LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OP CALIFORNIA SANOItGu IPHIGENIA IN TAURIS BY WITTER BYNNER IPHIGENIA IN TAURIS THE NEW WORLD THE LITTLE KING TIGER AN ODE TO HARVARD AT ALL BOOKSELLERS IPHIGENIA IN TAURIS AN ENGLISH VERSION BY WITTER BYNNER NEW YORK MITCHELL KENNERLEY MCMXV COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY MITCHELL KENNEKLEY PRINTED IN AMERICA TO BARRY FAULKNER Where that corner-house then stood, Where your room was, and our talks, Laths and doors and tumbled bricks Pile their dust upon the walks, Thrown by no slow touch of time, No quick blast of magic fire, But by sure, destroying hands, Hands of builders, building higher. Yet the builders with their derricks, They shall never reach so high Asa blue-ascending tower We were building in the sky. . . . O remember how we built it Higher than in all the lands: And be mindful of that corner Where a topless tower stands! Isadora Duncan said one day, " If only there were a simple English version of IPHIGENIA, as human as the Greek, no rhymes, no inversions, no loss of mean- ing in the sound ! " And when I wrote her this, she liked and used it. Therefore the blame or praise be partly hers. WITTER BYNNER. IPHIGENIA IN TAURIS On the seashore stands a great Temple, with steps leading to a blood-stained altar. Iphigenia, the Priest- ess, comes out of the Temple. IPHIGENIA. Pelops, the son of Tantalus, by speed Of chariot earned a bride, who bore him Atreus. And Atreus had two sons, one Menelaus, The other Agamemnon, who in turn By Clytemnestra had a child, and I Am she, Iphigenia. It is thought That I was sacrificed by my own father To Artemis, in the great quest of Helen, Upon an altar near the bay of Aulis, There where the long deep waves are caught and broken Hither and thither by the winds. ' That bay Held Agamemnon's fleet, the thousand ships From Hellas, waiting to avenge on Troy The wrong done Menelaus by the loss Of Helen. But a storm came up and still i Iphigenia in Tauris Another storm, and neither sea nor wind Would favor Agamemnon. So he asked Calchas the soothsayer to consult the flame. And this is what was answered: "Agamemnon, Captain of Hellas, there can be no way Of setting free thy ships till Artemis Has had fulfilled Her promised sacrifice. For thou hadst vowed to sacrifice each year The fairest thing the year produced. And due To Her long since was one whom Clytemnestra Bore thee, the fairest of the year, thy daughter Iphigenia . . . Let her be brought and killed." They sent Odysseus with his lying tongue To lure me from my mother, on the plea That I should wed Achilles. When I came To Aulis, they laid hold of me and led Me to the flame, and would have struck I saw The knife! But Artemis deceived their eyes, Leaving a deer instead, and stole me through The radiant blue until She set me down Here in the town of Tauris, where there live Barbaric men ruled by their uncouth King, Thoas, a rider reckless as the wind. He made of me a priestess in Her Temple, And here I serve Her on Her festal days. It has a holy sound, that word, but far From holy are the rites I ... Yet I dare Not question. Dumbly I must sacrifice To Her delight strangers who happen here. 2 Iphigenia in Tauris It was their custom long before I came. My hands ordain the victim. Other hands, Inside the Inner Temple, drain his blood, Which then is poured upon this altar-stone. (She comes down the steps) I dreamed last night a deathly dream. Perhaps The morning will dispel it if I speak it. I dreamed myself at home again in Argos, Asleep among my maidens when a roll Of thunder shook the ground. I ran outside. I watched the house. I saw the coping fall. Then the whole palace plunged from roof to base. Only one column stood untouched, of all My father's home. And that one stood alive, A man with bright brown hair and breathing lips. Then I began unwillingly to touch His brow with the water that means woe to strangers And with the tears of my interpretation. Must it not mean Orestes? Dead, dead! It was my brother whom I touched with tears. The pillar of a family is the son, And in those waters is the sign of death. Let me then pour the funeral-cup, for him Who is too far away for nearer rites. (She goes up the steps again) 3 Iphigenia in Tauris Come now, my maidens, my Hellenic maidens, captives of the king ! Enslaved to serve The living, let us freely serve the dead. I must go in and pray, then call to them By the great summons of the Temple-bell. (She goes into the Temple) ORESTES. (Cautiously following Pylades toward the Tern- pie) Take care lest someone should be coming by! PYLADES. 1 looked both ways and there is no one coming. ORESTES. Is this the Shrine of Artemis, which we Set out from Argos over many seas To find? O Pylades! is this the Shrine? PYLADES. I think it is, Orestes. So dost thou. ORESTES. Is that the stone, dark with the blood of Greeks? PYLADES. If ever I saw blood look, on the edge! 4 Iphigenia in Tauris ORESTES. And there beneath the roof, spoils of the dead! PYLADES. Trophies of strangers whom these men have mur- dered. ORESTES. Be careful how thou goest then be watchful! Why has Thy oracle, O Phoebus, sent This thing upon me and the sight of blood Again? Have I not seen enough of blood? My mother shed my father's blood, I hers. And then the Furies, with their eyes bloody, Hunted me down, a wanderer through the world Till fugitive I went to Thee, to pray An end of all the cycles of despair That sped me, maddened me, hurled me through Hellas. Thy answer came : " Go seek the Taurian land Where Artemis my Sister has Her Shrine. Discover there Her effigy that fell From Heaven into the Temple. Then by skill Or by good-fortune take it and proceed Surviving every hazard, and convey The Image to the holy land of Athens." No more was said, except that by this deed I was to be relieved of my afflictions . . . 5 Iphigenia in Tauris And here I am, O Phoebus, far from home Upon this dismal shore obeying Thee. Now, Pylades, companion of my task, What course are we to take? To scale these walls Would be impossible. Are we to climb The open stairs? and so be seen? Are we To force the brazen locks, not knowing where They lead? For if they come upon us here, It will be certain death. Shall we not turn In time and take our ship? O, let me face The Furies, rather than inflict this thing On thee! PYLADES. What do we know of flight? How dare We take a course of which our hearts know nothing ? Why should we disobey Apollo's voice And offer Him dishonor? No! There must Be ways. Come, let us leave the Temple, hide Ourselves in some dark cave and shun the ship Lest it should be attacked and we be captured. Look! through that opening between the beams A man might lower himself inside the wall ! A coward drops the cup. But a brave man's drink Is hardship. And by all the Gods shall we, Coming as far as this, now at the end turn back? ORESTES. No. Thou art saying what I too should say. 6 Iphigenia in Tauris So let us go and find our hiding-place. Phoebus would never tolerate defeat Of His commandment. Come! Have we not youth ? Add youth to courage, we can move the world. ( They go out) (The great bell rings. One by one the Temple Maidens assemble) A MAIDEN. O ye who dwell upon these Clashing Rocks That guard the Euxine Sea, Keep silence now before Latona's Daughter, Artemis, Goddess of the pointed hills! (Turning toward the Altar) Artemis, I come On consecrated feet into Thy court, 1 hail Thee beautiful In Thy gold dome above the colonnades! A SECOND MAIDEN. Thy priestess calls me, she who keeps Thy keys, Who left behind, for Thee, Her land of Hellas, the embattled walls, The shore of horses, and the quiet fields 7 Iphigenia in Tauris Wherein my father lived. I must obey her call and worship Thee In this embittered land Far from Eurotas and from happiness. A THIRD MAIDEN. (Going to Iphigenia, who enters from the Tern- pie) daughter of the king that gathered ships A thousand strong and led Unnumbered men against high-towering Troy, 1 heard thee call and I have come to thee. Why hast thou summoned us? What makes thy cheek so thoughtful and so pale? What has thy tongue to tell, That thy brow is dark and bowed upon thy hands? IPHIGENIA. My maidens, listen! Listen while I tell What I have seen. The Muse has hid Her face And I am mourning for a kinsman lost. Last night I had a dream of destiny. O weep with me ! I saw my brother dead ! My dream was clear. My father's house is ended, My race broken and gone, Orestes dead! What anguish, Argos, art thou made to bear When Fate pursues me still and takes from me My only brother ! 