodes therefore wants no excufe for talking the fame language. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. Ι7ί> For grief like yours, and pity fuch diftrefs: If there be aught, that OEdipus can do To ferve his people, know me for your friend. PRIEST. Ο ! king, thou fee'ft what numbers throng thy altars ; Here, bending fad beneath the weight of years. The hoary priefts, here croud the chofen youth Of Thebes, .with thefe a weak and fuppliant train Of helplefs infants, laft in me behold The minifter of Jove : far off thou fee'ft Affembled multitudes, with laurel crown'd, To where Minerva's hallow'd temples rife Frequent repair, or where Ifmenus laves Apollo's facred flirine : too well thou knovi^'ft. Thy wretched Thebes, with dreadful ftorms opprefs'd, Scarce lifts her head abov^e the whelming flood ; The teeming earth her blafted harveft mourns. And on the barren plain the flocks and herds Unnumber'd perifli; dire abortion thwarts The mother's hopes, and painful flie brings forth Ζ 2 The T/'y luretchcd Thebes &c. This fliort but pathetic defcription of the plague at Thebes cannot be iufficiently admired : the poetical image of the Hery god ftalking over the city, and Pluto's growing rich with the groans of the dying men, mull ftril<.e every feeling heart ; perhaps the beauty and fmiplicitv of this paflage will beft appear by comparing it with the tinfel reftiiemeiits of Seneca, and the wild rants of our own madman Lee, on the fame fubjeot. i8o OF, D I Ρ U S l1ic half-form'ci infant; baleful peftilence Hath laid our city vvaftc, the fiery god Stalks o'er deferted Thebes; whilil with our grocons Enrich'd, the gloomy god of Erebus Triumphant fmiles : Ο ! OEdipus, to thee W'c bend; behold thefe youths, with me they kneel, And fuppliant at thy altars fue for aid, To thee the flrft of men, and only lefs Than them whofe favour thou alone can'ft gain, The gods above ; thy wifdom yet may heal The deep-felt wounds, and make the pow'rs divine Propitious to us : Thebes long iince to thee Her fafety ow'd, w^hen from the Sphynx deliver'd Thy grateful people faw thee, not by man But Trovi the Sphytix άώνα-'ά. The ftory of the Sphynx, from the variety of accounts handed down to us concerning it, is ahnoli as much a riddle to us as it was to OEdipus : the Sphynx, according to poetical hiftory, was a mon- ger with the face of a woman, wings of a bird, body of a dog, and claws like a lion j fiiC dwelt near Thebes, and every day deftroy'd many people ; the ora- cle declared that ihe could never be conquer'd, till fome one was found that could expound a certain riddle, or a3nigma, which llie propofed. After many iinfuccefsful attempts OEdipus came, and explain'd it ; the Sphynx was de- ilroy'd ; the nation deliver'd, and OEdipus rewarded for it with the king- dom of Thebes j fome authors interpret the Sphynx into a maritime force, inva- ding Bo-Otia under the command of a woman, whom OEdipus flew ; others pre- tend that the Sphynx was a natural daughter of Laiiis, who flew all thofe The- bans, who dared to mention an oracle of Apollo, faid to have been given to Cadmus, concerning the fuccefllon to the throne, and declaring baftards inca- pable of inheiiting it ; the fable fays, that ilie defy'd them to produce this ora- cle ; but that it was reveal'd to OEdipus in a dream, who repeated it publicly, and deftroy'd his fifter. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. iSi But by the gods iiiftrudled, fave the land ; Now then, thou befl: of kings, afliil us now, Ο ! by fome mortal or immortal aid Now fuccour the diftrefs'd ! on wifdom oft And prudent counfels, in the hour of ill, Succefs awaits ; Ο ! dearefl: prince, fupport, Relieve thy Thebes, on thee its faviour once Again it calls ; now, if thou woud'fl: not fee The mem'ry periih of thy former deeds, Let it not call in vain, but rife, and fave. With happieft omens once and fair fuccefs We faw thee crown'd ; Ο ! be thyfelf again. And may thy will and fortune be the fame { If thou art yet to reign, Ο ! king, remember A fovereign's riches is a peopled realm ; For what will fhips or lofty tow'rs avail Unarm'd with men to- ojuard and to defend them ? OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! my unhappy fons, too well I know Your fad eftate ; I know the woes of Thebes ; And yet amongft you lives not fuch a wretch As OEdipus ; for Ο ! on me, my children. Your forrows prefs ; alas I I feel for you My people, for myfelf, for Thebes, for all ; Think iSi OE D I Ρ υ S Think not, I ilept rcgardlefs of your ills ; Ο ! no, with many a tear I wept your fate And oft in meditation deep revolv'd } low bcfl your peace and fafcty to reftore : The only med'cine that my thoughts cou'd find I liave adminiftcr'd, Menceceus' fon, The noble Creon, went by my command To Delphos, from Apollo's fhrine to know Wliat muft be done to fave this wretched land j 'Tis time he were return'd ; I wonder much At his delay ; if, when he comes, your king Perform not all the God enjoy ns, then {ay He is the worft of men. PRIEST. Ο ! king, thy words Are gracious, and if right thefe youths inform me, Creon is here. OE D I Ρ U S, Ο ! Phoebus, grant he come With tidings chearful as the fmile he wears ! PRIEST. He is the mcffjnger of good • for fee, His τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 185 His brows are crown'd with laurel. OE D I Ρ U S. We ihall foon Be fatisfy'd : he comes. S C Ε Ν Ε II. CREON, OEDIPUS, PRIEST, CHORUS. OE D I Ρ U S. My dearefl: Creon, 1 fay, what anfwer bear'il thou from the God, Or good, or ill ? CREON, Good, very good ; for know. The worfl: of ills, if rightly ufed, may prove The means of happinefs. OE D I Ρ U S. What fays my friend ? This anfwer gives me nought to hope or fear. CREON. Shall we retire, or wou'd you that I fpeak. In public here ? OE D I Ρ U S. His brows are crown d with laurel. It was ufual for thofe who, on confulting the oracle of Delphos, had received a favourable anfwer, to put on a crown of laurel at their return, in token of their fuccefs : Creon had reafon to look upon his in that light, as it pointed out an immediate remedy for the evil : the fight of the laurel therefore raifes the liopes of OEdipus, and confequently heightens his difappointment afterwards. Sophocles througliout this excellent piece ap- pears like a fine painter, whofe judicious mixture and dilpofition οί light and fliade animates and enlivens the pidlure. iS4 OE D I Ρ υ S OE D I Ρ υ S. Before them all declare it; Tlicir woes lit heavier on me than my own. C R Ε Ο N. Then mark what I have heard: the God commands Tiiat inrtant we drive forth the fatal caufe Of this dire pcftilence, nor nouriih here Th' accurfed monfter. OE D I Ρ U S. Who? what monfter? how Remove it ? C R Ε Ο N. Or by banifliment, or death ; Life muft be giv'n for life j for yet his blood Rcfls on the city. OE D I Ρ U S. Whofe ? what means the God ? C R Ε Ο N. Ο! king, before thee Laius rul'd o'er Thebes. OE D I Ρ U S. I know he did, though I did ne'er behold him. C R Ε Ο N. Laius was fliin, and on his murtherers, So Pliabus fays, we muft have vengeance. OE D I Ρ U S. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. ι8^ ΟΕ D Ι ρ υ S. Where, Where are the murth'rers? who fliall trace the guilt Bury'd fo long in iilence? C R Ε Ο N. Here, he faid, Ev'n in this land: what's fought for may be found, But truth unfearch'd for, feldom comes to light. OE D I Ρ U S. How did he fall, and where ? at home, abroad, Dy'd he at Thebes, or in a foreign land ? VOL. II. A a CREON. How did befall? This, Dacier thinks, is the only objedlion that can be made to the fable of OEdipus, and which is, in his opinion, infuperable : Ariftutle had previoufly affirm'd it to be abfolutely neceiTary, that among all the incidents which compofe the fable, no one ihould be without reafon ; or, if that be impoffi- ble, it ought to be fo managed, that what is without reafon fliould be always out of the tragedy j as Sophocles has prudently obferved in his OEdipus. It was with- out reafon (fays Dacier in his comment on this paffage of Ariftotle) that OEdi- pus ihould be fo long marry 'd to Jocafta, and not know in what manner Laius was kiird, or make enquiry after the murtherers ; but as the fubjedf could not fubfift without this circumftance, Sophocles has judicioufly placed it out of the aition : the poet is anfwerable only for thole incidents, which make a part in his fubjf dt, and not for thofe which precede or follow it. Brumoy is of the fame opmion with Dacier, and fays it is ' un defaut vifible, quoique neccllaire,' ' a • vifible though a neccifary fault,' that Ariftotle therefore has endeavour'd to excufe Sophocles as well as he could. If I haa leifure and inclination to turn commentator on this paila^e before us, I cannot but think it were an eaiy taik, in oppofition to tiie arbitrary deciiioii both of Greek and French critics, to defend Sophocles, and to prove that there is no fuch glaring abfuidity in t'le fuppofition of OEdipus's real or pretended ig- norance on this occafion : was it the bufinefs of OEdipus, of a ilranger, who by a lucky concurrence of circumitances was juit raifcd to a throne which he had lU OE D I Ρ υ S. C R Ε ο Ν. He left his palace, flime reports, to feek Some oracle; fince that, we ne'er beheld him. OE D I Ρ U S. But did no meflenger return? not one Of all his train, of whom we might enquire, Touching this murther ? C R Ε Ο N. One, and one alone, Came back, who, flying, 'fcaped the gen'ral ilaiighter; But nothing, fave one little circumftance, Or knew, or e'er related. OE D I Ρ U S. What was that ? Much had no right to, to infpeft too narrowly into the murther of his predeceflbr» whom he thought no ways related to him ? To make public enquiry might only have raifed public commotions ; and as to the private intelligence, which he might have had from Jocafta, it was certainly a fubjeit too delicate to be touch'd on when they firft came together, and of very little confequence afterwards : it might indeed be the bufinefs of the people, and doubtlefs would have been, but for a circumftance which fcems to have efcaped Ariftotle and his followers^ and is ndtwithftanding an obvious reafon for their filence in this particular : we are told, a few lines below, that the Thebans made no enquiry into the mur•- ther of Laius, becaufe their attention was otherwife employ 'd. The Sphynx, Her dire aenigma kept our thoughts intent On prefent ills, nor gave us time to fearch The paft myfterious deed. This kept every thing quiet for a time, till the affair by degrees naturally funk, into oblivion. 1 τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 187 Much may be learn'd from that: a little dawn Of light appearing may difcover all. C R Ε Ο N. Laius, attack'd by robbers, and opprefs'd By numbers, fell; fuch is his tale. OE D I Ρ U S. Wou'd they, Wou'd robbers do fo defperate a deed, Unbrib'd and unaiTifted ? C R Ε Ο N. So indeed Sufpicion whifper'd then ; but, Laius dead, No friend was found to vindicate the wrong.- OE D I Ρ U S. But what ftrange caufe cou'd flop enquiry thus Into the murther of a king ? C R Ε Ο N. The Sphynx, Her dire ienigma kept our thoughts intent On prefent ills, nor gave us time to fearch The pail: myfterious deed. A a 2 OE D I Ρ U S. Opprefs'd hy numbers. Ί his proves afterwards not to be true; for OEdipus was alone when he kill'd Laius ; the fervant notwitliftanding niiglit be fiippoled to have related the ftory in this manner, to excuie his own cowardice, and fave the honour ot his niafter. Thii hililiood was neccirary to the carrying on of the plot, which would otherwile have been too loon unravell'd. l88 OE D I Ρ υ S. OE D I ρ υ IS. Myfelf will try- Soon to unveil it j thou, Apollo, well, And well haft thou, my Creon, lent thy aid; Your OEdipus iliall now perform his part ; Yes, I will fight for Phoebus and my country, And fo I ought ; for not to friends alone Or kindred owe I this, but to myfelf: Who murther'd him perchance wou'd murther me; His caufe is mine: wherefore, my children, rife, Take hence your fuppliant boughs, and fummon here The race of Cadmus, my aflembled people j | Nought ihall be left untry'd : Apollo leads. And we will rife to joy or fink for ever. PRIEST. ' * Hafte then, my fons ; for this we hither came ; About it quick, and may the god, who fent This oracle, proted, defend, and fave us. [Exeunt. CHORUS. Myf'lf Ίΰ'ιΙΙ try ζ^€. Nothing could be better defign'd than thus making OEdipus a principal agent in the difcovery of his own guilt: every method, which he makes ul'e of to promote his eafe and iafety, tends to his mifery and deftrudlion ; he endeavours only to find out the murtherer of his wife's firft huiband ; that huiband proves to be his own father,, and himfelf the murtherei of tliat father j the whole is truly tragical. τ γ R A Ν Ν Ν υ S. iSj? CHORUS, STROPHE I, Ο ! thou, great oracle divine, Who didft to happy Thebes remove From " Chorus, The critics are much divided in opinion concerning the perfons who compofe the chorus of this tragedy. The antient Greek fcholiaft alTures us that the moment the high-priell of Jupiter, with his attendant train of young men, leave the itage at the end of the laft fcene, a cer- tain number of the inhabitants of Τ hebes enter and form the chorus ; with this opinion of the fchohaft, Mr. Boivin partly agrees ; and only adds, that the chorus confifted of the whole body of the people, who, impatient to hear the anfwer of the oracle, had affembled together, and crowded towards the palace j that the principal citizens take their places on the ftage, and fpeak by their cho- ragus or chief, the reft ftanding at feme diflance : in lupport of this aiTertion Mr, Boivin produces feveral arguments ; the moil forcible of which is, that OEdipus, in his addrefs to the chorus, calls them the citizens of Thebes and defcendants of Cadmus : Mr. Dacier on the other hand affirms, that on the departure of the high-prieft, the other priefts and facrificers, who remain on the ftage, com- pofe the chorus, which is afterwards join'd by the people, whom OEdipus had commanded to aiTemble, and who could not pofiibly have been got together fo quickly as to enter and make a chorus immediatelv, according to Boivin : it is much more natural, he fays, to fuppofe that the priefts belonging to the feve- ral temples, the ' ci συν γηξΛ Cct^m,' vvho had heard the converfation between OEdipus and Creon, (hould join in their invocation to Apollo, requefting him to explain the oracle, and deliver their country. Thofe, who are deilrous of en- tering more minutely into the arguments brought by thefe gentlemen on both iidesof the queftion, will meet with a fummary account of it in the Hiftoire oe I'Academie des infcriptions & Belles Lettres Tom. 3. p, 108. Brumoy fides with the fcholiaft and Boivin, and gives the chorus the title of antient Thebans; alledging only as his reafon, that Jucaila calls them ^uoai avaxres ' Princes, ' or, men of the firft rank, in Thebes,' which perhaps might be applied with equal propriety to the priefts. The learned Dr. Burton, whofe Flevrx^oyix is μιΛ come to my hands, has gi- ven us, in his excellent and ufeful notes on ihe OEdipus Tyrannus, an opinion in fome meafure differing from, and perhaps preferable to all the veii : he ima- gines that OEdipus, the high prieil, &c. retiring, the Hage is left in potTefllon of the prieils, who form the chorus and fing the iirll fong orintermedc during the abiencc ipo OE D I ρ υ S. From Dclplii's golden ihrine, And in fwcct founds declare the will of Jove ; Daughter of hope, Ο ! footh my foul to reft, And calm the rifing tumult in my breaft ; Look down, Ο ! Phoebus, on thy lov^d abode ; Speak, for thou know'ft the dark decrees of fate, Our prefent and our future ftate, O' Dclian, be thou ftill our healing God I A Ν Τ I S- abfence of the king, who returns foon after together with the aiTembled people ; that then the prieits go out and give place to a new chorus, compoled of the principal citizens of Thebes, who continue on the ftage to the end of the drama. Tiiis folution of the difficulty is ingenious, but feems to want that kind of con- firmation which arifes from fimilitude of pradlice in the fame author : we do not remember any inftance in Sophocles of the like condudl with regard to his chorus. The Dr. indeed fays, examples are not wanting, and mentions the hymn to Apollo in the Iphigenia in Tauris of Euripides, as a ftmilar circum- ftance; but, befides that the cafes are not exadtly parallel, it may be fufficient to obferve that the condud: of Euripides fliould by no means determine that of So- phocles, who is infinicc-ly more corredt and regular in the plan and difpofition of every part of his tragedies, than his illuftrious rival. ■ If, after the ingenious conjectures of thefe gemlemen, I were to propol'e my own on this point, it would be, diat the fame chorus continues from the beginning to the end, and that it tonfidcd of the priells and facrificers, intermingled with the principal and moil: antient inhabiiaiits of Thebes. / thou, great oracle &c. The firft intermede or fong of the chorus is a folemn invocation of Apollo and other deities, inti eating them to fuccour Thebes, and pathetically defcabing the dreadful effecilis of the ptftilence. The whole is, in the r.riginal, nobly exprefs'd, and naturally ariling from the circumllances of the dr.! ma. T/je "jjill cfjove. The oracle of Apollo only interpreted the will of Jove, the great father and fourceof all. QjiP Phocbo pater omnipotens mihi Phoebus Apollo P:;i:dixit, fays Virgil. Abfurd as the pagin theology was, we frequently find the antients refolviii^ a^l power into one fupreme being, call'd, particularly in Sophocles, by the name of ' Θίον, or the God." τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. jpi ANTISTROPHE I. Minerva, firfl: on thee I call, Daughter of Jove, immortal maid, Low beneath thy feet wc fall, Ο I bring thy iifter Dian to our aid ; Goddefs of Thebes, from thy imperial throne Look with an eye of gentle pity down. And thou, far-ihooting Phoebus, once the friend Of this unhappy, this devoted land, O! now if ever let thy hand Once more be ftretch'd to fave and to defend! STROPHE Π. Great Thebes, my fons, is now no more, She falls and ne'er again fhall rife, Nought can her health or ftrength reftore, The mighty nation finks, fhe droops, £he dies ; Strip'd of her fruits behold the barren earth ; The half-form'd infant ftruggles for a birth ; The mother finks unequal to her pain : Whilft quick as birds in airy circles fly^ Or lightnings from an angry iky. Crouds prefs on crouds to Pluto's dark domain, ANTISTROPHE IL Behold what heaps of wretches flain, Unbury'd, unlamented lye, Nof ipi OE D I ρ υ S. Nor parents now nor friends remain To grace their deaths with pious obfequy ; The aged matron and the blooming wife, Clung to the altars, fue for added Hfe ; With fighs and groans united Paeans rife ; Re-echo'd ftill does great Apollo's name Their forrows and their wants proclaim, Frequent to him afcends the facrifice. STROPHE III. Hafte then, Minerva, beauteous maid, Defcend in this afflidive hour, Hafte to thy dying people's aid, Drive hence this baneful, this deftrudive pow'r ! Who comes not arm'd with hoftile fword or ihield, Yet ftrevvs with many a corfe th' enfanguin'd field ; To Amphitrite's wide-extending bed O! drive him, Goddefs, from thy- fav'rite land. Or let him, by thy dread command, Bury in Thracian waves his ignominious head. ANTISTROPHE III. Father of all, immortal Jove, Ο ! now thy fiery terrors fend ; I'^rom thy dreadful ftores above Let lightnings blail him and let thunders rend ; And τ γ R A Ν Ν Ν υ S. 1^3 And thou, 1 Lydian king, thy aid impart ; Send from thy golden bow, th'unerring dart ; Smile, chaile Diana, on this lov'd abode, Whilft Theban Bacchus joins the mad'ning throng, Ο ! God of wine and mirth and fong, Now with thy torch deftroy the baie inglorious god. [Exeunt. With thy torch, &c. Bacchus is always defcribed with torches j probably in remembrance of his birth, as being born in flames, when his mother Semele was confumed by Jove's lightning. We read of ' the Κα.μ.τΓτϊ)ξΐα. βοζτν, or feaft ' of torches,' dedicated to this god. Dacier imagines that the chorus invoke Bacchus with his torches, becaufe wine and fire are the beft prefervatives againft the plague : but this feems to be a mere allegorical and vifioaary refine- ment. End of A C Τ I. VOL. IL Β b ACT ip4 OE D I Ρ υ S ACT II. S C Ε Ν Ε I. OE D I Ρ υ S, CHORUS, the People aflemblecL OE D I Ρ U S. Ύ^ΟυΚ pray'rs are heard; and, if you will obey Your kins, and hearken to his words, you foon Shall find relief; myfeif will heal your woes: I was a fi ranger to the dreadful deed, A ftranger ev'n to the report till now ; And yet without fome traces of the crime I fhou'd not urge this matter ; therefore hear me ; I fpeak to all the citizens of Thebes, Myfeif a citizen ; obferve me well : ]f any know the murtherer of Laius, Let him reveal it ; I command you all ; But if reilrain'd by dread of puniihment He hide the fecret, let him fear no more ; For nought but exile fhall attend the crime Whene'er confefs'd ; if by a foreign hand The horrid deed was done, who points him out Commands our thanks, and meets a fare reward ; But if there be who knows the murtherer, And yet conceals him from us, mark his fate Which τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. ιρ^ Which here I do pronounce : let none receive Throughout my kingdom, none hold converfe with him. Nor oiFer pray'r, nor fprinkle o'er his head The facred cup ; let him be driv'n from all, By all abandon'd, and by all accurs'd, For fo the delphic oracle declar'd ; And therefore to the gods I pay this duty And to the dead : Ο ! may the guilty wretch, Whether alone, or by his impious friends AiTiiled, he perform'd the horrid deed, Deny'd the common benefits of nature, Wear out a painful life ! and Ο I if here. Within my palace, I conceal the traitor, On me and mine alight the vengeful curfe! To you my people, I commit the care Β b 2 Of Lei none receive ^§c. Sophocles has here given us the folemn form of a pagan excommunication, ahnoft as terrible in it's circnmftances as a pope's bull ; this we find was frequently denounced againft thofe who were guilty of murther, or any other very heinous crime : the antients believed that no- thing could prevent or turn afide fuch execrations, dira dcteilatlo Nulla expiatur viflimu. Hor. b. 5. od. ^. We may judge, therefore, v/hat eftcil this curfe muil have had on a fuperfti- tious people, when deliver'd by their fovereign, and how great their horror ^nd aftonifhment, when he himfelf becomes the unhappy objedl of it. Nor fprinkle e'er his head &c. Before the facrifice, it was cuftomary for thofe, who partook of it, to waili their hands together in the luflral v/ater, with which they were afterwards fprinkled by the priefts, by way of purifi- cation : to be denied this, was always confider'd as a mark of guilt and infamy. ip6 OE D I Ρ υ S Of this important buhncfs ; 'tis my caufe, The caufe of heav'n, and your expiring country ; Ev'n if the god had nought declar'd, to leave This crime imex^iated were moft ungrateful^ He was the beft of kings, the beil of men; That fcepter now is mine which Laius bore ;, His wife is mine ; fo would his children be Did any live; and therefore am I bound, Ev'n as he were my father, to revenge him r Yes, I will try to hnd this murtherer, I owe it to the fon of Labdacus, To Polydorus, Cadmus, and the race Of great Agenor : Ο ! if yet there are, Who will not join me in the pious deed, From fuch may earth withhold her annual ftore, And barren be their bed, their life moft wretched. And their death cruel as the peftilence That waftes our city! but on you, my Thebans, Who So had his children been &c. By this, the poet means to inform us, that Laias had no other children by Jocafta but OEdipus : it ieems indeed eflential to this fable, with regard to the conftitution of the drama, that it ihould be fo, for reafons fufiiciently obvious. Corneille, one cf the many unfuccefsful followers of Sophocles in this fubjedl, has, notwithilanding, given Laius a daughter by Jocafta, whom he calls Dirce, and makes Thefeus in love with her : in the preface to his OEdipus, we find a defence of this epifode, which tg the judicious reader, will yet appear abfolutely indefenixble. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. it?7 Who wiili us fair fuccefs, mciy juftice fmile Propitious, and the gods for ever blefs. CHORUS. Ο ! king, thy imprecations unappal'd I hear, and join thee, guiltlefs of the crime Nor knowing who committed it ; the god Alone, who gave the oracle, muft clear Its doubtful fenfe, and point out the offender» OE D I Ρ U S. *Tis true ; but who fhall force the pow'rs divine i To fpeak their hidden purpofe ? CHORUS. One thing more, If I might fpeak. OE D I Ρ U S. Say on, whate'er thy mindl Shall didate to thee. CHORUS. As amon^ft the gods All-knowing Phcsbus, fo to mortal men Dotii Say on &c. In the original, the chorus fays, ' let me give you a fecond * advice,' to which OEdipus replies, ' if you have a third, don't omit it,' This puts one in mind of Hamlet's odd reply to Rofencraus, ' we ihall obey, ' were ihe ten times our mother.' ExprelFions fo uncommon, and purely idioniatical, will not admit of a literal tranllation ; I have therefore, in tJiis paffage, varied the phrafe, and retain'd only the moil probable meaning of it^ ipS OE D I Ρ υ S Doth fage Tirefias in foreknowledge fure Shine forth preeminent ; perchance his aid Mi^lit much avail us. OE D I Ρ U S. Creon did fuggeil: The fime expedient, and by his advice Twice have I fent for this Tirefias ; much I wonder that he comes not. CHORUS. 'Tis moil fitting We do confult him ; for the idle tales Which rumour fpreads are not to be regarded. OE D I Ρ U S. What are thofe tales? for nought fliou'd we defpife. CHORUS. 