Dramatis PersonaeNURSE OF MEDEAATTENDANT ON HER CHILDRENMEDEACHORUS OF CORINTHIAN WOMENCREON, King of CorinthJASONAEGEUS, King of AthensMESSENGER----------------------------------------------------------------------Before MEDEA's house in Corinth, near the palace Of CREON. The NURSEenters from the house.----------------------------------------------------------------------NURSE Ah! Would to Heaven the good ship Argo ne'er had sped itscourse to the Colchian land through the misty blue Symplegades, norever in the glens of Pelion the pine been felled to furnish with oarsthe chieftain's hands, who went to fetch the golden fleece for Pelias;for then would my own mistress Medea never have sailed to the turretsof Iolcos, her soul with love for Jason smitten, nor would she havebeguiled the daughters of Pelias to slay their father and come tolive here in the land of Corinth with her husband and children, whereher exile found favour with the citizens to whose land she had come,and in all things of her own accord was she at one with Jason, thegreatest safeguard this when wife and husband do agree; but now theirlove is all turned to hate, and tenderest ties are weak. For Jasonhath betrayed his own children and my mistress dear for the love ofa royal bride, for he hath wedded the daughter of Creon, lord of thisland. While Medea, his hapless wife, thus scorned, appeals to theoaths he swore, recalls the strong pledge his right hand gave, andbids heaven be witness what requital she is finding from Jason. Andhere she lies fasting, yielding her body to her grief, wasting awayin tears ever since she learnt that she was wronged by her husband,never lifting her eye nor raising her face from off the ground; andshe lends as deaf an ear to her friend's warning as if she were arock or ocean billow, save when she turns her snow-white neck asideand softly to herself bemoans her father dear, her country and herhome, which she gave up to come hither with the man who now holdsher in dishonour. She, poor lady, hath by sad experience learnt howgood a thing it is never to quit one's native land. And she hatesher children now and feels no joy at seeing them; I fear she may contrivesome untoward scheme; for her mood is dangerous nor will she brookher cruel treatment; full well I know her, and I much do dread thatshe will plunge the keen sword through their hearts, stealing withouta word into the chamber where their marriage couch is spread, or elsethat she will slay the prince and bridegroom too, and so find somecalamity still more grievous than the present; for dreadful is herwrath; verily the man that doth incur her hate will have no easy taskto raise o'er her a song of triumph. Lo! where her sons come hitherfrom their childish sports; little they reck of their mother's woes,for the soul of the young is no friend to sorrow.

(The ATTENDANTleads in MEDEA'S children.) ATTENDANT Why dost thou, so long my lady's own handmaid, stand hereat the gate alone, loudly lamenting to thyself the piteous tale? howcomes it that Medea will have thee leave her to herself?

NURSE Old man, attendant on the sons of Jason, our masters' fortuneswhen they go awry make good slaves grieve and touch their hearts.Oh! have come to such a pitch of grief that there stole a yearningwish upon me to come forth hither and proclaim to heaven and earthmy mistress's hard fate.

ATTENDANT What! has not the poor lady ceased yet from her lamentation?

NURSE Would I were as thou art! the mischief is but now beginning;it has not reached its climax yet.

ATTENDANT O foolish one, if I may call my mistress such a name; howlittle she recks of evils yet more recent!

NURSE What mean'st, old man? grudge not to tell me.

ATTENDANT 'Tis naught; I do repent me even of the words I have spoken.

NURSE Nay, by thy beard I conjure thee, hide it not from thy fellow-slave;will be silent, if need be, on that text.

ATTENDANT I heard one say, pretending not to listen as I approachedthe place where our greybeards sit playing draughts near Pirene'ssacred spring, that Creon, the ruler of this land, is bent on drivingthese children and their mother from the boundaries of Corinth; butI know not whether the news is to be relied upon, and would fain itwere not.