8 Iphigenia in Tauris To the vanished dead Let me now pour this offering, this gift Upon the earth, commingled of the milk Of mountain-kine and of the wine of Bacchus And of the honey that the russet bees Gathered, a soothing gift for him I loved. Give me the heavy urn of gold, to hold My offering to the God of Death. This urn, Orestes, son of Agamemnon, thou That liest dead beneath the earth, I bring And pour for thee. Better I cannot bring, I cannot bring to thee my heavy locks, I cannot lay them, weeping, on thy grave. And yet, though men believe me long since dead, I still can weep, far from my home and thee. A FOURTH MAIDEN. O Lady, woe is in me for thy woe, My song is like the song Of old that mourners in the far-off east Chant for the dead, reciting only death, The very song of hell, A wail of no returning and no hope, Using no note of glory, Only the desolation of the grave. THE FIRST MAIDEN. Mourn for the sons of Atreus, in whose house 9 Iphigenia in Tauris The hearth can never burn! Mourn for their bitter heritage, a home That waits the coming of some happy King But cannot give him welcome! Trouble is born forever in their sky Since Phoebus turned His car Of toppling horses out of the course of joy. THE THIRD MAIDEN. There was desired long since a golden lamb, And out of the dispute Mischief arose to tantalize thy house . . . THE FOURTH MAIDEN. Vengeance has made its unappeased way With every dart of death And visited thy family one by one, And now with eager hand Fate is pursuing thee. Thy turn has come. IPHIGENIA. O bitter my beginning in the womb Of her who bore me, from the very night That she conceived! Appointed by the Fates To suffer in this world, I was a child Accursed. Yet how she cherished me, her first-born, And thrilled that I, of all the girls of Argos, Should be a bride upon the way to Troy! What had she borne me for and loved me for ? IO Iphigenia in Tauris To come to nothing, through my father's fault! To come, behind the horses of delight, Not to Achilles but to grief and horror ! And now beside this melancholy sea I live my days lonely, no love, no friends, Wife of no man and mother of no child. I know no home. I sing no Argive song With Argive women to the Queen of Heaven. I weave upon the whirring loom no tale Of Pallas routing Titans . . . O, instead, I see an altar stained with bloody death. I hear the cry for pity and the moans Of men a woe too hideous to be told. Yet even that is little to me now Now that a throne is empty and his eyes Are past all weeping, as I wish mine were. For I who loved Orestes all those years Shall never see him now but as I left him, A little baby at his mother's breast I who had thought to see him as a King. THE SECOND MAIDEN. Look ! from the beach a herdsman comes to thee, Comes like a man with news! HERDSMAN. (Arriving breathless) O daughter of the house of Agamemnon, ii Iphigenia in Tauris I have a thing to tell! IPHIGENIA. Is it a thing To warrant this intrusion? HERDSMAN. Yes ... A ship From sea has rounded the Symplegades And in the mist two men have come ashore, Young, worthy to be offered on the altar! Make ready then the Feast of Artemis! IPHIGENIA. Where are they from? what country? Couldst thou tell? HERDSMAN. From Hellas, but I could not say what part. IPHIGENIA. What were their names? Thou must have heard their names! HERDSMAN. One of them called the other " Pylades." IPHIGENIA. And the one who spoke? 12 Iphigenia in Tauris HERDSMAN. We did not hear his name. IPHIGENIA. Where were they captured? HERDSMAN. Down beside the sea. IPHIGENIA. What were you herdsmen doing by the sea? HERDSMAN. Washing our cattle there. IPHIGENIA. But answer me, How were they captured ? It is new to me And unbelievable. For all this time Has passed and never brought a Greek before To bleed in sacrifice never a Greek. HERDSMAN. Just as we drove our cattle from the woods In that long hollow where the curling tide Has cut away the cliff, where fishers rest From purple-fishing, one of us ahead Came stealing back on tiptoe and he warned us: " They are not men but Gods ! Behind that rock ! 13 Iphigenia in Tauris Not men but Gods ! " And then another herds- man, Caught sight of them, raised up his hands and prayed : " God in whose keeping are all ships, Palaemon ! Have mercy on us, whether these be Sons Of Zeus or Brothers of the Fifty Nereids! " But another mocked our fear and laughed aloud, Daring the possible anger of the Gods. For he maintained there must have been a wreck And these were mariners who chose that cave To hide in, having heard that strangers here Are sacrificed. And he persuaded most Of us; and we were planning what to do To capture them when one of them came out Into full view and, standing there a moment, Stared not at us nor anything we saw But straight above him, groaning, shuddering, And bent his head from one side to the other Behind his arms, like one delirious, And then cried out as sharply as a hunter: "Look, Pylades! O look at her! O look! There! there! Dost thou not see her now? that Fury From hell! Look at the serpent on her head With mouth wide open, writhing for my blood! Another ! and another ! Look at her High on the cliff, belching a flame at me And holding in her hands my mother's body 14 Iphigenia in Tauris Till she can hurl it down on me and kill me! O they are all around me! Pylades!" And we could tell by the motion of his head When the dogs barked or when the cattle lowed That some invisible Fury mocking him Became a threat to him in every sound. In our amazement we were sitting there Like stricken men when out he whipped his sword And, quick as a lion, leapt upon our herd As if attacking Furies there. He slashed Their sides with might and main until the rim Of the sea was rolling thick with gore. We saw Our herd wounded and dying and we looked For sticks to arm ourselves and blew our horns For help. And then when slowly we approached him His madness left him. I can see him now Standing a moment. While I watch he drops In a heap and foaming at the lips. Our chance! Our chance! Forward we hurried with our cudgels And rocks. But still his comrade, unafraid, Leaned over him and wiped his lips and held A linen fold above his face protecting him Till suddenly the fallen man stood up Calm and himself again and saw the rush Of stones that neared him like a breaking wave. He gave one groan as we surrounded him; And then we heard his voice ring clear and say: 15 Iphigenia in Tauris " Death, Pylades ! Then let us meet it well Like men ! Out with thy sword and follow me ! " Back from the glittering swords we ran, to lure Them to the glen. For there when some of us Would run to shelter others could hurl rocks To draw the pursuers off and then could fly And let the first come back again with stones. And yet the destined offering stood clean. For, strange as it may sound, of all the stones We volleyed at those men, not one went true! All we could hope for was to wear them out. So, working round them in a ring, we struck Their swords with stones, until they lost their hold And had no breath for the recovery. And then we took them captive to the King, Who ordered us to bring them here to thee To be prepared and bled for Artemis. Ask Artemis, O priestess, to direct Other such wanderers as these to Tauris! Let men from Hellas shed their blood for thine Which men from Hellas clamored for at Aulis! THE FIRST MAIDEN. This is no common man who came away From the land of Hellas to an alien shore And battled like a God ! IPHIGENIA. Go back and bring me the two mariners. 