The House of Atreus Part 31

Scorn of the younger and the elder G.o.ds Art thou: 'tis I that shall prevail anon.

CHORUS

Thus didst thou too of old in Pheres' halls, O'errcaching Fate to make a mortal deathless.

APOLLO

Was it not well, my worshipper to aid, Then most of all when hardest was the need?

CHORUS

I say thou didst annul the lots of life, Cheating with wine the deities of eld.

APOLLO

I say thou shalt anon, thy pleadings foiled, Spit venom vainly on thine enemies.

CHORUS

Since this young G.o.d o'errides mine ancient right I tarry but to claim your law, not knowing If wrath of mine shall blast your state or spare

ATHENA

Mine is the right to add the final vote, And I award it to Orestes' cause.

For me no mother bore within her womb, And, save for wedlock evermore eschewed, I vouch myself the champion of the man, Not of the woman, yea, with all my soul,-- In heart, as birth, a father's child alone.

Thus will I not too heinously regard A woman's death who did her husband slay, The guardian of her home; and if the votes Equal do fall, Orestes shall prevail.

Ye of the judges who are named thereto, Swiftly shake forth the lots from either urn.

[_Two judges come forward, one to each urn._

ORESTES

O bright Apollo, what shall be the end?

CHORUS

O Night, dark mother mine, dost mark these things?

OSESTES

Now shall my doom be life, or strangling cords.

CHORUS

And mine, lost honour or a wider sway.

APOLLO

O stranger judges, sum aright the count Of votes cast forth, and, parting them, take heed Ye err not in decision. The default Of one vote only bringeth ruin deep, One, cast aright, doth stablish house and home.

ATHENA

Behold, this man is free from guilt of blood, For half the votes condemn him, half set free!

ORESTES

O Pallas, light and safety of my home, Thou, thou hast given me back to dwell once more In that my fatherland, amerced of which I wandered; now shall Grecian lips say this, _The man is Argive once again, and dwells Again within his father's wealthy hall, By Pallas saved, by Loxias, and by Him, The great third saviour, Zeus omnipotent--_ Who thus in pity for my father's fate Doth pluck me from my doom, beholding these, Confederates of my mother. Lo, I pa.s.s To mine own home, but proffering this vow Unto thy land and people: _Nevermore, Thro' all the manifold years of Time to be, Shall any chieftain of mine Argive land Bear hitherward his spears for fight arrayed._ For we, though lapped in earth we then shall lie, By thwart adversities will work our will On them who shall transgress this oath of mine, Paths of despair and journeyings ill-starred For them ordaining, till their task they rue.

But if this oath be rightly kept, to them Will we the dead be full of grace, the while With loyal league they honour Pallas' town.

And now farewell, thou and thy city's folk-- Firm be thine arm's grasp, closing with thy foes And, strong to save, bring victory to thy spear.

[_Exit Orestes, with Apollo._

CHORUS

Woe on you, younger G.o.ds! the ancient right Ye have o'erridden, rent it from my hands.

I am dishonoured of you, thrust to scorn!

But heavily my wrath Shall on this land fling forth the drops that blast and burn Venom of vengeance, that shall work such scathe As I have suffered; where that dew shall fall, Shall leafless blight arise, Wasting Earth's offspring,--Justice, hear my call!-- And thorough all the land in deadly wise Shall scatter venom, to exude again In pestilence on men.

What cry avails me now, what deed of blood, Unto this land what dark despite?

Alack, alack, forlorn Are we, a bitter injury have borne!

Alack, O sisters, O dishonoured brood Of mother Night!

ATHENA

Nay, bow ye to my words, chafe not nor moan: Ye are not worsted nor disgraced; behold, With balanced vote the cause had issue fair, Nor in the end did aught dishonour thee.

But thus the will of Zeus shone clearly forth, And his own prophet-G.o.d avouched the same, _Orestes slew: his slaying is atoned_.

Therefore I pray you, not upon this land Shoot forth the dart of vengeance; be appeased, Nor blast the land with blight, nor loose thereon Drops of eternal venom, direful darts Wasting and marring nature's seed of growth.

For I, the queen of Athens' sacred right, Do pledge to you a holy sanctuary Deep in the heart of this my land, made just By your indwelling presence, while ye sit Hard by your sacred shrines that gleam with oil Of sacrifice, and by this folk adored.

CHORUS

Woe on you, younger G.o.ds! the ancient right Ye have o'erridden, rent it from my hands.

I am dishonoured of you, thrust to scorn!

But heavily my wrath Shall on his land fling forth the drops that blast and burn.

Venom of vengeance, that shall work such scathe As I have suffered; where that dew shall fall, Shall leafless blight arise, Wasting Earth's offspring,--Justice, hear my call!-- And thorough all the land in deadly wise Shall scatter venom, to exude again In pestilence of men.

What cry avails me now, what deed of blood, Unto this land what dark despite?

Alack, alack, forlorn Are we, a bitter injury have borne!

Alack, O sisters, O dishonoured brood Of mother Night!

ATHENA

Dishonoured are ye not; turn not, I pray.

As G.o.ddesses your swelling wrath on men, Nor make the friendly earth despiteful to them.

I too have Zeus for champion--'tis enough-- I only of all G.o.ddesses do know.

To ope the chamber where his thunderbolts Lie stored and sealed; but here is no such need.

Nay, be appeased, nor cast upon the ground The malice of thy tongue, to blast the world; Calm thou thy bitter wrath's black inward surge, For high shall be thine honour, set beside me For ever in this land, whose fertile lap Shall pour its teeming firstfruits unto you, Gifts for fair childbirth and for wedlock's crown: Thus honoured, praise my spoken pledge for aye.