NURSE What! will Jason brook such treatment of his sons, even thoughhe be at variance with their mother?

ATTENDANT Old ties give way to new; he bears no longer any love tothis family.

NURSE Undone, it seems, are we, if to old woes fresh ones we add,ere we have drained the former to the dregs.

ATTENDANT Hold thou thy peace, say not a word of this; 'tis no timefor our mistress to learn hereof.

NURSE O children, do ye hear how your father feels towards you? Perditioncatch him, but no he is my master still; yet is he proved a very traitorto his nearest and dearest.

ATTENDANT And who 'mongst men is not? Art learning only now, thatevery single man cares for himself more than for his neighbour, somefrom honest motives, others for mere gain's sake? seeing that to indulgehis passion their father has ceased to love these children.NURSE Go, children, within the house; all will be well. Do thou keepthem as far away as may be, and bring them not near their mother inher evil hour. For ere this have I seen her eyeing them savagely,as though she were minded to do them some hurt, and well I know shewill not cease from her fury till she have pounced on some victim.At least may she turn her hand against her foes, and not against herfriends.


MEDEA (chanting within) Ah, me! a wretched suffering woman I! Owould that I could die!

NURSE (chanting) 'Tis as I said, my dear children; wild fanciesstir your mother's heart, wild fury goads her on. Into the house withoutdelay, come not near her eye, approach her not, beware her savagemood, the fell tempest of her reckless heart. In, in with what speedye may. For 'tis plain she will soon redouble her fury; that cry isbut the herald of the gathering storm-cloud whose lightning soon willflash; what will her proud restless soul, in the anguish of despair,be guilty of?

(The ATTENDANT takes the children into the house.

MEDEA(chanting within) Ah, me! the agony I have suffered, deep enoughto call for these laments! Curse you and your father too, ye childrendamned, sons of a doomed mother! Ruin seize the whole family!

NURSE (chanting) Ah me! ah me! the pity of it! Why, pray, do thychildren share their father's crime? Why hatest thou them? Woe isyou, poor children, how do I grieve for you lest ye suffer some outrage!Strange are the tempers of princes, and maybe because they seldomhave to obey, and mostly lord it over others, change they their moodswith difficulty. 'Tis better then to have been trained to live onequal terms. Be it mine to reach old age, not in proud pomp, but insecurity! Moderation wins the day first as a better word for men touse, and likewise it is far the best course for them to pursue; butgreatness that doth o'erreach itself, brings no blessing to mortalmen; but pays a penalty of greater ruin whenever fortune is wrothwith a family.

(The CHORUS enters. The following lines between theNURSE, CHORUS, and MEDEA are sung.)

CHORUS I heard the voice, uplifted loud, of our poor Colchian lady,nor yet is she quiet; speak, aged dame, for as I stood by the housewith double gates I heard a voice of weeping from within, and I dogrieve, lady, for the sorrows of this house, for it hath won my love.

NURSE 'Tis a house no more; all that is passed away long since; aroyal bride keeps Jason at her side, while our mistress pines awayin her bower, finding no comfort for her soul in aught her friendscan say.

MEDEA (within) Oh, oh! Would that Heaven's levin bolt would cleavethis head in twain! What gain is life to me? Woe, woe is me! O, todie and win release, quitting this loathed existence!

CHORUS Didst hear, O Zeus, thou earth, and thou, O light, the piteousnote of woe the hapless wife is uttering? How shall a yearning forthat insatiate resting-place ever hasten for thee, poor reckless one,the end that death alone can bring? Never pray for that. And if thylord prefers a fresh love, be not angered with him for that; Zeuswill judge 'twixt thee and him herein. Then mourn not for thy husband'sloss too much, nor waste thyself away.

MEDEA (within) Great Themis, and husband of Themis, behold whatI am suffering now, though I did bind that accursed one, my husband,by strong oaths to me! O, to see him and his bride some day broughtto utter destruction, they and their house with them, for that theypresume to wrong me thus unprovoked. O my father, my country, thatI have left to my shame, after slaying my own brother.