16 Iphigenia in Tauris I shall be ready for them with the rites. (Exit the Herdsman) Poor heart of mine, which in the days gone by Was tender and compassionate to strangers, And even yesterday grew pitiful At thought of men from Hellas coming here, A cruel dream has changed thee overnight. For since Orestes is no more alive, Now, where my heart was, there is only stone And you who come today, no matter who, Will find in me a woman without tears. Friends, by my own unhappiness I know That the experience of evil days Brings disregard for lesser sufferers. No heaven-sent wind has ever forced a ship Between the Clashing Rocks, bringing me Helen, That Helen whom I hate, and Menelaus, That I might make of them the sacrifice, Let a new Aulis expiate the old And have my vengeance ! It was Helen's fault And his, that Greek hands lifted me at Aulis And led me like a beast before the altar Where he who held the knife was my own father. I live it all again. My hands groping Go out to him again and touch his beard 17 Iphigema in Tauris And cling about his knees. I cry to him: " O thou thyself, thyself, hast brought me here ! Thou hast deceived my maidens and my mother! They sing my marriage-song at home, they fill The house with happiness . . . and all the time Here am I dying slain, father, by thee! Thou hast led me in thy chariot, to take Achilles for my lord. But here is death And on my lips no kiss but only blood ! " And I had left my home with my white veil Drawn down. I had not taken in my arms My brother, who is dead, nor kissed my sister. I had saved all my kisses and embraces For him I thought to marry . . . Yet my heart Was homesick even then and ached with hope That I should soon come back again to Argos. And thou art dead, Orestes, and thou too Foregoest our inheritance, our home! O what has Artemis desired of me? She who forbids Her court to any man Whose hand is stained with bloodshed or with touch Of childbirth or of burial, calls him Unclean and bans him She so scrupulous In all these things will yet receive the blood Of human beings on Her altar-stone? It is not credible. Latona bore To Zeus no daughter so unkind! The thing 18 Iphigenia in Tauris Is no more true than are the tales they tell Of Tantalus preparing for the Gods A child whom They devoured . . . Artemis, These people being murderers themselves, Impute to Thee their own iniquity. No ! I will not believe it of a God ! THE SECOND MAIDEN. Who can these be that left the holy streams Of Dirce, or the reeds Green-growing in Eurotas, to prefer This bitter beach, to dare the ominous rocks Where the seas meet in fog, Where Artemis, among Her colonnades Demanding sacrifice, Receives upon Her altars human blood? THE FOURTH MAIDEN. Why have they urged the oarsmen on their ship To shake the clinging sea With a great stroke, and to accelerate With rush of rivalry the racing wind? Was it to sweep the shores For riches and to vie in bearing home, Each to upbuild his house, The treasures and the trophies of the world? That glittering hope is immemorial And beckons many men 19 Iphigenia In Tauris To their undoing. Ever insatiate, They sail the sea and look to foreign towns To fill their ships with spoil. But some men never find prosperity, For all their voyaging; .While others find it with no voyaging. THE THIRD MAIDEN. How have they passed the peril of the rocks That clash? and of the beach Of Phineus heavy with broken waves? How have they turned their rudder to the land Where the Fifty Nereids Hand in hand dance and circle round and sing, Where the wings of ocean brood, And where Achilles rode by the dark water? THE FIRST MAIDEN. My Lady prayed that Fate might hither bring, On the way home from Troy, The cause of her great misery. O would That Helen, Helen had been blown ashore, That on her fatal head, ,For recompense, the holy drops might fall And that my Lady's knife Might find in her the fitting sacrifice! THE SECOND MAIDEN. But I have prayed for a deliverer, 20 Iphigenia in Tauris Some mariner from Hellas Able to end our pain and set us free. Ever I go, though only in a dream, Back to my father's home . . . No man has greater riches than the joy That comes to us in visions They cannot take away from us our dreams. THE THIRD MAIDEN. Look where they come ! two captives bound in chains ! The herdsman's news was true! Hush for the offering to Artemis! THE SECOND MAIDEN. See, Hellas, how thy hands are impotent* To change this ritual! THE FOURTH MAIDEN. O Artemis, if Tauris in Thy sight Win favor by this gift, Assert Thy custom and receive this blood! IPHIGENIA. Let me now think of none but Artemis And serve Her with the worship She demands. Loosen their hands. For in this holy court Chains are unhallowed things. Enter the Temple. 21 Iphigenia in Tauris Prepare the altar for the ritual. ( Turning to the captives) I wonder who your mother was? your father? Whether you had a sister who has lost Her brothers and laments their bravery? Invisible and mute, Fate comes and goes And never whispers where Her blow shall fall ; None of us ever sees Her in the dark Or understands Her cruel mysteries. Tell me, unhappy men, where are you from ? You who are far from home and yet must go Farther away from home even than this! ORESTES. What woman art thou, weeping for our lot? What can we mean to thee, to draw thy pity, To make our tribulation difficult? There is no wisdom in lamenting death And only fools, when they behold it near, Meet it with tears. The man who doubles death By the cowardice of pitying himself Earns for himself contempt as well as death . . . Let us accept our fortune as it comes No pity and no tears ! We dared our fate. And what we undertook we undertook. IPHIGENIA. One of your names was brought me by a herdsman. 22 Iphigenia In Tauris Tell me then, which of you is Pylades? ORESTES. He, if it does thee any good to know. IPHIGENIA. And from what town in Hellas? ORESTES. Does it matter? IPHIGENIA. And are you brothers? ORESTES. In all else but birth. IPHIGENIA. And what may I call thee? ORESTES. Unfortunate! IPHIGENIA. That would be pity's name for thee, not mine. ORESTES. Then say I have no name and call me nothing. 23 Iphigenia in Tauris IPHIGENIA. Art thou so jealous for thy reputation? ORESTES. Come, sacrifice my body, not my name! IPHIGENIA. Thou wilt not even name for me thy town? ORESTES. I am so soon a townsman of no town. IPHIGENIA. Surely it is not much to tell me that. ORESTES. Ah, but it is when one can answer, " Argos " ! IPHIGENIA. Argos? not Argos? thou art not from Argos? ORESTES. My town, Mycenae, was a lordly place. IPHIGENIA. Then what could bring thee from it? banish- ment? ORESTES. A kind of banishment yet self-imposed. 24 Iphigenia in Tauris IPHIGENIA. How fortunate to see a son of Argos! ORESTES. But not to be one in thy company! IPHIGENIA. And let me ask about another town ORESTES. But why this questioning? IPHIGENIA. O tell me news Of that most talked-of town in all the world! What hast thou heard of Troy? ORESTES. By all the Gods, I wish that I had never heard its name! IPHIGENIA. But is it true that Troy is overthrown? ORESTES. Its towers lie broken in the dust. IPHIGENIA. And Helen? Has Menelaus taken Helen back? 25 Iphigenia in Tauris ORESTES. And soon repented. For she brings him sorrow. IPHIGENIA. She brought me sorrow too. Where is she now? ORESTES. Gone back with him to Sparta. IPHIGENIA. How I hate The name of Helen! How all Hellas hates it! ORESTES. I have my own good cause for hating it. IPHIGENIA. Did the Achaeans return home contented? ORESTES. It would take many tongues to answer that. IPHIGENIA. But tell me quickly, while there still is time! ORESTES. Then ask me quickly. I will answer thee. IPHIGENIA. What of the soothsayer, Calchas? Where is he? 26 Iphigenia in Tauris ORESTES. Reported dead at home. IPHIGENIA. O Artemis, Hail for that news! And is Odysseus dead? ORESTES. Neither at home nor dead but wandering. IPHIGENIA. O how I pray he never reaches home! ORESTES. Why wish him that? Has he not borne enough? IPHIGENIA. What of Achilles? ORESTES. Dead. His marriage planned At Aulis never happened. IPHIGENIA. Those who knew About that plan knew it a cruel lie. ORESTES. Knowing these things, art thou thyself from Hellas? 27 Iphigenia in Tauris IPHIGENIA. I was, but lost my home long, long ago. ORESTES. No wonder thou art asking me these questions! IPHIGENIA. What of that king they called The Happy King? ORESTES. The one I think thou meanest was not happy. IPHIGENIA. I ask of Agamemnon. ORESTES. I know nothing, Nothing of him. O ask me no more questions! IPHIGENIA. But no news must be good news! Say it is! ORESTES. The news is death his and another's death. IPHIGENIA. O Agamemnon ! O King Agamemnon ! ORESTES. Could he be kin to thee, thou carest so? 28 Iphigenia in Tauris IPHIGENIA. Remembering his glory and his pride! ORESTES. All of it ended by his own wife's hand. IPHIGENIA. O ! Pitiable woman ! Poor, poor king ! ORESTES. Ask me no more, I beg, not one word more ! IPHIGENIA. But is she living? Answer me but that! ORESTES. Her own son killed her. IPHIGENIA. Why? ORESTES. To be avenged On her who killed his father. IPHIGENIA. How exact He was, how just! Yet how I pity him! 29 Iphigenia in Tauris ORESTES. And well thou mayest. No God pities him. IPHIGENIA. Not one of Agamemnon's children left? ORESTES. Electra, yes. But loses him she loves! IPHIGENIA. What has been said of her they sacrificed? ORESTES. Nothing of her, except that she is dead. IPHIGENIA. O miserable king, willing to slay her! ORESTES. O wicked war caused by a wicked woman, And all the waste and wicked consequence! IPHIGENIA. The son of the dead king alive in Argos ? ORESTES. Living, but not in Argos, not in Argos ! IPHIGENIA. My dream was nothing then, it lied to me! 30 Iphigenia in Tauris ORESTES. Dreams, lies, lies, dreams, nothing but emptiness! Even the Gods with all Their name for wisdom Have only dreams and lies and lose Their course, Blinded, confused and ignorant as we. The wisest man is