'Tis faid, fome trav'Ilers did attack the king. OE D I Ρ U S. It is J but ftill no proof appears. CHORUS. And yet, If it be fo, thy dreadful execration Will force the guilty to confefs. OE D I Ρ U S. By his advice. This circumftance is artfully thrown in by the poet, as it lays a foundation for the fufpicions of OEdipus againft Creon, and prepares the fpedtators for the enfuing quarrel between them. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. τρ9 ΟΕ D Ι ρ υ S. Ο! no! Who fears not to commit the crime will ne'er Be frighted at the curfe that follows it. CHORUS. Behold he comes, who will difcover all, The holy prophet, fee ! they lead him hither ; He knows the truth and will reveal it to us. S C Ε Ν Ε II. TIRESIAS, OEDIPUS, CHORUS. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! fage Tireiias, thou who knoweft all That can be known, the things of heav'n above And earth below, whofe mental eye beholds. Blind as thou art, the ftate of dying Thebes, And weeps her fate, to thee we look for aid. On thee alone for fafety we depend : This anfwer, which perchance thou haft not -heard, Apollo gave ; the plague, he faid, fhou'd ceafe, When thofe who murther'd Laius were difcover'd, And Blind ffs thou art. The antients give us various accounts of the caufe of Tirefias's blindnefs. Ovid, who is perhaps the beft poetical authority, tells us, that Tirefias, being appointed by Jupiter and Juno to decide a difference between them, gave his opinion in favour of the former ; upon which, the l| enraged Juno deprived him of his fight j and Jupiter, to make him amends, beilow'd on him the gift of prophecy. 20D OE D I Ρ υ S And paid tlie forfeit of their crime by death, Or banilliincnt : Ο ! do not then conceal Aught that thy art prophetic from the flight Of birds or other omens may difclofe ; Ο ! fave thyfclf, five this afflidled city, Sa\'e OEdipiis, avenge the guiltlefs dead From this pollution ! thou art all our hope ; Remember 'tis the privilege of man, His nobleft fundion, to aflift the wretched. Τ I R Ε S I A S. Alas ! what mifery it is to know, When knowledge is thus fatal ! Ο ! Tirefias, Thou art undone ! wou'd I had never came 1 OE D I Ρ U S. What fay'ft thou? whence this ftrange dejedion ? fpeak. Τ I R Ε S I A S. Let me be gone; 'twere better for us both That I retire in filence; be advifed. OE D I Ρ U S. It is ingratitude to Thebes who bore And cheriili'd thee, it is unjufl to all, To hide the will of heav'n. Τ I R Ε S I A S. 'Tis raih in thee To τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 20Ι Το aflc, and raili I fear will prove my anfvver. CHORUS. Ο ! do not, by the gods, conceal it from us, Suppliant we all requeil, we all conjure thee. Τ I R Ε S I A S. You know not what you aik; ΙΊΙ not unveil Your mis'ries to you. OE D I Ρ U S. Know'ft thou then our fate. And wilt not tell it? mean'ft thou to betray Thy country and thy king ? Τ I R Ε S I A S. I wou'd not make Myfelf and thee unhappy ; why thus blame My tender care, nor liften to my caution ? OE D I Ρ U S. Wretch as thou art, thou vvou'dft provoke a ilone, Inflexible and cruel, ftill implor'd And ftill refuiing. V Ο L. II. C c Τ I R Ε S I A S. Thou would' β provoke a flone. This is a clofe and literal tranilation of ' Trgroy * φυσιν auy o^T/areia?,' ' vel faxum initare queas.* The uiileanitd reader may probably think the expreffion too low and vulgar for the dignity of the buikin : I have notwithftanding preferved ir, becaufe the phrafe could not be vary'd uathout departing from the orij^inal ; befides that it LrvcF, amo igft many other paffages, to point out the remarkable analogy of the grtck la/iguage with our ovv'n. Z02 OE D I Ρ υ S. τ I R Ε S I A S. Thou condemn'ft my warmth, Forgetful of thy own. OE D I Ρ U S. Who wou'd not rage To fee an injur'd people treated thus With vile contempt? Τ 1 R Ε S I A S. What is decreed by heav'n Muil come to pafs, though I reveal it not. OE D I Ρ U S. Still 'tis thy duty to inform us of it. Τ I R Ε S I A S. Γ11 fpeak no more, not tho' thine anger fwell Ev'n to its utmoft. OE D I Ρ U S. Nor will I be iilent, I tell thee once for all thou wert thyfelf Accomplice in this deed ; nay more, I think, But for thy blindnefs, woud'fl with thy own hand Have done it too. Τ I R Ε S I A S. 'Tis well ; now hear Tireiias ; The fcntcnce, which thou didfl thyfelf proclaim, Falls TYRAN.NUS. 203 Falls on tbyfelf; henceforth fhall never man Hold converfe with thee, for thou art accurs'd The guilty caufe of all this city's woes. OE D I Ρ U S. Audacious traitor, think'ft thou to efcape The hand of vengeance ? Τ I R Ε S I A S. Yes, I fear thee not; For truth is ftronger than a tyrant's arm. OE D I Ρ U S. Whence didft thou learn this ? was it from thy art ? Τ I R Ε S I A S. I learn'd it from thyfelf; thou didft compel me To {peak, unwilling as I was. OE D I Ρ U S. Once more Repeat it then, that I may know my fate More plainly ftill. Τ I R Ε S I A S. Is it not plain already ? C c 2 Of Audacious traitor &c. The charadler of OEdipus begins now to open upon «s, and difplay itfelf : we find him prefumptuous, felf-lufficient, refcntful and fufpicioiis ; his impiety in contemning the prophet of Apollo in this Icene, and his groundlefs accufation of Creon in the next, diminifli our pity for his mis- fortunes, raife a proper degree of terror in the fpedators, and reconcile us to his approaching fate. 204 OE D I ρ υ S. Or mean'/l thou but to tempt me ? OE D I Ρ U S. No; but fay, Speak it again. Τ I R Ε S I A S. Again then I declare Thou art thy fcif the murth'rer whom thou feek'ft. OE D I Ρ U S. A fecond time thou ilialt not pafs unpuniih'd. Τ I R Ε S I A S. What woud'il thou fay, if I £hou'd tell thee all? OE D I Ρ U S. Say ^^■hat thou wilt; for all is falfe. Τ I R Ε S I A S. Know then, That OEdipus, in fhameful bonds united "With thofe he loves, unconfcious of his guilt, Is yet moft guilty. OE D I Ρ U S. Dar'ft thou utter more, And hope for pardon ? Τ I R Ε S I A 8. Yes, if there be ftrength In facred truth, OEDIPUS, τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 20ίΓ ΟΕ D Ι ρ υ S. But truth dwells not in thee: Thy body and thy mind are dark alike, For both are blind ; thy ev'ry fenfe is loft. Τ I R Ε S I A S. Thou doft upbraid me with the lofs of that For which thyfelf e'er long ihalt meet reproach From ev'ry tongue. OE D I Ρ U S. Thou blind and impious traitor ! Thy darknefs is thy fafeguard, or this hour Had been thy laft. Τ I R Ε S I A S. It is not in my fate To fall by thee ; Apollo guards his prieft. OE D I Ρ U S. Was this the tale of Creon, or thy own ? Τ I R Ε S I A S. Creon is guiltlefs, and the crime is thine. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! riches, pow*r, dominion, and thou far Above them all, the beft of human bleilingSj^ Excelling wifdom, how doth envy love To follow and opprefs you ! this fair kingdom,. Which zo6 0£ D I Ρ υ S. WIiIlIi by the nations choice, and not my own, I here poficfs, Creon, my faithful friend, For fjch I thought him once, vvou'd now wreft from me, And has fuborn'd this vile impoftor here. This wand'ring hypocrite, of iharpeft fight AVhcn intVeft prompts, but ignorant and blind AVhcn fools confylt him; tell me, prophet, where AVas all thy art, when the abhorred Sphynx Alarm'd our city? wherefore did not then Thy wifdom fave us? then the man divine Was wanting; but thy birds refus'd their omens, Thy god was filent ; then came OEdipus, This poor, unlearned, uninftruded fage ; Who not from birds uncertain omens drew, But by his own fagacious mind explor'd The hidden myftery ; and now thou com'ft To caft me from the throne my wifdom gain'd. And ihare with Creon my divided empire : But you fhou'd both lament your ill-got powV, You and your bold compeer ; for thee, this moment, But that I bear refpeil unto thy age, rd make thee rue thy execrable purpofe. CHORUS. You both are angry, therefore both to blame ; Much τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 207 Much rather ihou'd you join, with friendly zeal And mutual ardour, to explore the will Of all-deciding heav'n. Τ I R Ε S I A S. What though thou tuV{\. O'er Thebes defpotic, we are equal here ; I am Apollo's fubje£t, and not thine ; Nor want I Creon to proteft me. No ; I tell thee, king, this blind Tireilas tells thee. Seeing thou fee'ft not, know'ft not where thou art, What, or with whom : canfl: thou inform me who Thy parents are, and what thy horrid crimes 'Gainft thy own race, the living and the dead ? ' A father's and a mother's curfe attend thee ; Soon fliall their furies drive thee from the land. And leave thee dark like me ; what mountain then. Or confcious iliore, fhall not return the groans Of OEdipus, and echo to his woes ? When thou fhalt look on the detefted bed, And in that haven, where thou hope'ft to refl:, ' Shalt meet with ftorm and tempeft ; then what ills Shall fall on thee and tliine ! now vent thy rage On Whaf }7ioimtain (hen. In the original, it is, what Cithirron ? Cithieron was the mountain where OEdipus was expofed when an infant ; this, therefore» has a remarkable propriety, but could not be expreiVd in. the tranilatiuUo « 2o8 OE D I ρ υ S. On old Tirefias, and the guiltlefs Creon ; We ΐΉαΙΙ be foon aveng'd, for ne'er did heav'n Cut off a wretch fo bafe, fo vile as thou art. OE D I Ρ U S. Muft I bear this from thee? away, begone, Home, villain, home. Τ I R Ε S I A S. I did not come to thee Unfent for. OE D I Ρ U S. Had I thought thou woud'ft have thus Infulted me, I had not call'd thee hither. Τ I R Ε S I A S. Perhaps thou hold'il Tireiias as a fool, And madman; but thy parents thought me wife. OE D I Ρ U S. My parents, faid'ft thou ? fpeak, who were my parents ? Τ I R Ε S I A S. This day, that gives thee life, fliall give thee death. OE D I Ρ U S. This day 6V. That if, * this day, which ihall difcover who thy. parents are * that gave thee life, ihall alfo, by that difcovery, caufe thy death, when thou ' flialt be found the mui;herer of thy father :' he tells him afterv\ards, that his virtues had undone him, which was literally true, as his wifdom in ex- pounding tlie riddle of the Sphynx, and his good fortune in being faved by the iliephtrd in his infancy, gave him the opportunity of committing thofe ci;n.es which he could otherwife never have been guilty of. The afFeded obfcurity τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 2ορ ΟΕ D Ι ρ υ S. Still dark, and ftill perplexing are the words Thou utter'ft. Τ I R Ε S I A S. 'Tis thy bufinefs to unriddle, And therefore thou can'ft beft interpret them. OE D I Ρ U S. Thou doft reproach me for my virtues. Τ I R Ε S I A S. They, And thy good fortune, have undone thee. OE D I Ρ U S. Since I fav'd the city, I'm content. Τ I R Ε S I A S. Farewell. Boy, lead me hence. OE D I Ρ U S.- Away with him, for here His prefence but difturbs us ; being gone. We iliall be happier. Τ I R Ε 8 I A S. OEdipus, I go, VOL. II. ^ D d But obfcurity of Tirefias's predidions keeps the fpeclators in a proper fufpence, and, at the fame time, throws an air of folemnity over the fcene, which renders it more mterelling. 210 OE D I Ρ υ S But fiifc inform thee, for I fear thee not, AVhcrcfore 1 cair.c ; know then, I came to tell thee. The man thou Icck'fl:, the man on whom thou pour'dft Thy execrations, ev'n the murtherer Of Laius, now is here ; a fceming ftranger And vet a Tht'^aii : he ihall fuffer foon For all his crimes; from light and affluence driv'n To penury and darknefs, poor and blind, Prop'd on his ftafi', and from his native land Expeh'd ; I fee him in a foreign clime A hclplcfs wand'rer ; to his fons at once, A father, and a brother; child, and huiband Of her from whom he fprang : adulterous, Incciluous parricide, now fare thee well ; Go, learn the truth, and if it be not fo, Say I have ne'er defcrv'd the name of prophet, CHORUS. STROPHE I. When will the guilty wretch appear, Whom Delphi's facred oracle demands ; Author When ijuill the' guilty, &c. Tliis is the fecond intermede, or fong of the cho- rus, who, divided between hope and fear, concerning the murcher of Laius, exprefs their fentiments on this occafion : their refpedl and veneration for the charaitcr of Tirefias, inclines them to believe him ; whilil, on the other hand, their regard for OEJipus would perfuade them to queftion the prophet's vera- city i they determine therefore in favour of their fovereign, and conclude him iniiocenr. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ 5. 211 Author of crimes too black for mortal ear, Dipping in royal blood his facrilegious hands ? Swift as the ftorm by rapid whirlwinds driven, QLiick let him fly th' impending wrath of heav'n ; For lo ! the angry fon of Jove, Arm'd with red lightnings from above, Purfues the murth'rer with immortal hate, And round him fpreads the fnares of unrelenting fate. ANTISTROPHE I. From fteep Parnaflus' rocky cave, Cover'd with fnow, came forth the dread command ^ Apollo thence his facred mandate gave, To fearcn the man of blood through evVy land : Silent, and fad, the weary wand'rer roves, O'er pathlefs rocks, and folitary groves, Hoping to 'fcape the wrath divine, Denounc'd from great Apollo's fhrine ; Vain hopes to 'Icape the fate by htav'n decreed ; For vengeance hovers fliU o'er his devoted head. STROP il Ε II. Tirefias, fam'd for wifdom's h^e, Hath dreadful ills to OEdipus divin'd; And as his words myilerious I explore, Ur.numbei'd doubts perplex my anxious min.l, D d 2 Now 2IZ OE D I Ρ υ S Now rais'd by hope, and now with fears opprefs'd. Sorrow and joy alternate fill my bread : How ihou'd thefe haplefs kings be foes, When never ftrife between them rofe ! Or why iliou'd Laius, flain by hands unknown, Bring foul difgrace on Polybus' unhappy fon ? A Ν Τ I S Τ R Ο Ρ Η Ε II. From Phoebus and all- feeing Jove Nought can be hid of adions here below ; But earthly prophets may deceitful prove, And little more than other mortals know : Though much in wifdom man doth man excell, In all that's human error ftill muft dwell : Cou'd he commit the bloody deed, Who from the Sphynx our city freed ? Ο ! no ! he never ihed the guiltlefs blood, The Sphynx declares him wife, and innocent, and good. [Exeunt. Polylus unhappy fin. This circumftance pleads ftrongly in favour of OEdi- pus, who is Λίΐΐ luppokd to be the ion of Poiybus ; it was not therefore pro- bable, that he ihould murther a man who had never iniured him, and with whom he could have no connedion. End of A C Τ II. ACT τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 215 ACT III. SCENE I. CREON, CHORUS. C R Ε Ο N. /^ ! citizens, with grief I hear your king Hath blafted the fair fame of guiltlefs Creon! And moft unjuftly brands me with a crime My foul abhors : whilft defolation fpreads On ev'ry fide, and univerfal ruin Hangs o'er the land, if I in word or deed Cou'd join to fwell the woes of haplefs Thebes, I were unworthy, nay I wou'd not wiili To live another day : alas, my friends, Thus to be deem'd a traitor to my country. To you my fellow-citizens, to all That hear me, Ο ! 'tis infimy, and ilia me ; I cannot, will not bear it. CHORUS. 'Twas th' effcft Of fudden anger only, what he faid But cou'd not think. CREON. Who told him I fjborn'd The 2-4 0£ D I ρ υ S Tlie prophet to fpcak falicly ? what cou'd raife 'I'his vile fiifpicion ? CHORUS. Such he liad, but whence I know not. C R Ε Ο N. Talk'd he thus with firm coiiipofure And confidence of mind ? CHORUS. I cannot fay ; 'Tis not. for me to know the thoughts of kings, Or judge their adions ; but behold, he comes. SCENE 11. OE D I Ρ U S, C R Ε Ο N, C Η Ο R U S. OE D I Ρ U 8. Ha ! Creon here ? and dar'ft thou thus approach My palace, thou who woud'H hive murther'd me, And ta'cu my kingdom ? by the gods I aik thee, Anfwer me, traitor, did'fi thou think me fool, Or coward, that ί cou\l not fee thy aits. Or had net flrcngth to vanquuli them? what madnefs, What fl range infatuation led thee on. Without or force, or friends, to grain at empire, AVhich only their united force can give ? What τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. ζι^ What wert thou doing ? C R Ε Ο Ν. Hear what I iliall aniwer, Then judge impartial. OE D I Ρ U S. Thou can'il: talk it well, But I fhall ne'er attend to thee ; thy guilt Is plain ; thou art my deadlieft foe. C R Ε Ο N. But hear What I iliall urge. OE D I Ρ U S. Say not, thou'rt innocent. C R Ε Ο N. If felf-opinion void of reafon feem Convi6lion to thee, know thou err' ft moft grofsly. OE D I Ρ U S. And thou more grofsly, if thou think'fl to pufs Unpunifli'd for this inj'ry to thy friend. C R Ε Ο N. I ihou'd not, were I guilty ; but what crime Have I committed ? tell me. OE D I Ρ U S. Wert not thou The 2i6 OE D I ρ υ S The man who urg'd me to require the aid Of your all-knowing prophet? C R Ε Ο N. True, I was ; I did perfuade you; fo I wou'd again. OE D I Ρ U S. II I-Iow long is it fmce Laius — C R Ε Ο Ν. Laius ? what ? OE D I Ρ U S. Since Laius fell by hands unknown? C R Ε Ο N. A long, Long trad of years. OE D I Ρ U S. Was this Tirefias then A prophet ? C R Ε Ο N. Ay ! in wifdom and in fame As now excelling. OE D I Ρ U S. Did he then fay aught Concerning me? C R Ε Ο N. 1 never heard he did. OE D I Ρ U S. I τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 217 ΟΕ D I ρ υ S. Touching this murther, did you ne'er enquire Who were the authors ? C R Ε Ο N. Doubtlefs; but in vain. OE D I Ρ U S. Why did not this fame prophet then inform you ? C R Ε Ο N. I know not that, and when I'm ignorant I'm always hlent. PE D I Ρ U S. What concerns thyfelf At leaft thou know'il, and therefore ilioud'fl: declare it. C R Ε Ο N. What is it ? fpeak; and if 'tis in my powV, I'll anfwer thee. OE D I Ρ U S. Thou know'il, if this Tirefias Had not combin'd with thee, he wou'd not thus Accufe me, as the murtherer of Laius. C R Ε Ο N. What he declares, thou befl: can'ft tell : of me, What thou requir'ft, myfelf am yet to learn. OE D I Ρ U S. Go, learn it thenj but ne'er fhalt thou difcover, V Ο L. II. Ε e That 2i8 OE D I ρ υ S That OEdipus is guilty. C R Ε Ο N. Art not thou My fifter's huiband? OE D I Ρ U S. Granted. C R Ε Ο N. Join'd with her, Thou rul'ft o'er Thebes. OE D I Ρ U S. 'Tis true, and all flie aiks Moil freely do I give her. C R Ε Ο N. Is not Creon In honour next to you ? OE D I Ρ U S. Thou art ; and therefore The more ungrateful. CREON. Hear what I fhall plead, And thou wilt never think fo : tell mc, prince, -> Is Jcind with her, &c. Creon, as brother to the queen, and prefumptive heir to the crown after the death of Laius, had reafon to think himfelf aggrieved by the marriage of OEdipus, and his fucceffion to the kingdom of Thebes ; a circuniflance which, though unobferved by the commentators, accounts in the niofh prob.ible manner for the ftrong fufpicions of the one, and the warm re- ientment of the other. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 2ΐρ h there a man, who vvou'd prefer a throne With all its dangers to an equal rank In peace and fafety ? I am not of thofe Who chufe the name of king before the powV ; Fools only make fuch widies : I have all From thee, and fearlefs I enjoy it all : Had I the fceptre, often muft I aft Againft my will ; know then, I am not yet So void of fenfe and reafon, as to quit A real 'vantage for a feeming good : Am I not happy, am I not rever'd, Embrac'd, and lov'd by all ? to me they come Who want thy favour, and by me acquire it : What then fhou'd Creon wiQi for ; iliall he leave All this for empire? bad dellres corrupt The faireft mind : I never entertain'd A thought fo vile, nor wou'd I lend my aid To forward fuch bafe purpofes : but go To Delphos, aik the facred oracle If I have fpoke the truth; if there you find That with the prophet I confpir'd,, deftroy The guilty Creon; not thy voice alone Shall then condemn me, for myfelf will join In the juft fentence ; but accufe me not Ε e 2 On ^^o OE D I Ρ υ S On weak fufpicion's moil uncertain teft ; Jiiftice vvou'd never call the wicked good, Or brand fair virtue with the name of vice Unmerited: to caft away a friend Faithful and juft, is to deprive ourfelves Of life and being, which we hold moft dear :, But time and time alone revealeth all; That only ihews the good man's excellence; A day fufficeth to unmaik the wicked. CHORUS. Ο ! king, his caution merits your regard ; Who judge in hafte do feldom judge aright. OE D I Ρ U S. When they are quick who plot againft my life, 'Tis fit I fliou'd be quick in my defence ; If I am tame and filent, all they wiOi Will foon be done, and OEdipus muft fall. C R Ε Ο N. What wou'dft thou have ? my baniiliment ? OE D I Ρ U S. Thy death. C R Ε Ο N. But firft inform me wherefore I fliou'd dve. OE D I Ρ U S. Deft thou rebel then? wilt thou not fubmit? C R Ε Ο N. I τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. ζζΐ C R Ε ο Ν. Not when I fee thee thus decciv'd. OE D I Ρ U S. 'Tis fit I fliou'd defend my own. C R Ε Ο N. And fo iliou'd I. OE D I Ρ U S. ,_, Thou art a traitor. C R Ε Ο N. What if it ihou'd prove I am not fo. OE D I Ρ U S. A king muft be obey'd. C R Ε Ο N. Not if his orders are unjuft. OE D I Ρ U S. O! Thebes! O! Not if his orders are unjiifl. This republican fentiment, though extremely well adapted to an athenian audience, is but ill luited to the tafte of an arbitrary go- , vernment, Mr. Dacier has therefore, with the true fpirit of a Frenchman, apo- ! logiled, in his notes, for this freedom ; he obferver, that the chriilian religion teaclies us to obey not only good, but the worft of princes, and alferts that to ^blige kings to give a reafon for their adtions, is the higheit injuftice, being in ladt no lefs a crime than to turn kings into fubjedts, and fubjedls into kings : were an Engliiliman to comment on this pafiage, he would perhaps be ol a dired contrary opinion, and prefer the fentiment of Sophocles to that of the French critic. zzr OE D I Ρ υ s ο ! citizens ! C R Ε Ο Ν. I too can call on Thebes ; She is my country. CHORUS. Ο ! no more, my lords, For fee, Jocafta comes in happieil: hour To end your conteft. SCENE III. JOCASTA, CREON, OEDIPUS, CHORUS. J Ο C A S Τ A. Whence this fudden tumult ? Ο ! princes, is this well ? at fuch a time With idle broils to multiply the woes Of wretched Thebes ? Home, home, for fhame, nor thus With private quarrel? fwell the public ruin. CREON. Sifter, thy huiband hath moft: bafely us'd me; He threatens me with baniiliment or death. OE D I Ρ U S. I do confefs it ; for he did confpire . m With vile and wicked arts againft my life. I CREON. O! may I never profper, but accurs'd, Unpity'd, perifh if I ever did. JOCASTA. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 223 J ο C Α S τ Αί Believe him, OEdipus; revere the gods Whom he attefts, if thou doft love Jocafta; Thy fubjedls beg it of thee. CHORUS. Hear, Ο I king ; Coniider, we intreat thee. OE D I Ρ U S. What woud'il have ? Think you I'll e'er fubmit to him ? CHORUS. Revere His charadler, his oath, both pleading for him; OE D I Ρ U S. But know you what you aik ? CHORUS. We do. OE D I Ρ U S. What is it ? CHORUS. We aik thee to believe a guiltlefs friend, Nor caft him forth diihonour'd thus, on flight Sufpicion's weak furmife. OE D I Ρ U S. Requefting this, You 224 OE D I Ρ υ S You do requeft my baniiliment, or death. CHORUS. No; by yon leader of the heavenly hoft, Th' immortal fun, I had not fuch a thought; I only felt for Thebes' diftrefsful ftate, And wou'd not have it by domeflic ftrife Embitter'd thus. OE D I Ρ U S. Why, let him then depart: If OEdipus muft die, or leave his country, For fhameful exile, be it fo; I yield To thy requeft, not his ; for hateful ftill Shall Creon ever be. C R Ε Ο N. Thy ilubborn foul Bends with reludance, and when anger fires it Is terrible ; but natures form'd like thine Are their own puniihment. OE D I Ρ U S. Wilt thou not hence? Wilt not be gone ? CREON. I go ; thou know'ft me not ; But thefe will do me juftice. [ Exit Creon. SCENE τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 229 SCENE IV. JOCASTA, OEDIPUS, CHORUS. CHORUS. Princefs, now Perfuade him to retire. JOCASTA. Firil, let me know The caufe of this diilenilon. CHORUS. From reports Uncertain, and fufpicions moft injurious, The quarrel rofe. JOCASTA. Was th' accufation mutual ? CHORUS. It was. JOCASTA. What follow'd then ? CHORUS. Aflc me no more ; Enough's already known ; we'll not repeat The woes of haplefs Thebes. OE D I Ρ U S. You all are blind, VOL. II. F f Inilnfible, 2.16 OE D I ρ υ S Infenfiblc, unjuft ; you love me not, Yet boail: your piety. CHORUS. I faid before, Again I fay, that not to love my king Ev'n as myfelf wou'd mark me for the worft Of men ; for thou did'ft fave expiring Thebes : Ο ! rife once more, proteil, prefervc thy country ! J Ο C A S Τ A. Ο ! king, inform me, whence this ftrange diffention ? OE D I Ρ U S, I'll tell thee, my Jocafta, for thou know'ft The love I bear thee, w^hat this wicked Creon Did artfully devife againil me. J Ο C A S Τ A, Speak it. If he indeed be guilty. OE D I Ρ U S. Creon fays That I did murther Laius. J Ο C A S Τ A. Spake he this, As knowing it himfelf, or from another ? OE D I Ρ U S. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. ίζη ΟΕ D Ι ρ υ S. He had fuborn'd that evil-working prieft ; And iharpens ev'ry tongue againft his king. J Ο C A S Τ A. Let not a fear perplex thee, OEdipus ; Mortals know nothing of futurity, And thefe prophetic feers are all impoftors ; I'll prove it to thee : know then, Laius once, Not from Apollo, but his priefts, receiv'd An oracle, which faid, it was decreed He fhou'd be flain by his own fon, the offspring Of Laius and Jocafta ; yet he fell By ftrangers, murther'd, for fo fame reports. By robbers in the place where three ways meet : A fon was born, but e'er three days had paft, The infant's feet were bor'd ; a fervant took And left him on the pathlefs mountain's top, To perifh there : thus Phoebus ne'er decreed That he fhou'd kill his father, or that Laius, Which much he fear'd, Oiou'd by his fon be ilain: Such is the truth of oracles ; henceforth Regard them not ; what heav'n wou'd have us know, It can with cafe unfold, and will reveal it. F f 2 OEDIPUS, lis OE D I ρ υ S OE D I ρ υ S. What thou haft faid, Jocafta, much difturbs me .