NURSE Do ye hear her words, how loudly she adjures Themis, oft invoked,and Zeus, whom men regard as keeper of their oaths? On no mere triflesurely will our mistress spend her rage.

CHORUS Would that she would come forth for us to see, and listento the words of counsel we might give, if haply she might lay asidethe fierce fury of her wrath, and her temper stern. Never be my zealat any rate denied my friends! But go thou and bring her hither outsidethe house, and tell her this our friendly thought; haste thee ereshe do some mischief to those inside the house, for this sorrow ofhers is mounting high.

NURSE This will I do; but I doubt whether I shall persuade my mistress;still willingly will I undertake this trouble for you; albeit, sheglares upon her servants with the look of a lioness with cubs, whensoanyone draws nigh to speak to her. Wert thou to call the men of oldtime rude uncultured boors thou wouldst not err, seeing that theydevised their hymns for festive occasions, for banquets, and to gracethe board, a pleasure to catch the ear, shed o'er our life, but noman hath found a way to allay hated grief by music and the minstrel'svaried strain, whence arise slaughters and fell strokes of fate too'erthrow the homes of men. And yet this were surely a gain, to healmen's wounds by music's spell, but why tune they their idle song whererich banquets are spread? For of itself doth the rich banquet, setbefore them, afford to men delight.

CHORUS I heard a bitter cry of lamentation! loudly, bitterly shecalls on the traitor of her marriage bed, her perfidious spouse; bygrievous wrongs oppressed she invokes Themis, bride of Zeus, witnessof oaths, who brought her unto Hellas, the land that fronts the strandof Asia, o'er the sea by night through ocean's boundless gate.

(Asthe CHORUS finishes its song, MEDEA enters from the house.)

MEDEA From the house I have come forth, Corinthian ladies, for fearlest you be blaming me; for well I know that amongst men many by showingpride have gotten them an ill name and a reputation for indifference,both those who shun men's gaze and those who move amid the strangercrowd, and likewise they who choose a quiet walk in life. For thereis no just discernment in the eyes of men, for they, or ever theyhave surely learnt their neighbour's heart, loathe him at first sight,though never wronged by him; and so a stranger most of all shouldadopt a city's views; nor do I commend that citizen, who, in the stubbornnessof his heart, from churlishness resents the city's will.But on me hath fallen this unforeseen disaster, and sapped my life;ruined I am, and long to resign the boon of existence, kind friends,and die. For he who was all the world to me, as well thou knowest,hath turned out the worst of men, my own husband. Of all things thathave life and sense we women are the most hapless creatures; firstmust we buy a husband at a great price, and o'er ourselves a tyrantset which is an evil worse than the first; and herein lies the mostimportant issue, whether our choice be good or bad. For divorce isnot honourable to women, nor can we disown our lords. Next must thewife, coming as she does to ways and customs new, since she hath notlearnt the lesson in her home, have a diviner's eye to see how bestto treat the partner of her life. If haply we perform these taskswith thoroughness and tact, and the husband live with us, withoutresenting the yoke, our life is a happy one; if not, 'twere best todie. But when a man is vexed with what he finds indoors, he goethforth and rids his soul of its disgust, betaking him to some friendor comrade of like age; whilst we must needs regard his single self.And yet they say we live secure at home, while they are at the wars,with their sorry reasoning, for I would gladly take my stand in battlearray three times o'er, than once give birth. But enough! this languagesuits not thee as it does me; thou hast a city here, a father's house,some joy in life, and friends to share thy thoughts, but I am destitute,without a city, and therefore scorned by my husband, a captive I froma foreign shore, with no mother, brother, or kinsman in whom to finda new haven of refuge from this calamity. Wherefore this one boonand only this I wish to win from thee,-thy silence, if haply I cansome way or means devise to avenge me on my husband for this crueltreatment, and on the man who gave to him his daughter, and on herwho is his wife. For though woman be timorous enough in all else,and as regards courage, a coward at the mere sight of steel, yet inthe moment she finds her honour wronged, no heart is filled with deadlierthoughts than hers.

