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Nurse
Alas! good friends, what a succession of troubles is to-day provided us! My mistress Hermione within the house,
deserted by her father and in remorse for her monstrous deed in plotting the death of Andromache and her child, is bent on dying; for she is afraid her husband will in requital for this expel her with dishonour from his house
805
or put her to death, because she tried to slay the innocent. And the servants that watch her can scarce restrain her efforts to hang herself, scarce catch the sword and wrest it from her hand. So bitter is her anguish,
810
and she hath recognized the villainy of her former deeds. As for me, friends, I am weary of keeping my mistress from the fatal noose; do ye go in and try to save her life; for if strangers come, they prove more persuasive than the friends of every day.
815
Alas! good friends, what a succession of troubles is to-day provided us! My mistress Hermione within the house,
deserted by her father and in remorse for her monstrous deed in plotting the death of Andromache and her child, is bent on dying; for she is afraid her husband will in requital for this expel her with dishonour from his house
805
or put her to death, because she tried to slay the innocent. And the servants that watch her can scarce restrain her efforts to hang herself, scarce catch the sword and wrest it from her hand. So bitter is her anguish,
810
and she hath recognized the villainy of her former deeds. As for me, friends, I am weary of keeping my mistress from the fatal noose; do ye go in and try to save her life; for if strangers come, they prove more persuasive than the friends of every day.
815
Chorus
Ah yes! I hear an outcry in the house amongst the servants, confirming the news thou hast brought. Poor sufferer! she seems about to show a lively grief for her grave crimes; for she has escaped her servants’ hands and is rushing from the house, eager to end her life.
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Ah yes! I hear an outcry in the house amongst the servants, confirming the news thou hast brought. Poor sufferer! she seems about to show a lively grief for her grave crimes; for she has escaped her servants’ hands and is rushing from the house, eager to end her life.
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Hermione
rushing wildly on to the stage. Woe, woe is me! I will tear my hair and scratch cruel furrows in my cheeks.
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rushing wildly on to the stage. Woe, woe is me! I will tear my hair and scratch cruel furrows in my cheeks.
825
Nurse
My child, what wilt thou do? Wilt thou disfigure thyself?
My child, what wilt thou do? Wilt thou disfigure thyself?
Hermione
Ah me! ah me!
Begone, thou fine-spun veil! float from my head away!
830
Ah me! ah me!
Begone, thou fine-spun veil! float from my head away!
830
Nurse
Daughter, cover up thy bosom, fasten thy robe.
Daughter, cover up thy bosom, fasten thy robe.
Hermione
Why should I cover it?
My crimes against my lord are manifest and clear, they cannot be hidden.
835
Why should I cover it?
My crimes against my lord are manifest and clear, they cannot be hidden.
835
Nurse
Art so grieved at having devised thy rival’s death?
Art so grieved at having devised thy rival’s death?
Hermione
Indeed I am; I deeply mourn my fatal deeds of daring; alas! I am now accursed in all men’s eyes!
Indeed I am; I deeply mourn my fatal deeds of daring; alas! I am now accursed in all men’s eyes!
Nurse
Thy husband will pardon thee this error.
840
Thy husband will pardon thee this error.
840
Hermione
Oh! why didst thou hunt me to snatch away my sword? Give, oh! give it back, dear nurse, that I may thrust it through my heart. Why dost thou prevent me hanging myself?
Oh! why didst thou hunt me to snatch away my sword? Give, oh! give it back, dear nurse, that I may thrust it through my heart. Why dost thou prevent me hanging myself?
Nurse
What! was I to let thy madness lead thee on to death?
845
What! was I to let thy madness lead thee on to death?
845
Hermione
Ah me, my destiny! Where can I find some friendly fire? To what rocky height can I climb above the sea or ’mid some wooded mountain glen,
there to die and trouble but the dead?
850
851
Ah me, my destiny! Where can I find some friendly fire? To what rocky height can I climb above the sea or ’mid some wooded mountain glen,
there to die and trouble but the dead?
850
Nurse
Why vex thyself thus? on all of us sooner or later heaven’s visitation comes.
Why vex thyself thus? on all of us sooner or later heaven’s visitation comes.
Hermione
Thou hast left me, O my father,
left me like a stranded bark, all alone, without an oar. My lord will surely slay me; no home is mine henceforth beneath my husband’s roof. What god is there to whose statue I can as a suppliant haste?
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or shall I throw myself in slavish wise at slavish knees? Would I could speed
1
away from Phthia’s land on bird’s dark pinion, or like that pine-built ship,
2
860
the first that ever sailed betwixt the rocks Cyanean!