^ I tremble at it. J Ο C Λ S Τ A. Wherefore fhou'dft thou fear? OE D I Ρ U S. Methought I heard thee fay, Laius was ilain Where three ways meet. J Ο C A S Τ A. 'Twas fo reported then, And is fo ftill. OE D I Ρ U S. Where happen'd the misfortune ? J Ο C A S Τ A. In Phocis, where the roads unite that lead To Delphi and to Daulia. OE D I Ρ U S. Hov/ long ilnce ? JOG AST A. What thou hafl fahi &c. The conduit of the fable, throughout this play, cannot be fufficiently admired ; every thing advanced by Jocalta, to delboy tlie force of the oracle, tends to confirm it ; and every argument, which ilie brings to remove the fears of OEdipus, increafes them : the whole vifibly cal- culated to imprefs this moral and religious truth on the minds of the audience, viz. that whatever is decreed by divine providence mufi: inevitably come to pals ; and that all the means, which are made ufe of by men to counteradt it's defigns, do, in the end, only promote and forward the accompliiliment of them : nothing can be more interefting than the following fcene between Oedipus and Jocafta. ) τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. ΖΖ9 J ο C Α S τ Α. Α little time e'er you began to reign O'er Thebes, we heard it. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! alniighty Jove ! What wilt thou do with me? J Ο C A S Τ A. Why talk'ft thou thus? OE D I Ρ U S. Aik me no more ; but tell me of this Laius, What was his age, and ftature ? J Ο C A S Τ A. He was tall ; His hairs juft turning to the iilver hue ; His form not much unlike thy own. OE D I Ρ U S. O! me! Sure I have call'd down curfes on myfelf Unknowing. J Ο C A S Τ A. Ha ! what fay'il thou, OEdipus ! I tremble whilft I look on thee. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! much ajo OE D I Ρ υ S I fear, the prophet ilivv too well; but fay, One thing will make it clear. J Ο C A S Τ A. I dread to hear it; Yet fpeak, and I will tell thee. OE D I Ρ U S. Went he forth With few attendants, or a num'rous train, In kingly pomp ? J Ο C A S Τ A. They were but five in all ; The herald with them ; but one chariot there, Which carried Laius. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! 'tis but too plain : Who brought the news ? J Ο C A S Τ A. A fervant, who a'one Efcap'd IVithfe'w attenaants. Dacier laughs, with fome reafon, at the abfurdity of Scntca, who, in his ridiculous refinement on Sophocles, equips Laius with a large retinue ; but informs us, that great part ol liis guards loft their way, and left his majefty with only two or three footmen in a by-place. ' Voila (fays ' the French critic) une belle invention, de faire egarer les gardes dans un * voyage de 1 hcbes a Delphes, ccft a dire, dans un chemin auiH connu que ' cclui dc Paris α V^erfailles, & prefqu' aufli frequente.' Mr. Dacier is right in fiis criticifm ; but to expofe the errors of Seneca would be a endlefs and unnecclfary tafk ; the trueft idea of the merit of Sophocles might perhaps be form'd by an accurate comparifon of his OEdipus with that of his Roman rival. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 251 Efcap'd with life. OE D I Ρ υ S. ft That fervant, is he here ? J Ο C A S Τ A. Ο ! no ! his maftcr ilain, when he returned And faw thee on the throne of Thebes, with pray'r Moft earneft he befeech'd me to difmifs him, That he might• leave this city, where he wifli'd No longer to be feen, but to retire, And feed my flocks ; I granted his requefl; j For that and more his honeft fervices Had merited. OE D I Ρ U S. I beg he may be fent for Immediately. J Ο C A S Τ A. He iliall ; but wherefore is it ? OE D I Ρ U S. I fear thou'ft faid too much, and therefore wiih To fee him. J Ο C A S Τ A. He fhall come ; but, Ο ! my lord, Am I not worthy to be told the caufc Of this diftrefs? OE D I Ρ U S. 252 ΟΕ D I ρ υ S . ΌΕ D I ρ υ S. ' Thou art, and I will tell thee ; Thou art my hope j to whom Hiou'd I impart My forrows, but to thee ? Know then, Jocafta, I am the the fon of Polybus, who reigns At Corinth, and the Dorian Merope His queen ; there long I held the foremoft rank, Honour'd and happy, when a ftrange event, (For ftrange it was, tho' little meriting The deep concern I felt; alarm'd me much ; A drunken rev'Iler at a feafl: proclaim'd That I was only the fuppofed fon Of Corinth's king; fcarce cou'd I bear that day The vile reproach; the next, I fought my parents, And aflc'd of them the truth • they too, enrag'd, Refented much the bafe indignity ; I lik'd their tender warmth, but ftill I felt A fecret anguiili, and unknown to them Sought out the Pythia-n oracle ; in vain ; Toijching my parents, nothing cou'd I learn ; But dreadful were the mis'ries it denounc'd Agahift me ; 'twas my fate, Apollo faid. To wed my mother, to produce a race Accurfed and abhorr'd ; and laft, to flay My τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 2-3? My father who begat me ; ilid decree ! Left I iliou'd e'er fulfil the dire piedidion, Inftant I fled from Corinth, by the ftars Guiding my haplcfs journey to the place Where thou report'ft this wretched king was flain ; But I will tell thee the whole truth ; at lenorth I came to where the three ways meet ; when, lo ! A herald, with another man like him Whom thou delcrib'ft, and in a chariot, met me ; Both ftrove with violence to drive me back ; Enrag'd I ftruck the charioteer, when ftrait, As I advanced, tlie old man faw, and twice Smote me o'th' head, but dearly foon repay 'd The infult on me ; from his chariot roU'd Prone on the earth, beneath my ftafF he fell, And inftantly expir'd : th' attendant train All fliar'd his fate: if this unhappy ftranger And Laius be the fame, lives there a wretch VOL. II. G g So Bxihe/Ieriy &c. Moil of the commentators on this paillige have confvJer'd it merely as a provtibial exprefiion, apply u in general to all who made long and dangerous journeys, and only alluding to ihe cuftom of navigators, who were diredkd in their voyaees by the Hars^ but as aftronomy \^.as in great cfleem amongft the antients,^it is perhaps mcil: prcbable that they guided themfclvcs by land, as well as by fea, according to the courfe and fuuation of thofe lumi- naries : 'there is therefore no occafion to have recourfe to a proverb for the cx- prefrion, efpecially as the method of travelling is in pradice, in iome parts of the world, even to this day. Z54 OE D I Ρ υ S So curs'd, fo hateful to the gods as I am ? Nor citizen, nor alien mull; receive, Or x;onvcrrej or communion hold with me, But drive me forth with infamy and fliame ; The dreadful curfe pronounc'd by my own lips Shall foon o'ertake me : I liave flain'd the bed Of him whom I had murther'd ; am I then Aught but pollution ? If I fly from hence, The bed of inceft meets me, and I go To flay my fither Polybus, the beft, The tend'reft parent ; this muft be the work Of fome malignant pow'r : ye righteous gods, Let me not fee that day, but ^ reft in death, Rather than fuffer fuch calamity ! CHORUS. Ο ! king, we pity thy diftrefs ; but wait With patience his arrival, and defpair not. OEDIPUS. My father Polybus, (^c. The plot advances gradually, and as it were infen- fibly, CO the utmoft point of perfection : OEdipus is already but too well con- I vinced that he is the murtherer of Laius, but ftill believes himfelf the fon of Polybus, and Merope. If the cafual murther of a ftranger, and the marriage of his widow, makes him fo unhappy ; what will be his condition, when he difcovers that itranger to be his father, and that widov/, his mother? His arrival. The arrival of the Tnepherd mention'd by Jocafi:a, whom we fliall nnd of fignal fervice in keeping up the attention of the fpeftators and protrading the cataitrophe. \ τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 235• ΟΕ D Ι ρ υ S. That ihepherd is my only hope : Jocafta, Wou'd he were here ! J Ο C A S Τ A. Suppofe he were ; what then ? What wou'dft thou do ? OE D I Ρ U S. I'll tell thee ; if he fays The fame as thou doft, I am fafe, and guiltlefs. J Ο C A S Τ A. What faid I then ? OE D I Ρ U S. Thou faid'ft he did report Laius was flain by robbers ; if 'tis true He fell by numbers, I am innocent. For I was unattended ; if but one Attack'd and flew him, doubtlefs I am he. J Ο C A S Τ A. Be fatisfy'd it mufl: be as he firft Reported it ; he cannot change the talc ; Not I alone, but the whole city heard it : Or grant he fhou'd, the oracle was ne'er Fulfill'd ; for Phccbus faid, jocafla's fon Shou'd llay his ialhcr ; that cou'd never be ; G cr 2 For ζ•^6 ΟΕ D I Ρ υ S For, Ο ! Jocafta's Γοη long fmce is dead ; He cou'd not murther Laius j therefore, never AVill I attend to prophecies again. OE D I Ρ U S. Right, my Jocafta ; but, I beg thee, fend And fetch this fhepherd ; do not fail. J Ο C A S Τ A. I will This moment ; come, my lord, let us go in ; I will do nothing but what pleafes thee. [Exeunt. SCENE V. CHORUS. STROPHE I. Grant me henceforth, ye pow'rs divine, In virtue's pureft paths to tread ! In ev'ry word, in ev'ry deed, • May iandity of manners ever fliine ! Obedient to the laws of Jove, The laws defcended from above, Which Grant me henceforth &c. This is the third intermede or ίοη^τ of the chorus; who fhock'd at the impiety of Jocafta, in queftioning the truth of the oracle, agreeably to their office and charadler, declare their abhorrence of fuch pre- fumption, and deprecate the wrath of the gods, which muft inevitably fall on the delinquent : the whole is full of noble and religious fentiments adaptea>-to the fubjeft. I τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 257 Which, not hke thofe by ftehlc mortals "iv'ii Bury'd in dark oblivion lye, Or worn by time decay, and dye, But bloom eternal like their native heav'n ! ANTISTROPHE I. Pride firft gave birth to tyranny : That hateful vice, infulting pride, When, ev'ry human povv'r dei;/'d, She lifts to glory's heighth her votary ; Soon ftumblinp; from her tott'rino; throne. She throws the wretched vidlim down : But may the god indulgent hear my prayV, That god whom humbly I adore, Ο ! may he fmile on Thebes once more. And take it's wretched iiionaich to his care ! STROPHE II. Periih the impious and prophanc. Who, void of reveiential fear, Nor juftice, nor the la\vs revere, Who leave their god for pleafure or tor gain ί Who fwell by fraud their ill-got (lore, Who rob the wretched and the poor ! If Fcrifd the impious ^Sc. This apparently glances at the conJu^: of Jtxaila in the preceding fcene ; though the chorus, out ot relpctit to their icvcreign, exprefs themCclves in general "terms, and rather kcm to exculpate themielvcs than to accufe her. 238 OE D I Ρ υ S If vice unpunilh'd virtue's meed obtain, Who iliall refrain th' impetuous foul ? The rebel pafTions who controul? Or wherefore do I lead this choral train ? ANTISTROPHE II. No more to Delphi's facred fhrine Need we with incenfe now repair, No more fliall Phocis hear our pray'r, Nor fair Olympia fee her rites divine ; If oracles no longer prove The pow'r of Pha;bus and of Jove : Great lord of all, from thy eternal throne Behold, how impious men defame Thy lov'd Apollo's honour'd name ; Ο ! guard his rights, and vindicate thy own. [Exeunt. Jfrice ί/ηρίίηφ'ί! &c. ' If vice, fays the chorus, meets with the reward of ' virtue, who will be good and virtuous, or why fliould v/e facrificc to the * gods r' Wc meet with a parallel paiTage in holy writ. ' I was grieved at the wicked (fays David) I do fee the ungodly in fuch ' profperity, thefe profper in the world, and thefe have riches in poffefTion ; * and I fai.l, then have I cleanfed my heart in vain, and waflied my hands * in innocency.' Pfal. 73. No more to Deipl.ns (Sc. It was ufual to depute certain priefts from every temple to carry ofierings to the temple of Apollo, and to 3ίΓιΠ: at the aficm- blies of Greece, particularly at Olympia, or Pifa, a city of Elis in the Pelo- ponnefus, famous for the Olympic games, and the temple of Jupiter. End of A C Τ lil. ACT τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 25Ρ ACT IV. S C Ε Ν Ιί Ι. J ο C Α S τ Α, CHORUS, J Ο C Α S Τ Α. Ο AGES and rulers of the land, I come To fcek the altars of the gods, and there With incenfe and oblations to appeafe Offended heav'n : my OEdipus, alas ! No longer wife and prudent, as you all Remember once he wa^^, v/ith prefent things Compares the pail, nor judges like himfeU ; Unnumber'd cares perplex his anxious mind, Arid ev'ry tale awakes new terrors in him ; "Vain is mv counfel, for he hears me not. Firft then, to thee, Ο ! Phoebus, for thou flill Art Sages and 7-uIers &c. The title of Ατακτί;, or rulers, with which Jocart a falutds the chorus, plainly points out to us the age and (Jij;iiity of thole whj compofed it, being only given to tiie guardians awA defenders of their co.u 11- try. Jocafta, we fee, alarm'd at the defpondency aiid miferable condition of OEdipus, enters with boughs of fupplication in her hand, and is «going with great humility to the temples of the gods, whofe oracles flie liad jurt before treated with contempt : fo natural is the tranfiti^n from open impiety and prefuraption to fervile fears, and enthuiiaftic fupcriiition. Πκβ then to thee, (s'c. The words ' ay^nQ-, yxo e•.' ' thou art the neareft,* have puzzled the commentators. 1 have vent..;rc:i to give them α ligurative fenfe, as m. ft agreeable to the context. There is, 1 thiiik, a propriety in her firfr a, id partiLular application to Apollo on this cccafion, as it was probably meant to make amends for her former impiety and contempt of him. 240 OE D I ρ υ S Art near to help the wretched, we appeal ; And fuppliant beg thee now to grant thy aid Propitious ; deep is our diftrefs ; for, Ο ! We fee our pilot iinking at the helm, And much already fear the veiTel loft. SCENE II. SHEPHERD from Corinth, JOCASTA, CHORUS. SHEPHERD. Can you inftruil me, ftrangers, which way lyes The palace of king OEdipus ; himfelf I wou'd moft gladly fee ; can you inform me ? CHORUS. This is the palace ; he is now within ; Thou fee'ft his queen before thee. SHEPHERD. Ever bleft And happy with the happy may 'ft thou live. JOCASTA. Stranger, the fame good wiiK to thee, for well Thy words deferve it; but fiy, wherefore com'ft thou, And With the hc!,fpy\ &c. There is fomething remarkable in tliis wifh ; * ηιαν'ίΐ ' thou live, not only happy thylelf, but with thofe who are fo !' Sophocles knew that a good mind, even in the midft of affluence, could enjoy no felicity, whilit there were fcer.es of mifery, and dillrcfi before it j and that all human hap- piaefs is incrt^afed by participation. τ γ R Λ Ν Ν υ S. 14.1 And what's thy news ? SHEPHERD. To thee, and to thy huiband, Pleafure, and joy. J Ο C A S Τ A. What pleafure ? and whence art thou? SHEPHERD. From Corinth : to be brief, I bring thee tidings Of good and evil. J Ο C A S Τ A. Ha ! what mean thy words Ambiguous ? SHEPHERD. Know then, if report fay true, The Ifthmian people will choofe OEdipus Their fov'reign. J Ο C A S Τ A. Is not Polybus their king ? SHEPHERD. No ; Polybus is dead. V Ο L. II. Η h J Ο C A S Τ A. The Ifthiiian people. The people of Corinth j Γο called from the famous Ifthmus there, Polybus is dead. This peiipetie, or change of fortune, ariTing fo naturally, and fo agreeably bringing on the cataftrophe, has been defcrvedly celebrated by the critics : the news of Folybus's deaih, and the difcovcry oHiis not being the father of OEdipus, inftead ot delivering that unfortunate king from all his lears, becomes the means of dilplaying his guilt, and involving him in ruin and dellrudion : nothing, as Ariitotle obfeives, can be more complcatly tragical. 241 OE D I ρ υ S J ο C A S τ A. What fay'ft thou? dead? SHEPHERD. If I fpeak falfcly, may death feize on me I J Ο C A S Τ A. [To one of her attendants. Why fly 'ft thou not to tell thy mafter ? hence ! What are you now, you oracles divine! Where is your truth? the fearful OE lipus, From Corinth fled, left he fliou'd flay the king, This Poly bus, who perifh'd, not by him, But by the hand of heav'n. SCENE III. OEDIPUS, JOCASTA, SHEPHERD, CHORUS, OE D I Ρ U S. My dear Jocafta, Why haft thou call'd me hither? JOCASTA, Hear this man, And when thou hear'ft him, mark what faith is due To your revered oracles. OE D I Ρ U S. Who is he ? And what doth he report ? J Ο C A S Τ A. He comes from Corinth ; And τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 245 And fays, thy father Polybus is dead. OE D I Ρ U S. What fay'ft thou, ftrangcr ? fpcak to me, Ο ! fpcak. SHEPHERD. If touching this thou firft defir'ft my anfwer ; Know, he is dead. OE D I Ρ U S. How dy'd he ? fay, by treafon, Or feme difeafe ? SHEPHERD. Alas ! a little force Will lay to reft the weary limbs of age. OE D I Ρ U S. Diflemper tlien did kill him? SHEPHERD. That in part, And part a length of years that wore him down. OE D I Ρ U S. Now, my Jocafla, who fliall henceforth tnift To prophecies, and feers, and clamorous birds With their vain omens: they who had decreed That I fjioifd kill my father ? he, thou fccfc Beneath the earth lies buried, whilit I live in fat.ety here, and guiltlcfs oi his blood : Η h 2 Unlefs 244 OE D I Ρ υ S Unlcfs perhaps forrow for lofs of me Shorten'd his days, thus only cou'd I kill My father; but he's gone, and to the fliades Hath carry 'd with him thofe vain oracles Of fancy'd ills, no longer worth my care. J Ο C A S Τ A. Did I not fay it wou'd be thus? OE D I Ρ U S. Thou didft ; But I was full of fears. J Ο C A S Τ A. Henceforth, no more Indulge them. OE D I Ρ U S. But my mother's bed — that ftill Muft be avoided : I muft fly from that. J OCAS Τ A. Unlcfs perhaps &c. This is merely as it were in triumph over the predic- tion, and as a circumftance too ridiculous to deferve attention. As foon as OEdipus is acquainted with the death of Polybus, his fuppofed father, he fides wich Jocafta, and laughs at the oracle : the event, however, proved the folly of this contempt and impiety, and conveys at the fame time this ufeful leffoii to mankind, viz. that nothing is to be doubted, ridiculed, or call'd in quef- tion, that comes from heaven, how difputablc foever it may appear in the eyes of men, who are unable to comprehend it. If the antient drama may be thought by fome to fall fliort of the modern in fome lefs important points, we mud at leaft acknowledge it, with regard to morality, infinitely fuperior to our own. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 24? J ο C Α S τ Α. Why iliou'd man fear, whom chance, and chance alone Doth ever rule ? Foreknowledge all is vain, And can determine nothing ; therefore beil It is to live as fancy leads, at large, Uncurb'd, and only fubjedl to our will. Fear not thy mother's bed : oft' times in dreams Have men committed inceft ; but his life Will ever be moft happy, who contemns Such idle phantoms. OE D I Ρ U S. Thou wert right, Jocafta, ■ Did not my mother live ; but as it is. Spite of thy words, I muft be anxious ilill. J Ο C A S Τ A. Think on thy father's death, it is a light To Whyfjoud man fear &c. Jocafta had already treated the oracle of Apollo with contempt ; we are not therefore furprifed at the impiety of this fentiment, which has been embraced by the defpifers of religion from the earlieft period of time to this day. When men are once perfuaded that chance and not providence rules all things here below, they naturally conclude thcm- felves at liberty to follow their'own inclinations, without the lead: regard to the will of heaven, ' Let us eat and drink, for to- morrow we dye.' The dif- covery of Jocafta's guilt, and her immediate puniflmient was apparently de- fign'd by Sophocles as a leffon to the free-thinkers of his age, and may af- ford no unprofitable admonition to thofe of our own. It is a light &c. The expreffion, in the oriiiinal, is fumethinjr fmgular. 246 OE D I Ρ υ S To guide thee here. OE D I Ρ U S. It is fo; yet I fear Whilil; ilie furvives him. SHEPHERD. Who is it you . mean ? What woman fear you ? OE D I Ρ U S. Merope, the wife Of Polybus. SHEPHERD. And wherefore fear you her ? OE D I Ρ U S. Know, ftranger, a moft dreadful oracle Concerning her affrights me. SHEPHERD. May I know it, Or mufl it be reveal'd to none but thee ? OE D I Ρ U S. O! no! I'll tell thee; Phosbus hath declar'd That OEdipus fhou'd Rain his mother's bed, And ' μί')(χ.ί c!f*S-aA/M.oi u 7Γα.τξθζ ταψοι,^ ' tlie tomb of thy father, is a great eyej i, e. an eye by uhich thou may'ft fee how little oracles are to be confided in, which with regard to him have already proved falle. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 247 And dip his hands in his own flithcr's blood ; Wherefore I fled from Corinth, and liv'd here, In happinefs indeed ; but ftiil thou knovv'ft It is a bleiling to behold our parents, And that I had not. SHEPHERD. Was it for this cauie Thou wert an exile then ? OE D I Ρ U S. It was ; I fear'd That I might one day prove my father's murth'rer, SHEPHERD. What if I come, Ο ! king, to banifli hence Thy terrors, and reftore thy peace. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! ftranger, Cou'dft thou do this, I wou'd reward thee nobly. SHEPHERD. Know then, for this I came , I came to ferve, And make thee happy. OE D I Ρ U S. But I will not go Back to my parents» S Η Ε P- ιφ ΟΕ D I ρ υ S SHEPHERD. Son, I fee thou know'ft not What thou r.rt doing; OE D I Ρ U S. Wherefore think'fl: thou fo ? By hcav'n I beg thee then do thou inftrud me. SHEPHERD. If thou did'll; fly from Corinth for this caufe. OE D I Ρ U S, Apollo's dire predi6lions ftill affright me. SHEPHERD. Fear'ft thou pollution from thy parents? OE D I Ρ U S, That, And that alone I dread. SHEPHERD. Thy fears are vain• OE D I Ρ U S. Son, &c. Dacler obferves on this paffage, that the age and condition of the ftiepherd, who had laved OEdipus in his infancy, might entitle him to the υ !'e of this appellation; but reniaik?, at the fame time, that fuch familiarity from a iliepherd to a king would not fuit with French manners, nor the ex- prelhon be admitted in the French tongue. Abhorrent however as it may be to a French ear, it is by no means difagreeable to an Englifh one, as the fre- quent ufe of it in Shakefpear and other writers fufhciently confirms. Jf then did'flfy &c. This is a continuation of the fliepherd's laft fpeech, who purlues his fentiment without regard to the intervening rtqueil of OEdipus. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 24Ρ ΟΕ D Ι ρ υ S, Not if they are my parents. SHEPHERD. Poly bus Was not a- kin to thee. OE D I Ρ U S. What fay 'ft thou ? Speak; Say, was not Polybus my father ? SHEPHERD. No; No more than he is mine. OE D I Ρ U S. Why call me then His fon ? , SHEPHERD. Becaufe long iince I gave thee to him ; He did receive thee from thefe hands. VOL. II. I i OEDI- Polybus was not a-ki?! &c. One may eafily conceive the powerful efFcdl, which this firft difcovery muft have had on the mind of OEdipus, and how finely and gradually it prepares the terrible and afFiding cataftrophe. Ariilo- tle has with great truth therefore obferved, that nothing could be better ima- gined than the circumftance before us. See his Art ot Poetry, ch,ip. xi. No more than he is m'tne. In the original, here follow two lines, which have either no meaning at all, or a very foolilli one, and which I have there- fore omitted in the tranflation. Ζ5Ό OE D I ρ υ S OE D I ρ υ S. Indeed ? And cou'd he love another's child fo well ? SHEPHERD. He had no children ; that perfuaded him To take and keep thee. OE D I Ρ U S. Did'il thou buy me then. Or am I thine, and muft I call thee father? SHEPHERD. I found thee in Cithieron's woody vale. OE D I Ρ U 8. What brought thee there ? SHEPHERD. ' I came to feed my flocks On the green mountain's iide. OE D I Ρ U S. It feems thou wert A wand'ring ihepherd. SHEPHERD. Thy deliverer ; I fav'd thee from deflrudion. OE D I Ρ U S. How ! what then Had τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 2^1 Had happen'd to me ? SHEPHERD. Thy own feet will bed Inform thee of that circumftance. OE D I Ρ U S. Alas ! Why call'il thou to remembrance a misfortune Of fo long date ? SHEPHERD. 'Twas I who loos'd the tendons Of thy bored feet. OE D I Ρ U S. It feems in infancy I iufier'd much then. SHEPHERD. To tliis accident Thou owTi thy name. OE D I Ρ U S. My father, or my mother, Who did it ? know'il: thou ? I i 2 S Η Ε P- Tku οηυβ thy name. OiSir-d;, or OEdipiis, fignifies in the Greek, fwell'd- foot, ' iTix TO oiS'eiv T«5 TToioLi ' tumore nactus nomeii ac vitio pedum (lays ' Seneca' ' taking his name fiom the i"t;re and.iwelling of" his loot,' 'I'jiis remarkable circumftance, which fo ftrongly confirms the ihepherd's veracity, swakens the fufpicions, and raifes the curiofity of OEdipus, who proceeds from queition to qiieilion to a full couviaioa of iiis own guile and inifcry. 2^1 OE D I Ρ υ S SHEPHERD. He, who gave thee to me, Muil tell thee that. OE D I Ρ U S. Then from another's hand Thou did'ft receive me. SHEPHERD. Ay, another ihepherd. OE D I Ρ U S. Who was he ? Can'ft thou recoiled ? SHEPHERD. 'Twas one, At leail fo call'd, of Laius' family. OE D I Ρ U S. Laius, who rul'd at Thebes ? SHEPHERD. The fame; this man Was ihepherd to king Laius. OE D I Ρ U S. Lives he ftill, And cou'd I fee him ? SHEPHERD. [pointing to chorus. Some of thefe perhaps His countrymen may give you information. OEDIPUS. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 295 ΟΕ D Ι ρ υ S [to the chorus. Ο ! fpeak, my friends, if any of you know This fhepherd ; whether ftill he lives at Thebes Or in fome neighb'ring country ; tell me quick. For it concerns us near. CHORUS. It muil be he Whom thou did'ft lately fend for ; but the queen Can beil inform thee. OE D I Ρ U S. Know'fl: thou, my Jocafta, Whether the man whom thou didfl: order hither, And whom the Ihepherd fpeaks of, be the fame ? J Ο C A S Τ A. Whom meant he ? for I know not. OEdipus, • Think not fo deeply of this thing. OE D I Ρ U S. Good heav'n Forbid, Jocafta, I iliou'd now negleA To clear my birth, when thus the path is mark'd ArA Whom meant he ? Jocafta, already but too well acquainted with the horrid truth, is reduced to a ftate of ftupefadlion : Ihe pretends, when OEdipus ad- drelTes her, to be ignorant of all that has been faid, and eiideavaurs to dif- fuade him from all farther enquiry ; her advice naturally increafes that curio- fity which it was meant to remove, and leads the unfortunate OEdipus to a difcovery of the whole. 