 | Agamemnon |  |
63
ACT I.
SCENE I.
CLYTEMNESTRA.—And Agamemnon will be here to-day!
Triumphant and adorn'd with trojan spoil.—
After ten years of danger, to survive!
What will become of me? O fatal hour,
In which I yielded to my slave, Egysthus:
Had I but held him still in his degree,
Nor with such blazon of my favour, shown
A doting heart to all the crowd of Argos.—
Some courtly sycophant, that woos promotion,
Will blab against us. O deluded victim,
So in the fume and riot of my passion,
To dare destruction. We cannot escape!
64
SCENE II.
Clytemnestra and Arsinoe.CLYTEMNESTRA.
The king returns to-day.
ARSINOE.
So I have heard.
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Why are you sad, Arsinoe? The news
Should meet, from you, a blithe and cheerful welcome.
ARSINOE.
But, what a welcome shall the king receive?
What honest hail will cheer his coming home?
Who will rejoice, when he recounts the war?
Who will not weep, when he describes his wounds,
And sigh with sorrow, that they were not mortal.
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Nurse, you grow bold.
ARSINOE.
Oh! well-a-day, that I
Have liv'd to see the royal babe I cherish'd,
When grown to manhood, and a hero fam'd,
Supplanted in his love, by a vile slave;—
A coarse, rank-smelling groom; a neighing groom;
But fit companion for the horse he tended.
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Forget you, woman, that I am the queen?
65
Oh! that the queen had ne'er forgot herself:
And where, Oh where is Agamemnon's child?
When he departed for the trojan war—
Alack, my heart, that was a day in Argos:
The shore all dazzling with the grecian arms,
And every echo of the mountains, shouting
The acclamations of the warriors' cheer:—
He left you budding, large with royalty;
Where is the fruit?
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Arsinoe; you know,
That on the very night my child was born,
A menial traitor stole it from my side.
ARSINOE.
Had you not prov'd yourself more treas'nous prone,
By shameless tokens to your pamper'd slave,
That loyal theft had never been committed.
How could you think that there were none at court
To grudge his rising,—not one heart to feel
More for the monarch than his horse's servant?
Who did not fear from your infatuation,
The sacrifice of our true lawful prince?
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Oh! I am ruin'd, ruin'd, past all hope.
66
SCENE III.
ARSINOE.Alack, alack, where is that joyful stir,
That should await the victor from the field?
Where is the preparation for the feast,
The high adornments for the royal banquet?
Where are the musicants to swell the anthem,
And sound a flourish as the hero comes?
Here, silent, sullen Apprehension reigns;
And, for the wine that should flow at the board,
Blood shall be shed, and wailing rise for songs.
SCENE IV.
Arsinoe and Egysthus.ARSINOE.
Audacious varlet, hast thou not yet fled?
What incantation can the eagle charm,
That the usurper of his royal nest,
Shall not be torn and scatter'd to the winds?
Hast thou not heard the rushing of his wings,
And yet not slunk away?
EGYSTHUS.
Forbear, forbear,
And tell me what to do.
ARSINOE.
Go slay thyself—
Die with one death, for hundreds now await thee.
67
And o'er thy quiv'ring remnants, shall the flames
Hiss as they feed.
EGYSTHUS.
Arsinoe, in mercy—
ARSINOE.
Thou grub, that dar'dst to crawl on royalty;
Better, far better had it been for thee,
To have been smother'd in the stable slough,
When thou, beneath a canopy of state,
Profan'd'st the breast where Agamemnon lay.
EGYSTHUS.
Was I to blame? By bribe and leer allur'd;
It was not I that dar'd,—I was besought.
ARSINOE.
Try what that plea will now avail thee, slave!
EGYSTHUS.
Would you had warn'd me but of this before.
ARSINOE.
Think'st thou, I wish'd to gain the prophet's fate,
And for my boding, lie without my head.
But, now I speak. Thy hoofs are off me now.
And I am up again, and in my tower.
But, where is all thy rampant insolence,
Those high curvets, that so amaz'd the crowd?
Back, from the portal back, and give me passage.
68
SCENE V.