865
866
Thou hast left me, O my father,
left me like a stranded bark, all alone, without an oar. My lord will surely slay me; no home is mine henceforth beneath my husband’s roof. What god is there to whose statue I can as a suppliant haste?
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or shall I throw myself in slavish wise at slavish knees? Would I could speed
1
away from Phthia’s land on bird’s dark pinion, or like that pine-built ship,
2
860
the first that ever sailed betwixt the rocks Cyanean!
865
Nurse
My child, I can as little praise thy previous sinful excesses, committed against the Trojan captive, as thy present exaggerated terror. Thy husband will never listen to
a barbarian’s weak pleading and reject his marriage with thee for this. For thou wast no captive from Troy whom he wedded, but the daughter of a gallant sire, with a rich dower, from a city too of no mean prosperity. Nor will thy father forsake thee, as thou dreadest,
870
and allow thee to be cast out from this house. Nay, enter now, nor show thyself before the palace, lest the sight
3
of thee there bring reproach upon thee, my daughter.
Exit Nurse.
875
My child, I can as little praise thy previous sinful excesses, committed against the Trojan captive, as thy present exaggerated terror. Thy husband will never listen to
a barbarian’s weak pleading and reject his marriage with thee for this. For thou wast no captive from Troy whom he wedded, but the daughter of a gallant sire, with a rich dower, from a city too of no mean prosperity. Nor will thy father forsake thee, as thou dreadest,
870
and allow thee to be cast out from this house. Nay, enter now, nor show thyself before the palace, lest the sight
3
of thee there bring reproach upon thee, my daughter.
Exit Nurse.
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Chorus
Lo! a stranger of foreign appearance from some other land
comes hurrying towards us.
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Lo! a stranger of foreign appearance from some other land
comes hurrying towards us.
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Orestes
Ladies of this foreign land! is this the home, the palace of Achilles’ son?
Ladies of this foreign land! is this the home, the palace of Achilles’ son?
Chorus
Thou hast it; but who art thou to ask such a question?
Thou hast it; but who art thou to ask such a question?
Orestes
The son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra,
by name Orestes, on my way to the oracle of Zeus at Dodona. But now that I am come to Phthia, I am resolved to inquire about my kinswoman, Hermione of Sparta; is she alive and well? for though
885
she dwells in a land far from my own, I love her none the less.
890
The son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra,
by name Orestes, on my way to the oracle of Zeus at Dodona. But now that I am come to Phthia, I am resolved to inquire about my kinswoman, Hermione of Sparta; is she alive and well? for though
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she dwells in a land far from my own, I love her none the less.
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Hermione
Son of Agamemnon, thy appearing is as a haven from the storm to sailors; by thy knees I pray, have pity on me in my distress, on me of whose fortunes thou art inquiring. About thy knees
I twine my arms with all the force of sacred fillets.
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Son of Agamemnon, thy appearing is as a haven from the storm to sailors; by thy knees I pray, have pity on me in my distress, on me of whose fortunes thou art inquiring. About thy knees
I twine my arms with all the force of sacred fillets.
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Orestes
Ha! what is this? Am I mistaken or do I really see before me the queen of this palace, the daughter of Menelaus?
Ha! what is this? Am I mistaken or do I really see before me the queen of this palace, the daughter of Menelaus?
Hermione
The same, that only child whom Helen, daughter of Tyndareus, bore my father in his halls; never doubt that.
The same, that only child whom Helen, daughter of Tyndareus, bore my father in his halls; never doubt that.
Orestes
O saviour Phoebus, grant us respite from our woe! But what is the matter? art thou afflicted by gods or men?
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O saviour Phoebus, grant us respite from our woe! But what is the matter? art thou afflicted by gods or men?
900
Hermione
Partly by myself, partly by the man who wedded me, and partly by some god. On every side I see ruin.
Partly by myself, partly by the man who wedded me, and partly by some god. On every side I see ruin.
Orestes
Why, what misfortune could happen to a woman as yet childless,
unless her honour is concerned?
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Why, what misfortune could happen to a woman as yet childless,
unless her honour is concerned?
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Hermione
My very complaint! Thou hast hit my case exactly.
907
My very complaint! Thou hast hit my case exactly.
Orestes
On whom has thy husband set his affections in thy stead?
On whom has thy husband set his affections in thy stead?
Hermione
On his captive, Hector’s wife.
On his captive, Hector’s wife.
Orestes
An evil case indeed, for a man to have two wives!
An evil case indeed, for a man to have two wives!
Hermione
’Tis even thus. So I resented it.
910
’Tis even thus. So I resented it.
910
Orestes
Didst thou with woman’s craft devise a plot against thy rival?