LEADER OF THE CHORUS This will I do; for thou wilt be taking a justvengeance on thy husband, Medea. That thou shouldst mourn thy lotsurprises me not. But lo! I see Creon, king of this land coming hither,to announce some new resolve.

(CREON enters, with his retinue.)

CREON Hark thee, Medea, I bid thee take those sullen looks and angrythoughts against thy husband forth from this land in exile, and withthee take both thy children and that without delay, for I am judgein this sentence, and I will not return unto my house till I banishthee beyond the borders of the land.

MEDEA Ah, me! now is utter destruction come upon me, unhappy thatI am! For my enemies are bearing down on me full sail, nor have Iany landing-place to come at in my trouble. Yet for all my wretchedplight I will ask thee, Creon, wherefore dost thou drive me from theland?

CREON I fear thee,-no longer need I veil my dread 'neath words,-lestthou devise against my child some cureless ill. Many things contributeto this fear of mine; thou art a witch by nature, expert in countlesssorceries, and thou art chafing for the loss of thy husband's affection.I hear, too, so they tell me, that thou dost threaten the father ofthe bride, her husband, and herself with some mischief; whereforeI will take precautions ere our troubles come. For 'tis better forme to incur thy hatred now, lady, than to soften my heart and bitterlyrepent it hereafter.

MEDEA Alas! this is not now the first time, but oft before, O Creon,hath my reputation injured me and caused sore mischief. Whereforewhoso is wise in his generation ought never to have his children taughtto be too clever; for besides the reputation they get for idleness,they purchase bitter odium from the citizens. For if thou shouldstimport new learning amongst dullards, thou wilt be thought a uselesstrifler, void of knowledge; while if thy fame in the city o'ertopsthat of the pretenders to cunning knowledge, thou wilt win their dislike.I too myself share in this ill-luck. Some think me clever and hateme, others say I am too reserved, and some the very reverse; othersfind me hard to please and not so very clever after all. Be that asit may, thou dost fear me lest I bring on thee something to mar thyharmony. Fear me not, Creon, my position scarce is such that shouldseek to quarrel with princes. Why should I, for how hast thou injuredme? Thou hast betrothed thy daughter where thy fancy prompted thee.No, 'tis my husband I hate, though I doubt not thou hast acted wiselyherein. And now I grudge not thy prosperity; betroth thy child, goodluck to thee, but let me abide in this land, for though I have beenwronged I will be still and yield to my superiors.

CREON Thy words are soft to hear, but much I dread lest thou artdevising some mischief in thy heart, and less than ever do I trustthee now; for cunning woman, and man likewise, is easier to guardagainst when quick-tempered than when taciturn. Nay, begone at once!speak me no speeches, for this is decreed, nor hast thou any art wherebythou shalt abide amongst us, since thou hatest me.

MEDEA O, say not so! by thy knees and by thy daughter newlywed, Ido implore!

CREON Thou wastest words; thou wilt never persuade me.

MEDEA What, wilt thou banish me, and to my prayers no pity yield?

CREON I will, for I love not thee above my own family.

MEDEA O my country! what fond memories I have of thee in this hour!

CREON Yea, for I myself love my city best of all things save my children.

MEDEA Ah me! ah me! to mortal man how dread a scourge is love!

CREON That, I deem, is according to the turn our fortunes take.

MEDEA O Zeus! let not the author of these my troubles escape thee.

CREON Begone, thou silly woman, and free me from my toil.

MEDEA The toil is mine, no lack of it.

CREON Soon wilt thou be thrust out forcibly by the hand of servants.