he who goes his way And listens to no prophet guiding him. The fool is he who- follows oracles, Forsaking his own judgment. Those who know Know such a man can only come to wreck. THE SECOND MAIDEN. O who will bring us news whether our kin Are living or are dead ! IPHIGENIA. Let me suggest a plan that I have thought of, To our advantage, yours as well as mine. And nothing makes more surely for achievement Than interests in common. Tell me this . . . Wilt thou go back, if I can grant thee leave, Bearing for me to Argos and my friends A letter that has been prepared for them? My words were written down by one who died Here at my ritual but pitied me, Blaming his blood on Artemis, not me. No one had come from Hellas, not one Greek, Whose life might be conceded to bear home My message. But in thee I find a man Worthy to carry it, knowing the names 31 Iphigenia in Tauris And places dear to me. And so I ask Thy help and offer in exchange thy life With one condition: that thy friend remain, To pay the sacrifice to Artemis. ORESTES. I thank thee, Lady, for a fair proposal, Save in that one respect. What would my life Be worth to me, earned by deserting him? I am the captain of this misadventure, And he but sailed with me to comfort me. It would be wrong if he should pay the cost And I repudiate my enterprise. Thy errand shall be done but not by me. Give him thy confidence, give him thy letter. To thee it makes no difference which of us Carries the message homeward. And to me It makes no difference when I die or how. But if I brought disaster on a friend And yet myself went free, then there would be No faith left in me, no respect, no love. Besides, his life is dear to me as mine. His life is mine. For in his life I live. IPHIGENIA. Thou hast a heart of gold and must be sprung From some great seed, to be so true a friend. If only the survivor of my race May be like thee! I have a brother left, 32 Iphigenia in Tauris Although I should not know him by his face. As thou hast chosen then, so let it be. Thy friend shall take the letter and thou prove Thy love by laying down thy life for him. ORESTES. Whose is the hand that sacrifices me? IPHIGENIA. Whose hand but mine! Artemis willed it so. ORESTES. Thy hand! Thy poor, unenviable hand! IPHIGENIA. Wliat is imposed on me I must obey. ORESTES. A woman hold the knife to shed men's blood! IPHIGENIA. Not that ! O not the knife ! Only the water, The sacrificial water for thy brow. ORESTES. Who is it then that strikes the final blow ? IPHIGENIA. Inside the Shrine are men who do that part. 33 Iphigema in Tauris ORESTES. When I am burnt, what happens to my body? IPHIGENIA. They seal the ashes in a rocky cleft. ORESTES. that my sister's hand might tend my body! IPHIGENIA. She is too far away from thee to hear Petition for the gift she cannot give. . . . Being from Argos, let me care for thee, Let me do everything that she might do! 1 will array thy body in rich robes Then pour upon the embers yellow oil Cooling and clean and the golden essences That bees collect from every mountain-flower, To make thee pure and sweet. . . . Now I must go And bring my letter. I have kept it here So long a while. O think of me with pity. See that you guard these men, but do not bind them. O if at last my letter should arrive In Argos and be opened by the hand Of him I love, a letter never dreamed-of, Then he would listen through the opening grave And hear my living lips cry out to him! 34 Iphigenia in Tauris (She goes into the Temple) THE FIRST MAIDEN. I pity thee upon whose fated head The water shall be sprinkled! ORESTES. But choose not pity. Change it into hope. THE SECOND MAIDEN. Let me then hope, but not for thee, for him, That he may come again Into his father's country and be blest. PYLADES. But how can he be blest who leaves his friend? THE FIRST MAIDEN. Or I hold back my pity for thy death? THE FOURTH MAIDEN. And yet I pity thee, having to live. THE THIRD MAIDEN. Which is unhappier? THE FOURTH MAIDEN. I cannot tell, I watch and cannot tell Whether to pity thee, or thee, the more. 35 Iphigenia in Tauris ORESTES. O Pylades, what art thou thinking of? PYLADES. What dost thou think that I am thinking of ? ORESTES. This woman! Thou rememberest her questions, Each one so apt; of the defeat of Troy, Of the Achaeans' homecoming, of Calchas, Of Achilles, and her great concern At Agamemnon's death and then her questions About his wife and children? I believe That she herself, she too, belongs in Argos ! Or she would never send a letter there And make all these inquiries anxiously As if the fate of Argos were her own. PYLADES. Thou hast expressed what I was wondering. And yet I thought it natural enough That in a city at all civilized People should ask about the fate of kings . . . But that was not what troubled me, so much as ORESTES. As what? Tell me and let me help thee solve it. PYLADES. How canst thou wr6ng me, thinking I would live 36 Iphigenia in Tauris And let thee die? As I set out with thee So shall I journey with thee to the end, Or I should never show my face again Among the hills of Argos, but to be Despised and pointed out in every valley As one who had betrayed a friend. And worse Than that would be declared of me, the worst That evil minds can conjure and enjoy Even that I had wished thy death, or caused it, That I might profit by inheritance And, being thy sister's husband, win thy throne. See how afraid I am and how ashamed Of the very thought of leaving thee. One way, And only one is open. Where thou goest, Though to the knife and to the flame, I fol- low That I may be beyond a doubt thy friend. ORESTES. Thou canst not be my friend and yet deny me. I bear a load that cannot be laid down, And wilt thou lighten thine by doubling mine? All the humiliating shame that thou But fearest from men's tongues would fall to me In my own heart from my own conduct, if I let The services thou didst me bring thee harm. What has Fate left me of my life to cherish But a good ending? As for thee, my friend, Thou hast not any right to choose to die. 37 Iphigenia in Tauris Thou hast the blessing of thy happy blood To make thee wish to live. And so I pray That by thy life a comfort may be brought To my afflicted house. O Pylades, When thou art home, there with thy wife, my sister, Beget for me, dear friend, my happiness. Let my name live again and in thy children The house of Agamemnon be renewed. Therefore go back and make my home thy home. And having come to Hellas and the shore Where the Argive horsemen ride give me thy hand And swear that thou wilt make a grave for me And lay on it memorials and let My sister bring, remembering me, a lock Of her long hair. Tell her that I was led Before the altar by the hand of one Who came from Argos, by a woman's hand, And how my blood at last was purified. O Pylades, be good to her, be true! And fare thee well, my best and truest friend, Loved in my boyhood when I shared my sport Over the hills with thee and in my manhood When my sorrows came and thou wert with me still ! By falsely prophesying, Phoebus lied To me and tricked me ; luring me away From home, lest watchful eyes in Hellas see That Gods, like men, can break Their promises. 38 Iphigenia in Tauris I gave Him everything, my faith, my will, I killed my mother for He bade me strike . . . And in return He has forsaken me. PYLADES. Let me obey then not myself but thee And build thy tomb in Hellas. Be assured That I shall love thy sister well and always. And having loved thee living, I shall know How to receive thee closer in thy death . . . If death it be. We marvel at the Gods And their mysterious way of keeping hid The face of life behind a mask of death, Then showing the true face. ORESTES. The time is gone For the Gods to show that face for she has come. IPHIGENIA. (Returning and addressing the Attendants) Precede me into the Temple and be ready. (The Attendants enter the Temple) Here is my letter, all this length of it . . . Yet I have wondered. When a man arrives 39 Iphigenia in Tauris Out of his danger, he forgets his fear And sometimes he forgets his promises. Wherefore my apprehension lest thy friend, When he is freed and on his way again, Forget how much this letter means to me. ORESTES. And what dost thou propose, to ease thy mind? IPHIGENIA. That he shall swear to take this where I say. ORESTES. And wilt thou make an oath matching his oath? IPHIGENIA. To do what, or undo what? ORESTES. To obtain Safe quittance for him from this wretched place. IPHIGENIA. What would his oath be good for, lacking mine? ORESTES. But will the King of Tauris let him sail? IPHIGENIA. I can persuade the King and will myself Go to the ship and put thy friend aboard. 