University of Virginia Library

ACT II.

Iphigenia, Chorus.
Cho.
From the Sea Shore, lo! hitherward in haste
A Shepherd comes, with some strange Tidings fraught.

Enter Shepherd.
Sh.
Daughter of Clytæmnestra and Atrides,
List with Attention to my wond'rous Tale!

Iph.
What fearfull Narrative hast thou to utter?

Sh.
O Princess, to this Coast are just arriv'd,
Fled from their Country doubtless, two fair Youths;
An acceptable Off'ring to our Goddess,
The great Diana! therefore haste, prepare
The Lavers, and th'initiating Rites,
To cleanse and sanctify them for the Altar.

Iph.
Whence are they? Of what Nation are they styl'd?

Sh.
Græcians they are; but farther know I not.

Iph.
Canst thou report what Names these Strangers bore?

Sh.
The one, I think, call'd th'other Pylades.

Iph.
And his Companion, know ye not his Name?

Sh.
That none of us can tell; we heard not that.

Iph.
How chanc'd ye to descry? where seiz'd ye them?

Sh.
We found them on the Euxine's craggy Shore.

Iph.
What Errand call'd you Shepherds to the Shore?

Sh.
We went to wash our Cattle in the Sea.

Iph.
Then to my former Question I return,
How? in what Manner did you take them? say:
I long to be inform'd—They come full late,
These ling'ring Strangers: Not this many a Day
Hath Cynthia's Altar blush'd with Græcian Gore.

Sh.
When by that narrow Strait our Flocks were pass'd,
Where jutting Rocks confine the struggling Floods,
We came to certain Caverns, hollow made
By the perpetual Dashing of the Waves,
Where they, who gather Scarlet, wont to house:
There one of our Companions chanc'd to spy
These two fair Youths, and starting soft return'd,
On Tip-toe lightly steering back his Course;
And look (he cried) see there! what Gods are those,
That sit in yonder Rock? Another straight,
The pious one amongst us, rais'd his Hands,
And thus in Pray'r ador'd them: Mighty Lord!
Son of Leucothea, Goddess of the Main,
Who savest the frail Bark from Rocks and Shelves,
Divine Palæmon, be propitious to us!
Or hear ye rather, Jove and Leda's Twins!
Or of the Race of Nereus, the great Sire
Of fifty Daughters, who the Choir compose
Of chanting Nereids! At this solemn Pray'r
Another of our Band, presumptuous, vain,
And lawless, into sudden Laughter brake,
And said, they were two Ship-wreck'd Mariners,
Who, conscious of the Law that here consigns
The Stranger to the Altar, in that Rock
Had sought to hide for Fear. And he indeed
To most appearing to conjecture right,
We instantly decreed to hunt them down,
As Victims due by Custom to our Goddess.
When one of them, straight rushing from the Cave,
Stood, and with frantick Action to and fro
Toss'd his loose Head, and groan'd, and shook, and quak'd
Ev'n to his utmost Nerve, as one distraught
With Madness; roaring then with Voice as loud
As Hunters in the Chace, See, Pylades,
See her (he cried) there: dost thou see her there?
That Viper, that foul Fiend of Hell: See now,
Arm'd with a thousand Snakes, and grinning fierce,
How she wou'd murder me: Another too,
Rob'd all in Flames of Fire, and breathing Death,
Comes sailing on the Wing; and in her Arms
She bears my Mother, who in Vengeance threats
To over-whelm me with these flinty Rocks!
And now she slays me. Whither shall I fly?
Then wou'd he change his Gestures and his Voice,
And mimick the dire Notes of howling Dogs,
And Bulls fierce-roaring; Sounds, which as they say,
The Furies selves are wont to imitate.
Mean while, shrunk up and almost dead with Fear,
Silent we sat; when spying suddenly
Our Droves of Cattle, his sharp Sword he drew,
And like a Lion leap'd amidst the Herd
And stabb'd and wounded some on ev'ry Side,
Misdeeming that he with the Furies fought:
So that the frothy Wave was ting'd with Blood.
But, when amongst our Cattle we beheld
This murd'rous Havock made, to Arms we ran,
And blew our Horns, and rais'd the Country round;
Well weening that poor silly Shepherd Swains
Were not a Match for those brave warlike Youths.
A mighty Number soon was gather'd to us:
And now the Stranger all at once fell calm,
And ceas'd his frantick Motions; from his Chin
Distill'd the milky foam: This fair Occasion
We saw, we seiz'd, and emulously show'r'd
A flinty Volley on the distant Foe.
While th'other Youth from his Companion's Lip
Wip'd off the Foam, and marking, as they flew,
Each rocky Fragment, with his shelt'ring Robe
Protected him from Wrong; with friendly Care
Performing all the Offices of Love.
But he, up-starting from his deadly Trance,
And all his Sense recov'ring, when he saw
The Storm that thicken'd round him, and perceiv'd
Destruction was approaching, deeply sigh'd;
While we still urging them on ev'ry Side
Without Remission ply'd our missive War.
Then did we hear this dreadfull Exhortation:
Oh! Pylades, we die! but let us die
Most glorious; draw thy Sword, and follow me.
But when we saw them shake their flashing Blades
Quick to the Woods and Cliffs in Crouds we fled;
Yet fled not all, for happ'ly some remain'd,
Who still maintain'd the Fight, but soon repuls'd
They likewise fled, and left the Foe in quiet.
Indeed it seems almost to pass Belief,
That of such Myriads none should be so bold,
Or so successfull, as to seize these Victims.
Nor was it by our Valour, that at length
We did prevail; for having girt them round
With a vast Circle, and with flinty Show'rs
On ev'ry Part assailing, from their Hands
Their shining Blades we beat: while on the Ground
Themselves, with Labour over-toil'd, they cast.
So seizing, to the King we led them bound;
Who having view'd them well, now sends them here,
By thee to be prepar'd for Sacrifice.
And ever shou'd'st thou pray, O royal Maid!
For Victims such as these; then soon wou'd Greece,
(If many more such Victims she afford)
Repent her Cruelty to thee, and pay
Full dearly for thy Sacrifice at Aulis.