Didst thou with woman’s craft devise a plot against thy rival?
Hermione
Yes, to slay her and her bastard child.
Yes, to slay her and her bastard child.
Orestes
And didst thou slay them, or did something happen to rescue them from thee?
And didst thou slay them, or did something happen to rescue them from thee?
Hermione
It was old Peleus, who showed regard to the weaker side.
It was old Peleus, who showed regard to the weaker side.
Orestes
Hadst thou any accomplice in this attempted murder?
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Hadst thou any accomplice in this attempted murder?
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Hermione
My father came from Sparta for this very purpose.
My father came from Sparta for this very purpose.
Orestes
And was he after all defeated by that old man’s prowess ?
And was he after all defeated by that old man’s prowess ?
Hermione
Oh no! but by shame; and he hath gone and left me all alone.
Oh no! but by shame; and he hath gone and left me all alone.
Orestes
I understand; thou art afraid of thy husband for that thou hast done.
I understand; thou art afraid of thy husband for that thou hast done.
Hermione
Thou hast guessed it; for he will have a right to me. What can I say for myself? Yet I beseech thee by Zeus the god of our family, send me to a land as far as possible from this, or to my father’s house; for these very
4
walls seem to cry out
Begone!
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and all the land of Phthia bates me. But if my lord return ere that from the oracle of Phoebus, he will put me to death on a shameful charge, or enslave me to his mistress, whom I ruled before. Maybe
5
some one will say,
How was it thou didst go thus astray?
925
I was ruined by mischievous women who came to me and puffed me up with words like these:
What! wilt thou suffer that vile captive, a mere bondmaid, to dwell within thy house and share thy wedded rights? By Heaven’s queen! if it were my house
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she should not live to reap my marriage-harvest! And I listened to the words of these Sirens, the cunning, knavish, subtle praters, and was filled with silly thoughts. What need had I to care about my lord?
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I had all I wanted, wealth in plenty, a house in which I was mistress, and as for children, mine would be born in wedlock, while hers would be bastards, half-slaves to mine. Oh! never, never,–this truth will I repeat,–should men of sense, who have wives,
940
allow women-folk to visit them in their homes, for they teach them mischief; one, to gain some private end, helps to corrupt their honour; another, having made a slip herself, wants a companion in misfortune, while many are wantons; and hence it is
945
men’s houses are tainted. Wherefore keep strict guard upon the portals of your houses with bolts and bars; for these visits of strange women lead to no good result, but a world of mischief.
6
950
Thou hast guessed it; for he will have a right to me. What can I say for myself? Yet I beseech thee by Zeus the god of our family, send me to a land as far as possible from this, or to my father’s house; for these very
4
walls seem to cry out
Begone!
920
and all the land of Phthia bates me. But if my lord return ere that from the oracle of Phoebus, he will put me to death on a shameful charge, or enslave me to his mistress, whom I ruled before. Maybe
5
some one will say,
How was it thou didst go thus astray?
925
I was ruined by mischievous women who came to me and puffed me up with words like these:
What! wilt thou suffer that vile captive, a mere bondmaid, to dwell within thy house and share thy wedded rights? By Heaven’s queen! if it were my house
930
she should not live to reap my marriage-harvest! And I listened to the words of these Sirens, the cunning, knavish, subtle praters, and was filled with silly thoughts. What need had I to care about my lord?
935
I had all I wanted, wealth in plenty, a house in which I was mistress, and as for children, mine would be born in wedlock, while hers would be bastards, half-slaves to mine. Oh! never, never,–this truth will I repeat,–should men of sense, who have wives,
940
allow women-folk to visit them in their homes, for they teach them mischief; one, to gain some private end, helps to corrupt their honour; another, having made a slip herself, wants a companion in misfortune, while many are wantons; and hence it is
945
men’s houses are tainted. Wherefore keep strict guard upon the portals of your houses with bolts and bars; for these visits of strange women lead to no good result, but a world of mischief.
6
950
Chorus
Thou hast given thy tongue too free a rein regarding thy own sex.
I can pardon thee in this case, but still women ought to smooth over their sisters’ weaknesses.
955
957
Thou hast given thy tongue too free a rein regarding thy own sex.
I can pardon thee in this case, but still women ought to smooth over their sisters’ weaknesses.