40 Iphigenia in Tauris ORESTES. Then state the oath that thou wilt have him swear. IPHIGENIA. Promise to give this letter to my friend. PYLADES. I swear to give this letter to thy friend. IPHIGENIA. And I to give thee safeguard from this place. PYLADES. Thou swearest by what name? IPHIGENIA. By Artemis, Whose favor be upon me in Her temple! PYLADES. And I by Zeus Himself, by Heaven's King. IPHIGENIA. And if thou failest to fulfill thy oath? PYLADES. Then may I never see Argos again ! And if thou failest in fulfilling thine? Iphigenia in Tauris IPHIGENIA. Then let me fail ever to come to Argos. PYLADES. There is one chance that we have not considered. IPHIGENIA. A chance, thou meanest, that affects thy word? PYLADES. The oath would not be fair if it should happen That in a storm the vessel should be wrecked Or strike a rock and everything go down And yet my life be saved and not the letter. In that event I ask to be exempted. IPHIGENIA. In any plan, two ways make one way sure . . . Then let me tell thee carefully word by word The contents of my letter, thou in turn To tell it to my friend. And that insures us. For either thou shalt place it in his hand And let the silent writing speak or else The writing, lost, shall echo still in thee. PYLADES. That will be safer both for thee and me. So tell me whom to find for thee in Argos And what to say to him. 42 Iphigenia in Tauris IPHIGENIA. Say this to him, Say to Orestes, son of Agamemnon, A greeting comes from one he thought was dead. Tell him his sister is not dead at Aulis But is alive. ORESTES. Alive? Iphigenia? O no ! Unless the dead come back again ! IPHIGENIA. Thou art beholding her, for I am she. But let me finish what I ask of him: " O brother, rescue me ! Let me not live The priestess of a loathly ritual ! Let me not die forlorn, in a wild land ! " ORESTES. Where am I, Pylades? What am I hearing? IPHIGENIA. " Lest thou, remembering me, shalt have no peace ! " The name, thou must repeat it, is Orestes. PYLADES. Ye Gods! 43 Iphigenia in Tauris IPHIGENIA. Not Gods but a woman speaks to thee. PYLADES. It seemed I heard the Gods and yet heard thee! O let me listen further and make sure! IPHIGENIA. Tell him that Artemis put out Her hand And spared my life at Aulis, leaving a deer To bleed for me instead, and that my father, Not looking when he struck, thought he slew me. Artemis brought me here. . . . The letter ends. PYLADES. what an easy oath it is to keep! Lady, keep thine or not I keep mine now. 1 bring thee this, Orestes, from thy sister. ORESTES. How can I look at letters ? Come to me ! O let me look at thee whom I had lost ! O let me touch thee with my hands and prove That thou art real and hold thee close, close! THE THIRD MAIDEN. Lay not thy hands, no matter who thou art, Upon those holy robes ! Bring not indignity to Artemis! 44 Iphigenia in Tauris ORESTES. Thou art my sister, my own father's daughter, And nature will not let thee turn away From thy own brother given back to thee. IPHIGENIA. Ah, thou wouldst make me think that thou art he ! - Orestes is in Argos and not here. ORESTES. No, my poor sister, not in Argos ! here ! IPHIGENIA. Then was Tyndareus thy mother's father? ORESTES. Yes, and my father's grandfather was Pelops. IPHIGENIA. What art thou saying? How can I believe thee? ORESTES. By asking me about our father's home. IPHIGENIA. Then speak of it ! for I am listening ! speak ! ORESTES. Electra used to tell us tales of Atreus And of Thyestes, how they came to quarrel. 45 Iphigenia in Tauris IPHIGENIA. It was about a golden lamb they quarreled 1 ORESTES. And thy hands made, with fine embroideries, A pattern of the quarrel. IPHIGENIA. Art thou he? Art thou in truth my brother ? art thou he ? ORESTES. There was a picture, on thy loom, of Phoebus Changing His course. Hast thou forgotten that? IPHIGENIA. O not one thread of it have I forgotten! ORESTES. There was a bath of bridal fragrances Thy mother sent to Aulis. Thou rememberest? IPHIGENIA. Everything on that day I can remember But happiness. ORESTES. A lock of hair that came, Sent to thy mother. 46 Iphigenia in Tauris IPHIGENIA. A memorial I meant it for, commemorating me To mark a grave where I could never lie. ORESTES. And I recall a keepsake in thy room, The ancient spear that Pelops once had used To win his bride. IPHIGENIA. Orestes, O my brother! My home has come to me from far away! For thou art come, I have thee in my arms ! ORESTES. And I have thee in mine, whom I thought dead! No wonder that the tears are in our eyes ! Of joy, not sorrow ! yet of sorrow too ! IPHIGENIA. Thou wert a baby, when I came away, Lifted to see me. And thy little arms Held out to me are come to me again, Grown strong to comfort me. How can I speak My joy! There is no language sweet enough! There is no joy like this. There never was! THE FOURTH MAIDEN. And would that we might say it need not end ! 47 Iphigenia in Tauris IPHIGENIA. I am bewildered. And I cannot think What I should say, my friends ? I cannot think Of anything but joy except a fear That he might vanish as he came. O Argos, Land of my love, my heart is full of thee, And of my brother thou hast borne and bred To be a living glory to thy name! ORESTES. We who were born to happiness have lived And learned unhappiness. IPHIGENIA. Unhappiness ? how I learned it when against my throat My own unhappy father held the knife! ORESTES. 1 have a vision of his stricken face. IPHIGENIA. And the false marriage, when the marriage-hymn Was made of tears! ^Not to Achilles' arms I went, but to the coldness of the altar And felt the bitter waters on my head. ORESTES. Unhappy daughter and unhappy father! 48 Iphigenia in Tauris IPHIGENIA. But why have pity on a pitiless man Who brought me all this grief ? ORESTES. And might have brought On thee to-day the slaying of thy brother! IPHIGENIA. Some God prevented. But I came so near, My hand was so impending on the deed, That I am shaken with the thought of thee Dead! . . . We have seen today a miracle Begin. How shall it end for thee and me? How shall I speed thee safely from this place Of horror home again? For there are swords To face: a question fitter for thy wit To weigh than mine, though thou art shaken too. Shouldst thou be safer travelling by foot Than by the ship ? No, no ! I see thee go Losing thy way among barbarians Ashore, encompassed by a thousand deaths. The ship is better even that sharp return Between the Clashing Rocks. Go ! dare the sea, Take to the ship again ! And yet who knows If God or man shall guide thee on the sea To liberation? or if any chance Can save thee now to make our home a glory? 49 Iphigenia in Tauris THE THIRD MAIDEN. I have heard marvellous tales from story-tellers, But nothing to compare With this event which my own eyes have seen. PYLADES. Orestes, it is natural for thee To greet thy sister and recount with her The happenings of thy house. But there are things Of urgency to think of: our escape Out of this land and how to compass it. For he is wise who makes a friend of Fortune And goes to meet her when she comes to him. ORESTES. Well said! and let her be well met to-day! For every God helps him who helps himself. IPHIGENIA. But he shall tell me first about my sister, About Electra ! Tell me of my sister ! ORESTES. This is her husband. He has made her happy. IPHIGENIA. This man ? But who ORESTES. A Phocian. Strophius' son. 50 Iphigenia in Tauris IPHIGENIA. Then he is Atreus' grandson ! Our own house ! ORESTES. Thy cousin; my one friend. IPHIGENIA. As yet unborn That day I came away to die! ORESTES. The son Of Strophius in old age. IPHIGENIA. I welcome thee, My sister's husband. ORESTES. Closer to me than brother. IPHIGENIA. But O our mother ? for thou hast not told me ORESTES. Let us not speak of her! she killed my father. IPHIGENIA. Thou hast not told me why. Iphigenia in Tauris ORESTES. Then do not ask me. IPHIGENIA. May I not ask if thou art King of Argos? ORESTES. Not King but exile. Menelaus is King. IPHIGENIA. What ? in thy time of grief he banished thee ? ORESTES. Not he but Furies the avenging Fiends! IPHIGENIA. Thy madness on the beach it was the Fiends ? ORESTES. Yes, yes ! One seeing me might think me mad. IPHIGENIA. And they pursue thee for thy mother's death? ORESTES. To catch me and to curb me with her blood ! IPHIGENIA. Thy coming here? 52 Iphigenia in Tauris ORESTES. An oracle of Phoebus. IPHIGENIA. Which I may know about? ORESTES. O let me tell My bitter narrative from end to end . . . After this poor hand had unspeakably Punished my mother's most unspeakable guilt, Down on my head they came attacking me, The Fiends from Hell. Then Phoebus ordered me To Athens, that I might protest their judgment At the Tribunal Zeus had sanctified To the trial of Ares for some ancient