MEDEA Not that, not that, I do entreat thee, Creon

CREON Thou wilt cause disturbance yet, it seems.

MEDEA I will begone; I ask thee not this boon to grant.

CREON Why then this violence? why dost thou not depart?

MEDEA Suffer me to abide this single day and devise some plan forthe manner of my exile, and means of living for my children, sincetheir father cares not to provide his babes therewith. Then pity them;thou too hast children of thine own; thou needs must have a kindlyheart. For my own lot I care naught, though I an exile am, but forthose babes I weep, that they should learn what sorrow means.

CREON Mine is a nature anything but harsh; full oft by showing pityhave suffered shipwreck; and now albeit I clearly see my error, yetshalt thou gain this request, lady; but I do forewarn thee, if tomorrow'srising sun shall find thee and thy children within the borders ofthis land, thou diest; my word is spoken and it will not lie. So now,if abide thou must, stay this one day only, for in it thou canst notdo any of the fearful deeds I dread. (CREON and his retinue go out.)

CHORUS (chanting) Ah! poor lady, woe is thee! Alas, for thy sorrows!Whither wilt thou turn? What protection, what home or country to savethee from thy troubles wilt thou find? O Medea, in what a hopelesssea of misery heaven hath plunged thee!

MEDEA On all sides sorrow pens me in. Who shall gainsay this? Butall is not yet lost! think not so. Still are there troubles in storefor the new bride, and for her bridegroom no light toil. Dost thinkI would ever have fawned on yonder man, unless to gain some end orform some scheme? Nay, would not so much as have spoken to him ortouched him with my hand. But he has in folly so far stepped in that,though he might have checked my plot by banishing me from the land,he hath allowed me to abide this day, in which I will lay low in deaththree of my enemies-a father and his daughter and my husband too.Now, though I have many ways to compass their death, I am not sure,friends, which I am to try first. Shall I set fire to the bridal mansion,or plunge the whetted sword through their hearts, softly stealinginto the chamber where their couch is spread? One thing stands inmy way. If I am caught making my way into the chamber, intent on mydesign, I shall be put to death and cause my foes to mock, 'Twerebest to take the shortest way-the way we women are most skilled in-bypoison to destroy them. Well, suppose them dead; what city will receiveme? What friendly host will give me a shelter in his land, a homesecure, and save my soul alive? None. So I will wait yet a littlewhile in case some tower of defence rise up for me; then will I proceedto this bloody deed in crafty silence; but if some unexpected mischancedrive me forth, I will with mine own hand seize the sword, e'en thoughI die for it, and slay them, and go forth on my bold path of daring.By that dread queen whom I revere before all others and have chosento share my task, by Hecate who dwells within my inmost chamber, notone of them shall wound my heart and rue it not. Bitter and sad willI make their marriage for them; bitter shall be the wooing of it,bitter my exile from the land. Up, then, Medea, spare not the secretsof thy art in plotting and devising; on to the danger. Now comes astruggle needing courage. Dost see what thou art suffering? 'Tis notfor thee to be a laughing-stock to the race of Sisyphus by reasonof this wedding of Jason, sprung, as thou art, from noble sire, andof the Sun-god's race. Thou hast cunning; and, more than this, wewomen, though by nature little apt for virtuous deeds, are most expertto fashion any mischief.

CHORUS (singing, strophe 1)Back to their source the holy rivers turn their tide. Order and theuniverse are being reversed. 'Tis men whose counsels are treacherous,whose oath by heaven is no longer sure. Rumour shall bring a changeo'er my life, bringing it into good repute. Honour's dawn is breakingfor woman's sex; no more shall the foul tongue of slander fix uponus. (antistrophe 1)The songs of the poets of old shall cease to make our faithlessnesstheir theme. Phoebus, lord of minstrelsy, hath not implanted in ourmind the gift of heavenly song, else had I sung an answering strainto the race of males, for time's long chapter affords many a themeon their sex as well as ours. (strophe 2)With mind distraught didst thou thy father's house desert on thyvoyage betwixt ocean's twin rocks, and on a foreign strand thou dwellestthy bed left husbandless, poor lady, and thou an exile from the land,dishonoured, persecuted. (antistrophe 2)Gone is the grace that oaths once had. Through all the breadth ofHellas honour is found no more; to heaven hath it sped away. For theeno father's house is open, woe is thee! to be a haven from the troublousstorm, while o'er thy home is set another queen, the bride that ispreferred to thee. (As the CHORUS finishes its song,

