Iphigenia in Tauris Part 14

Then speak! thou seest I listen to thy words.

SCENE V.

ORESTES. IPHIGENIA. THOAS.

_Enter_ PYLADES, _soon after him_ ARKAS, _both with drawn swords_.

PYLADES.

Do not delay! our friends are putting forth Their final strength, and yielding step by step, Are slowly driven backward to the sea.-- A conference of princes find I here?

Is this the sacred person of the king?

ARKAS.

Calmly, as doth become thee, thou dost stand, O king, surrounded by thine enemies.

Soon their temerity shall be chastis'd; Their yielding followers fly.--their ship is ours.

Speak but the word, and it is wrapt in flames.

THOAS.

Go, and command my people to forbear!

Let none annoy the foe while we confer. (_Arkas retires_.)

ORESTES.

I willingly consent. Go, Pylades!

Collect the remnant of our friends, and wait The appointed issue of our enterprize.

(_Pylades retires_.)

SCENE VI.

IPHIGENIA. THOAS. ORESTES.

IPHIGENIA.

Believe my cares ere ye begin to speak.

I fear contention, if thou wilt not hear The voice of equity, O king,--if thou Wilt not, my brother, curb thy headstrong youth.

THOAS.

I, as becomes the elder, check my rage.

Now answer me: how dost thou prove thyself The priestess' brother, Agamemnon's son?

ORESTES.

Behold the sword with which the hero slew The valiant Trojans. From his murderer I took the weapon, and implor'd the G.o.ds To grant me Agamemnon's mighty arm, Success, and valour, with a death more n.o.ble.

Select one of the leaders of thy host, And place the best as my opponent here.

Where'er on earth the sons of heroes dwell, This boon is to the stranger ne'er refus'd.

THOAS.

This privilege hath ancient custom here To strangers ne'er accorded.

ORESTES.

Then from us Commence the novel custom! A whole race In imitation soon will consecrate Its monarch's n.o.ble action into law.

Nor let me only for our liberty,-- Let me, a stranger, for all strangers fight.

If I should fall, my doom be also theirs; But if kind fortune crown me with success, Let none e'er tread this sh.o.r.e, and fail to meet The beaming eye of sympathy and love, Or unconsol'd depart!

THOAS.

Thou dost not seem Unworthy of thy boasted ancestry.

Great is the number of the valiant men Who wait upon me; but I will myself, Although advanc'd in years, oppose the foe, And am prepar'd to try the chance of arms.

IPHIGENIA.

No, no! such b.l.o.o.d.y proofs are not requir'd.

Unhand thy weapon, king! my lot consider; Rash combat oft immortalizes man; If he should fall, he is renown'd in song; But after ages reckon not the tears Which ceaseless the forsaken woman sheds; And poets tell not of the thousand nights Consum'd in weeping, and the dreary days, Wherein her anguish't soul, a prey to grief, Doth vainly yearn to call her lov'd one back.

Fear warn'd me to beware lest robber's wiles Might lure me from this sanctuary, and then Betray me into bondage. Anxiously I question'd them, each circ.u.mstance explor'd, Demanded signs, and now my heart's a.s.sur'd.

See here, the mark as of three stars impress'd On his right hand, which on his natal day Were by the priest declar'd to indicate Some dreadful deed by him to be perform'd.

And then this scar, which doth his eyebrow cleave, Redoubles my conviction. When a child, Electra, rash and inconsiderate, Such was her nature, loos'd him from her arms.

He fell against a tripos. Oh, 'tis he!-- Shall I adduce the likeness to his sire, Or the deep rapture of my inmost heart, In further token of a.s.surance, king?

THOAS.

E'en though thy words had banish'd every doubt, And I had curb'd the anger in my breast, Still must our arms decide. I see no peace.

Their purpose, as thou didst thyself confess, Was to deprive me of Diana's image.

And think ye that I'll look contented on?

The Greeks are wont to cast a longing eye Upon the treasures of barbarians, A golden fleece, good steeds, or daughters fair; But force and guile not always have avail'd To lead them, with their booty, safely home.

ORESTES.

The image shall not be a cause of strife!

We now perceive the error which the G.o.d, Our journey here commanding, like a veil, Threw o'er our minds. His counsel I implor'd, To free me from the Furies' grisly band.

He answer'd, "Back to Greece the sister bring, Who in the sanctuary on Tauris' sh.o.r.e Unwillingly abides; so ends the curse!"

To Phbus' sister we applied the words, And he referr'd to thee! The bonds severe, Which held thee from us, holy one, are rent, And thou art ours once more. At thy blest touch, I felt myself restor'd. Within thine arms, Madness once more around me coil'd its folds, Crushing the marrow in my frame, and then For ever, like a serpent, fled to h.e.l.l.

Through thee, the daylight gladdens me anew.

The counsel of the G.o.ddess now shines forth In all its beauty and beneficence.

Like to a sacred image, unto which An oracle immutably hath bound A city's welfare, thee Diana took, Protectress of our house, and guarded here Within this holy stillness, to become A blessing to thy brother and thy race.

Now when each pa.s.sage to escape seems clos'd, And safety hopeless, thou dost give us all.

O king, incline thine heart to thoughts of peace!

Let her fulfil her mission, and complete The consecration of our father's house.

Me to their purified abode restore, And place upon my brow the ancient crown!

Requite the blessing which her presence brought thee, And let me now my nearer right enjoy!

Cunning and force, the proudest boast of man, Fade in the l.u.s.tre of her perfect truth; Nor unrequited will a n.o.ble mind Leave confidence, so childlike and so pure.

IPHIGENIA.

Think on thy promise; let thy heart be mov'd By what a true and honest tongue hath spoken!

Look on us, king! an opportunity For such a n.o.ble deed not oft occurs.

Refuse thou canst not,--give thy quick consent.

THOAS.

Then go!

IPHIGENIA.

Not so, my king! I cannot part Without thy blessing, or in anger from thee.

Banish us not! the sacred right of guests Still let us claim: so not eternally Shall we be sever'd. Honour'd and belov'd As mine own father was, art thou by me: And this impression in my soul remains.

Should e'en the meanest peasant of thy land Bring to my ear the tones I heard from thee Or should I on the humblest see thy garb, I will with joy receive him as a G.o.d, Prepare his couch myself, beside our hearth Invite him to a seat, and only ask Touching thy fate and thee. Oh, may the G.o.ds To thee the merited reward impart Of all thy kindness and benignity!