sin. When I arrived there, none of all my friends Received me. They avoided me at first As one unclean. Later they pitied me And gave me food in the same room with them, But at a separate table. And they served me An equal measure with themselves and filled My cup when theirs were filled, but turned Away and would not look at me nor speak With me because I was a murderer. . . . And I showed no resentment but in silence, As though I did not care, I thought of her Whom I had killed and drank my bitter cup. They say that the Athenians memorize 53 Iphigenia in Tauris My sorrow with a feast, the Pitcher Feast, In which each man drinks his own cup in si- lence. . . . When I had come to judgment on that hill, I on one side and on the other side The eldest of the Avengers charging me With murder, Phoebus rose to my defence And by His eloquence redeemed my life. For Pallas, in the chair, finding the votes Cast evenly, for and against me, added Her own vote for me and acquitted me. Some of the Furies acquiesced and chose To infest a Temple close to the Tribunal. Others defied the verdict as unjust And turned on me again, tormenting me, Till I fled back to Phoebus for His aid, Fell down before the Shrine, faint with despair, And swore to take my life unless the God Who had confounded me would rescue me. And then out pealed His voice, His golden voice Above the tripod, telling me to go Among the Taurians, to take away Their Artemis of stone carven in Heaven And to establish it and worship it In Athens. Help me now to do this thing! O help me, sister, to obey the God And carry out His mission! Help me, sister! If only I may take within my hands 54 Iphigenia in Tauris The image of the Goddess, I am rid Of madness! And I urge thee with a gift Of rugged rowers to row thee back to Argos! sister, sister, for our father's house 1 beg thy aid, to save that house and me! Unless we take the Image with thy help, This very day shall see our house destroyed. THE FOURTH MAIDEN. Some God is visiting ancestral sin Upon new generations. IPHIGENIA. How long, before thy coming, had I dreamed Of thee and of my country! How I wish With thee the restoration of our house Even his house who would have slain me! Brother, My heart has melted in our misery. I have no anger left, but only thought Of thee escaping and our house revived. What can I do? how hide from Artemis? And how put off the King when he perceives But empty air upon the pedestal? I am afraid no, not of death itself But of the interim, the dying hope. . . . If we might take the Image and be quick And flee together on thy leaping ship ! But we should fail. Yet if I stay to hide Thy flight, when the discovery is made 55 Iphigenia in Tauris The ravished Image ! Ah but death is good If by my dying thou returnest home . . . If a man die a house, a name, is lost. But if a woman die what does it matter? ORESTES. It mattered when my mother died. If now Thy death were added, I should have to take Two deaths upon my head. Instead of that, Let come what may, I mean to share thy fate Alive in Greece, or here beside thee dead. But it is evident the Gods are with us. If Artemis opposed, should I have been Expressly sent by Her own Brother here To bring Her Image back? She wishes it For in the very Temple of the Image As a good omen I have seen thy face! O what does all this mean but our return? IPHIGENIA. How can we steal the Image and not die? ORESTES. Can we not kill the King? IPHIGENIA. And dare the Gods Again ? for he was kind to me. Iphigenia in Tauris ORESTES. And yet It might be dared if it would save our lives ! IPHIGENIA. I like thy boldness. But it cannot be. ORESTES. Shall I stay hidden in the shrine till dark? IPHIGENIA. And then at night escape? ORESTES. Are we not thieves? The day for honest men, the night for thieves! IPHIGENIA. We could not pass the guards. ORESTES. What can we do then? IPHIGENIA. Perhaps we ORESTES. What? 57 Iphigenia In Tauris IPHIGENIA. May use our own misfortune! ORESTES. Women have ways of changing ill to good. IPHIGENIA. I shall announce thee as a matricide! . . . ORESTES. If there is good in that, make use of it I IPHIGENIA. As one unworthy to be sacrificed! ORESTES. Thou meanest? ah but I can guess! IPHIGENIA. Unclean, Unpurified and unacceptable! ORESTES. But how does that attain our purpose? IPHIGENIA. Pure Sea-water must be used to cleanse thy sin! 58 Iphigenla in Tauris ORESTES. But that would mean the Image left behind And all our labor unfulfilled. IPHIGENIA. She too, Having been touched by thy approach, must be Washed clean, the Image tool ORESTES. And might it be There, by the inlet ? IPHIGENIA. Where thy ship is moored. ORESTES. And who will bring the Image? none but thee? IPHIGENIA. For none may ever carry it but me. ORESTES. And Pylades? is he a murderer too? IPHIGENIA. He aided thee. He also must be cleansed. ORESTES. A story for the guards but for the King? 59 Iphigenia in Tauris IPHIGENIA. In any case I could not keep it from him. So he shall hear it and shall be persuaded. ORESTES. The oarsmen shall be ready for their orders, But here ashore thine is the sole command. Yet let me ask one question. Will these women Be true to thee and not betray thee? Pray For their assistance. Urge them and convince them. Thou, as a woman, knowest woman well. Then use the power of thy need of pity . . . And, after that, let Heaven's high will be done! IPHIGENIA. friends who have been near and dear to me, 1 trust you! On you depends my destiny, Whether I keep or lose my home, my kin. Woman to women, I appeal to you. For, knowing our own weakness, we are bound To feel a woman's need and to defend Our sex and to be loyal. Will you not Be silent now for my sake? This is all, Yes, all I ask of you, only your silence. By honoring us, do yourselves honor too! See how a single chance is left us three! . . . Discovery means death. Escape means home! If I escape, shall I not work for you Till I deliver you? till thou and thou 60 Iphigenia in Tauris Shall join me in my joy at home in Hellas And thou and thou ! I pray thee by thy hand ; Thee by thy cheek ; thy knees ; thee by thy home ; Thy father and thy mother; thee, thyself A mother with a child away from thee, I pray thee by that child : be merciful ! O which of you consent? and which refuse, When to refuse us means betraying us? THE FIRST MAIDEN. count upon us, Lady, on our love And go thy way content! By Zeus we swear unbroken loyalty. IPHIGENIA. 1 bless you for those words. I wish you joy. (To Orestes and Py lades) Now do thy part and thine. Enter the Temple. The King will soon be here to make inquiry Whether the strangers have been sacrificed. (Orestes and Pylades go int the Temple) Grim Goddess, having saved me once before, Now save me with my brother and his friend, Lest Phoebus be disproved because of Thee 61 Iphigenia in Tauris And men forsake His oracle! O come In gracious might away from this bleak place, Away from gloom to Athens and to glory I (She follows int the Temple) THE SECOND MAIDEN. sad-voiced ocean-bird, heard in the foam Low by the rocky ledge Singing a note unhappy hearts can hear, The song of separation from thy mate, The moan of separation, 1 have no wings to seek like thee, but I Can sing a song like thee, A song of separation from my mates. At home in Hellas now are gathering My kinsmen. Artemis Blesses the new-born from Her Cynthian hill And soothes the mothers with the cooling palm And bay and olive-tree, Where once Latona loved the winding streams And watched the rounded pools White with the song-like motion of the swans. Alas! the falling tears, the towers fallen, The taking of our towns! Alas ! the clash of bright and angry spears That captured me aboard an alien ship ! 