Cho.
Thou tellest Wonders of this Stranger Greek,
Whoe'er he be, that from his native Land
Is come to this unhospitable Shore.

Iph.
'Tis well; go thou and bring the Strangers hither;
What here is to be done, shall be my Care. Exit Shep.

Oh! wretched Heart, thou wert accustom'd once
To Strangers to be mild and pitifull,
And for thy Country's Sake bestow a Tear,
When a poor luckless Greek was brought unto thee.
But ever since the Dream, by which I know
That dear Orestes views this Light no more,
I am grown fierce and savage, and henceforth
Such will ye find me, miserable Strangers!
For I myself, O Friends, am miserable.
“And true it is, the unsuccessfull Man
“Ever maligns and hates the fortunate.”
Oh! that no Heav'n-sent Gale, no wand'ring Bark,
Which thro' these dread Cyanean Rocks hath pass'd,
E'er hath brought Helen here, or Menelas,
For whom I was undone, that here I might
Repay them all their Cruelties and Wrongs,
And make them find another Aulis here,
In Recompence for that, where once the Greeks
Their murd'rous Hands laid on me, and in Pomp,
Like a young Heifer, led me to the Altar,
Where my unnat'ral Father was the Priest!
Alas! I cannot but remember this:
How often to my Father's Beard reach'd I
My supplicating Hand! how oft embrac'd
His Knee, and tried to sooth him with these Words:
“My Father! shamefull Nuptials hast thou here
“Prepar'd for thy sad Daughter; while my Mother,
“Gay Clytæmnestra, and the jocund Choir
“Of Argive Virgins, understanding not
“Thy murd'rous Purpose, Hymeneals sing,
“And merry Musick thro' thy Palace sounds:
“Mean while I perish, perish by thy Hands!
“And Pluto, not the lovely Son of Peleus,
“Pluto's th'Achilles, and the Spouse you meant,
“When in the glitt'ring Carr, by Fraud seduc'd,
“You fetch'd me hither to these bloody Nuptials.
'Twas on that Day, when spying thro' my Veil
This Brother, whose sad Fate I now lament,
I took him in my Arms, but did not press,
Thro' Virgin Modesty, his Lips to mine,
Then going, as I thought, to Peleus' House;
And many kind Caresses I deferr'd,
As one, who back to Argos shou'd return.—
Oh! Wretch Orestes, if thou'rt dead indeed,
These Evils, and thy Father's Crimes have kill'd thee.—
“Mean time I cannot but condemn the false
“And partial Reas'ning of our Goddess here:
“Who from her Altars chases as unclean,
“Those who with Murder have themselves defil'd,
“Or touch'd a lifeless Carcase, yet herself
“Delights in Blood and human Sacrifice.
“It cannot be, that such Absurdity
“Shou'd from Saturnius and Latona spring.
“Nor can I Credit yield to those vain Legends,
“That tell, how at the Board of Tantalus
“The glutton Gods once feasted on his Son.”
Much rather ought it sure to be presum'd,
That these wild Nations, pleas'd with human Blood,
Wou'd their own Vices on their Goddess charge;
For to the Gods no Evil can belong,

Cho.