The House of Atreus Part 11

Such will is mine, and what thou say'st I say: Swiftly to act! the time brooks no delay.

ANOTHER

Ay, for 'tis plain, this prelude of their song Foretells its close in tyranny and wrong.

ANOTHER

Behold, we tarry--but thy name, Delay, They spurn, and press with sleepless hand to slay.

ANOTHER

I know not what 'twere well to counsel now-- Who wills to act, 'tis his to counsel how.

ANOTHER

Thy doubt is mine: for when a man is slain, I have no words to bring his life again.

ANOTHER

What? e'en for life's sake, bow us to obey These house-defilers and their tyrant sway?

ANOTHER

Unmanly doom! 'twere better far to die-- Death is a gentler lord than tyranny.

ANOTHER

Think well--must cry or sign of woe or pain Fix our conclusion that the chief is slain?

ANOTHER

Such talk befits us when the deed we see-- Conjecture dwells afar from certainty.

LEADER OF THE CHORUS

I read one will from many a diverse word, To know aright, how stands it with our lord!

[_The scene opens, disclosing Clytemnestra, who comes forward. The body of Agamemnon lies, m.u.f.fled in a long robe, within a silver-sided laver; the corpse of Ca.s.sandra is laid beside him._

CLYTEMNESTRA

Ho, ye who heard me speak so long and oft The glozing word that led me to my will?

Hear how I shrink not to unsay it all!

How else should one who willeth to requite Evil for evil to an enemy Disguised as friend, weave the mesh straitly round him, Not to be overleaped, a net of doom?

This is the sum and issue of old strife, Of me deep-pondered and at length fulfilled.

All is avowed, and as I smote I stand With foot set firm upon a finished thing!

I turn not to denial: thus I wrought So that he could nor flee nor ward his doom, Even as the trammel hems the scaly shoal, I trapped him with inextricable toils, The ill abundance of a baffling robe; Then smote him, once, again--and at each wound He cried aloud, then as in death relaxed Each limb and sank to earth; and as he lay, Once more I smote him, with the last third blow, Sacred to Hades, saviour of the dead.

And thus he fell, and as he pa.s.sed away, Spirit with body chafed; each dying breath Flung from his breast swift bubbling jets of gore, And the dark sprinklings of the rain of blood Fell upon me; and I was fain to feel That dew--not sweeter is the rain of heaven To cornland, when the green sheath teems with grain,

Elders of Argos--since the thing stands so, I bid you to rejoice, if such your will: Rejoice or not, I vaunt and praise the deed, And well I ween, if seemly it could be, 'Twere not ill done to pour libations here, Justly--ay, more than justly--on his corpse Who filled his home with curses as with wine, And thus returned to drain the cup he filled.

CHORUS

I marvel at thy tongue's audacity, To vaunt thus loudly o'er a husband slain.

CLYTEMNESTRA

Ye hold me as a woman, weak of will, And strive to sway me: but my heart is stout, Nor fears to speak its uttermost to you, Albeit ye know its message. Praise or blame, Even as ye list,--I reck not of your words.

Lo! at my feet lies Agamemnon slain, My husband once--and him this hand of mine, A right contriver, fashioned for his death.

Behold the deed!

CHORUS

Woman, what deadly birth, What venomed essence of the earth Or dark distilment of the wave, To thee such pa.s.sion gave, Nerving thine hand To set upon thy brow this burning crown, The curses of thy land?

_Our king by thee cut off, hewn down!

Go forth--they cry--accursed and forlorn, To hate and scorn!_

CLYTEMNESTRA

O ye just men, who speak my sentence now, The city's hate, the ban of all my realm!

Ye had no voice of old to launch such doom On him, my husband, when he held as light My daughter's life as that of sheep or goat, One victim from the thronging fleecy fold!

Yea, slew in sacrifice his child and mine, The well-loved issue of my travail-pangs, To lull and lay the gales that blew from Thrace.

That deed of his, I say, that stain and shame, Had rightly been atoned by banishment; But ye, who then were dumb, are stern to judge This deed of mine that doth affront your ears.

Storm out your threats, yet knowing this for sooth, That I am ready, if your hand prevail As mine now doth, to bow beneath your sway: If G.o.d say nay, it shall be yours to learn By chastis.e.m.e.nt a late humility.

CHORUS

Bold is thy craft, and proud Thy confidence, thy vaunting loud; Thy soul, that chose a murd'ress' fate, Is all with blood elate-- Maddened to know The blood not yet avenged, the d.a.m.ned spot Crimson upon thy brow.

But Fate prepares for thee thy lot-- Smitten as thou didst smite, without a friend, To meet thine end!

CLYTEMNESTRA

Hear then the sanction of the oath I swear?

By the great vengeance for my murdered child, By Ate, by the Fury unto whom This man lies sacrificed by hand of mine, I do not look to tread the hall of Fear, While in this hearth and home of mine there burns The light of love--Aegisthus--as of old Loyal, a stalwart shield of confidence-- As true to me as this slain man was false, Wronging his wife with paramours at Troy, Fresh from the kiss of each Chryseis there!

Behold him dead--behold his captive prize, Seeress and harlot--comfort of his bed, True prophetess, true paramour--I wot The sea-bench was not closer to the flesh, Full oft, of every rower, than was she.

See, ill they did, and ill requites them now.

His death ye know: she as a dying swan Sang her last dirge, and lies, as erst she lay, Close to his side, and to my couch has left A sweet new taste of joys that know no fear.

CHORUS

Ah woe and well-a-day! I would that Fate-- Not bearing agony too great, Nor stretching me too long on couch of pain-- Would bid mine eyelids keep The morningless and unawakening sleep!

For life is weary, now my lord is slain, The gracious among kings!

Hard fate of old he bore and many grievous things, And for a woman's sake, on Ilian land-- Now is his life hewn down, and by a woman's hand.

O Helen, O infatuate soul, Who bad'st the tides of battle roll, Overwhelming thousands, life on life, 'Neath Ilion's wall!

And now lies dead the lord of all.

The blossom of thy storied sin Bears blood's inexpiable stain, O thou that erst, these halls within, Wert unto all a rock of strife, A husband's bane!

CLYTEMNESTRA