EGYSTHUS.This proud old fury will undo us all.—
To fly, is now too late, for all the gates
And all the walls, are with spectators throng'd;
Waiting the king and trophies from the war.—
SCENE VI.
Egysthus and Clytemnestra.EGYSTHUS.
Ha! come you here. Keep more aloof from me.
We stand upon the very edge of life.
Arsinoe has gone beside herself,
And threatens to betray.
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Cannot we fly?
EGYSTHUS.
Impossible! The town is all a-foot;
The roads are full, and every eye is wide.
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Would that Arsinoe could be prevail'd.
EGYSTHUS.
You always were too bold and confident;
I ever warn'd you to be circumspect.
69
Had you been but content with private gain,
We had not fallen to this jeopardy.
But you still would have gaudy exhibition,
And ape the courtiers.
EGYSTHUS.
The fault was your's.
Why shower upon me, wealth, if not for use?
If we escape to night; before the dawn,
I'll off to sea, and never come again.
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Can you, Egysthus, break from me so freely.
EGYSTHUS.
Your husband is at hand.
CLYTEMNESTRA.
But, you, my lov'd—
EGYSTHUS.
Gods! cease this fondling.
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Ah! you love me not.
EGYSTHUS.
Better for me, had been your hate than love.
See what avails your gifts and your caresses.
My strawy pallet, yielded sweeter rest
Than your high couch, o'er-canopied with gold.
70
SCENE VII.
Arsinoe, Egysthus, and Clytemnestra.ARSINOE.
Oh! wretched queen, regardless of thy doom.
E'en while the slaying hand is stretch'd to catch,
Thus, like a silly hen, safe in the sun,
To nestle fondly on a loathsome dung-hill.
If thou wilt welcome home thy lord with blood,
Go, wanton openly to all the court?
Why, with a half-seen leer or dubious smile,
Beget suspicion, since you seek detection?
Since you so dote upon your fated minion;
Go kiss him openly on the high-way;
Hang on his neck before the shouting rabble,
That all may know the lush of your lewd love,
And save grave justice from the amorous proving.
Ay, get thee gone, and curse thy brawny vigour,
That Death, so little will account to-night.
SCENE VIII.
Clytemnestra and Arsinoe.CLYTEMNESTRA.
Oh! my Arsinoe, what shall be done?
If flight could save, it is not in our power,
Nor will one suffer; all the three must die.
You were the confident, the minister;
71
Will pacify the dreadful Agamemnon.
You, even you, that cherish'd him a babe;
And, by that claim, may think, perchance, to'scape,
Must bleed, unpitied, to appease his vengeance.
ARSINOE.
I was constrain'd; against my heart, I serv'd.
Thick fell my tears, and painful were my sighs,
On that dire night, when to your chamber, first,
I brought the overbold, o'er-weening groom.
CLYTEMNESTRA.
And think you then, by sacrificing us,
To save yourself?
ARSINOE.
Had you been wary wise,
Frugal in gifts, and ruled in your desires;
We had not come to this extremtiy!
But, all the nobles of the land beheld,
Your mighty love, descending in the gold.
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Yet, no one spoke, to me, as if they knew.
ARSINOE.
No! wherefore should they? You had other gifts.
What was the guilt to them, if you bestow'd
The boons that their obsequiousness implor'd?
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Why should the danger then, be greater now?
72
Why should it?
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Ay.
ARSINOE.
Because, with you, no more
Rest the rich motives of the courtiers faith.
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Yet, who, Arsinoe, but you alone,
Can tell, that more between me and Egysthus
Has ever pass'd, than may unslander'd pass,
Between a mistress and a worthy servant.
You shake your head. Well, grant I have been lavish:
It shows that avarice is not my foible.
ARSINOE.
Such boundless favour as you show'd to him,
And rapid transmutation from a slave,
To wealth that over-tower'd our proudest antients,
Are flagrant evidence that it was passion.
CLYTEMNESTRA.
What shall be done? ere many minutes fly,
The triumph will arrive.—What shall we do?
ARSINOE.
Save, if you can, yourself; as I will try.
73
SCENE IX.
CLYTEMNESTRA.Cunning, perfidious hag! thy insolence
Full truly proves, that I have stood on ice;
A slippery stead, deceitful and unsound!