2.^4 OE D I ρ υ S And open to me ! J Ο C A S Τ A. Do not, by the gods I beg thee, do not, if thy life be dear, Make farther fearch, for I have felt enough Ahcady from it. OE D I Ρ U S. Reft thou fatisfy'd; Were I defcended from a race of flaves, 'Twou'd not difhonour thee. J Ο C A S Τ A. Yet hear me ; do not, Once more I beg thee, do not fearch this matter. OE D I Ρ U S. I will not be perfuadcd : I muft fearch And find it too. J Ο C A S Τ A. I know it beft, and beil Advife thee. OE D I Ρ U S. That advice perplexes more. JOCASTA. A race cffcvrs. TI:)e orii^inal is, ' vS'av ex rotrm tym μ-ιίτζοί φ«ΐ'&ι retSuXoi ' not if I was thrice a flave frcni a third mother,' i. c. not it my mother, with htr mother, and grandriu thcr, for three generations back, had been flavcs. Ibis cculd not be udmitted in the tranilation. ^ τ γ p. A Ν Ν ϋ S. ^95* J ο C Α S τ Α. Ο ! wou'd to heav'n that thou niay'ff: never know Or who, or whence thou art ! OE D I Ρ U S. [to the attendants. Let fomc one fetch That ihepherd quick, and leave this woman licre To glory in her high defcent. J Ο C A S Τ Ai Alas ! Unhappy OEdipus ! that word alone I now can fpeak, rcinember 'tis my laft. [Exit Jocaila. S C Ε Ν Ε IV. OE D I Ρ υ S, C FI Ο R U S. CHORUS. Why fled the queen in fuch diforder hence ? Sorely Remember 'th my Ιαβ, The filence and departure of Jocafia, on this occa- fion, are extremely judicious, and infinitely pieferable tu the rhetorical parade of lamentation put into her mouth by Seneca, Corneilie and Dryden ; no.hin» more could, indeed, be faid by her with any degree of propriety : llie was al- ready convinced oi her own and OEdipus's guile, and in confequence of it had refolved to deftroy herfelf ; ' remember 'tis my laft word ;' this, we iee, is pur- pofely expreiVd 1:1 an ambiguous manner, and OEdipus does not perceive tnat ihe means never to fpeak to him again. Dacier remarks, that the cdndudt of So- phocles is truly admirable in this particular ; for though it was abfolutely necef- islfary that Jocafta fliould be prefent at the unraveling of the plot, and difcovery iliof OEdipus's birth, it w-as no longer fo Avhen the difcovery was made, as H jtheir meeting afterwards would have been fliocking and indecent : the trutii of ""[this obfervation may be juftified by turning to Seneca, where the reader will ,-jfee how that pompous writer has fail'd by leaving liis matter, and trufting t» his own weaker genius. 2(j6 OE D I ρ υ S Sorely diftrefs'd ihe feem'd, and much I fear Her filence bodes fome fad event. OE D I Ρ U S. Whate'er May come of that, I am refolv'd to know The fecret of my birth, how mean foever It chance to prove ; perhaps her fex's pride May make her bhiih to find I was not born Of noble parents ; but I call myfelf The fon of fortune, my indulgent mother, Whom I ihall never be aiham'd to own. The kindred months that are like me, her children, The years that roll obedient to her will, Have rais'd me from the loweft ftate to pow'r And fplendor ; wherefore, being what I am, I need not fear the knowledge of my birth. SCENE The fon of fortune. The antlents call'd all thofe the fons of fortune, who not knowing their parents, or being of mean extradtion, had raiied themlelves by merit to rank and dignity in the ilate. Horace fpeaking of himfelf fays ' Luferat in campo fortune filius.' Book 2, fat, 6. The expreiTion is luckily agreeable to our own idiom, and frequently made ufe of amongll us to convey exadlly the fame idea. What follows, when OEdipus confiders himfelf as the otispring of time, and calls the months his brethren, is perhaps the verbum ardens of Tully, or what the French term, idee trop hardie ; the fituation, however, and circumflances of OEdipus at this time, may render it more excufable. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 25-7 SCENE V. CHORUS. STROPHE. If my prophetic foul doth well divine, E'er on thy brow to-morrow's fun fhall fhine, Cithasron, thou the myft'ry fhalt unfold ; The doubtful OEdipus, no longer blind, Shall foon his country and his father find. And all the ftory of his birth be told ; Then fhall we in grateful lays Celebrate our monarch's praife, And in the fprightly dance our fongs triumphant raife. ANTISTROPHE. What heav'nly pow'r gave birth to thee, Ο I king ? From Pan, the god of mountains, did'ft thou fpring, VOL. II. Kk With If my prophetic foul, &'c. OEdipus retreating with the iliepherd of Corinth in expectation of the old man, to fupply the intermediate fpace of time, the chorus advances towards the middle of the theatre, probably near the al- tar of Apollo. As they are inclined throughout to judge favourably of their fovereign, they feem to wiOi, and almolt to believe, that he may be found the fon of fome divinity. Dacier and dodlor Burton obfefve that * the ftrophtr and ' antiftrophe coming thus in the middle of the aft is foinething lingular ar.d ' uncommon, but that the chorus in this place do not fing but Ipeak.' With all due deference to the opinion of thefe learned gentlemen, ί cannot, for my own part, fee any reafon v^'hy the flrophe and antiftrophe fliould not be fang in this place as well as in any other ; this is doubtlcfs the fourth fong or intcr- mede of the chorus, but the arbitrary divifion into adls, for which, as I before obferved, there is no foundation, had puzzled the commentators, and forced them to this expedient as the beft mtthod of folving the difficulty. 2^8 OE D I ρ υ S With Come fliir daughter of Apollo join'd } Art thou froui linn who o'er Cyllene reigns, Swift Hermes, fporting in Arcadia's plains ? Some Nymph of Helicon did Bacchus find, Bacchus, who delights to rove Through the foreft, hill and grove, And art thou, prince, the oiFspring of their love? S C Ε Ν Ε VI. OEDIPUS, CHORUS, SHEPHERD from Coriiith' OE D I Ρ U S. If I may judge of one whom yet I ne'er Had converfe with, yon old man, whom I fee This way advancing, muft be that fame fhepherd We lately fent for, by his age and mein, Ev'n as this ftranger did defcribe him to us ; My fervants too are with him ; but you beft C^n fay, for you muft know him well. CHORUS. 'Tis he. My lord, the faithful fliepherd of king Laius. OE D I Ρ U S. [To the ihepherd from Corinth. What fay 'ft thou, ftranger, is it he ? SHEP- If I may Judge, &c. OEdipus returns with the ihepherd of Corinth ; as be comes on the ftage, feeing the old ihepherd with the attendants at a diilance, and advancing towards him, he addrefles the chorus. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 255> SHEPHERD. It is. SCENE vir. OLD SHEPHERD, OEDIPUS, SHEPHERD from Corinth, CHORUS. OE D I Ρ U S. Now anfvver me, old man, look this way, fjicakj Didft thou belong to Laius? OLD SHEPHERD. Sir, I did, No hireling ilave, but in his palace bred, I ierv'd him long. OE D I Ρ U S. What was thy bus'nefs there ? OLD SHEPHERD. For my life's better part I tended ihcep. OE D I Ρ U S, And whither didft thou lead them ? OLD SHEPHERD. To CithzLMon, And to the neighb'ring plains. OE D 1 Ρ U S. Behold this man, rPointino- to the Ihcoherd of Corinth. Doft thou remember to have leen him? Kk 2 SHE Ρ l6o OE D I Ρ υ S OLD SHEPHERD. Whom ? What hath he done? OE D I Ρ U S. Him, who now ftands before tliee, Cairft thou to mind, or cbnverfe or connedtion Between you in times pail ? OLD SHEPHERD. I cannot fay I recoiled it now. SHEPHERD of Corinth. I do not wonder He ihou'd forget me, but I will recall Some fads of antient date; he mufi: remember When on Cith^eron we together fed Our fev'ral flocks, in daily converfe join'd From fpring to autumn, and when winter bleak Approach'd, retir'd ; I to my little cot Convey'd my flieep, he to the palace led His fleecy care ; can'ft thou remember this ? OLD SHEPHERD. I do, but that is long long flnce. SHEPHERD of Corinth. It is J / τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. zir But fay, good ihephcrd, can'it tliou call to mind An infant, whom thou didil deliver to me, Requefting me to breed him as my own ? OLD SHEPHERD. Ha 1 wherefore aik'ft thou this ? SHEPHERD of Corinth. [Pointing to OEdipus. Behold him here, That very child. OLD SHEPHERD. Ο ! fay it not, away, i Perdition on thee ! OE D I Ρ U S. Why reprove him thus ? Thou art thyfelf to blame, old man. OLD SHEPHERD. In what Am I to blame, my lord ? OE D I Ρ U S. Thou wil't not fpeak Touching this boy. OLD SHEPHERD. Alas ! poor man, he knows not What he hath faid. OE D I- z6l OE D I Ρ υ S OE D I ρ υ S. If not by fofter means To be perfuaded, force ihall wring it from thee. OLD SHEPHERD. Treat not an old man hardily. OE D I Ρ U S. [to the attendants. Bind his hands. OLD SHEPHERD. Wherefore, my lord ? what wou'd'fl: thou have me do ? OE D I Ρ U 8. That child he talks of, didft thou give it to him? OLD SHEPHERD. I did, and wou'd to heav'n I then had dy'd ! OE D I Ρ U S. Dye foon thou ihalt, unlefs thou tell'ft it all. OLDSHEPHERD. Say rather if I do. OE D I Ρ U S. This fellow means To trifle with us, by his dull delay. OLD SHEPHERD, I do not ; faid I not I gave the child ? OE D I Ρ U S. Whence came the boy? was he thy own, or who Did τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S• z6j Did give him to thee? OLD SHEPHERD. From another hand I had receiv'd him. OE D I Ρ U S, Say, what hand? from whom? Whence came he ? OLD SHEPHERD, Do not, by the gods I beg thee^ Do not inquire. OE D I Ρ U S. Force me to aik again, And thou fhalt dye. OLD SHEPHERD, In Laius's palace born OE D I Ρ U S, Son of a ilave, or of the king? OLD SHEPHERD. Alas ! 'Tis death for me to fpeak. OE D I Ρ U S. And me to hearj Yet fay it. OLD z64 OE D I Ρ υ S. OLD SHEPHERD. He was call'd the fon of Laius; But aik the queen, for fhe can beft inform thee. OE D I Ρ U S. Did ihe then give the child to thee? OLD SHEPHERD. She did. OE D I Ρ U S. For what? OLD SHEPHERD. To kill him. OE D I Ρ U S. Kill her child! inhuman And barbVous mother ! OLD SHEPHERD. A dire oracle Affrighted_, and conftrain'd her to it. OE D I Ρ U S. Ha! What oracle ? OLD SHEPHERD. Which faid, her fon fhou'd ilay His parents. OEDIPUS, τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 2ί9 ΟΕ D Ι ρ υ S. Wherefore gav'ft thou then the infant To this old fhepherd ? OLD SHEPHERD. • Pity mov'd me to it : I hop'd he wou'd have foon convey 'd his charge To fome far diflant country ; he, alas ! Preferv'd him but for miiery and woe ; For, Ο ! my lord, if thou indeed art he, Thou art ot all mankind the moft unhappy. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! me ! at length the myftery's unravel'd, 'Tis plain ; 'tis clear ; my fate is all determin'd : Thofe are my parents who ihou'd not have been Ally'd to me : fhe is my wife, ev'n fhe Whom nature had forbidden me to wed ; I have flain him who «lave me life, and now Of thee, Ο ! light ! I take my la ft farewcl ; For OEdipus fhall ne'er behold thee more. [Exeunt. V Ο L. II. LI SCENE z66 OE D I Ρ υ S SCENE VIII. CHORUS. STROPHE I. Ο ! haplefs ftate of human race ! How quick the fleeting ilaadows pais Of traniitory bhfs below, Where all is vanity and woe ! By thy example taught, Ο ! prince, we fee, Man was not made for true felicity. ANTISTROPHE I. Thou OEdipus, beyond the reft Of mortals, wert fupremely bleft ; Whom ev'ry hand confpir'd to raiie, . Whom ev'ry hand rejoic'd to praife. When from the fphynx thy all-preferving hand Stretch'd forth its aid to fave a finking land. STROPHE II. Thy virtues rais'd thee to a throne, And grateful Thebes was all thy own j Alas ! 0! haplefsjate, &c. This is the fifth and laft fong or intermcde of the chorus, who, convinced of OEdipus's guilt, lament the fate of their unhappy mafter in the moil affecting manner j drawing at the fame time, from his ex- ample, fome moral refleiticns on the inftability of all human happinefs, natu- rally reiuking from the fubjedt, and fuitable to the occallon. In juftice to Sophocles, it may here be obferved, that the fongs of the chorus throughout this play are not only in every point• unexceptionable, but to the lait degrle. beautiful and pathetic. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. Z6-J Alas ! how chang'd that glorious name \ Loft arc thy virtues, and thy fame ; How cou'dft thou thus pollute thy father's bed ! How cou'dft thou thus thy haplefs mother wed ! A Ν Τ I S Τ R Ο Ρ Η Ε If. How cou'd that bed unconfcious bear So long the vile inceftuous pair ! But time, of quick and piercing flght, Hath brought the horrid deed to lights At length Jocafta owns her guilty flame, And finds a huiband and a child the f\me, Ε Ρ 0>D E. Wretched fon of Laius, thee Henceforth may I never fee. But abfent fhed the pious tear, And weep thy fate with grief ftncere ! For thou didft raife our eyes to life and light, To clofe them now in everlafting night. End of ACT IV. LI 2 ACT z6S OE D I Ρ υ S A C Τ V. SCENE J. MESSENGER, CHORUS. MESSENGER. Ο AGES of Thebes, moil honour'd and rever'd, If e'er the houfe of Labdacus was dear And precious to you, what will be your grief When I fhall tell the moft difaft'rous tale You ever heard, and to your eyes prefent A fpedacle more dreadful than they yet Did e'er . behold ! not the wide Danube's waves Nor Phails' ftream can wafh away the ftains Of this polluted palace ; the dire crimes Long time conceal'd at length are brought to light ; But Not the luide Danube's "s;aves, &c. Ifther, or the Danube, is one of the moft confiderable rivers in Europe, which paffing by Illyricum runs into the Euxine fea. Phafis was a famous river in Colchis. The antients imagined that water, and particularly that of frefh or living fprings, could cleanfe the mind as well as body from pollution ; a piece of fu- perrtition which feenis to have been adopted by the followers of Mahomet, whofe frequent wafliings conftitute no inconfiderable part of their religious duty. This calls to mind a fimilar paflage in our Engliih Sophocles, where lady Macbeth, after the murther of Duncan, comes out rubbing her hands, • out, damn'd fpot, out I fay ; will thefe hands never be white ? — all the ' perfumes of Arabia will not fweeten this little hand.' Shakefpear's Macbeth. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 2(ίρ But thofe, which fpring from vohintary guilt, Are ftill more dreadful. CHORUS. Nothing can be worfe Than what we know already ; bring' ft thou more Misfortunes to us? MESSENGER. To be brief, the queen, Divine Jocafta's dead. CHORUS. Jocafta dead I fay, by what hand ? MESSENGER. Her own ; And what's more dreadful, no one faw the deed. What I myfelf beheld you all iliall hear. Enflam'd with rage, foon as fhe reach'd the palace, Inftant retiring to the nuptial bed, She fhut the door, then rav'd and tore her hair, Call'd out on Laius dead, and bade him think On that unhappy fon who murther'd him, And Voluntary guilt. Alluding to the adions «of OEdipus ; the nnirther and in- ceft committed by him were involuntary crimes ; but his anger, impatience, contempt of the gods, and putting out his own eyes, were voluntary, and therefore, as Sophocles obferves, more dreadtul : doubtlefs no misfortunes are fo bitter and infupportable as thole which we bring on ourfelvcs by cur own follies. 170 OE D I Ρ υ S And ftain d his bed ; then turning her fad eyes Upon the guilty couch, ihe curs'd the place Where fhe had borne a huiband from her huibandj And children from her child ; what follow'd then I know not, by the cries of OEdipus Prevented, for on him our eyes were fix'd Attentive; fortii he came, befeeching us To lend him fome fliarp weapon, and inform him Where he might find his mother and his wife. His children's wretched mother, and his own : Some ill-defigning pow'r did then diredl him (For we were filent) to the queen's apartment, Forcing the bolt, he ruHi'd into the bed, And found Jocaila, where we all beheld her, Entangled in the fatal nooie, which foon As he perceiv'd, loofing the pendent rope, Deeply Some fl^orp liDcapon. OEdipus, indefpiir, defires them to lend him a fword» or any weapon to deftroy himklf. Dacier obferves on this paffage, that it is plain, from hence, that the antients wore no fwords except iu war, and laughs at Seneca for giving one to OEdipus. Sr,7ne ill def-gningpoiiur. ' Tn Ααιμ,ων, * fome da?mon'. Brumoy tranflates it ' quelque noire divinite'. The ai.titnts generally attributed evils and misfor- tunes to lome unknown malevolent power. Lcofiiig the pendent i-ope. Hinging, though a death much in failiion amongft " the antient , being at prefent fo much out of vogue, and entirely banidi'd from our ftage, fince tne introdudion of fword and poifon, it is perhaps diflicult for a tranflator to render this palTage clofely without offence to the delicacy of ; modern ears. My readers muft however excule the common and vulgar ex- preliions, as I could not alter the manner oi Jocafta's death without an unpar- donable deviation from the original. τ γ R A Ν Ν 17 S. 271 Deeply he groan'd, and cafting on the ground His wretched body, ihew'd a piteous fight To the beholders, on a fuddcn thence Starting, he pluck'd from off the robe flie wore A golden bukcle that adorn'd her fide. And bury'd in his eyes the iharpeii'd point, Crying, he ne'er again wou'd look on her, Never wou'd fee his crimes or mis'ries more, Or thofe whom guiltlefs he cou'd ne'er behold, Or thofe to whom he now muft fue for aid ; His lifted eye-lids then, repeating ftill Thefe dreadful plaints, he tore ; whilft down his cheek Fell fhow'rs of blood : fach fate the wretched pair Suftain'd, partakers in calamity, Fall'n from a ftate of happinefs (for none Were happier once than they) to groans, and death, Reproach and fliame, and ev'ry human woe, CHORUS. And where is now the poor unhappy man ? MESSENGER. Open the doors, he cries, and let all Thebes Behold his parents murth'rer, adding words Not Or thofe whom guiltlefs, &c. Meaning his children, whom he could not look on without the terrible recolledlion of his own guilt. Or thofe to luhom, &c. Meaning either his children, or Creon, to whorr» he applies in the lafl: fcene. 271 OE D I ρ υ S Not to be utter'd; baniili'd now, he fays, He mud be, nor, devoted as he is By his own curfe, remain in this fad place: }!e wants a kind condudor and a friend To help him now, for 'tis too much to bear. But you will fee him foon, for lo ! the doors Arc open'd, and you will behold a ilght That wou'd to pity move his deadlieft foe. S C Ε Ν Ε II. OEDIPUS, MESSENGER, CHORUS. CHORUS. Ol horrid iight ! more dreadful fpedacle Than e'er thefe eyes beheld ! what madnefs urg'd thee To this fad deed ? what pow'r malignant heap'd On thy poor head fuch complicated woe ? Unhappy man ! alas ! I wou'd have held Some Ο ! horrid fght ! Here, we muft fuppofe, the back fcene opens, and dif- covers OEdipus blind, and in the moft miferable condition, advancing llowly towards the front of the ftage ; the chorus, fhock'd at fo moving a fpedlacle, turn their eyes from him : the appearance of OEdipus in this place, was in- deed extremely hazardous, as it would have been difficult for a writer of lefs abilities than Sophocles to make him fpeak with propriety, and fay neither more nor lefs than he ought. Let the reader compare this fimple and pa- thetic fcene with the bombaft of the turgid Seneca, who is, to the laft degree tedious, in his awkward imitation of it. Complicated laoe. Dacier calls it * a deluge of misfortunes.' In the origi" nal it IS, * evils greater than the greateft eviis,' which, how beautiful foever it may be in Greek, would not admit of a literal tranilaiion. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 27? Some converfe with thee, but thy looks affright me; I cannot bear to fpeak to thee. OE D I Ρ U S. O! me I Where am I ? and whence comes the voice I hear ? "Where art thou, fortune ? CHORUS. Chang'd to mifery, Dreadful to hear, and dreadful to behold. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! cruel darknefs ! endlefs, hopelefs night, Shame, terrors, and unutterable woe ! More painful is the mem'ry of my crimes Than all the wounds my wi'd diftradlion made. CHORUS. Thus doubly curs'd, Ο ! prince, I wonder not At thy afflidion. OE D I Ρ U S. Art thou here, my friend, I know thy voice ; thou wou'dfl: not leave the wretched i Thou art my faithful, kind ailiftant ftill. CHORUS. Plow cou'dfl: thou thus deprive thy felt of fight ! What madnefs drove thee to the defp'rate deed ? VOL. li. iM m What 274 OE D I Ρ υ S. What god infpir'd ? OE D I Ρ U S. Apollo was the cauie ; He was, my friends, the caufe of all my woes ; But for thefe eyes, myfelf did quench their light ; I want not them ; what ufe were they to me, But to difcover fcenes of endlefs woe ! CHORUS. 'Tis but too true. OE D I Ρ U S. What pleafure now remains For OEdipus ? he cannot joy in aught To fight or ear delightful. Curfe on him, Whoe'er he was, that loofen'd my bound feet. And fav'd me, in Cithzeron's vale, from death j I owe him nothing : had I perifh'd then, Much happier had it been for you, my friends, And for myfelf. CHORUS. I too cou'd wiili thou had'ft. OE D I Ρ U S. 1 ihou'd not then have murther'd Laius ; then ApoUo ivas ihe caufe. By delivering the oracle, which foretold that OEdi- pus ihould kill his father, and afterwards pronouncing the dreadful fentence againft the murthcrer. 27? TYRANNUS. I had not ta'en Jocafta to my bed ; But now I am a guilty wretch, the Ton Of a polluted mother, father now To my own brothers, all that's horrible To nature is the lot of OEdipus. CHORUS. Yet muft I blame this cruel aft, for fure The lofs of fight is worfe than death itfelf. OE D I Ρ U S. I care not for thy counfel, or thy praife; For with what eyes cou'd I have e'er beheld My honour'd father in the fhades below, Or my unhappy mother, both deftroy'd By me ? this puniOiment is worfe than death, And fo it fhou'd be : fweet had been the iight Of my dear children, them I cou'd have wiih'd To gaze upon ; but I muft never fee Or tiiem, or this fair city, or the palace Where I was born ; depriv'd of ev'ry blifs By my own lips, v/hich doom'd to bani(l^ment The murtherer of Laius, and expell'd Μ m 2 The In the β:αάα helciu. It appears, from tliis pall'ige, that the Greeks imagined the body after death would remain exadly in tlie lame Hate as before. Olidi- pus believed that his blindnefs would continue, when he was removed to the ihades below. The fame opinion, we know, prevaii'd with regard to the mind alio. χη6 ΟΕ D I Ρ υ S The impious wretch, by gods and men accurs'd : Colli J I behold them after this ? Ο ! no ! Would I coii'd now with equal eafe remove My hearing too, be deaf as well as blind, And from another entrance fliut out woe ! To want our fenfes, in the hour of ill, Is comfort to the wretched. Ο ! Cithasron, Why didft thou e'er receive me, or receiv'd, Why not deftroy, that men might never know Who gav^e me birth ? Ο ! Polybus, Ο ! Corinth, And thou, long time believ'd, my father's palace, Ο ! what a foul difgrace to human nature Didft thou receive beneath a prince's form 1 Impious myfelf, and from an impious race, Where is my fplendor now ? Ο ! Daulian path. The fhady foreft, and the narrow pafs Where three ways meet, who drank a father's blood, Shed by thefe hands ; do you not ftill remember The horrid deed, and what, when here I came, FoUow'd more dreadful ? fatal nuptials, you Produc'd My father's palace. That is, the palace of Polybus, king of Corinth, the fuppoled father of OEdipus, who brought him up as his own, and educated him accordingly. Fatal fiuptials, &c. ' Plurals, (fays Longinus in the 19th chapter of his * treatife on the fublime) impart a greater magnihcence to the ftile, and by the τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 277 Produc'd me, you returned mc to the womb That bare me; thence relations horrible Of fathers, fons and brothers came; of wives Sifters and mothers, fad alhance ! all That man holds impious and detcftable. But what in ad is vile, the modeft tongue Shou'd never name: bury me, hide me, friends, From ev'ry eye ; deftroy me, caft mc forth To the wide ocean, let me periOi there; Do any thing to fhake off hated life ; Seize me, approach, my friends, you need not fear, Polluted tho' I am to touch me ; none Shall fuffer for my crimes but I alone. CHORUS. ' the copioufnefs of number, give it more emphafis and grace j fo the words of ' OEdipus in Sophocles,' [Here follows the pailage] ' all thefe terms (conti- ' nues the great critic) denote on the one fide OEdipus only, and on the other ' Jocafta : but the number, thrown into the plural, feems to multiply the mis- • fortunes of that unfortunate pair, and excite greater and more elevated ideas.' See Smyth's excellent tranilaticn of Longinus, p. 61. But what in aEl &c. OEdipus is going on, but iiops Hiort, as if ihock'd at the bare repetition of his crime, which produces this moral refledion; the fcn- timent is adopted by Publius Syrus, * Quod facere turpe eft ; dicere ne honeftum puta.' Tou need not fear. Alluding to a fuperftitious notion amongft the antients, that it was dangerous even to touch an accurfed perfon, or one fcemingly vi- fiied wiih misfortunes by the gods. In the OEdipus Coloncus, we find this religious fear ftill more ilroiigly imprefs'd on the minds of all that come rear that unfortunate exile. / 278 OE D I Ρ υ S CHORUS. ' 1^ In mofi: fit time, my lord, the noble Creon W This wiiy advvinces ; he can beft determine And beft advife ; fole guardian now of Thebes, y'' To him thy pow'r devolves. OE D I Ρ U S. What fliall I %? Can I apply to him for aid, whom late I deeply injur'd by unjuft fufpicion ? SCENE III. CREON, OEDIPUS, CHORUS. CREON, I come not, prince, to triumph o'er thy vi^oes With vile reproach ; I pity thy misfortunes ; But, Ο ! my Thebans, if you do not fear The cenfure of your fellow-citizens, At leaft refped the all-creating eye Of Phoebus, who beholds you thus expoiing To public view a wretch accurs'd, polluted. Whom neither earth can bear, nor fun behold. Nor holy fliow'r befprinkle ; take him hence. Within IJcly jl:o'ijjr. This refers to the curfe pronounced by OEdipus himfelf on the murtherer of Laius, in the firft fcene of the fecond adl. It was cuilomary (as is obferved in a note ou the pa0age) for the priefts to fprinkle water on thofe τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 279 Within the palace; thofe, who are by blood United, fhou'd alone be vvitneiTes Of fuch calamity. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! Creon, thou The beft of men, and I the worfl: ; iiow kind Thou art to vilit me ! Ο ! by the gods Let me entreat thee, iince beyond my hopes Thou art fo good, now hear me ; what I aik Concerns thee moil:. CREON. What is it thou dcfir'ft Thus ardently ? OE D I Ρ U S. I beg thee, banifli me From Thebes this moment, to fome land remote. Where I may ne'er converfe with man again. CREON. thofe who affifted at die fucrifice, and fometiinr?, probablv, in fncli abundance as might properly be call'd ' a ihow'r i' this cultom of purification we find pradliied in crher places as well as Greece, and alluded to in Icriptiire :' ' then ' will I fprinkle clean water upon you, and ye ihall be clean from all yourfilthi- ' iieff,' Ezck. 36, V. 25. ' Let us draw near (fays the author of the epiftle to ' the Hebrews) having our hearts fprinkled from an evil confcicnce, and our ♦ bodies waih'd with pure water.' Heb. lo, v. 2Z. :8ο ΟΕ D I Ρ υ S C R Ε ο Ν. Myfelf long fince had done it, but the gods Muft be confulted firft. OE D I Ρ U S. Their will is known Already, and their oracle declar'd Ί'he guilty parricide iliou'd dye. C R Ε Ο N. It hath J But, as it is, 'twere better to enquire What muft be done. OE D I Ρ U S. For fuch a wretch as me Wou'dft thou again explore the will of heav'n ? C R Ε Ο N. Thy haplefs fate fliou'd teach us to believe. And reverence the gods. OE D I Ρ U S. Now, Creon, lift ; I beg thee, I conjure thee, let a tomb I Be The gods ηιιιβ be confulted. As Creon was next heir to the crown of Thebes, if he had, on the convidlion of uEdipus's guilt, immediately put in execution tlie ientence againft him without farther conluUation of the oracle, it might have been attributed to his impatient delire oi fucceeding to the kingdom : this would in fomc meafure have ftain'd the purity of his charadler, which Sopho- cles has reprefented as bhimelefs and unfpotted throughout this wliole drama, though he- has taken the Uberty to change it in another. ! Τ Υ R A Ν Ν υ S. ζ8ι Be rais'd, and all due honours paid to her Who hes within ; flie was thy fifter, Crcon ; It is a duty which thou ow'ft : for me, I cannot hope this city now will deign To keep me here ; Ο ! Creon, let me go, And feek the folitary mountain's top, My own Cithieron, by my parents doom'd Long ilnce to be the grav^e of OEdipus; There wou'd I dye, as they decreed I iliou'd ; Alas ! I cannot, muft not perilTi yet, Till I have fuffer'd evils worfe than death, For I was only fav'd to be unhappy. But I muil meet my fate, whate'er it be. My fons are men, and wherefoever fortune May place them, cannot want the means of life ; They fhall not burthen thee ; but, Ο ! my friend, What will become of my unhappy daughters ; With tend'reft love, beneath a father's hand, Cheridi'd fo long ? Ο take them to thy care. Thou beft of men ! Ο ! might I but embrace them. But fhed a tear o'er their difaftrous fate , Might I be fuffer'd but to touch them here, I fhou'd rejoice, and think I iaw them ilill. But hark! methinks even now Ϊ hear the voice VOL. Π. Ν η Of zSr OE D I Ρ υ S Of my dear daughters ; hath the gracious Creon, In pity to my woes, already brought My children to me ; is it ib ? C R Ε Ο N. It is ; Thy wiiKes are prevented ; they are here. SCENE IV. DAUGHTERS of OEdipus, OEDIPUS, C R Ε Ο N, CHORUS. OE D I Ρ U S. May heav'n reward thee for this goodnefs to me, And give thee much more bHfs than I have known ! Now, my dear children, come towards me, come Towards your father and your — brother; fee Thefe fightlefs eyes, pierc'd by my own mad hands ; Behold that wretched father who begat you Unknowingly on her who gave me birth ; I cannot fee you now, I can but weep Your fate, to think what hours of vi^retchednefs You AW, wy dear children, Cyc. The paiTions of terror and piry were never more effeolually or more judicioufly railed than in this tragedy : that horror which the fpedators muft feel at the crimes of OEdipus, is finely contrafted by this pathetic addrefs to his daughters, which excites the warmell: compallion for his misfortunes, and creates in the minds of the audience that piety and fiibmiirion to the will of the gods, which the whole drama is vilibly delign'd I to inculcate. |. τ γ R A Ν Ν υ S. 28j \ You have to know hereafter : whither now Mufl: my poor children fly ? from cv'ry fcart : Joylefs with grief and fliame fliall you rtturn ; And when the time fhall come, when riper years Shou'd give you to the nuptial bed, who then, Carelefs of fame, will let his child partake The infamy of my abhorred race, Sprang from a wretch accurs'd, who kilfd his father, ! And from the womb that bare him did bciiet You my unhappy daughters ? fuch reproach Muft ftill be yours, to virgin folitude Devoted ever, and a barren bed. Son of Menceceus, thou alone art left Their father now, for Ο ! Jocafla's dead, And I an? — nothing ; do not then forfakc Thy kindred ; nor, deferted and forlorn, Suffer them ftill, in penury and woe, To wander helplefs, in their tender age : Remember, they have no fupport but thee. 1 gen'rous prince, have pity on them, give me Thy friendly hand in promifc of thy aid. To you, my daughters, had your early }ears Permitted, I had giv'n my laft advice; Too young for counlcl, a'l I afk ot you Nn 2 Is 284 OE D I Ρ υ S Is but to pray the gods that my fad life May not be long, but yours, my children, crown'd With many days, and happier far than mine. C R Ε Ο N. It is enough ; go in, thy grief tranlports thee Beyond all bounds. OE D I Ρ U S. 'Tis hard, but I fubmit. C R Ε Ο N. The time demands it, therefore go. ' OE D I Ρ U S. O! Creon, Know'ft thou what now I wifli ? CREON. What is it? fpeak". OE D I Ρ U S. That I may quit this fatal place. CREON. Thou aik'ft What heav'n alone can grant. OE D I Ρ U S. Alas! to heav'n I am moft hateful. CREON. r γ R A Ν Ν υ S, 289 C R Ε ο Ν. Yet ilialt thou obtain \ What thou defir'ft. I OE D I ρ υ S. Shall I indeed ? C R Ε Ο N. Thou ilialt; I never fay aught that I do not mean. OE D I Ρ U S. Then let me go ; may I depart ? C R Ε Ο N. Thou may 'ft; But leave thy children. OE D I Ρ U S. Do not take them from me. C R Ε Ο N. Leave thy children. Dacier judicioufly cbferves on this paiTage, that every thing dreadful was to be fear'd from the violent teniper and unfortunate condi- tion of OEdipus. Creon v^^as probably apprehenfive, that in the height of de- fpair he might deftroy his children ; he prudently, therefore, keeps them from him. To which remark it may be added, that OEdipus had but jufi: before de- liver'd his daughters to the care of Creon, who had confcquently a right to dif- pofe of them as he thought proper. Mr. Boivin finds fault with the behaviour of Creon on this occafion ; he makes no fcruple of condemning the two lalt fcenes as ;puiious, cal.s the fpeech of OEdipus to his daughters, ' lamentation ' indigne d'un grand perfonnage,' and accufes him of ' une bizarre change- • ment d' humcur & de caraclere. Ke makes, at the fame time, fcveral other fevere, bu: ill-founded rtflediions, on the condudl of the drama, which feem to have arifen partly from his ignorance of Grecian manners, and partly from miiuuderftanding the ferifeof the original; miftakes, which it were eafy to point out; but I ieicr my readers to the Liitlcifin itfelf, which they will find in the 9th vol. of the Hiitoire de Γ Academic des infcriptions, &;c. 4to p. 572. iS6 OE D I Ρ υ S C R Ε ο Ν. Thou muft not always have thy will; already Thou'ft fuffer'd for it. CHORUS. Thebans, now behold The great, the mighty OEdipus, who once The Sphynx's dark aenigma cou'd unfold ; Who lefs to fortune than to wifdom ow'd ; In virtue as in rank to all fuperior, Yet fall'n at laft to deepeft mifery. Let mortals hence be taught to look beyond The prefent time, nor dare to fay, a man Is happy, till the laft deciilve hour Shall clofe his life without the tafte of woe. Let ffiorials hence, &c. This fcntiment is, originally attributed to the wife law-giver Solon, and faid to have been fpoken by him to Cisei'us. Ovid has turn'd it thus, ultima femper, Expedlanda dies honnini, dicique beatus Ante obitum nemo, fupremaque funera debet. Mr. Boivin pofitively ailerts that thefe lines do not belong to Sophocles, btft ^ werefoifted in by.fome trani'criber : he calls them * une muralite fade, ufee, & • triviale, un lieu commun, qui convient indilferemment a la plufpart des fujets ' tragiques,' * a piece of infipid, tri:e and trivial morality, a common place, ' fuited equally to almoil any trageily.' In fpite of this ievere cenfure, I can- not but be ol opinion that the moral is here introduced v/ith the utnioft proprie- ty, and though it may indeed be applied to other iubjeAs, feems peculiarly adapted to this, as it cou'.d never be better exemplified and illuitrated, than by . the ftory of OEdipus in the preceding drama ; a performance which refieds the higheft honour on its author, being perhaps, confidcr'd in every light, his moil finilL'd work, and the chef-d'ceuvre of antiquity. FINIS. )O0^)K)K)ieO()OC)^^^)O(^^)i(^}^)«}«^:^0i()K^)i(^)K)i()K)^)i(-i^)i(^0i()iC OE D I ρ υ S COLONEUS. )Κ)^^)^^^)^)^)^)^^)^)^¥)ί(¥)ί(^)^^^^^)^)^)^)^^')ί(Χ()0()Κ)Κ)^^)ί()ί(.'ί Dramatis Pcrfonse, OE D I ρ υ s, C R Ε ο Ν, ANTIGONE, ρ >■ Daughters of OEdipus, ISMENE, !> Ρ Ο L Υ Ν I C Ε S, Son of OEdipus, THESEUS, King of Athens, An A Τ Η Ε Ν I A N, MESSENGER, Attendants on Creon, Thefeus and Ifmene. CHORUS Compofed of Antient Men of Thebes. SCENE A grove, at the entrance to the temple of the Furies. (28p) OE D I ρ υ S COLONEUS. A C τ I. SCENE J. OEDIPUS, ANTIGONE. OE D I Ρ U S. T¥7 HERE are we now, my dear Antigone ? Know'il thou the place ? Will any here afFord Their fcanty alms to a poor wanderer, The banifh'd OEdipus? I aik not much, V Ο L. II. Ο ο Yet Where are we ποίό, ίέο. This tragedy is a continuation of the hiftory of OEdipus, who, condemn'd to perpetual baniihment, is fuppokd to have wander'd from city to city, and to arrive at laft, conduced by his daughter Antigone, at Colonus, a little hill, not far from Athens, where was a temple and grove facred to the furies, or, as they are filled, the venerable goddclics. The lubjeit is extremely fimplc, containing little more than a narration of the principal and moft remarkable circumflances attending the death of OEdipus. To tafte the beauties of this piece, it is abfolutely neccllary that the reader liave an eye throughout both to the political and religious flate of Greece, and the lime of its appeari;nce on the flage. Valerius AJaAimus informs us that Sopho- cles 2po OE D I Ρ υ S Yet lefs receive ; but I am fatisfy'd : Long time hath made my woes familiar to me, And I have learn'd to bear calamity. But tell me, daughter, if thou fee'ft a place Or facred, or profane, where I may reft, There fet me down , from feme inhabitant A chance but we may learn where now we are, And ad, fo ftrangers ought, as he direds us. ANTIGONE. Ο ! OEdipus, my poor unhappy father, Far as my eyes can reach, I fee a city, With lofty turrets crown'd, and, if I err not, This place is facred, by the laurel fhade Olive and vine thick-planted, and the fongs Of cles wrote it when he was near a hundred years of Age, and prefers it, for what reafon I know not, to all his tragedies. Cicero alfo, who was a much more competent judge, feems to have been highly pleafed with it, and has left us the following remarkable anecdote concerning it, viz. That Sophocles wrote tragedies even in extreme old age ; beftowing fo much attention on them as totally to negledt every thing elfc ; infomuch that his fons fummon'd him before the judges as an ideot and dotard, utterly incapable of adling for J himfelf; and requefting, that the "adminlftration of bis affairs might be taken " from him and put into their hands : the old man appear'd in-court to defend himfelf aj The natives here call them Eiimeaides, Th' all-feeing pow'rs. OE D I Ρ U 3. Ο ! that thty wou'ii but rmik- Propitious, and receive a fuppliant's pray'r, That I might never leave this bleft abode ! ATHENIAN. What doft thou mean? OE D I Ρ U S. It fuits my forrows wel!. ATHENIAN. I muft inform the citizens ; till then Remain. OE D I Ρ U S. O! do not fcorn a wretched exile, But tell me, ilranger. — ^ ^^^- '^^^- ATHENIAN. Speak ; I fcorn thee not. OE D I Ρ U S. What place is tliis ? ATHENIAN. rU tell thee what I know. This place is facred all : great Neptune here Gre.f Neptune, uc. Neptune is reported by the prets to have ft:uck the eanh with hi trident, which imn^ediately produced a horfe : .n a.lul.on to th.. Colonus, where he was worihip'd, is calld the hquearun hiU. 1^4 OE D I Ρ υ S Prefides, and he who bears the living fire, Titan Prometheus; where thou tread'ft, is call'd The brazen way, the bulwark of our ftate]: From this equeftrian hill, their fafeft guard, The neighb'ring villagers their gen'ral name Derive, thence call'd Colonians all. OE D I Ρ U S. But fay, Are there, who dwell here then? ATHENIAN. There are, and call'd From him they worihip. OE D I Ρ U S.. Is the pow*r fupreme Lodg'd in the people's voice, or in the king? ATHENIAN. 'Tis in the king, OE D I Ρ U S. Tiian Prometheus. Prometheus, according to the tales of the heathens con- cerning him, was fuppofed to have ftolen fire trom heaven, and with it to have made men, or, according to the fatirical Lucian, which was more criminal, wo- men J for which impiety he was puniih'd by the gods in the fame manner as the rebeUious Titans : he is therefore call'd in this place Titan Prometheus. The brazen ivay. Near this brazen way was fuppofed to be the paiTage to Hades, or the iliades, by which Pluto convey'd the raviih'd Proferpine to his dominions. Some imagine it was fo call'd from the brazen mines abounding in that neighbourhood : it was ηιοΛ probably a kind of bridge, or narrow pafs for travellers, and lay between the two parts of the facred grove, from which the Athenian ftranger calls to OEdipus. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 2Ρ5 ΟΕ D Ι ρ υ S. Who is he ? ATHENIAN. Thefeus, fon Of AEgeus, their laft fovVeign. OE D I Ρ U S. Who will go, And tell him — ATHENIAN. What, to come and meet thee here? OE D I Ρ U S. To tell him that a little help beftow'd Wou'd amply be repay 'd. ATHENIAN. Why, what cou'dft thou do, Dark as thou art ? OE D I Ρ U S. My words will not be fo. ATHENIAN. Then mark me, that thou err notj for to me Thy fortune ieems ill-fuited to thy nature, Which is moil noble; therefore flay thou here Till I return, I will not go to Athens, But ^96 OE D I Ρ υ S But aik tliefe villagers, who fojourn here, If thou may'il ftay. i i- ^ [Exit Athenian. SCENE III. OE D I Ρ U S, A Ν Τ I G Ο Ν E. OE^ D I Ρ U S. My daughter, is he gone ? ANTIGONE. '^ He is, and thou may'ft fafely fpeak, for I Alone am with thee. OE D I Ρ U S. Goddeiles rever'd ί Since in your feats my weary 'd fteps have found Their iirft repofe, not inauipicious fmile On Phoebus and on me ! for know, the god Who 'gainfl unhappy OEdipus denounced Unnumber'd GcddeJJes revcrd, &c. One wouM not imagine that this play, from the ap- parent funplicity and barrennels of the fable, which promifes no more than an account of the death of a poor old man in an obfcure corner of the earth, could pcffibly produce any incidents that would pleafe or initrudl j Sophocles has, not- withftanding, fo contrived as to make the bufincfs of this play extremely intereft- i::g to an Athenian audience. OEdipus, as foon as he is inform'd where he is, addreflis himlelf in the moil folemn manner to the deities of the place, recol- lefling an oracle which fince his baniiliment has declared to him, that this fpot would put a period to all his woes. We ihall perceive that the hero of the drama becomes every moment of more and more confequence, and that no lefs than the fafety and profperity of a whole kingdom depends on this feemingly accidental and inilgnificant circumftance. COLONEUS. Unnumber'd woes, foretold that here at laft I ihou'd have reft, within this hallow'd grove Thefe hofpitable fhades, and finiOi here A life of mis'ry : happy thofe, he faid, Who fhou'd receive me, glorious their reward And woe to them who ftrove to drive me lience Inhuman ; this he promis'd to confirm By figns undoubted ; thunder, or the found Of dreadful earthquake, or the light'ning's blaft Launch'd from the arm of Jove ; I doubt it not, Trom you fome happy omen hither led My profp'rous ileps, that firil to you I came Pure to the pure ; and here on this rude feat Repos'd me, cou'd not be the work of chance ; I' Wherefor-e, ye pow'rs ! as Phosbus hath decreed, ll Here let me find a period of my woes ! I Here end my wretched life ! unlcfs the man, 'Who lono; hath groan'd beneath the bittVeft ills That mortals feel, ftill feem to merit more. IDaughters of Antient Night ! Ο ! hear me now ! (And thou, from great Minerva calfd, the befl: I'And nobleft city, Athens ! pity me ; VOL. n. Ρ ρ -91 Pity Pure ίο the pire. In the original it is ' lober to the fober,' alluding to die facrifices offer'd to the furies, in which wine was never ufed ; becaule, lays dodor Potter, the divine juilice ought always to be chaite, ibbsr and vigilan:. 2^8 OE D I ρ υ S Pity the ihadovv of poor OEdipus ! For, O! I am not what I was. ANTIGONE. No more : Behold a venerable band approach Of antient natives, come perchance to feek thee. OE D I Ρ U S. I've done ; Antigone, remove me hence, ' And hide me in the grove, till by their words, Lift'ning I learn their purpofe ; fuch foreknowledge Will beft dired: us how to ad: hereafter. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. CHORUS. Where is he ? look, examine, fearch around I For this abandon'd exile, of mankind The moil profane, doubtlefs fome wretched ftranger ; Who elie had dar'd on this forbidden foil To tread ? where dwell the dreadful deities We tremble ev'n to" name, and as we pafs Dare Where is he ? This is the firfl: appearance of the chorus, who being acquaint- ed by the Athenian traveller that there was a man in the facred grove, alarm 'd at fuch prefumption and impiety, enter in fearch of OEdipus, who had retired with Antigone to the inner part of the wood. In this, and the following fcene, the reader muft enter into, and make allowance for the follies of Pagaa fuperftition. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 2ρρ Dare not behold, but fikntly revere, Or foft with words of faireft omen greet. Of thefe regardlefs here we come to find An impious wretch; I look around the grove, But ftill he lurks unfeen. S C Ε Ν Ε V. OEDIPUS, ANTIGONE, CHORUS. OE D I Ρ U S. Behold me here; For by your words I find you look for me. CHORUS. [looking ftedfaftly at him. Dreadful his voice, and terrible his afpeft ! OE D I Ρ U S. I am no outlaw ; do not look thus on me. CHORUS. Jove the defender ! who is this old man ? OE D I Ρ U S. One on whom fortune little hath beftow'd To call for rev'rence from you ; that, alas I Ρ ρ 2 Is Behold me here. OEdipus and Antigone, overhearing the words of the cho- rus, and apprehenfive of being foon difcover'd by them, leave their retreat, and re-enter the itage. No out-law. The word out-law, though not very poetical, feems the beft which our language can alfoid to exprefs the precile meaning of ' ai-iuoi ;' one whom the laws of his country had expeU'd Irom all the bcncftts and privileges of fociety. 30D OE D I ρ υ S Is but too plain ; thus by another's eyes Conduced here, and on her aid depending, Old as I am. CHORUS. Alas ! and wert thou born Thus fightlefs ? full of forrow and of years Indeed thou feem'il:; but do not let on us Thy curfe devolve ; thou haft tranfgrefs'd the boun> Prefcrib'd to mortals ; fhun this hallow'd grove, Where on the graffy furface, to the pow'rs A welcome oiF'ring, flows with honey mix'd The limpid ftream ; unhappy ftranger, hence, Away, begone : thou fee'ft 'tis a long fpace Divides us : doft thou hear me, wretched exile ? This inftant, if thou doft, depart, then fpeak, But not before. J OE D I Ρ U S. Antigone, my daughter, What's to be done? ANTIGONE. Obey the citizens ; Give me thy hand. OE D I Ρ U S. COLONEUS. OE D I ρ υ S. I will ; and now, my friends, Confiding thus in you, and thus removing As you direded, let me not be injur'd. CHORUS. Thou ilialt not; be affur'd that thou art fafe; None ihall offend or drive thee hence. OE D I Ρ U S. Yet more l•^ Muft I approach ? Will this fuffice ? Thou hear'il us. CHORUS. A little farther ftill. OE D I Ρ U S. CHORUS. Remove him tliis way, virgin; 301 ANTIGONE. Thou mufl: follow me, my father, Γ Weak as thou art ; we are unhappy Grangers, And muft fubmit ; what e'er the city hates Content And now my friends, (ic. Here we muft fuppofe, that OEdipus, with the affiftancc of la:, daughter, moves a little way from the place where he hrll ftood ; hue cnc chorus, perceiving that he is ftill on part of the holy ground, will not cuiiverfc wicn iiim tiil he is entirely removed to a ftone at the extremity oi it, winch probably lay in the public road. joi OE D I ρ υ S Content to hate, and what ilie loves to love. OE D I Ρ U S. Lead me, my daughter, to feme haliow'd fpot For mutual converfe fit, nor let us ftrive With dire neceiTity. CHORUS. Stop there, nor move Beyond that ftone. OE D I Ρ U S. Thus then? CHORUS. It is enough. OE D I Ρ U S. Where ihou'd I fit? CHORUS. A little forward lean, And reft thee there. ANTIGONE. [taking hold of him. Alas ! 'tis my iad oiHce, Let me perform it, to dired thy fteps ; To this lov'd hand commit thy aged limbs ; I will be careful. [She feats him on the ftone. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! unhappy flate ! CHORUS. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 3^3 CHORUS. Now, wretched ftranger, tell us who thou art, Thy country, and thy name. OE D I Ρ U S. Alas ! my lordf, A poor abandon'd exile, but, Ο ! do not — CHORUS. What fay'ft thou? OE D I Ρ U S. Do not aik me who I am ; Enquire no farther. CHORUS. Wherefore ? OE D I Ρ U S. My fad race CHORUS. Speak on. OE D I Ρ U S. [turning to Antigone, My daughter, how ihall I proceed ? CHORUS. Thy race, thy father OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! Antigone, What do I fuiFer ? ΑΝΤΙ- 304 OE D I Ρ υ S ANTIGONE. Speak, thou canft not be More wretched than thou art. OE D I Ρ U S. I will, for, Ο 1 It cannot be conceal'd. CHORUS. You do delay ; Inform us ftrait. OE D I Ρ U S. Know you the fon of Laius? CHORUS. Alas ! OE D I Ρ U S. The race of Labdacus. CHORUS. O! Jove! OE D I Ρ U S. Th' unhappy OEdipus. CHORUS. 7/6' unhappy OEdipus. OEdipus frammers, hefitates, and is, with the ut- moil difficulty, brought to dilcover himislf to the chorus ; who, agreeably to his apprehenfions, are fo fhock'd and terrified when they know who he is, that they are even about to retrsdl their promife of favour and protedtion, which tiity had juft made to him. They feem afraid that his guilt was contagious ; and tiiat a man fo accurfed, would bring down upon them the wrath of the gods j till nioUided by his predidions of future advantages to their country, they relent. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 30? CHORUS. And art thou he ? OE D I Ρ U S. Be not affrighted at my words. CHORUS. Ο ! heav'n ! OE D I Ρ U S. Wretch that I am! what will become of me? CHORUS. Away, begone, fly from this place. OE D I Ρ U S. Then where Are all your promifes ? are they forgotten ? CHORUS. Juftice divine will never puniih thofe Who but repay the inj'ry they receive; And fraud doth merit fraud for it's reward. Wherefore, begone, and leave us, left once more Our city be compell'd to force thee hence. ANTIGONE. Ο ! my kind friends, as you revere the name Of virtue, tho' you will not hear the pray'rs Of my unhappy father, worn with age. And laden with involuntary crimes; VOL. II. ctq Vet / 5o5 OE D I Ρ υ S Yet hear the daughter pleading for her ilre, And pity her, wlio with no evil eye Beholds you, but, as one of the fame race, Born of one common father, here entreats Your mercy to th* unliappy, for on you, As on fome god alone, we muft rely ; Then grant this wifli'd-for boon, Ο ! grant it now, By all that's dear to thee, thy facred word, Thy intereft, thy children, and thy god ; 'Tis not in mortals to avoid the crime Which heav'n hath pre-ordain'd. CHORUS. We pity thee. Daughter of OEdipus; we pity him, And his misfortunes ; but, of wrath divine Still fearful, dare not alter our decree. OE D I Ρ U S. Now who fhall truft to glory and fair fame ? What fliall it profit, that your pious city Was once for hofpitable rites renown'd. That ilie alone wou'd pity and relieve Th' Tour pious city. In this, and many other paiTiges of the OSdipus Ccloneus Sophocles takes occafion to complinnent his countrymen the Athenians, and more pirticalarly the inhabitants of Coloneus j which is fappofed to have been tiie place of his nativity. COLONEUS- 307 Th' afflided ftranger ? is ilie fo to me Who drives me hence, and trembles at a name? Me you can never fear, and for my crimes I am the fuff'rer, not th' offender: what Touching my father I have fpoke, alas ! If 'tis for that you do abhor me thus, Was I to blame ? the injury receiv'd I but repay 'd, and therefore had I known The crime I aded, I were guiltlefs flill : Whither I came, I came unknowingly ; Not fo they aded who have banifli'd me. By your commands already here rcmov'd, Ο ! by the gods, preferve, affift me now ; If you revere them, do not thus defpifc What they decree, their eyes behold the good And view the evil man, nor fhall the wicked Eicape their wrath : ufe not their facrcd names To cover crimes, and ftain the fame of Athens : As you receiv'd the fuppliant, Ο ! remember Your plighted faith, preferve me, fave me now; Look not contemptuous on this wretched form, Or caft reproach unmerited ; I come Nor impious, nor prophane ; and with me bring To Athens much of profit and renown, Q^q 2 Ai 5o8 OE D I Ρ υ S As when your king arrives, you all iLall know; Mean time defpife me not. CHORUS. Old man, thy words Are full of weight, and merit our obfervance; If thofe who here preiide but know thy purpofe, It doth fuffice. OE D I Ρ U S. But fay, where is the king ? CHORUS. Within his palace ; but a meiTenger Is gone to fetch him hither. OE D I Ρ U S, O ! my friends, Think you a fightlefs wretch like me will move His pity or his care, that he will come? CHORUS. Moil readily, when he ihall hear the name Of OEdipus. OE D I Ρ U S. And who ihall tell it him ? CHORUS. The journey's long ; but paffing travellers Will catch the tale, and he muil hear it foon; C ο L ο Ν Ε US. ιορ Fear not, thy ftory is already known On ev'ry fide, 'twill quicken his How fteps, And bring him inftant hither. OE D I Ρ U S. May he come In happy hour to Athens and to me ! He will ; what good man doth not love his country ? ANTIGONE. Ο ! Jove ! what ihall I fay or think ? my father— OE D I Ρ U S. What fays my daughter? ANTIGONE. This way bent, behold On a Sicilian fteed, a woman comes, Her face conceal'd by a TheiTalian veil. To fhield her from the fun ; am I deceiv'd, Or, is it £he } I know not what to think. It is my iifter, now fhe fmiles upon me ; It muil, it can be none but my Ifmene. OE D I Ρ U S. Who, my Antigone ? ANTIGONE. It is thy daughter, My ililer; but her voice will foon convince you. SCENE 310 OE D I Ρ υ S. S C Ε Ν Ε VI. ISMEN Ε and Attendant, OEDIPUS, ANTIGONE, CHORUS. I S Μ Ε Ν E. Ο ! the fweet founds ! a father and a iifter ! What pains have I not fuffer'd in the fearch? And now for grief can fcarce behold you. OE D I Ρ U S. Oh! My daughter, art thou here ? I S Μ Ε Ν E. Alas ! my father. How terribly tliou look'fl: ! OE D I Ρ U S. From the fame blood The father and the daughter. I S Μ Ε Ν E. Wretched race 1 OE D I Ρ U S. And art thou come, my daughter ? I S Μ Ε Ν E. I have reach'd thee With toil and labour, OEDIPUS. COLONEUS. 