62 Iphigenia in Tauris Whence I was sold away To be an exile here, a handmaiden With Agamemnon's daughter, Doomed to the bloody rites of Artemis. THE FOURTH MAIDEN. And at these altars where the sacrifice Is not of sheep but men, I envy those unhappy from their birth; For to be bred and seasoned in misfortune Is to be iron to it. ... O there is something in the pang of change More than the heart can bear Unhappily remembering happiness. THE FIRST MAIDEN. Lady, a ship is here to take thee home, And in the rowers' ears Pan shall be sounding all his pointed notes, Great mountains echoing to his little reed, And Phoebus on his lyre Shall strike profound the seven strings and sing To thee of Attica, Shall sing to thee of home and lead thee there. Oar after oar shall dip and carry thee, Lady, away from me, Oar after oar shall push the empty sea Wider, wider, leaving me lonely here, 63 Iphigenia in Tauris Leaving me here without thee. And forward over the unceasing bow Thy sail shall faster run, Ever refilling with the unspent wind. THE SECOND MAIDEN. to go swiftly like the winged sun Upon his dazzling track And not to let my golden light be folded Until I touched my house, my roof, my room! Then I should go again To noble marriages and take my place In the bright company, Give them my hands and circle round and dance. And I should strive to be the loveliest In all my looks and ways, In my unrivalled brightness of attire And in the motion of my hands and feet; And my embroidered veil 1 should hold closely round me as I danced And I should hide my cheek In the soft shadow of my clustering curls. (Enter King Thoas with Soldiers) THOAS. Where is the keeper of the Temple-gates, The maid of Hellas? Is her labor done? 64 Iphigenia in Tauris Are the victims' bodies burning in the shrine? A MAIDEN. See where she comes, to answer thee herself. (Iphigenia comes out of the Temple, carrying the Image) THOAS. What does this mean, daughter of Agamemnon? Why hast thou brought the Image from its place ? IPHIGENIA. King, stand back ! stand back beyond the threshold ! THOAS. Is it some new observance in the Temple? IPHIGENIA. Stay back, I tell thee, from Her holy presence! THOAS. 1 will stay back, but tell me, tell me why Thou bearest Her like this. IPHIGENIA. The sacrifice Thou gavest to the Goddess was unclean. 65 Iphigenia in Tauris THOAS. How dost thou know? what makes thee think IPHIGENIA. She turned Away from them, away when they approached. THOAS. Might it not be some tremor of the ground That moved Her. IPHIGENIA. No. By Her own will She moved And even for a moment shut Her eyes. THOAS. Because of blood upon the strangers' hands? IPHIGENIA. It was Her divination of their guilt. THOAS. Whose blood ? A Taurian's blood ? killed on the beach ? IPHIGENIA. The guilt was with them when they came; the stain Of killing their own kin! 66 Iphigenia in Tauris THOAS. Their kin? What kin? IPHIGENIA. A mother ! whom they murdered in cold blood ! THOAS. O great Apollo, what barbarian Would do the thing these Greeks have done ? IPHIGENIA. But Greeks Disowned and homeless, hunted out of Hellas. THOAS. Even then why bring the Image here? IPHIGENIA. Defiled, She must be purified, be touched again By Her own firmament. THOAS. How dost thou know So well the nature of their infamy ? IPHIGENIA. Seeing Her turn away, I asked them why. 67 Iphigenia in Tauris THOAS. Thou art a Greek, quick-witted, a true Greek! IPHIGENIA. They too are Greeks. They thought they could appease me With pleasant news. THOAS. Of Argos? IPHIGENIA. Of my brother, News of Orestes. THOAS. To inveigle thee! IPHIGENIA. And of my father that he lives and prospers. THOAS. Thou hadst no doubt, however, of thy duty? IPHIGENIA. Has not all Hellas well deserved my hate? THOAS. What must we do with them? 68 Iphigenla in Tauris IPHIGENIA. Observe the law. THOAS. Thou meanest with the water and the knife? IPHIGENIA. First fully cleanse them of their sin. THOAS. With water From a bubbling spring or from the salty sea? IPHIGENIA. The sea is the absolvent of all evil. THOAS. The sea would better please the Goddess then? IPHIGENIA. And me. THOAS. The breakers almost reach these walls. IPHIGENIA. But certain of the rites are secret rites. THOAS. Then choose thy place and fear no trespasser. 69 Iphigenia in Tauris IPHIGENIA. And I must purify the Image too. THOAS. Have they contaminated even Her? IPHIGENIA. So that I had to bring Her from Her place. THOAS. Thanks for thy reverential care. IPHIGENIA. O King, Command the help I need. THOAS. Ask it is given. IPHIGENIA. Then let the strangers be well bound. THOAS. Why that? Where could they think to flee? IPHIGENIA. Beware of Greeks! 70 Iphigenia in Tauris THOAS. (To his Servants) Go, bind them. IPHIGENIA. Have them brought to me. THOAS. And bring them. IPHIGENIA. But hang a heavy veil over their heads. THOAS. For they must not be witnessed by the sun. IPHIGENIA. Send soldiers with me. THOAS. Choose thy guard from these. IPHIGENIA. And let a herald warn all citizens. THOAS. Of what? IPHIGENIA. To stay indoors till this is done. 7i Iphigenia in Tauris THOAS. Lest they as well might suffer the contagion? IPHIGENIA. From matricide. THOAS. Go tell the herald this. IPHIGENIA. And anyone I care for THOAS. Meaning me? IPHIGENIA. Him above all I caution against harm, Not to come near. THOAS. Thou carest what we do. THOAS. And what thou dost means much to us. IPHIGENIA. Wait here, O King thy share is in the Temple. 72 Iphigenia in Tauris THOAS. To IPHIGENIA. Purify it with the smoke of torches. THOAS. It shall be fragrant, priestess, to receive thee. IPHIGENIA. When they come by THOAS. What must I do? IPHIGENIA. Hold up Thy robe and look away. THOAS. From the contagion. IPHIGENIA. And if I seem delayed THOAS. How shall I tell? IPHIGENIA. Be not surprised, but patient. 73 Iphigema in Tauris THOAS. Take thy time And serve the Goddess to the uttermost. IPHIGENIA. If it but end as I desire! THOAS. And I! IPHIGENIA. Ah, here they come ! the strangers and the robes, And lambs whose blood shall offset other blood, And burning torches and all instruments Purification needs for them and Her. Away, O citizens, be not polluted! You keepers of the gates, keep clean your hands! Men who would marry, women who would bear, Be not polluted ! look away away ! Virgin Goddess, if these murderers Be cleansed as I would have them cleansed and Thou Be brought as well where I would have Thee brought, Thy Temple shall be clean and we be blest ! 1 say no more but Thou and those who know May render the conclusion of my prayer. 74 Iphigenia in Tauris (The procession passes out. Thoas enters the Temple) THE THIRD MAIDEN. Latona bore one day a golden Child, O Artemis, Thy Brother, Phoebus, the darling of the vales of Delos THE FIRST MAIDEN. Whose little fingers hovered on the harp And pulled at archery. THE THIRD MAIDEN. Leaving His birthplace, to Parnassus' top The Mother brought Her Boy THE SECOND MAIDEN. Where Dionysus flings the waterfall. THE THIRD MAIDEN. There hidden coiling in the leafy laurels A serpent, with bright scales And blood-red eyes, a creature born of Earth, Guarded the cave that held Earth's oracle. Phoebus, beholding it, leaped up Out of His Mother's arms, a little Child, And struck the serpent dead THE SECOND MAIDEN. And on that day began His prophecies. 75 Iphigenia in Tauris THE FOURTH MAIDEN. Phoebus Apollo, Thou hast won the throne, The tripod of the truth! And in the very centre of the earth Thou hearest wisdom; and Thy voice conveys, Accompanied by all The run and ripple of Castalian springs, The inmost oracles That ever Heaven whispered to the Earth. THE THIRD MAIDEN. But Earth had wished the oracles to go To Themis, Her own daughter, And in Her anger bred a band of dreams That in the night should be oracular To men, foretelling truth. And this impaired the dignity of Phoebus And of His oracles THE SECOND MAIDEN. And the baby God went hurrying to Zeus, Coaxed with His little hands and begged of Zeus To send the dreams away . . . THE FIRST MAIDEN. And He was very pleased to have His son Come straight to Him with troubles. And His head Decided with a nod 76 Iphigenla in Tauris And bade men turn from the prophetic dark And every haunting shape THE FOURTH MAIDEN. And listen only to the lips of Light. A MESSENGER. (Entering breathless) O all you ministers and temple-guards, Where is King Thoas gone? Open the gates And call King Thoas out! O call the King! THE FIRST MAIDEN. If we may ask unbidden is something wrong ? THE MESSENGER. The two young men have broken free and fled, With Agamemnon's daughter aiding them And on their ship have taken Artemis! THE FIRST MAIDEN. A likely story! Wouldst thou find the King, He left the Temple but a moment since. THE MESSENGER. Where was he bound ? 77 Iphigenia in Tauris THE FIRST MAIDEN. I do not know which way. THE SECOND MAIDEN. Go look for him, go find him with thy story! THE MESSENGER. O treacherous women! You would put me off, You are in the plot yourselves! THE THIRD MAIDEN. Art thou gone mad? What are these men to us? Quick! To the Palace! THE MESSENGER. Not till I know to my own satisfaction, Not till I rouse the keepers of the Shrine To answer me! Ho! You inside! Unbar The door! The King, if he is there, tell him A messenger has come with evil news! (He beats at the dotr) THOAS. (Appearing at the Temple-Door) Who makes this outcry, desecrates the door And shakes this holy place? 