But, why not her, as well as either, suffer?
She scruples not, to save herself by us!
Should we then pause to save ourselves by her?
But, how? There is not time; and were she hush'd,
Some other parasyte of patronage,
Will serve again th'ingredients for our death.
Ha! is there here a demon, prompting me?
If we could kill the king.—Tremendous thought.
My soul is curdled with the bare conceit!
But, if he live, I shall be slain myself:
And, how may this aspiring deed be done?
Or, by Arsinoe? Or, by Egysthus?
By posset, or by poiniard? Her, no more,
Dare I confide in: and, if he should turn,
And give me up, to buy his own escape—
SCENE X.
Clytemnestra and Egysthus.CLYTEMNESTRA.
How far is, yet, the army from the town?
EGYSTHUS.
By the last messengers, the van had come
On this side Mycenea.
74
Well, Egysthus;
What think you now?
EGYSTHUS.
I only think of death.
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Whose death?
EGYSTHUS.
Whose death?
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Ay, whose?
EGYSTHUS.
My own and yours.
The witch, Arsinoe, will destroy us all.
Oh! had she died a month ago.
CLYTEMNESTRA.
You think—
EGYSTHUS.
What?
CLYTEMNESTRA.
If she had died a month ago?—
EGYSTHUS.
Well?
CLYTEMNESTRA.
You think then, that to-day is now too late?
75
What do you mean by these mysterious looks?
There's no one near us. Well?
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Alas! Egysthus;
We stand in imminent and deadly hazard.
EGYSTHUS.
I rue that e'er I fell within your sight.
CLYTEMNESTRA.
The past is gone: not Jove himself, can roll
The stream of time again towards the source.
Let us look round; perchance, in this dread whirl,
Some eddy may arise to bear us out.
EGYSTHUS.
Said you not, if Arsinoe were dead?—
CLYTEMNESTRA.
You are well built, and should be bold, Egysthus,
Had you but that courageous enterprize,
So needful to the lover of a queen,
We should not quake in such alarm'd amaze.
SCENE XI.
EGYSTHUS.What would the gagging of the saucy dame
Avail us now? Would not the death of her,
Save Clytemnestra; who, by it, might charge
Me with the murder, and so save herself.
76
Who think, Arsinoe has been my dame.
I know the queen is crafty; though so fond,
That e'en to punishment, she clings upon me.
Yet may her sinister and subtile nature,
Egg her to this.—For me, there's no escape.
None, none! Had the king perish'd in the wars;
Or, by some sudden stroke, were yet arrested.—
The daring notion bursts like flame upon me.
And lights my fancy with magnificence.
But hark! the victor. Let his cymbals clash.
They ring in prelude to my swelling theme.
SCENE XII.
Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, Egysthus, and Arsinoe.AGAMEMNON.
The captives now may, to the inner halls,
Bear their refulgent burdens, and the troops
Have quick dismissal. Let all hearts, to-day,
Exult in Argos; and, to those that mourn
For sons and husbands with the fallen brave,
Th'immortal tenants of the trojan plain,
Give double largess. Clytemnestra, here!
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Hail to my lord! all hail be to my hero.
O happy day; my second wedding day,
That gives, once more, to these long widow'd arms,
My Agamemnon, glorious and renown'd.
77
My Clytemnestra, still in all her charms!
I thought, ten years of anxious care, had blighted
The rosy of thy bloom; but thou art still,
Yea, rather, sweet, in fuller blow of beauty,
Than when we parted.
ARSINOE.
O my royal liege!
AGAMEMNON.
Arsinoe too! How hast thou fared, good nurse?
EGYSTHUS.
(I hang upon the point of agony.)
ARSINOE.
See this, Egysthus.
EGYSTHUS.
Heav'ns!
CLYTEMNESTRA.
Ay, true, my lord.
But sure, Arsinoe, we had time enough.
This gallant youth has claims upon your favour:
We'll take another time to speak of it.
Kneel down, Egysthus, to your royal master.
Now, my dear lord, we'll to the hall together;
Where you shall tell me all the tale of Troy.
Come, come Arsinoe, take Egysthus's arm,
And follow us. I'll serve you all I can.
| Agamemnon | |