511 OE D I ρ υ S. Touch me, Ο ! my child ! I S Μ Ε Ν E. Let me embrace you both. OE D I Ρ U S. Both miferable ! I S Μ Ε Ν E. [they all embrace» Join then a third as wretched as yourfelves, • OE D I Ρ U S. Ifmene, wherefore art thou come? I S Μ Ε Ν E. My care For thee, my father, brought me here. OE D I Ρ U S. For me ? I S Μ Ε Ν E. That I might fpeak to thee; this faithful ilave Alone conduced me, [pointing to her attendant, OE D I Ρ U S. Thy brothers, fay, What are they doing ? I S Μ Ε Ν E. They are — what they are; For, O! between them deadlieft difcord reigns. OE D I Ρ U S. ^IZ OE D I ρ υ S OE D I ρ υ S. How like til' unmanly Tons of ^Egypt's clime, Where the men fit inglorious at the loom, And to their wives leave each domeftic care ! Ev'n thus my fons, who fhou'd have labour'd for me, I ike women idly fit at home, whilft you Perform their office, and with filial care Attend a wretched father ; this kind maid, [point, to Antig. Ev'n from her infant days, hath wander'd long An exile with me, and fupported ftill λίy feeble age ; oft thro' the favage woods, Naked and hungry, by the wint'ry ftorms Or fcorching heats affliiled, led me on, And gave me food, unmindlul of her own. Thou too, Ifmene, wert my faithful guard, When I v\^s driven forth ; and now art come To tell thy father what the gods declare : A flranger now to Thebes, I know not what Hath pafs'd between them ; thou haft fome fad news I know thou haft, to tell thy wretched father. I S Μ Ε Ν Ε. What I have fuffer'd in the fearch of thee, I pafs in fxlence o'er, fince to repeat, Were but, alas 1 to double my misfortunes ; I COLONEUS. ?'5 I only came to tell thee the fad fate Of thy unhappy fons ; a while they fecm'd As if they meant to yield the throne to Creoii, Nor ftain their guilty hands with Theban blood, Mindful of that pollution which remain'd On thy devoted race ; but now fome ^od Or their own wicked minds have rais'd a flame Ot dire contention, which fliall gain the pow'r Supreme, and reign in Thebes: Eteocles Hath drove his elder Polynices forth ; Who, now an exile, feeks (as fame reports) The Argians, and in folemn contrad join'd With thefe his new allies wou'd raife their fame Above the ftars, and iink our Thebes in ruin. Thefe are not words alone, 'tis now in adt, Alas ! ev'n now I fear, nor know I when The gods will take compaiTion on thy woes. OE D I Ρ U S. Haft thou no hope they'll pity me ? I S Μ Ε Ν E. I have j Their oracles have faid it. OE D I Ρ U S. Ha! fiid what, V Ο L. II. R Γ My 5T4 OE D I Ρ υ S My daughter, tell me, what have they declar'd ? I S Μ Ε Ν E. The time vvou'd come, they faid, when Thebes once more Muft feek thee, dead or living, for her fafety. OE D I Ρ U S. Why, what cou'd fuch a wretch as I do for them ? I S Μ Ε Ν E. Their only hope, they fay, is plac'd in thee, OE D I Ρ U S. I, that am nothing, grown fo powerful! whence Can it proceed ? I S Μ Ε Ν E. The gods, who once deprefs'd thee, Now raife thee up again. OE D I Ρ U S. It cannot be ; Who falls in youth will never rife in age. I S Μ Έ Ν E. Know, for this very purpofe Creon comes; E'er long thou may'jfl: exped: him. OE D I Ρ U S. What to do, My daughter ? I S Μ Ε Ν E. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 51? Ι S Μ Ε Ν Ε. Το remove thee hence, and place thcc Nearer to Thebes, but not within her borders. OE D I Ρ U S. If not within, what profit can it be To thera? I S Μ Ε Ν E. Thy tomb, rais'd in a foreign land, They fear wou'd prove moft fatal. OE D I Ρ U S. But how know they It muft be fo, unlefs fome god declar'd it? I S Μ Ε Ν E. For this alone they wiili to have thee near The borders, in their power, and not thy own. OE D I Ρ U S. To bury me at Thebes? I S Μ Ε Ν E. That cannot be; Thy crime forbids it. OE D I Ρ U S. Then I'll never go. I S Μ Ε Ν E. A time will come when they fliall feel thy vengeance. R r 2 OE D I Ρ U S. 51(5 OE D I Ρ υ S OE D I ρ υ S, What ftrange viciiTitude can e'er produce This vviih'd event ? I S Μ Ε Ν E. Thy wrath, when at thy tomb They fhall be forc'd to meet. OE D I Ρ U S. Who told thee this? Ifmene, fay. I S Μ Ε Ν E. The facred minifters Of Ddphos. OE D I Ρ U S. Came it from Apollo's fhrine? I S Μ Ε Ν E. On their return to Thebes they did report it. OE D I Ρ U S. My fons, did they hear aught of this? I S Μ Ε Ν E, Both heard, And know it well. OE D I Ρ U S. Yet, impious as they are, Prefer'd a kingdom to their father's love. I S Μ Ε Ν E. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ ?. 317 Ι S Μ Ε Ν Ε. With grief I tell thee what with grief I heard. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! may the gods doom them to endlefs flrifc ; Ne'er may the battle ceafe, till OEdipus Himfelf ihall end it ; then, nor he who bears The fceptre now, fhou'd long maintain the throne, j Nor Polynices e'er to Thebes return ; They fliou'd not live, who drove a parent forth To mifery and exile ; left by thofe Who fhou'd have lov'd, fupported, and rever'd him; I know they fay, the city but comply'd With my requeft, I aik'd for baniiliment; Not then I aik'd it : in my defp'rate mind When firft I ras'd, I willi'd indeed for death ; It had been grateful then, but no kind friend Wou'd minifter the boon ; at length my grief Gave way, and when they faw my troubled foul Had taken ample vengeance on itfelf. After long ftay, the city drove me forth; And thofe who cou'd have fav'd me, my bafe fons, Deaf to a father's pray'rs, permit me ftill To roam abroad, in poverty and exile: From thefe alone, far as their tender fex C:in 3,l8 OE D I Ρ υ S Can Jiclp me, I receive the means of life, Ail the fweet comfort, food, or needful reft. Earth can afford me now ; vvhilft to my fons A throne was dearer than a father's love; But they fhall never gain me for their friend, Ne'er reign in Thebes ; thefe oracles declare They never fhall ; I do remember too Another prophecy, which Phoebus erft Deliver'd to me : let 'em fend their Creon, Or any other pow'rful citizen, To drag me hence : my hofpitable friends, If to thofe all-proteding deities Who here preilde, you too will lend your aid, Athens ihall find in me its beft defence, And vengeance ftrike the foes of OEdipus. CHORUS. Thou and thy daughters well deferve our pity, And, for thy words are full of promised good To our lov'd city, I will tell thee all 'Tis meet thou fliou'dft perform. OE D I Ρ U S. My beft of friends, Ii)ftru£t me ; I am ready to obey, CHORUS, C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 3ii? CHORUS. An expiation inftant muft thou make To the offended pow'rs, whofe facred feat Thou haft profan'd. ! OE D I ρ υ a But, how muft it be done? ' CHORUS. Firft, with pure hands, from th' ever-flowing fpring, Thy due libations pour. OE D I Ρ U S. What follows then ? CHORUS. Take thou a cup, wrought by fome ikilful hand, Bind it with wreaths around. OE D I Ρ U S. Of leaves or threads Compos'd ? CHORUS. ylln expiaii'oji, &c. The remains of tlie antient drama, exclufive of their iiitriniic merit with regard to its more eflential parts, are extremely valuable, merely for the infight which they occafionally give us into almoft every religious ceremony pradifed in earlier ages. Nothing can be more precilc or compleat than this account of an expiation : the cup, which is to be of a peculiar form, muft be bound with wreaths of wool ; that wool muft be from a new-ilioni lamb; the water drawn from three different fountains, mix'd with honey, and every drop p( ur'd out; olive boughs mud be held in the hand, and the whole done in the deepeft filence. However ridiculous or ablurd thefe circumftances may appear to us, we nef d not doubt but on the Athenian ftage they muft have caft an air of great folemnity over this fcene, and have been well received by a Grecian audience. Our own Sophocles has trod the fame path with fuccefs ; liis witches and fairies fell in with the fuperftitions of his cotemporarie?, and not only fecured their attenticHj but the applaufe and admiration of tijtir poftcrity. 320 OE D I ρ υ S CHORUS. Of wool, frefli from the new-iKorn lamb. OE D I Ρ U S. Is tliere aught elfe ? CHORUS. Then, turning to the fun, Make thy libations. OE D I Ρ U S. From the cup, thou fay 'ft. CHORUS. The water from three fountains drawn; and lafl: Remember, none be left. OE D I Ρ U S. With that alone Muft it be fiil'd ? CHORUS. Water with honey mix'd, No wine ; this pour on th' earth OE D I Ρ U S. What then remains? CHORUS. Take in thy hand of olive-boughs thrice nine ; And Olive boughs. Thefe were foine of the ' ■x.Xa.i'oi ικτϋξίοι,' or ' fupplicating • boughs,' inention'd in the firil fcene of the UEdspus Tyrannus : they were generally C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. J1I And off'ring thefe, begin thy humble prayV. OE D I Ρ U S. But how addrcfs them? that concerns mc near. CHORUS. Their name thou know'ft implies benevolent ; Intreat them therefore kindly now to prove Benevolent to thee: this by thyfelf, Or by another for thee ; but, remember, Low be the voice, and fhort the fupplication ; That done, return : be careful to perform it j I may aillft thee then with confidence, But if thou dofl: it not, muft tremble for thee. OE D I Ρ U S. My daughters, heard you this ? ANTIGONE. We did ; command What's to be done. V Ο L. II. s r OE D I ρ υ s. generally laurel or olive. VittatiE laurus, & fupplicis arbor olivre. Statius. The number nine was always accounted myfterious, for various realons aingn'd by the commentators. Theirmme, &c. The furies were call'd Ejy.iviSi^, ' Eumenides,' i. e. ' favour- able or propitious', for many reafons given by the fcholiafts, &c. none of which are very fatisfadlory : fome fa\% by an antiphrafis (like Lucus a non luccr-do) being the direil contrary; oThers give them this appellati-ni becaufe their true names were confider'd as unlucky, and not to be pronounced. They might after all, perhaps, be call'd ' Eumei}ides' in the ftriaeft fenfc, as being lavourable to thofe who had been injured, and the avengers of all impiety. 321 OE D I ρ υ S OE D I ρ υ S. What I can never do, Pow'riefs and blind as I am; one of you, My daughters, muft perform it. ANTIGONE. One alone May do the taik of many, when the mind Is adlive in it, OE D I Ρ U S. Hence then, quick, away ; But do not leave me here alone; thefe limbs, Without a guide, will never find their way. I S Μ Ε Ν E. Father, I go : but how to find the place I know not. CHORUS. Stranger, t'other fide o'th' grove ; There, fome inhabitant will foon inform thee, If thou fhou'dft want afiiftance, or inftruftion. I 8 Μ Ε Ν E. Mean time, Antigone, remain thou here, And guard our father well : cares are not cares, When we endure them for a parent's fake. [Exit Ifmene. SCENE « C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S• 323 SCENE VII. OEDIPUS, ANTIGONE, CHORUS. CHORUS. Stranger, albeit we know 'tis moft ungrateful To raife the fad remembrance of paft woes, Yet wou'd we gladly hear OE D I Ρ U S. What wou'dft thou know? CHORUS. The caufe of thy unhappy ftate. OE D I Ρ U S. Alas ! By all the facred hoipitable rites, I beg thee do not aik me to reveal it ; My crimes are horrible. CHORUS. Already fame Hath fpread them wide, and ftill talks loudly of them: Tell us the truth. OE D I Ρ U S. Alas! CHORUS. Let me bcfecch thee I S f 2 OE D I Ρ U S. μ4 .ΟΕ D I Ρ υ S. ΟΕ D Ι Ρ υ S. \ Ο! me! CHORUS. Comply : aik what thou wilt of me, And thou ihalt have it. OE D I Ρ U S. I have fuffer'd much; The gods can witnefs 'twas againft my will ; I knew not of it. CHORUS. Knew not what ? OE D I Ρ U S. The city, Unknowing too, bound me in horrid nuptials. CHORUS. And didft thou then pollute, as fame reports, Thy mother's bed ? OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! death to hear ! I did : Here, here they are. CHORUS. Who's there ? OE D I Ρ U S, My crimes ! my daughters ! CHORUS. ?^f COLONEUS. C Η ο R υ S. Daughters and fifters of their hither ? Oh ! 'Tis horrible indeed. OE D I Ρ U S. 'Tis" woe on woe. C Η Ο R U S. Great Jove ! both daughters of one haplefs mother ! What haft thou fuffer'd ? OE D I Ρ U S. Ills not to be borne I CHORUS. Didft thou then perpetrate the horrid deed ? OE D I Ρ U S. Ol no! CHORUS. Not do it? OE D I Ρ U S. ί receiv'd from Thebes A fatal gift ; wou'd I had never ta'en it ! CHORUS. And art thou not a murth'rer too ? OEDIPUS. A fatal gift. Meaning the throne of Thebes, with Jocafta whom be married. t I { 316 OE D ί Ρ υ S ΟΕ D I ρ υ S. What's that- Thou fay 'ft? CHORUS. Thy father— OE D I Ρ U S., Thou add'ft grief to grief. CHORUS. Did'ft thou not murther him ? OE D I Ρ U S. I did: but hear— CHORUS. Hear what? OE D I Ρ U S. The caufe. CHORUS. What caufe ? OE D I Ρ U S. I'll tell thee j know then, I murther'd others too, yet by the laws I ftand abfolv'd ; 'twas done in ignorance. CHORUS. [feeing Thefeus, who enters. But, lo ! the king, jEgean Thefeus, comes ; The fame of thee hath brought him here already, SCENE C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 5^7 SCENE VIII. THESEUS, OEDIPUS, ANTIGONE, CHORUS. THESEUS. O! fon of Laius, long e're this, the tale Of thy difaftrous fate, by many a tongue Related, I had heard ; thy eyes torn forth By thy own defp'rate hand, and now I fee It was too true : thy garb and dreadful afpeil Speak who thou art : unhappy OEdipus, I come to aik, in pity to thy woes, What's thy requeft to Athens or to me; Thine, or this haplefs virgin on thy fteps Attendant ; fpeak ; for large muft be the boon I wou'd refufe thee ; I have known too well, Myfelf a wretched wanderer, the woes Of cruel exile, not to pity thine ; Of toils and dangers, in a foreign land. Much have I fuffer'd, therefore not to me Shall Much have J fuffer'd. This is almoil literally tranflated by Virgil, in his fpeech of Dido to /Eneas, Me quoque per multos fimilis fortuna labores Jadlatum, hac demum voluit confiftere terra. Non ignara mali, miferis fuccurrere difco. Nothing can be more amiable than the charader of Thcfeus ; he receives, pities, and comforts the unfortunate exile; in return for his generofity, OEdi- pus gives him the moil folemn aiTurances of future happinels, with certai• iuccefs and vidtory to the whole ilate of Athens. 328 OE'D I Ρ υ S Shall the poor ftranger ever fue in vain For aid and fafety : mortals as we are, Uncertain ever is to-morrow's fate, Alike unknown to Thefeus and to thee. OE D I Ρ U S. Thefeus, thy words declare thy noble nature, And leave me little to reply : thou know'ft My ftory, who, and whence I am; no more Remains, but that I tell thee my requeffc, And we have done. THESEUS. Proceed then, and inform me. OE D I Ρ U S. I come to give this wretched body to thee, To fight ungracious, but of worth more dear To thee, than faireft forms cou'd boaft. THESEUS. What worth? OE D I Ρ U S. Hereafter thou flialt know, not now. THESEUS. But when Shall w€ receive it? OE D I Ρ U S. When I am no more ; When C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 5^^ When thou ihalt bury me. THESEUS. Death is, it fccms, Thy chief concern, and hfe not worth thy care. OE D I Ρ U S. That will procure me all the means of life. THESEUS. And is this all thou aik'ft, this little boon? OE D I Ρ U S. Not little is the ftrife which ihall enfue. THESEUS. What ftrife ? with whom ? thy children, or my own ? OE D I Ρ U S. Mine, Thefeus ; they wou'd have me back to Thebes. THESEUS. And wou'dft thou rather be an exile here ? OE D I Ρ U S. Once they refus'd me. THESEUS. Anger fuits but ill With low eftate, and miferies like thine. OE D I Ρ U S. Hear firft, and then condemn me. V Ο L. 11. Τ t Τ Η Ε- 330 OE D I Ρ υ S THESEUS. Not unheard All thou can'il urge, vvou'd I reprove thee ; fpeak» OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! Theieus, I have borne the worft of ills. Τ Η Ε S Ε υ S. The curfcs on thy race? OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! no ! all Greece Hath heard of them. THESEUS. What more than mortal woe AfHids thee then? OE D I Ρ U S. Ev'n this : my cruel fons Have driv'n me from my country ; never more Muil Thebes receive a parricide. THESEUS. Why then Recall thee now, if thou muil ne'er return ? OE D I Ρ U S. Commanded by an oracle divine. THESEUS. Why, what doth it declare ? OE D I Ρ U S. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 551 ΟΕ D Ι ρ υ S. That Thebes fliall yield To thee, and to thy arms. THESEUS. But whence ihou'd Tpring Such dire contention ? OE D I Ρ U S. Deareft fon of iEgeus, From age and death exempt, the gods alone Immortal and unchangeable remain, Whilft all things elfe fall by the hand of time, The univerfai conqu'ror : earth laments Her fertile powVs exhaufied ; human ftrength Is wither'd foon • ev'n faith and truth decay, Τ t 2 And That Thehei β:αΙΙ yield ζβε. Thofe, who are acquainted with the Grecian hiftory, and the many battles fought between the Thcbans and Athenians, will eafily perceive the deiign of Sophocles in tliis agreeable flattery of his country» men. The abbe Sallier has gone fo far as to make the whole ot this tragedy political, and alluding throughout to the circumftancts of the times in which it was written. He lixes the date of it to a particular period of the Pelopon- nefian war, and endeavours to explain feveral paffages in favour of Jiis opinion ; but I refer my readers to his ingenious diifertation, which they will find in the fixthvol. of the hiiloire de TAcademie des infcriptions, &c. p. 385. From age and death 槀. This juft and beautiful fen timent is, with great propriety, put into the mouth of UEdipus, whofe age and misfortunes would naturally incline him to moral refiedtions, in which the OEdipus Coloncus feems peculiarly to abound, and which render this play, perhaps not trie mclb interefting in it's circumftances, at leail more iritrudlive and agreeable than any of the reft. 551 OE D I Ρ υ S And from their aihes fraud and falfliood rife ; Nor friend ihip long from man to man endures, Or realm to realm ; to each, fucceiH^^e rife Bitter and fweet, and happinefs and woe. Athens and Thebes thou fee'ft united now, And all is well ; but, paillng time fhall bring The fatal day (and flight will be the caufe) That foon fhall change the bonds of amity And holy faith, for feuds and deadlieil hate ; Then bury'd long in earth, fiiall this cold corfe Drink their warm blood, which from the mutual wound Frequent fhall flow ; it muft be as I tell thee, If Jove be Jove, and great Apollo true. But why fliou'd I reveal the fix'd decree Of all-deciding heav'n ? Permit me now To end where I began ; thy plighted faith Once more confirm, and never fhalt thou iay The wretched OEdipus to Thefeus came An ufelefs and unprofitable guefl:, If the immortal o-ods have not deceiv'd me. D CHORUS. Ο ! king, already hath this man declared The fame good will to thee and to our country. THESEUS. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 5)) THESEUS. Can I rejedl benevolence and love Like this, my friends ? 1 no ! the cummon rites Of hofpitality, this altar here, The witnefs of our mutual vows, forbid it ; He comes a fuppliant to thefe goddefles, And pays no little tribute botlv to me And to my kingdom ; he ihall find a feat Within my realms, for I revere his virtues : If here it pleafeth him to flay, remember [to the chorus. 'Tis my command you guard this ftranger well. If thou woud'ft rather go with me, thou may'it ; I leave it to thy choice. [to OEdipus. OE D I Ρ U S. Reward them, Jove. THESEUS. What fay 'ft thou, wilt thou follow me? OE D I Ρ U S. I wou'd, If it were lawful, but it muft be here — This is the place THESEUS. For what? I'll not deny thee — OEDIPUS. 334 OE D I Ρ υ S OE D I ρ υ S. Where I muil conquer thofe, who baniili'd me. THESEUS. That wou'd be glory and renown to this Thy place of refuge. OE D I Ρ U S. If I may depend On thy fair promiie. THESEUS. Fear not, I ihall ne'er Betray my friend. OE D I Ρ U S. I will not bind thee to it By oath, like thofe, whom we fufped of ill. THESEUS. Thou need'il not, OEdipus, my word's my oath. OE D I Ρ U S. How muil I αθ: then ? THESEUS. Fear'ft thou aught? OE D I Ρ U S. I do: ' A force will come againil me. THESEUS, [pointing to the chorus. Here's thy guard ; Thefe C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 3?Τ Thefe fhall proted thee. OE D I Ρ υ S. If thou gocil•, remember : And fave me, Thefeus. THESEUS. Teach not me my duty. OE D I Ρ U S. Still am I fearful. THESEUS. Thefeus is not fo. OE D I Ρ U S. Ϊ ' Know'fl thou not what they threaten' d? THESEUS. This I know, ■ No pow'r on earth fhall wreft thee from this place. j Oft-times the angry foul v/ill vent its wrath In idle threats, with high and empty words, V/hich ever, as the mind is to itfelf j Reilor'd, are — nothing : they may boaft their flrengtli, And fay they'll tear thee from me ; but, I tell thtc, The journey wou'd be long and tedious to them ; They will not hazard it, they dare not : therefore Be comforted^, for if by Phcebus fent Thou hither cam'ft, thou'rt fafe without my aid, Ev'n 336 OE D I Ρ υ ί Ev'n if I leave thee fafe ; for know, tae narjic Of Thefeus here fufficeth to proteA thee. [Exit Theieus. S C Ε Ν Ε IX. OEDIPUS, ANTIGONE, CHORUS. CHORUS. STROPHE J. Thou art come in happy time, Stranger, to this bUfsful dime, Long for fwifteft fteeds renown'd, Fertil'fl: of the regions round. Where, beneath the ivy fhade, In the dew-befprinkled glade, Many, a love-lorn nightingale Warbles fvveet her plaintive tale. Where the vine in clufters pours Her fweets fecur'd from wintry Hiow'rs, Nor fcorching funs, nor raging florm The beauties of the year deform. A Ν Τ I S- Tbou art come &c. This is the firft fong or intermede of the chorus, who in ηιυίΐ beautiful language (for fo it is in the original) hng the praifes of At- tica ; the extraordinary fertility of it's foil, knowledge of horfemanihip, and ikill in naval aitairs, Sophocles has apparently taken this opportunity to ce- lebrate the place of his birth, and at the fime time pay a compliment to his countrymen: one may eafily imagine with what applaufe it muft have been received by an Athenian audience. This chorus clofes the adt, which the reader may obferve, is of a moil: enormous length, and unproportionable to the reft. Brumoy, to avoid the abfurdiry, begins the fecoiid adt at the firft entrance of Thefeus, and calls this the fecond iniermede, though he forgets to tell us which is the firft. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 5)7 Α Ν τ Ι S τ R ο ρ II Ε Ι. Where the fweet Narciffus growing, Where the yellow Crocus blowinfr Round the facred altars twine, Off'ring to the pow'rs divine; Where the pure fprings perpetual flow, Wat'ring the verdant meads below, Which with its earth-enrichino; waves The fair Cephifus ever laves. W^here with his ever-iporting train, Bacchus wantons on the plain ; Pleas'd with the mufcs ilill to rove And golden Venus, queen of love. STROPHE 11. Alone within this happy land, Planted here by nature's hand. Which, nor Afia's fertile plains. Nor Pelop's fpacious iile contains, Pallas, thy facred olive grows; Striking terror on our foes, V Ο L. 11. U u Ever rhe facred olive. Thefe olives were call'd ' Ihoixu or ' Moriie.' for fome reafons, not very material, allign'd by the commentators : it is iufficient to ob- ffcrve, that as the iavourite trees of Minerva, the protedrds of Athens, they were held iacred, and wlioever cut them down was deem'd accurlcd ; for which reafon it is faid, that when the Lacedajrnoniaas inviidcd At.ua, tJicIc alone were fpared in the general devallation. 