955
Orestes
’Twas sage counsel he gave who taught men to hear the arguments on both sides. I, for instance, though aware of the confusion in this house,
the quarrel between thee and Hector’s wife, waited awhile and watched to see whether thou wouldst stay here or from fear of that captive art minded to quit these halls. Now it was not so much regard for thy message that brought me hither,
960
as the intention of carrying thee away from this house, if, as now, thou shouldst grant me a chance of saying so. For thou wert mine formerly, but art now living with thy present husband through thy father’s baseness; since he, before invading Troy’s domains, betrothed thee to me, and then
7
afterwards promised thee
965
to thy present lord, provided he captured the city of Troy.
970
So, as soon as Achilles’ son returned hither, I forgave thy father, but entreated the bridegroom to forego his marriage with thee, telling him all I had gone through and my present misfortune; I might get
a wife, I said, from amongst friends, but outside their circle ’twas no easy task for one exiled like myself from home. Thereat he grew abusive, taunting me with my mother’s murder and those blood-boltered fiends.
8
And I was humbled by the fortunes of my house,
975
and though ’tis true, I grieved, yet did I endure my sorrow, and reluctantly departed, robbed of thy promised hand. Now therefore, since thou findest thy fortune so abruptly changed and art fallen thus on evil days and hast no help, I will take thee hence and place thee in thy father’s hands.
980
For kinship
9
hath strong claims, and in adversity there is naught better than a kinsman’s kindly aid.
985
’Twas sage counsel he gave who taught men to hear the arguments on both sides. I, for instance, though aware of the confusion in this house,
the quarrel between thee and Hector’s wife, waited awhile and watched to see whether thou wouldst stay here or from fear of that captive art minded to quit these halls. Now it was not so much regard for thy message that brought me hither,
960
as the intention of carrying thee away from this house, if, as now, thou shouldst grant me a chance of saying so. For thou wert mine formerly, but art now living with thy present husband through thy father’s baseness; since he, before invading Troy’s domains, betrothed thee to me, and then
7
afterwards promised thee
965
to thy present lord, provided he captured the city of Troy.
970
So, as soon as Achilles’ son returned hither, I forgave thy father, but entreated the bridegroom to forego his marriage with thee, telling him all I had gone through and my present misfortune; I might get
a wife, I said, from amongst friends, but outside their circle ’twas no easy task for one exiled like myself from home. Thereat he grew abusive, taunting me with my mother’s murder and those blood-boltered fiends.
8
And I was humbled by the fortunes of my house,
975
and though ’tis true, I grieved, yet did I endure my sorrow, and reluctantly departed, robbed of thy promised hand. Now therefore, since thou findest thy fortune so abruptly changed and art fallen thus on evil days and hast no help, I will take thee hence and place thee in thy father’s hands.
980
For kinship
9
hath strong claims, and in adversity there is naught better than a kinsman’s kindly aid.
985
Hermione
As for my marriage, my father must look to it; ’tis not for me to decide that. Yes, take me hence as soon as may be,
lest my husband come back to his house before I am gone, or Peleus hear that I am deserting his son’s abode and pursue me on horse-back.
990
As for my marriage, my father must look to it; ’tis not for me to decide that. Yes, take me hence as soon as may be,
lest my husband come back to his house before I am gone, or Peleus hear that I am deserting his son’s abode and pursue me on horse-back.
990
Orestes
Rest easy about the old man’s power; and, as for Achilles’ son with all his insolence to me, never fear him;
such a crafty net this hand hath woven and set for his death with knots that none can loose; whereof I will not speak before the time, but, when my plot begins to work, Delphi’s rock will witness it. If but my allies
995
in the Pythian land abide by their oaths, this same murderer of his mother will show that no one else shall marry thee my rightful bride.
10
To his cost will he demand satisfaction of King Phoebus for his father’s blood; nor shall his repentance avail him, though he is now submitting to the god.
1000
No! he shall perish miserably by Apollo’s hand and my fake accusations; so shall he end out my enmity. For the deity upsets the fortune of them that hate him. and suffers them not to be high-minded.
Exeunt Orestes and Hermione.
1005
Rest easy about the old man’s power; and, as for Achilles’ son with all his insolence to me, never fear him;
such a crafty net this hand hath woven and set for his death with knots that none can loose; whereof I will not speak before the time, but, when my plot begins to work, Delphi’s rock will witness it. If but my allies
995
in the Pythian land abide by their oaths, this same murderer of his mother will show that no one else shall marry thee my rightful bride.
10
To his cost will he demand satisfaction of King Phoebus for his father’s blood; nor shall his repentance avail him, though he is now submitting to the god.
1000
No! he shall perish miserably by Apollo’s hand and my fake accusations; so shall he end out my enmity. For the deity upsets the fortune of them that hate him. and suffers them not to be high-minded.
Exeunt Orestes and Hermione.
1005
Andromache. Euripides. Edward P. Coleridge (Translator). London. 1891.
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