78 Iphigenia in Tauris THE MESSENGER. Their fault! their fault! They told me thou wert absent from the Temple, They put me off from finding thee. THOAS, But why? Why should they wish THE MESSENGER. Let that come afterward. O listen first to what I have to tell! Iphigenia who was priestess here Has joined the strangers, fled with them and taken Artemis' Image ! the cleansing was a lie ! THOAS. Unthinkable! What evil influence THE MESSENGER. The chance to save Orestes yes, Orestes ! THOAS. Orestes? which Orestes? Not her brother? THE MESSENGER. Yes, whom the Goddess wanted for Her altar. THOAS. It is impossible, I cannot grasp it! 79 Iphigenia in Tauris THE MESSENGER. But do not stop to grasp it ! listen first, Consider what to do ! and then command What means may intercept and capture them! THOAS. There is no danger in these Taurian Seas Of their escaping. For the way is shut Stationed and cordoned with a ring of ships! THE MESSENGER. No sooner had we reached the bend of shore Which hid their ship, than Agamemnon's daughter Made signs to us to drop the rope that bound The men, to leave them and fall back. It seemed That she was ready to perform the rites, To light the mystic flame and bless the sea. She took the rope herself and followed them Still further. And we felt presentiment Of something wrong. But what were we to do? We heard her voice chant a high mystery Of phrases in an unknown tongue, seeming To us the ceremonial incantation, The ritual of purifying sin. And then we waited a long time. At last The fear occurred to us that they had burst Their bonds, had killed her and escaped. But still We waited, fearing with an equal fear To see what was forbidden us to see ... 80 Iphigenia in Tauris Until with one accord agreeing to it We disobeyed and went to find them. There We saw the ship from Hellas near the shore, And fitted in the tholes were fifty oars Like feathers in a wing, and just astern The two youths boarding her. Some held the prow With poles thrust in the water, others brought The anchor up. The rest had made of rope A ladder hanging from the rail. By this We knew their scheme. And we laid hold at once Of the Greek maid and seized the trailing ladder And pulled their rudder-oar away from them To cripple them and cried : " What treachery Is this ? to steal our priestess and our God ? Who art thou and whose son to raid our land And bear our priestess off?" And he replied: " I am Orestes, son of Agamemnon, I am her brother. Now you know the truth. And she is bound for Greece, out of which land I lost her long ago bound home ! " We clung To her and meant to drag her from her friends To thee; which is the way I came by these, This bruise and this. They struck my face both sides. They had no weapons, we had none. We used Our fists and they their fists, even their feet With kicks well-aimed at us from where they stood 81 Iphigenia in Taurls Above us at our heads and sides. We fought Till we were breathless. Then, with bruises And cuts and blood-filled eyes, we climbed the cliff And, from our vantage, pelted them with stones Till the Greek archers had arranged their bows And kept us a distance with their arrows. Then when a giant wave bore them inshore, Orestes quickly lifted up his sister Out of the rush of it. Holding her high On his left shoulder, plunging stride by stride, He caught the ladder, swung aboard the ship And held her safe on deck. And she, she held She had it still the Image out of Heaven, The Image of the Daughter of high Zeus! Then a glad call exulted through the ship: " O mariners of Hellas, grip your oars And clip the sea to foam! O let your arms Be strong, for we have won, have won, have won What we set out to win ! We have defied The jagged Clashing Rocks and we have won!" A shout of joy responded and the ship Quivered with dipping oars and shot ahead. But this was only while the shelter lasted; For at the harbor-mouth a high wave met her And threw her off her course. She turned about, Caught by the stormy wind, until her stern Was foremost and her prow toward shore. They tugged The oars, rallied and strained but every time 82 Iphigenia in Tauris They brought her round, tl\e deep wave dragged her back Again. And Agamemnon's daughter stood And prayed : " O save me, Artemis, from this Unhappy place to Hellas! and forgive My theft! As Thou, O Goddess, lovest well Phoebus, Thy brother, shall I not love mine ? " The sailors' praises echoing her prayer, They bent their bodies and their great bare arms And shoulders, swaying like the sea, To the boatswain's cry. But closer to the cliff, Closer and closer still they drew. And some Sprang out into the sea. And some began Attempts to fasten hold on the sharp shore With ropes. And then our men despatched me here, O King, to tell thee of this thing. ... So come With chains and cords for while the sea is high, There is no earthly chance of their escape! Poseidon, God of the Sea, remembering Troy, The city that He loved, confounds today The wretched children of her enemies And will deliver up to thee and thine The son and daughter of the King of Argos That daughter who, forgetful now of Aulis, Betrays the Goddess who was kind to her. (The Messenger goes out) 83 Iphigenia in Tauris THE FIRST MAIDEN. O Lady, Lady ! O alas for thee ! In Taurian hands again, Thou and thy brother surely now shall die! THOAS. Come, citizens, and be uncivilized! Leap on your horses! Whip them to the beach! Wait with me there until a wave shall break That ship from Hellas. Then be after them! And hunt them down, each damned dog of them! Do this for Artemis. And some of you Go launch my galleys, lest one man of them Should die untortured! Run them down by sea And land! Go hurl them from the cliffs! O catch them, kill them, crucify them, end them! And as for you, you miserable women, Count on the punishment you have deserved By treachery ! I have not time for you With this to do. But O when this is done! (In the confusion appears, with instant dominion, Pallas Athena) ATHENA. Be calm, King Thoas! What is this pursuit? Hold back and listen to Athena's word. 84 Iphigenia in Tauris Hold back the soldiers, hold them every one. Apollo sent Orestes to this land To free him from the Fiends of punishment And told him, through the oracle, to bring Iphigenia home again to Argos And likewise to my land the holy Image. . . . That is my word. And let me follow it With news that this Orestes thou wouldst hunt Is gliding on a comfortable sea Made easy by Poseidon for my sake. Orestes ! thou canst hear a God far-off Obey me! Take thy sister and the Image Safely to Hellas. Go to God-built Athens And, passing through, go forward to the end Of Attica. Find there a holy place Close to Carystus' hill, a place called Halae. There build a Temple. There set up the Image. Name it for Tauris, to immortalize Thy penitence and thy deliverance, Thy labors and thy love. Let men acclaim The Taurian Artemis, brought there by thee. And let this be the law: When they observe Her festival ... in token of thy fate The priest must hold against a human throat The sharp blade of his knife and touch the edge With blood, then cease meaning that life, not death, Is the true element of sacrifice. 85 Iphigenia in Tauris Iphigenia! there are steps for thee Hewn to the rocky Shrine of Artemis At Brauron. There the keys be in thy keeping. There shalt thou die, be buried and receive Upon thy grave most honorable gifts, The purely-woven raiment of dead mothers Who honorably died in giving birth. O Thoas, I command thee, send to Hellas These women. They were true. I saved thee once, Orestes, when on Ares' hill I judged thee And voted for thee when the votes were equal. Now let it be the law that he who earns An equally-divided verdict wins His case. Therefore go safely from this land, son of Agamemnon. And thou, Thoas, Be thou content to put thy wrath away. THOAS. He who is discontented when the Gods Have given judgment is a fool. For my part, Goddess, I bear no grudge against Orestes Nor against her who took away the Image. 1 make no opposition to a God, For where would be the use? So let them go In peace and set the Image in Thy land. These women too may go they shall be sent To Hellas to be happy. At Thy word, 86 Iphigenia in Tauris I bid my ships turn back from the pursuit . Behold my spirit and my spear bowed down. ATHENA. Well-spoken! For thy spirit learns a law Greater than thou and greater than the Gods. O winds of heaven, blow Orestes home And I will guide him on his way to Athens, Guarding Thy Image, Artemis, my Sister. THE FIRST MAIDEN. Fare well in your good-fortune! May it bring Joy to you always. THE FOURTH MAIDEN. Pallas Athena, blessed is Thy name In Heaven as on the earth. Let us be mindful that Thy words are wise And welcome and unlooked-for and complete And let us do Thy will, O Conqueror of hatred and of fear! . . . The more in Thee we lose Our lives, the more we find our life in Thee. THE END -ft y UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY A 000 732 603 6 wmm m