53S OE D I Ρ υ S Ever free from hoftile rage, From wanton youth, or greedy age ; Happy in fage Minerva's love, And guarded ilill by Morian Jove. ANTISTROPHE 11. But nobler gifts, and fairer fame, Athens, yet adorn thy name ; Such wond'rous gifts hath pour'd on thee, Thy great proteding deity : Here hril obedient to command, Form'd by Neptune's ikilful hand; The fteed u^as taught to know the rein, And bear the chariot o'er the plain : .Here firft along the rapid tide. The ftately veffels learn'd to ride; And fwifter down the current flow. Than Nereids cut the waves below. [Exeunt. End of A C Τ I. ACT C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 55Ρ ACT Π. SCENE I. ANTIGONE, OEDIPUS, CHORUS. ANTIGONE. f^ R Ε A Τ are thy praifes, Attica, and now The time is come to fliew thou doft deferve them. OE D I Ρ U S. What means my daughter ? Speak ; what new event Alarms thee ? ANTIGONE. Creon, with a num'rous band Of folio w'rs, comes this way. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! now, my friends, If ever, help me. CHORUS. Fear not, we'll protect thee. Though I am old, the ftrength of Attica Is not decay 'd. U u 2 SCENE 340 OE D I Ρ υ S SCENE II. CREON, with Attendants, OEDIPUS, ANTIGONE, CHORUS. C R Ε Ο N. Moft honoiii'd citizens, I fee you look with eyes of fear upon me, Without a caufe ; for know, I came not here Intending aught of violence or ill Againft a city, fo renown'd in Greece As yours hatli ever been ; I only came, Commiinon'd by the flate of Thebes, to fetch This old man back, if by perfuailon mild I cou'd induce him to return ; not fent By one alone, but the united voice Of a whole people, who afi^gn'd the talk To me, becaufe by blood united to him, I felt for his misfortunes as my own. Come therefore, OEdipus, attend me home, Thebes calls thee back, thy kingdom now demands thee, By me fhe calls thee ; liften to thy friend, For furely Creon were the woril of men. If he cou'd look on woes like thine unmov'd 3 When I behold thee in' a foreitrn land ο A wretched vvand'rer, forc'd to beg thy bread From C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 341 From place to place, with this unhappy maid, Whom Httle did I think to fee expos'd To mifery and iliame, oF nuptial rites Hopelefs, and thus bereft of evVy aid : Ο ! 'tis reproach and infamy to us And to our race ; but 'tis already known. And cannot be conceal d : Ο ! OEdipus, I here befeech thee, by our country's o-ods Return to Thebes, bid thou a kind farewel. For fhe deferves it, to this noble city, But ftill remember thy own dearer country. CE D I Ρ U S. Thou daring hypocrite, whofc fpecious wiles Beneath fair femblance mean but to betray, Why wou'dil thou tempt me thus ; why thus once more Enfnare me in thy toils, and make me ftill More wretched than I am ? Long time opprelVd By heavieft woes, I pin'd within my palace. And long'd for exile, but you then refus'd To let me go, till fatiated with grief My foul at length was calm, and much I wiili'd To fpciid m icw remaining years at home; Then tlir-u, for little did the kindred blood Thou talk'ft of then avail, didft baniili me ; And 5.μ - ΟΕ D I Ρ υ S. And now again thou com'il to make me wretched. Becaufe thou fee'ft this Icind benignant city Embrace and cherifh, thou wou'dit drao- me hence. With fweeteft words cov'ring thy bitter mind, Profeiring love to thofe who chufe it not : He, who denies his charitable aid To the poor beggar in his utmoft need, And if abundance comes, fhou'd offer that Which is not wanted, little merits thanks. Such is thy bounty now, in word alone And not in deed, the friend of OEdipus. But I will tell them what thou art ; thou cam'ft not To take me hence, but leave me in the borders Of Thebes, that fo thy kingdom may efcape Th' impending ills which this avenging city Shall pour upon it ; but 'twill come to pafs As I foretold, my evil genius ftill Shall haunt you, and my fons no more of Thebes Inherit than fhall ferve them for a grave. Thy country's fate is better known to me Than to thyfelf, for my inftruclion comes From furer guides, from Phcebus and from Jove. Tl y artful fpeech fhall little ferve thy purpofe, 'Tvall only hurt thy caufe : therefore begone j I'm C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 545 I'm not to be pcrfuadcd. Let me live In quiet here, for wretched as I am, 'Twill be fome comiort to be flir from thee. C R Ε Ο N. Think'ft thou I heed thy words ? Who'll fuffer molt For this perverfenefs, thou or I ? OE D I Ρ U S. I truft Thy little arts will nought avail with me, Or with my friends. C R Ε Ο N. Poor wretch ! no time can cure Thy follies, thy old age is grown delirious. OE D I Ρ U S. Thou haft a hateful tongue ; but few, how juft j Soe'er they be, can always fpeak aright. C R Ε Ο N. But to fay much, and to fay well, are things Which differ widely. OE D I Ρ U S. What thou fay 'ft no doubt Is brief, and proper too. C R Ε Ο N. 'Twill hardly feem fo To 344 OE D I Ρ υ S To thofe, wlio think like thee. OE D I Ρ U S. Away, nor dare Dired my fteps, as if thou had'ft the pow'r , To place me where thou wilt. C R Ε Ο N. Remember all To witnefs this, for he iliall anfwer it When he is mine. OE D I Ρ U S. But who ihall force me hence Againil the will of thefe my friends ? C R Ε Ο N. Their aid Is vain ; already I have done what much Will hurt thee. OE D I Ρ U S. Ha ! what threats are thefe ? C R Ε Ο N. Thy daughters Muft go with me ; one is fecur'd, and now This moment will I wreft the other from thee. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! m.e ! C R Ε Ο N. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 54? C R Ε ο Ν. Γ11 give thee much more caufe for grief. OE D I Ρ U S. Haft thou my daughter? C R Ε Ο N. Aye, and will have this. OE D I Ρ U S. [to the chorus. What will you do, my friends ? will you forfake me ? Will you not drive this vile abandon'd man Forth from your city ? CHORUS. Stranger, hence, away ; Thy adlions are moft ihameful and unjuft. C R Ε Ο N. Slaves, do your office j bear her off by force, If £he confents not. ANTIGONE. Whither ihall I fly For aid? what god or man fliall I implore To fuccour me ? C Η Ο Pv U S. Alas! what woudft thou do? C R Ε Ο N. I touch not him, but I muft have my own. VOL. II. X X ΑΝΤΙ. 34δ ΟΕ D I Ρ υ S A Ν τ I G ο Ν Ε. Ο 1 princes, aid me now I CHORUS. 'Tis moft unjiift. C R Ε Ο N. I fay 'tis juft. CHORUS. Then prove it. C R Ε Ο N. They are mine. CHORUS. Ο citizens ! ANTIGONE. Ο ! looie me ! if you do not, You ihall repent this violence. C R Ε Ο N. Go on, I will defend you. OE D I Ρ U S. He, who injures me, Offends the city. CHORUS. Said I not before It wou'd be thus ? .li .J CREON. C ο L Ο Ν Ε υ S. 347 C R Ε Ο Ν. [to the cliorus. Let go the maid this infant. CHORUS. Command where thou haft power. C R Ε Ο N. Let her go. CHORUS. Begone thyfelf: what, ho! my countrymen, The city is in danger; hafte and ilive us. ANTIGONE. [Creon s followers feizc on Antigone. I'm feiz'd, my friends, Ο 1 help 1 OE D I Ρ U S. Where is my daughter ? ANTIGONE. Torn from thee. Away with her. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο I ft retch forth thy hand. ANTIGONE. I cannot. CREON. OE D I Ρ U S. O' wretched OEdipus ! XX 2 CREON. 548 OE D I Ρ υ S C R Ε ο Ν. No longer ihall theie tender props fupport Thy feeble age ; fince thou art ilill rcfolv'd Againft thyfelf, thy country, and thy friends, By whofe command I come, remain perverfe And obftinate, old man ; but know, hereafter Time will convince thee thou haft ever been Thy own worft foe ; thy fiery temper ftill Miift make thee wretched. CHORUS. Stranger, ilir not hence. C R Ε Ο N. I charge you, touch me not. CHORUS. Thou ihalt not go, Till thou reftorTl: the virgins. C R Ε ο Ν. I muft have A nobler ranfom from your city, thefe Shall not fuffice. CHORUS. No longer, &c. Meaning his daughters, Antigone and Ifmene : the hteral tranflation would be ' Thcu (halt no longer walk, leaning on thefe fticks.* A little farther on, OEdipus tails Antigone ' Ψιλον ομ.μ.ίχ.' ' his only eye :' paiTages of this nature^ the reader will eafily perceive, mull be foften'd a little in the tranflation. COLONEUS. CHORUS. What mean' ft thou ? C R Ε Ο N. He ihall go, This OEdipus. CHORUS. Thy threats are terrible. C R Ε Ο N. 1 11 do't ; and only he, who governs here, Shall hinder me. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! infolence 1 thou wilt not, Thou dar'ft not force me. C R Ε Ο N. Hold thy peace. OE D I Ρ U S. Not cv'n The dreadful goddeiTes, who here prciide, Shou'd bind my tongue from hcavicil: curfcs on thee. For thou haft rob'd me of the only light Thefe eyes cou'd boaft ; but may tli' all-fccing fun Behold and puniili thee and all thy race, And load thy age with miferies like mine. C R Ε Ο N. Inhabitants of z\thcns, hear you this? 349 OEDIPrS, 390 OE D I Ρ υ S OE D I ρ υ S. They do, and fee that biit with fruitlefs words I can repay the injuries I receive ; For I am weak with age, and here alone. C R Ε Ο N. No longer will I curb my juft refentment, But force thee hence. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! me ! CHORUS. What boldnefs, ftranger Cou'd make thee hope to do a deed like this Unpunifh'd ? C R Ε Ο N. 'Tis refolv'd. CHORUS. Our Athens then Is fall'n indeed, and is no more a citv. C R Ε Ο N. In a juil caufe the weak may foil the mighty. OE D I Ρ U S. Hear how he threatens CHORUS. For I am weak-, &c. This line in the original is, 1 think, very abiurdly put into the mouth of Creon ; 1 have taken the hberty to give it to 0£dipus, from whom it certainly comes with moie propriety. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 5^-1 CHORUS. What he'll ne'er perform. C R Ε Ο N. That Jove alone can tell. CHORUS. Shall injuries Like thefe be fuffer'd ? C R Ε Ο N. Call it injury Thou may'ilj 'tis fuch as thou perforce mufl: bear. CHORUS. This is too much : ve rulers of the land My fellow-citizensj come forth, and five us. SCENE HI. THESEUS, CREON, OEDIPUS, ANTIGONE, CHORUS. Τ Η Ε S Ε U S. V/hence is this clamour ? wherefore am I call'd From facred rites at Neptune's altar paid, Our guardian god ? fay, v/hat's the caufe that thus In hafte I'm fummon'd hither? OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! my friend. For well I know thy voice, moil cruelly IJavc 5<Τ2. ΟΕ D I Ρ υ S Have I been treated by this man. THESEUS. Who did it? OE D I Ρ U S. This Creon, whom thou fee'ft hath raviili'd from me My only help, my daughters. THESEUS. Ha ! what fay 'ft thou ? OE D I Ρ U S. 'Tis as I tell thee. THESEUS. [to his attendants. Quick, difpatch my fervants, Fly to the altar, fummon all my people, Horfemen and foot ; giv^e o'er the facrifice. And inftant to the double gate repair, Left with the virgins the bafe raviiliers Efcape unpunifli'd, and my gueft thus injur'd Laugh me to fcorn for cowardice. Away. Were I to punilli this opprefibr here [turning to Creon. As my refentment bids, and he deferves. He ftiou'd this inftant fall beneath my rage ; But the fame juftice, he to others deals, Himfelf fliall meet from us ; thou fhalt not go Till thofe, whom thou didft bafely raviili hence, Are C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 5>) Are brought before me: 'twas unlike thyfelf, Unworthy of thy country and thy race, To enter thus a cultivated citv. Where law and juftice reign, with violence And rapine, fnatching what thy fancy pleasM. Or didft thou think I rul'd a dcfirt land, Or that my people were a race of flaves, And Thefeus but the fhadow of a king? Thebes never taught thee fuch deftruc^ive leilbns, For ilie abhors injuftice ; when ilie hears That Creon, thus defpifing facrcd laws, Hath ta'en with brutal violence my right, And wou'd have ΛοΓη a wretched fuppliant from me, She'll not approve thy condudl : fay I went To Thebes, how juft foever were the caufe, I fhou'd not feize on aught without the leave Of him who govern'd there; but, as becomes A ftranger, bear myfelf unblam'd by all. Thou haft difgrac'd thy country, and thy friends, And weight of years hath ta'en thy fenfes from thee : Again I fay, reftore the virgins to me. Or ftay with me thyfelf, for fo thou fhalt, Howe'er unwilling; what I've faid, remember, Is what I have rcfolv'd, therefore determine. VOL.11. Yy CHORUS. 3^4 OE D I PUS CHORUS. fto Creon. Stranger, thy adions, noble as thou art, But ill become thy family and name, Bccaufe unjuil ; but thou behold'ft thy fate. CREON. Thefeus, it was not that I thought this city Without or guards to fave, or laws to rule, Which brought me here, nor unadvis'd I came, But that I hop'd you never' wou'd receive My kindred here againft my will, nor e'er Embrace a vile inceftuous parricide. Or chcriili and proted: him, in a land Whofe court, renown'd for juftice, fuffers not Such poor abandon'd exiles to reiide Within its borders ; therefore did I this, Which yet I had not done, but for the curfes Which he hath pour'd on me, and all my race; Revenge infpir'd me : anger, well thou know'ft, Can never be extinguiili'd but by death, Which clofeth ev'ry wound : at prefent, Thefeus, It muft be as thou vvi!t ; my want of povii-'r. How juil foe'er my caufe, demands fubmiihon ; Yet old and weak, I iliall not tamely yield. OEDIPUS. COLONEUS 5^-^- OE D I ρ υ S. Audacious man! think'lt thou the vile reproach, Thou utter'ft, falls on me, or on thyfelf? Thou who upbraid'A me thus for all my woes, Murther and inceil, which againft my will I had committed; fo it plcas'd the gods, Offended at my race for former crimes, But I am guiltlefs ; canft thou name a fault Deferving this? for tell me_, was it mine, When to my father Phoebus did declare That he fhou'd one day pcriili by the hand Of his own child j was OEdipus to bkme, Who had no being then ? if, born at length To wretchednefs, he met his fire unknown, And flew him, that involuntary deed Canft thou condemn ? and for my fatal marriage, Doft thou not blufh to name it ? was not ittc Thy fifter, £he who bore me, ignorant And guiltlefs woman ! afterwards my wife, And mother to my children ? what {he did, She did unknowing ; not like thee, who thus Doft purpofely upbraid us both ; hcav'n knows Unwillingly I wedded her, and now Unwillingly repeat the dreadful tale ; Υ V 2 Bvit 5^(ί ΟΕ D I Ρ υ S. But, nor for that, nor for my miirtherM father, Have I defcrv'd thy bitter taunts; for tell me, Thy life attack'd, wou'dft thou have ilay'd to aik Th' aiTaifm if he v/ere thy father ? no, Self-love vvou'd urge thee to revenge the infult : Thus was I drove to ill by th' angry gods ; This, iliou'd my father's foul revifit earth, Himfelf wou'd own, and pity OEdipus. Thy bold and impious tongue flill utters ail; Juil or unjufl: thou pour'il thy foul reproach On me, pretending to revere the name Of Thefeus and his country ', but remember, The city, whom thou thus hafl prais'd, is fam'd For piety, and rev'rence to the gods ; Yet wou'dil thou drive a needy fuppliant thence, And lead him captive; thou hafl ftol'n my daughter. But I implore the dreadiul goddefles To grant me aid, that thou may'ft feel the pow'r Which thou contemn'ft, and know the force of Athens; CHORUS. [To Thefeus. Ο ! king, this ftranger merits thy regard. His woes are great, his caufe ihou'd be defended. • THESEUS. No more, the raviihers are fled with fpeed, Whilft 597 C Ο L Ο Ν Ε υ S. Whilft we, who fdffer,'ftand inadivc here. C R Ε Ο N. Speak thy commands, for I muil yield to thee. THESEUS. Go thou before me, I fhall follow clofc ; If here thou hail conceal'd the virgins, now Difcover them; if hence, to other's hands Committed, they are fled, they fliali not fcapc, My fcrvants foon will fetch them back; mean time Remember thy condition, for thy fate Hath caught thee in the net which thou hadll: fpread For others; but what evil means acquire Is feldom kept : thou cam'il not naked here, Or unattended, thus to do an ad: Of violence ; e'er Ιοησ I'll know on what Thou did'il rely, nor by a fingle arm Shall Athens fall inglorious: hear'ft thou this, Or are my words unheeded ? C R Ε Ο N. Tis not now A time to anfwer ; we fhall know at home What What evil means &c. This maxim is adopted by Plautus, in Iiis Pxnulus, ' naie partum inale dliperii:.' We have Ukewife a proverb of our own, th )ugh it is rather a courfe one, expreflive of the Came fentunent, viz. * What .: got over the devil's back is fpent under his belly. 39S OE D I Ρ υ S What muft be done. THESEUS. Thou threat' neft; but go on. Stay thou in quiet here, for if I Hve, [turning to OEdipus. I will not reft till Ί reftore thy daughters. [Exeunt Thefeus and Creon. S C Ε Ν Ε IV. OE D I Ρ υ S, CHORUS. CHORUS. : STROPHE I. Now the combatants prepare, And haften to the field of war, Thefeus, their great and god-like friend, The haplefs virgins fliaU defend. Ο ! cou'd 1 hear the dreadful battle roar, Or near Apollo's facred fhrine. Or on the torch-enlighten'd fhore, Or No'w the ccmbatanti &c. This is the fecond fong, or intermede of the cho- rus, who, imagining from what had pafs'd in the preceding fcene, that a battle muft inevitably follow between Thefeus and Creon, form various con- jedures concerning the place, where it would be fought : relying on the ftrength ai.d valour of their countrymen, to whom they prefage certain viftory. This gives time for the recovery of Antigone and ]fmene, and prepares the audience for the events of the next aft. 0/1 the torch enlighten df:ore. Torches were carried in the Eleufinian rites, probably in niemory of thole, which Ceres and her attendants are fuppofed to have made ufe of in their fearch attcr Prolerpine ; thele myileries v.'ere per- form'd by night in the moil iolemn manner by the Eumolpidje, or priefts of Ceres; none wee admitted to them but the pure and unfpottc^, who were bouiid to inviolable fc'^recy. COLONEUS. 3 τ;? Or, Ceres, where thy pricfts their rites divine Perform, with lips in folemn filence fcal'd, And myft'ries ne'er by mortal tongue reveal' d. ANTISTROPHE I. At yon fnowy mountain's feet Weftward perchance the warriors meet ; Chariot and horfe with mutual rage On OEta's flow'ry plains engage ; Around their Thefeus now, a valiant band, See Athens' martial fons unite To fave their native land j All fhake their glitt'ring fpears, and urge the fight ; All who thy pow'r, Equeftrian Pallas, own. Or bow to Neptune, Rhea's honour'd fon. S Τ R Ο Ρ Η Ε II. The bloody fcene iliall foon be o'er, Creon the virgin iliall reftore ; My foul prophetic fees the maid For pious duty thus repaid ; For ever adive is the pow'r of Jove, From whom perpetual bleffings flow: Ο ! that I now cou'd, like the dove. Soar thro' the ikies, and mark the field below. The wiiL'd-for conqueft joyful to behold, And triumph in the vid'ry I foretold I a Ν Τ I S- -6ο ΟΕ D'l Γ υ Λ ANTISTROPHE Ι Thou pow'r fupreme, all pow'is above, All-feeing, all-performing Jove, Grant that the rulers of this land May foon fubdue the hoflile band 1 Thee too, Ο ! Pallas, hunter Phcebus, thee Do we invoke, with thee be join'd Thy virgin fifter deity, Who loves o'er lawns to chafe the fpotted hind ; On you we call, your aid propitious bring, O! hafte, proted our country and our king. [Exeunt End of A C Τ 11. A C Τ C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 5^1 ACT III. SCENE I. OEDIPUS, THESEUS, ANTIGONE, ISMENE, CHORUS. CHORUS. ' Μ no falfe prophet, ftranger, for behold Thy daughters. OE D I Ρ U S. Ha ! what iay'ft thou, where, Ο ! where ? ANTIGONE. My father, Ο ! my father, what kind god Rais'd up this friend who liath reftor'd us to thee ? OE D I Ρ U S. Are then my dauglitcrs witli me ? ANTIGONE. Thefeus' arm Hath brought us here : to him and to liis friends We owe cur fiicty. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ί come nigh, my children, Let me embrace you ; never did I think Again to fold you in tlicic amis. A Ν Ί' I G Ο Ν Ε. Wc conic VOL. II. Ζ ζ With I 5^2. OE D I Ρ υ S With joy, my father. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! where are you ? ANTIGONE. Here. OE D I Ρ U S. My deareil children. ANTIGONE. To our father ftill May ev'ry pleafure come ! OE D I Ρ U S. [leaning on Antig. My beft fupport ! ANTIGONE. The wretched bear the wretched. OE D I Ρ U S. [embracing them, I have all That's precious to me ; were I now to dye, Whilft you are here, I fliou'd not be unhappy : Support me, daughters, to your father's iide Clofe prefs'd ; Ο ! footh to peace a wretched exile. Long time deferted : tell me what hath happen'd, But let the tale be fiiort, as bed becomes Thy tender age. ΑΝΤΙ- C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. -^6:; ANTIGONE. [pointing to Thefcus. Here is our great protector, He will inform you ; fo ihall what I Ipeak Be brief, as thou wou'dft have it, OE D I Ρ U S. Noble Thefeus, My children thus beyond my hopes rcftor'd. If I fhou'd talk too long on fuch a theme, Thou wilt not wonder ; 'tis to thee alone I owe my joys ; thou didft proteft and five My much-lov'd daughters; may the gods repay Thee and thy kingdom for this goodnefs to me ! Here only have I found or faith, or truth, Or juflice ; ycu alone poflefs them all ; I will atteft it, for I know it well ; I feel your virtues; what I have is all From you. Ο ! king, permit me but to touch Thy hand ; Ο ! flretch it forth, or let me kifs Thy honour'd lips I but Ο ! what do I % ! Can fjch a wretch as OEdipus e'er hope With guilty hands to touch a man like thee, So pure, fo fpotlefs ? yet I muft embrace thee; They only, who have known mislbrtunc, feel For other's griefs with fympathifuig v,oc. Ζ ζ 2 Ιί'^ΐίί 5ί$4 ΟΕ D I Ρ υ S Hail ! bcil of men, and may'ft thou ever be, As thou haft been, my guardian and my friend ! THESEUS. Thus happy as thou muA be in thy children, Hadft thou faid more, much more, and talk'd to them Rather than me, it had not mov'd my wonder ; Nor think I fhou'd rcfent it : not by words Would Thefeus be diftinguiih'd, but by deeds liluflirious ; this thou knovv'fl, for what I fwore I have perform'd, reftor'd thy daughters to thee, Safe from the tyrant's threats : how pail the conflid: Why ihou'd I boaft ? they at their leifure beft May tell you all : mean- time to what I heard, As hither coming, OEdipus, attend : Of little import feem'd the circumflance, And yet 'twas flrange; but nought fhou'd mortal man Deem or beneath his notice or his care. OE D I Ρ U S. What is it, fon of ^geus ? Ο ! inform me, For nothing; have I heard. THESEUS. A man, they fay, Who boafts himfclf by blood ally'd to thee. At Neptune's altar, vvhilfl I icicrific'd, In C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. -6'^ In humbleft poilure ftood. OE D I Ρ U S. What cou'd it mean ? Whence came he ? THESEUS. That I know not; this alone They told me, fuppHant he requeued much To talk a while with thee. OE D I Ρ U S. With me ? 'tis ftranac. And yet methinks important. THESEUS. He defir'd But to converfe with thee, and then depart. OE D I Ρ U S. Who can it be? THESEUS. Haft thou no friend at Ari^os, None of thy kindred there who wiih'd to fee thee? OE D I Ρ U S. No more, my friend, THESEUS. What fay'ft thou? OE D I Ρ U S. ^66 OE D I Ρ υ S OE D I ρ υ S. Do not alk me. THESEUS. Aik vvhat- OE D I Ρ U S. I know him now ; I know too well Who's at the altar. THESEUS. Who is it? OE D I Ρ U S. My fon ; That hateful fon, whofe voice I loath to hear. THESEUS. But why not hear him ? ftill thou may'il refufe What he iliall alk. OE D I Ρ U S. I cannot, cannot bear it : Do not oblige me. THESEUS. But the facred place, Where 2 knew him tiow. OEdipus is firft at a lofs to griefs who this ftranger could be that enquired after him, but on recolledion concludes it was his Ion. ' Antigo- ' ne & fa fceur (fays Erumoy) devinent que ce'ft lear frere Polynice, & eiles ' le dilent a ieur pere ;' the French critic is here miftakcn, for OEdipus is not tojd "by his daughters, but imagines himfelf it mull: be Polynices, as foan as Thcfeus mentions his coming from Argos. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. γη Where now he (lands, and rev'rcnce to ύ\ζ gods, Demand it of thee. A Ν Τ I G Ο Ν F. Let me, Ο ! my father. Young as I am, admoniili thee ! Ο ! grant Thy friend his juft requefi:, obey the gods, And let our brother come; vvhate'er he lays It need not draw thee from thy firft rcfolvc. What harm to hear him? words have oft produc'd The nobleft works : remember 'tis thy child, Thou didft beget him; tho' he were the worft Of fons to thee, yet wou'd it ill become A father to return it : let him come. Others like thee have bafc unworthy children. And yet their minds are foften'd to forgivenefs By friend's advice, and all their wrath fubdu'd. Think on thy own unhappy parent's fate, Thence may 'ft thou learn what dreadful ills have il-^n-'d From angler's bitter fountain ; thou, alas ! Art a iad proof; thofc hghtlcfs eyes too well Bear witnefs to it; thofc, who only ailc What juftice warrants, fnou'd not afl; in vain, Nor, who receives a benefit, forget The hand that gave, but ftuJy to repay it. OE D I Ρ U S. 56S OE D 1 Ρ υ S ΟΞ D I ρ υ S. Yen have u'cicome me ; with reludant pleafure -I yield ; my children, be it as you pleafe : But if he comes, Ο ! Thefeus, guard my life. THESEUS. I've i^iid enough ; no more : I will not boaft, But thou art lafe if heav'n forfakes not me. SCENE II. CHORUS. STROPHE. In facrcd wifdom's path is feldom ken. The wretch, whcm fordid love of wealth infpires ; Ncgkdful of the happy golden mean, His foul nor truth nor heav'nly knowledge fires : No length of days to Jiim can pleafure bring, In death alone he finds repofe, End of his wiilies and his woes ; In that uncomfortable night Where never mufic's charms delight, Nor virojin choirs their hvmenseals fino;. _ ANTIS- Wi'h- reluS^iirtt pleafure. The original is remarkably elegant ; ' Bctoeiav * /)/:/»■;;:• πκα,τί ixs. 1 have endeavoui'd to render it as cloiely as poflible. I^ifccrediuifik-m's path &c. Tiiis is the third ior\g, or intennede of the chorus, who, fliock'd at the unparallel'd misfortunes of OEdipus, fall into fnme mehncholy rtfiedions on the miferies of old age, and the unhappy con- dition of human life, in every period of it J this gives time and prepares the audience for the arrival of I'Olyniccs. 