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Part VIII
Part VIII
[Enter Aegisthus.
Aegisthus
Dawn of the day of rightful vengeance, hail!
I dare at length aver that gods above
Have care of men and heed of earthly wrongs.
I, I who stand and thus exult to see
This man lie wound in robes the Furies wove,
Slain in requital of his father`s craft.
Take ye the truth, that Atreus, this man`s sire,
The lord and monarch of this land of old,
Held with my sire Thyestes deep dispute,
Brother with brother, for the prize of sway,
And drave him from his home to banishment.
Thereafter, the lorn exile homeward stole
And clung a suppliant to the heart divine,
And for himself won this immunity -
Not with his own blood to defile the land
That gave him birth. But Atreus, godless sire
Of him who here lies dead, this welcome planned -
With zeal that was not love he feigned to hold
In loyal joy a day of festal cheer,
And bade my father to his board, and set
Before him flesh that was his children once.
First, sitting at the upper board alone,
He hid the fingers and the feet, but gave
The rest - and readily Thyestes took
What to his ignorance no semblance wore
Of human flesh, and ate: behold what curse
That eating brought upon our race and name!
For when he knew what all-unhallowed thing
He thus had wrought, with horror`s bitter cry
Back-starting, spewing forth the fragments foul,
On Pelops` house a deadly curse he spake -
As darkly as I spurn this damned food,
So perish all the race of Pleisthenes!
Thus by that curse fell he whom here ye see,
And I - who else? - this murder wove and planned;
For me, an infant yet in swaddling bands,
Of the three children youngest, Atreus sent
To banishment by my sad father`s side:
But Justice brought me home once more, grown now
To manhood`s years; and stranger tho` I was,
My right hand reached unto the chieftain`s life,
Plotting and planning all that malice bade.
And death itself were honour now to me,
Beholding him in Justice` ambush ta`en.
Chorus
Aegisthus, for this insolence of thine
That vaunts itself in evil, take my scorn.
Of thine own will, thou sayest, thou hast slain
The chieftain, by thine own unaided plot
Devised the piteous death: I rede thee well,
Think not thy head shall `scape, when right prevails,
The people`s ban, the stones of death and doom.
Aegisthus
This word from thee, this word from one who rows
Low at the oars beneath, what time we rule,
We of the upper tier? Thou`lt know anon,
`Tis bitter to be taught again in age,
By one so young, submission at the word.
But iron of the chain and hunger`s throes
Can minister unto an o`erswoln pride
Marvellous well, ay, even in the old.
Hast eyes, and seest not this? Peace - kick not thus
Against the pricks, unto thy proper pain!
Chorus
Thou womanish man, waiting till war did cease,
Home-watcher and defiler of the couch,
And arch-deviser of the chieftain`s doom!
Aegisthus
Bold words again! but they shall end in tears.
The very converse, thine, of Orpheus` tongue:
He roused and led in ecstasy of joy
All things that heard his voice melodious;
But thou as with the futile cry of curs
Wilt draw men wrathfully upon thee. Peace!
Or strong subjection soon shall tame thy tongue.
Chorus
Ay, thou art one to hold an Argive down -
Thou, skilled to plan the murder of the king,
But not with thine own hand to smite the blow!
Aegisthus
That fraudful force was woman`s very part,
Not mine, whom deep suspicion from of old
Would have debarred. Now by his treasure`s aid
My purpose holds to rule the citizens.
But whoso will not bear my guiding hand,
Him for his corn-fed mettle I will drive
Not as a trace-horse, light-caparisoned,
But to the shafts with heaviest harness bound.
Famine, the grim mate of the dungeon dark,
Shall look on him and shall behold him tame.
Chorus
Thou losel soul, was then thy strength too slight
To deal in murder, while a woman`s hand,
Staining and shaming Argos and its gods,
Availed to slay him? Ho, if anywhere
The light of life smite on Orestes` eyes,
Let him, returning by some guardian fate,
Hew down with force her paramour and her!
Aegisthus
How thy word and act shall issue, thou shalt shortly understand.
Chorus
Up to action, O my comrades! for the fight is hard at hand.
Swift, your right hands to the sword hilt! bare the weapon as for strife -
Aegisthus
Lo! I too am standing ready, hand on hilt for death or life.
Chorus
`Twas thy word and we accept it: onward to the chance of war!
Clytemnestra
Nay, enough, enough, my champion! we will smite and slay no more.
Already have we reaped enough the harvest-field of guilt:
Enough of wrong and murder, let no other blood be spilt.
Peace, old men! and pass away unto the homes by Fate decreed,
Lest ill valour meet our vengeance - `twas a necessary deed.
But enough of toils and troubles - be the end, if ever, now,
Ere thy talon, O Avenger, deal another deadly blow.
`Tis a woman`s word of warning, and let who will list thereto.
Aegisthus
But that these should loose and lavish reckless blossoms of the tongue,
And in hazard of their fortune cast upon me words of wrong,
And forget the law of subjects, and revile their ruler`s word -
Chorus
Ruler? but `tis not for Argives, thus to own a dastard lord!
Aegisthus
I will follow to chastise thee in my coming days of sway.
Chorus
Not if Fortune guide Orestes safely on his homeward way.
Aegisthus
Ah, well I know how exiles feed on hopes of their return.
Chorus
Fare and batten on pollution of the right, while `tis thy turn.
Aegisthus
Thou shalt pay, be well assured, heavy quittance for thy pride.
Chorus
Crow and strut, with her to watch thee, like a cock, his mate beside!
Clytemnestra
Heed not thou too highly of them - let the cur-pack growl and yell:
I and thou will rule the palace and will order all things well.
[Exeunt.
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