3^9 C Ο L Ο Ν Ε υ 6'. Α Ν τ Ι S τ R ο ρ II κ. The happieft fate of man is not to be ; And next in blifs is he wlio foon as born, From the vain world and all its forrows free, Shall whence he came with fpecdiefl: foot return • For youth is full of folly, toils and woe, Of war, fedition, pain and Arifc, With all the bufy ills of life, Till helplefs age comes creeping on, Deferted, iriendlefs and alone, Which neither pow'r nor joy nor pleafure knows. Ε Ρ Ο D E. The haplefs OEdipus, like me, Is doom'd to age and mifcry ; Ev'n as around the northern fhore The bleak winds howl, and tempefts roar, Contending florms in terror meet, And dafliino• waves for ever beat ; Thus is the wretched king with grief oppre/s'd, And woes on \voes affiid his long-diilcmper'd breaft. [Exeunt. End of A C Τ \\\. VOL. II. Λ a a ACT 370 OE D I Ρ υ S ACT IV. S C Ε Ν Ε I. OEDIPUS, ANTIGONE, ISMENE, CHORUS. ANTIGONE. T"^ HIS way, my father, lo ! the wretched man Approaches, unattended and in tears. OE D I Ρ U S, Who comes, my child? ANTIGONE. Ev'n he I told thee of, Poor Polynices. S C Ε Ν Ε II. POLYNICES, OEDIPUS, ANTIGONE, ISMENE, CHORUS. POLYNICES. Ο ! mv iiilers, fee Of all mankind the m.oft unhappy ; where Shall I begin ? fliall I lament my own, Or fhall I weep an aged parent's fate? For 0/ my 0ers, &c. Nothing can be more artful, tender and pathetic^ihari this fptech of I'olynices ; conicicus of hi» own guilr, and v^^ell acquainted with the fiery diip'ifition of his fiathcr, he addrefi'es himfelf firfi: to his iiilers, and tlien Aides, as it were, ink-niibly into his i..)odel1 and humble fuppucation, clothed in terms that muil have moved any but the implacable OEdipus. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 571 For Ο ! tis horrible to find him thus A wandVing exile in a foreign land ; In this mean garb, with wild diihevell'd hair, Bereft of ilght, and deftitute, perhaps, Of needful food and noiirirhment ; alas ! Too late I know it, worthlefs as I am, I flew to fuccour him, to plead my caufe. That not from others he might hear the tale Of my misfortunes ; ilicred pity fits Faft by the throne of Jove, o'er all his works Preilding gracious ; Ο ! let her infpirc Thy breaft, my father ; crimes already done, Which cannot be recall'd, may ftill be heal'd By kind forgivenefs ; why then art thou fi'ent ? Ο ! fpeak, my father, do not turn afide ; Wilt thou not anfwer ? wilt thou let me go Without one word; nor tell me whence thy wrath Contemptuous fprings ? my fifters, you at leafl; Will try to move his unrelenting heart. And loofen his clos'd lips, that not thus fpurnd And thus unanfwer'd, though a fuppliant here At Neptune's altar, I return with ihame And foul difgrace. ANTIGONE. Say, wherefore didil thou come, Aaa 2 ^^y 37i OE D Ι• Ρ υ S. My hapkfs brother ? tell thy mournful tale ; Such is the powV of words, that whether fweet They move foft pity, or when bittter urge To violence and wrath, at leaft they ope Til' unwilling lips, and make the filent fpcak. POLYNICES. 'Tis well advis'd, and I will tell thee all. Ο ! may that deity propitious fmiie, Vv'hofe altar late I left, whence Thefeus rais'd This wretched fuppliant, and in converfe free Mix'd gracious with me ; may I hope from you The like benevolence ? and now, my father, ΙΊ1 tell thee wherefore Polynices came. Thou fee'ft me banifh'd from my native land, Unjuflly banifli'd for no other crime But that I ftrove to keep the throne of Thebes, By birthright mine, from him, who drove me thence, The young Eteocles : not his the claim By jufticc, nor to me his fame in arms Superior, but by foft perfuaiive arts He won the rebel city to his love. Thy curfe, my father, was the caufe of all, I knov/ it v/as ; for fo the priefts declar'd In oracles divine : to Arcfos then ο C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 57J Ι came, and to Adraftub' daughter join'J In marriage,, gain'd the Argivc cliicls, rcnown'd For martial deeds; fev'n vaHant leaders marcli To Thebes, refolv'd to conquer or to dye. Therefore to thee, my father, came I here, To beg thy aid for me and thefc my friends, Companions of the war, who threaten Thebes With their united pow'rs, in order thus ; The wife and brave Amphiarus, or ficill'd To caft the fpear, or with prophetic tongue Difclofe the will of heav'n, with OEneus' fon ^tolian Tydeus, and Eteocles At Argos born ; to thefe Hippomedon Sent by Talaus his renowned iirc, Bold Capaneus, who threatens foon to rafe The walls of mighty Thebes ; to clofe the train, Parthenopa^an Areas comes, the fon Of Atalantis, from her virgin name So call'd: with thefe thy haplefs fon, (the child Of dire misfortune rather) leads his force From Argos to rebellious Thebes; for thefe, And for their children, for the lives of all, Suppliant 7be wife r.Jid brave, &c. In the original it is ' Firft Amphiarus, Tccond ' Tytieus, third Eteocles, &c.' but this would have appear'd extremely hailh and aukward in a literal tranflation. N. 574 OE D I Ρ υ S Suppliant to thee vvc come, in humble prayV, To deprecate thy wrath againft a wretch Who, injur'd much, but feck the vengeance due To a bafe brother, whofe oppreiUve hand Hath drove me from my country and my throne ; If there be truth in what the gods declare, On him fliall vid'ry fmile, for whom thy vows Shall rife propitious; therefore, by our gods, And native fountains, Ο ! remit thy anger, And fmile upon me, on a baniili'd man, A besTgar like thyfelf, who lives like thee By ether's bounty ; in one common fate We are united, whilfl: the tyrant iits In eafe at home, and laughs our woes to fcorn. Yet if thou wou'dft but lifien to my vows, Soon might I call: him forth, reft ore thee foon To thy dear native land, and feat myfelf Id my own kingdom : thy afient, my father. Is all I ailc ; but, Ο I without thy aid, I have no hope of fafety or revenge. CHORUS. For Thefeui' fake, Ο ! give him anfwer now And kt him go. OEDIPUS, C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S 577 ΟΕ D Ι ρ υ S. But that the noble ThcTcus, Who hither brought him did requeft it of mc, He ne'er had heard the voice oi OEdipus; And little pleafure will it now beftow : Ung-raterul wretch ! who when the throne oI Thebes, [turning to Pol) niccs.] Where now thy brother fits, was thine, didft drive Thy father thence, to penury and woe : Now, when thou fee'it me in this mean attire, Thou weep'ft my fate, becaufe 'tis like thy own ; But Γ11 not weep, for I can bear it all. Still, wicked parricide, rcmemb'ring thee. The cruel caufe of all; thou mad'ft me thus On others bounty to rely for food And nourifhment ; for thee, I might have periili'd. But thefe my pious daughters, thefe alone, Beyond their fex s pow'r, with manly aid Have cheriili'd and proteded me : for you, ^ , Who call yourfelves my fons, you are not mine, I know you not ; though heav'n hath fpar'd you long ^ It But that the noMe rhefeus ^.. . The curie, which OEdipus h- J^onounccs fulnil'd. Noihing perhaps but bhakcfpears Lear can txc.cd 57(5 OE D I Ρ υ S Death will o'eitake you, when thy forces come To Thebes, which iliali not fall before thy arms, There foon ilialt thou, and thy vile brother, die: Long fince my curfes did declare thy fate, \Vhich here I do repeat, that you may learn The rev'rence due to parents, and no more Reproach a iightlefs father : look on thefe My duteous daughters, did they a6l like you ? Thev never did : and therefore to the throne. Which you have forfeited, fhall they fucceed, If juPdce ftill, as ilje is ever wont. Sits at the hand of Jove : meantime, thou worfl;,' Thou moft abandon'd of the race of men, Be gone, away, and with thee bear this curie Which here I do pronounce; to Argos ne'er May'fl: thou return ! never may Thebes be thine! Soon may'ft thou perifh by a brother's hand. Slaying the flayer ! may dark Erebus Receive ihcm both! and now on you I call Ye goddcfies rever'd, and thou, O! Mars, Thou, who haft rais'd the bitter ftrife between M^y impious fons, bear witnefs to my words ! Farewel : now go, and tell the Thebans, tell Thy faithful friends, how fair an heritage Your C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. ?77 Your OEdipus hath here bequeathed his children. CHORUS. Ο I Polynices, little is the joy Which we can give thee of this fatal journey; Therefore away and leave us. POLYNICES. A fad path Thefe fteps have trod indeed, of woe to me And to my friends ; was it for this, alas I I came from Argos? I can never tell My mournful ftory there, never return ; Ο ! I muft bury it in lilence all. My lifters, you have heard the dreadful curfe Which he pronounc'd ; Ο 1 if it be fulfill'd. And fome kind hand reftore you back to Thebes, At leaft remember me ; at leaft perform The fun'ral rites, and hide me in the tomb ; So fhall your names, for pious tendernefs To an unhappy father long rever'd, With added praifes crown'd, exalted fhine, For this kind office to a brother's ihade. ANTIGONE. O! Polynices, let me beg thee, hear VOL. II. Bbb Thy Ο / Polynkes &c. Brumoy obferves, that the more we confidcr this tender fcene, between Polynices and his fifter, the more natural, charming, and j.i- 57S OE D I Ρ υ S Tliy fifler now. POLYNICES. My dear Antigone, What fay'ft thou ? ANTIGONE. Lead thy armies back to Argos, Nor thus deilroy tliy country and thyfelf. POLYNICES. It cannot be ; my forces once difmifs'd Through fear, what pow'r fhall ever reunite them ? ANTIGONE. But wherefore all tliis rage ? what canft thou hope Of fame or profit by the fall of Thebes ? POLYNICES. 'Tis bafe to fly, and, eldefl: born as I am, To be the laughter of a younger brother. ANTIGONE. Doil thou not dread the oracles pronounc'd Againft you both, death by each other's hand ? POLYNICES. I know the fcntence ; but we mufi: go on. A Ν Τ I- thet'ic we ihall find it; the fate of every thing -that has intrinfic merit, fays he, is to ilrike us but lii'.le at firft view, to inaprove on the fecond, and always to appear the more beautiful, the more we examine it. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. ^7Ρ Α Ν τ Ι G ο Ν Ε. Alas ! and who ihall dare to follow thcc After this dire predidion ? POLYNICES. None fliall know it. The prudent gen'ral tells the good alone, And keeps the threaten'd ill unknown to all. ANTIGONE. Art thou determin'd then, and wilt thou go ? POLYNICES. Do not diffuade me, for the taik is mine ; And tho' a father's fatal curfe attend me, Tho' vengeful furies fhall await my fleps, Yet I mufi; go : may Jove indulgent fmile On you, my fifters, if when I am dead, As foon I fhall be, to my breathlefs corpfe You pay due honours : now farewel for e\'cr, For living you fhall ne'er again behold me, ANTIGONE. Alas I my brother ! POLYNICES. Do not weep for me. ANTIGONE. Who wou'd not weep to fee thee ruihing thus On certain death ? η ,λ τ v Β b b 2 Ρ Ο L \ - 38ο ΟΕ D I Ρ υ S POLYNICES. If I muft dye, I muft. ANTIGONE. Yet be perfuaded. POLYNICES. Aik me not to do A deed unworthy of me. ANTIGONE. Lofing thee I ihall be moft unhappy. POLYNICES. To the gods Alone belongs the fate of mortals ; fome Are bom to happinefs, and fome to woe : You may they guard from ev'ry ill, for fure You merit all the good they can beftow. [Exit Polynices. SCENE in. OEDIPUS, ANTIGONE, ISMENE, CHORUS. CHORUS. FreiK forrows hath this haplefs ftranger brought On Frcfi forrows, &c. From this place to the arrival of Thefeus, the chorus in the original, being in ftrophe and antiftrophe, was probably let to mufic and fung i but as it is interrupted by the dialogue, the realbns for not throwing it into ode or rhyme in the tranilation are fufficiently obvious. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. jSi On me and all; but fo hath heav'n decreed, "Which nothing doth ia vain; whilft time beholds And orders all, infiidling woe on woe : But hark, the thunder roars : almighty Jove I OE D I Ρ U S. My daughters, Ο ! my daughters, who will bring The noble Thefeus here, that beft of men ? ANTIGONE. Wherefore, my father, fhou'd we call him hither ? OE D I Ρ U S. This winged light'ning from the arm of Jove Muft bear me to the ihades below. Where's Thefeus ? Let him be fent for inflantly. C Η Ο Pv U S. Again, Another dreadful clap ! it fi:rik.es my foul With horror, and my hairs do fland an end With fear ; behold, again the lightnings fladi ; I dread the confequence, for not in vain Thefe figns appear, of fonie calamity Portentous ever : Ο ! a^thereal Jove ! OE D I Ρ U S. Alas ! my children, nought can favc me now, The fatal hour of my departure hence Driwfi 38i OE D I Ρ υ S Draws nigh. ANTIGONE. Why think'ft thou fo ? OE D I Ρ U S. I know it well. Send for the king immediately. CHORUS. Alas ! The thunder rolls on ev'ry ilde ; good heav'n, Protedl us I if to this devoted land It bodes defl:ru6lion, let not ruin fall On me ; Ο ! let not that be our reward For pitying thus a poor defei ted ftranger : Ο ! Jove ! on thee we call, proteft and fave us ! OE D I Ρ U S. Is Thefeus come, fhall he once more behold me, WhilR yet I live, and keep my perfedl mind ? CHORUS. What fecret haft thou to reveal to him ? OE D I Ρ U S. I owe him much, and wou'd repay his goodnefs, Ev'n as I promis'd him. CHORUS. Ο ! liafte, my fon ; At C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. jSj At Neptune's altar leave the facrifice, And hither fly, for OEdipus to thcc And to thy country grateful waits to pay Thy bounties; hafte, O! Thefeus, to receive them. SCENE IV. THESEUS, OEDIPUS, ANTIGONE, ISMENK, CHORUS. THESEUS. Again this noife, this wild aftoniihment, Amongft you all ! was OEdipus the caufe ? Or did the bolt of Jove, and ruihing hail Affright you ? when the god in raging ftorms Defcends thus dreadful, we have caufe to fear. OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! king, thou com'fi: in happy hour, fome god Propitious led thee hither. THESEUS. Son of Laius, What new event hath happen'd ? OE D I Ρ U S. Know, my life At length is verging to its latcfl hour ; I wifli to dye, but firft my vows to thcc. And to this city, faithful muil perform. THESEUS. 384 OE D I ρ υ S THESEUS. But who hatli told thee thou Co foon ihalt dye? OE D I Ρ U S. The gods themfelves, who never utter faliKood, By figns infaUible have warn'd me of it. THESEUS. How ipake they to thee ? OE D I Ρ U S. In repeated thunder And light'ning from th' all-pow'rful hand of Jove. THESEUS. I do believe thee, for thy prophecies Were never falfe ; but fay, what muft be done ? OE D I Ρ U S. Ο ! fon of ii^geus, I will tell thee all The blifs referved for thee in thy age. For thee, and for thy country ; I muft go To my appointed place, and there fliall dye : I go without a guide, nor muft thou tell To mortal ear where OEdipus doth lye, For ever hid ; Ο ! king, that facred place Shall be thy fure defence, and better far Than many a fbield, or all the fecial aid Of firm alliance in the field of war ; What C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 53? What more remains, unutterable now, Of higher import, thither uhcn thou com'll To thee alone fhall be dcliver'd ; nought Shall I reveal, or to the citizens, Or ev'n to thefe, beloved as they are, My pious daughters ; thou muft ever keep The folemn fecret, on'y when thy life Draws near its end, difclofe it to thy fon, Heir of thy kingdom, and to him alone. From king to king thus fliall the tale devolve, And thus thy Athens be for ever fafe From Theban force; even the beft of cities, Where jiiftice rules, may fwerve from virtue's laws And be oppreilive, but the gods, tho' late. Will one day puniili all who difobcy Their facred mandates ; therefore, fon of -/Egeus, Be careful, and be juft ; but this to thee I need not fay : quick let us to the place, For fo the gods decree : there muft I go, Thence never to return : come then, my daughters, Long have you been my pious guides, henceforth I muft be yours ; follow, but touch me not ; Let me find out the tomb where I muft hide My poor remains; that way my journey lies; rP'''inting with his hand] VOL. II. Ccc Away: 380 OE D I Ρ υ S Away : thou god of ihades, great Mercury, And Proferpine, infernal pow'rs, condud me! O! fifrhtlefs eyes, where are you? never more Shall thcfe hands touch your unavailing orbs, Ο ! light and life, farewel ! at length I go To hide me in the tomb; but O! for thee, My beft beloved friend, and this fair land, And thefe thy fubjedls, may profpcrity Attend you ftili, and may you fometimes deign Amidft your blifs to think, on OEdipus. [Exeunt. CHORUS. Goddefs invifible, on thee we call, If thee we may invoke, Profcrpina, and thee Great Pluto, king of fhades, Ο ! grant That not opprefs'd by tort'ring pain Beneath the ftroke of death he linger long, But fwift with eafy fteps defcend, To Styx's drear abode; For he hath led a life of toil and pain ; May the juft gods repay his undeferved woe I Ye Goddefs hwljibk ^fc. Tliis is the fourth fopg, or intermede of the chorus, •who perceiving that the deatli of OEdipus is unavoidable, and every qlonient to be expedtcd, put up their prayeis to the infernal powers for his eafy and peaceful departure'; the original confills, like the other chorufles, of ftrophe and antiftrophe : I have taken the liberty to throw the whole into one irregular ode, of varied msafures without rhime. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 387 Ye goddeflbs rever'd, who dwell Beneath the earth deep hid, and thou, Who barking from thy gloomy cave, Unconquer'd Cerb'rus, guard'ft the gliofts below, On thee, Ο ! fon of Tartarus, we call. For thou art ever wakeful, lead, Ο ! lead To thy dark manfions this unhappy ftranger. [Exeunt. End of A C Τ IV. C c c 2 A C Τ Vi 388 OE D I Ρ υ S A C Τ V. S C Ε Ν Ε I. MESSENGER, CHORUS. MESSENGER. /^ I citizens, I come to tell a tale — But to be brief, know, OEdipiis is dead. To fpeak the manner and ftrange circumftance Of his departure will require more words, And calls for your attention. CHORUS. Is he gone ? Unhappy man ! Μ Ε S s Ε Ν G Ε R For ever hatl- ι he left The path of life. ' C H R U s. How dy'd he? by the hand Of heav'n difmis'd, without difeafe or pain? O! OEdipus is dead. The length of this defcription, and the number of cir- cumllances recojuted in it, ieem to make it highly improbable that fo many- things could have happen'd in the ihort fpace of time aliow'd for them, being only from the exit of Ohdipus to the entrance of the melTenger. There is no way of excufing Sophocles in this particular, but by fuppofing that the prece- ding ode of the chorus being fet to niufic, might take up a long time in the performance; perhaps the impatience of the fpedator to know the catailrophe may plead ftill more ilrongly in defence of this precipitation. C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 3δΡ MESSENGER. Ο ! 'twas a fcene of wonder ; how he left This place, and, ftlf-condudcd, led us on, ^ Blind as he was, you all remember well. Soon as he came to where the crai^g^ i\eep j With brazen fteps leads to the hollow gulph. Where various paths unite, a place rcnown'd For the fam'd league of Thefeus and his Iritnd, Between Acherdus and the Thracian rock, On a fepulchral ftone he fat him down ; PuU'd off the filthy weeds he long had wore, And bade his daughters inftantly prepare The bath and Iplendid garb ; with hafty fteps To Ceres' neighb'ring altar they repair Obedient, bring the veflel, and the robe Funereal; all things done, as cuftom bids For dying pien, fudden a dreadful clap Of thunder ihook the ground ; the virgins trembled. And clinging fearful round their father's knees Beat their fad breafts, and wept; foon as he heard The found portentous, he embrac'd his daughters: Children, he cry'd, your father is no more j No Ο ' 'twas a fcene ofivonder &c. The celebrated critic Longir.us takes no- tice, in his treatife on the fublime, of this narration ot Otdipu. s death, as « proof of Sophocles's peculiar excellency in the dclcnptive. j(jo OE D I ρ υ S No longer iliall you lead a life of pain, No longer toil for OEdipus ; alas ! 'Twas dreadful to you, but this day, my children, Shall end your forrovvs and my life together : Never did father love his daui>hters more Than I have lov'd, but henceforth you muft live Without your OEdipus ; farewel for ever ! He fpake, and long in fad embraces join'd, They wept aloud ; at length did clam'rous grief To filent forrow yield, and all was flill i When fuddenly we heard a voice that oft Repeated, ' OEdipus, why this delay ? ' Where art thou, OEdipus ?' the wretched king, Attentive to the call of heav'n, deiir'd That Thefeus might be fent for ; Thefeus came : When thus the dying exile ; Ο ! my friend. Give me thy hand, my daughters give him yours, Let this, my deareft Thefeus, be the pledge Of amity between you, promife here That you will ne'er forfake my haplefs children. But henceforth cherifh, comfort, and protedt them. The gcn'rous king, in pity to their woes, Vow'd to perform what OEdipus deiir'd : The father threw his feeble arms around His C ο L ο Ν Ε υ s. 5pr His weeping children, you, he cry\!, muil learn To bear your fuiFrings with an equal mind, And leave this place; For not to mortal CvC Is giv'ii to fee my future fate ; away ; Thefeus alone muft ftay, and know it all. This did we hear him utter as wc rtood Attentive ; when his duteous daughters left him, And went their way ; we wept, and follow'd them ; Soon we return'd, but OEdipus was gone ; The king, alone remaining, as if ftruck With terror at fome dreadful fpeAacle, Had with his hand o'er-veil'd his downcail eve : A little after we beheld him bend In humble adoration to the earth, And then to heav'n prefer his ardent pray'r : How the poor exile periiK'd none can tell But Thefeus ; nor the fiery blaft of Jove Deftroy'd, nor fea o'erwhelm'd him, but irom heav'n Some meifenger divine did fnatch him hence, Or povv'r infernal bade the pitying earth Open her peaceful bofom to receive him ; Without a groan, difeafe, or pain he fell : 'Twas wondrous all; to thofe, who credit not This ftrange report, I anfwer, 'tis moft true. CHORUS. 3ί?2 ΟΕ D I ρ υ S CHORUS. Where are his daughters, with their weeping friends Who foUow'd them? MESSENGER.- They cannot be far ofF; The voice of grief I hear proclaims them nigh. S C Ε Ν Ε II. ANTIGONE, ISMENE, with At τ ε ndants, MESSENGER, CHORUS. ANTIGONE. Alas ! the time is come when we muft weep Our father's fate, the fate of all his race Long ilnce unhappy ; various were the toils, The labours we endur'd, but this is far, Far above all, unutterable woe. CHORUS. What is it? ANTIGONE. Ο ! it cannot be conceiv'd. CHORUS. Is he then dead ? ANTIGONE. He is : his death was ilrange And wonderful ; for not in war he fell, Nor C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 3ί'> Nor did the fea overwhelm him, but the c.irth Hath hid him from us; deadly night hath tloi'd Our eyes in fadnefs ; whether o'er the leas We roam, or exiles in a foreign huid Lead our fad day?, we muft be ftill unhappy: Alas! I only wifh I might have dy'd With my poor father; wherefore fliou'd I aik For longer life ? CHORUS. Ye good and pious daughters, Remember, what the will of heav'n decrees With patience we muft bear ; indulge not then Excefs of grief; your fate hath not defer v'd it. ANTIGONE. Ο ! I was fond of mifery with him ; Ev'n what was moil unlovely grew belov'd, When he was with me. Ο ! my deareft father. Beneath the earth now in deep darkncfs hid, Worn as thou wert with age, to me thou flill Wert dear, and fhalt be ever. CHORUS. Now his courfe Is finifh'd. V Ο L. II. D d d AN 1 I- 5ί?4 ΟΕ D I Ρ υ S ANTIGONE. Εν*η as he wiili'd he cly*d In a firange land, for fuch was his defire ; A iljady turf covcr'd his hfclefs limbs; Nor unlamcnted fell ; for Ο ! thefe eyes, My father, flill fliall weep for thee, nor time E'er blot thee from my memory. I S Μ Ε Ν E. Alas ! Alas! my fifter, what muil be our fate, Forlorn and hclplefs, of our father thus Bereft? CHORUS. His end was happy, therefore ceafe Your fiuiilefs tears : from forrow none is iiee. ANTIGONE. Let us be gene. I S Μ Ε Ν Ε. But v^here ? Λ Ν Τ I G Ο Ν Ε. Ι wifli Ι S Μ Ε Ν Ε. Ο! what? ΑΝΤΙ- C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. SPS* ANTIGONE. To fee the tomb. I S Μ Ε Ν E. Whofe tomb? ANTIGONE. Our father's : oh ! I S Μ Ε Ν E. But is it lawful ? knovv'ft thou that ? ANTIGONE. AVhy thus Reprove me, my Ifmene? I S Μ Ε Ν E. Ke is yet Unbury'd, and without ANTIGONE. Ο ! lead me there, Then kill me if thou wilt; for where, alas I Can I betake me? CHORUS. Fiicnds, be comiortcd. ANTIGONE. Where iliall I ily ? CHORUS. Thou hail already feap'd D d d 2 Unnumbcr'd 35)5 OE D I Ρ υ S Unnumber'd ills. ANTIGONE. I'm thinking, my Ifmene — I S Μ Ε Ν E. What think'ft thou? ANTIGONE. How wc iliall get home. CHORUS. No more; Thou hail been long familiar with afflidion. ANTIGONE. My hfc hath ever been a Yiie: of pain And forrow, but this far exceeds them all. CHORUS. The ilorm beats hard upon you. ANTIGONE. O! it doth. CHORUS. I know it muft. ANTIGONE. Ο ! whither fliall we fly ? Great Jove ! what hope remains ? CHORUS. Supprefs your griefs; We C ο L ο Ν Ε υ S. 5^7 We fliou'd not vvccp for tliofc vvlio wifh'd to dye, And meet their fate with plcafure ; tis not juil Nor lawful to lament them. SCENE Hi. THESEUS, ANTIGONE, IS MEKE, CHORUS. ANTIGONE. Son of iEiicus. Suppliant to thee we come. THESEUS. What wou'd you of ηκ•? ANTIGONE. Permit us but to fee our father's tomb. THESEUS. It is not lawful. ANTIGONE. Ο ! what fiy'ft thou, king ? THESEUS. Know, pious virgins, OEdipus himfelf Forbade that any fhou'd approach his tomb ; That facred fpot, which he poikfles tlicre. No mortal mufl pi-ofane : to me, he faid, If careiul I perform'd his lafl: command, Shou'd joy and fiftty come, with vidlory And peace to Athens ; this your gods did hear, Confirmed 3j?8 OE D I Ρ υ S Confirmed by the facred oath of Jove. ANTIGONE. If fucli our father's will, we mufl: fubmit j But Ο ! permit us to reviiit Thebes, That fo we may prevent th' impending fate Of our dear brothers. THESEUS. All that you requePc, Or may be grateful to that honour'd fliade, Whofe mem'ry we revere, I freely grant; For I mufl: not be weary of my taik. CHORUS. Remember, virgins, to reprefs your forrows. And ceafe your fruitlefs grief; for know, 'tis all Decreed by fate, and all the work of heav'n. F I Ν I A UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY ςηι iTucDM",ili?P"y °* California 'rom which it was borrowed ^ I NON-RENEWABLE I OCT 9 199? UUE 2 Who rnuivi umI t KtCEIVED ice/ ^y/^/i/ η k^/hi.'^'^ f D III ■■■ Al•'! )01 489 A A a: 1 v.i-a ^ liliiii ' ■ ϊ liiiiir