JASON enters,alone.

MEDEA comes out of the house.)

JASON It is not now I first remark, but oft ere this, how unrulya pest is a harsh temper. For instance, thou, hadst thou but patientlyendured the will of thy superiors, mightest have remained here inthis land and house, but now for thy idle words wilt thou be banished.Thy words are naught to me. Cease not to call Jason basest of men;but for those words thou hast spoken against our rulers, count itall gain that exile is thy only punishment. I ever tried to checkthe outbursts of the angry monarch, and would have had thee stay,but thou wouldst not forego thy silly rage, always reviling our rulers,and so thou wilt be banished. Yet even after all this I weary notof my goodwill, but am come with thus much forethought, lady, thatthou mayst not be destitute nor want for aught, when, with thy sons,thou art cast out. Many an evil doth exile bring in its train withit; for even though thou hatest me, never will I harbour hard thoughtsof thee.

MEDEA Thou craven villain (for that is the only name my tongue canfind for thee, a foul reproach on thy unmanliness), comest thou tome, thou, most hated foe of gods, of me, and of all mankind? 'Tisno proof of courage or hardihood to confront thy friends after injuringthem, but that worst of all human diseases-loss of shame. Yet hastthou done well to come; for I shall ease my soul by reviling thee,and thou wilt be vexed at my recital. I will begin at the very beginning.I saved thy life, as every Hellene knows who sailed with thee aboardthe good ship Argo, when thou wert sent to tame and yoke fire-breathingbulls, and to sow the deadly tilth. Yea, and I slew the dragon whichguarded the golden fleece, keeping sleepless watch o'er it with manya wreathed coil, and I raised for thee a beacon of deliverance. Fatherand home of my free will I left and came with the to Iolcos, 'neathPelion's hills, for my love was stronger than my prudence. Next Icaused the death of Pelias by a doom most grievous, even by his ownchildren's hand, beguiling them of all their fear. All this have Idone for thee, thou traitor! and thou hast cast me over, taking tothyself another wife, though children have been born to us. Hadstthou been childless still, I could have pardoned thy desire for thisnew union. Gone is now the trust I put in oaths. I cannot even understandwhether thou thinkest that the gods of old no longer rule, or thatfresh decrees are now in vogue amongst mankind, for thy consciencemust tell thee thou hast not kept faith with me. Ah! poor right hand,which thou didst often grasp. These knees thou didst embrace! Allin vain, I suffered a traitor to touch me! How short of my hopes Iam fallen! But come, I will deal with the as though thou wert my friend.Yet what kindness can I expect from one so base as thee? But yet Iwill do it, for my questioning will show thee yet more base. Whithercan I turn me now? to my father's house, to my own country, whichI for thee deserted to come hither? to the hapless daughters of Pelias?A glad welcome, I trow, would they give me in their home, whose father'sdeath I compassed! My case stands even thus: I am become the bitterfoe to those of mine own home, and those whom I need ne'er have wrongedI have made mine enemies to pleasure thee. Wherefore to reward mefor this thou hast made me doubly blest in the eyes of many wife inHellas; and in thee I own a peerless, trusty lord. O woe is me, ifindeed I am to be cast forth an exile from the land, without one friend;one lone woman with her babes forlorn! Yea, a fine reproach to theein thy bridal hour, that thy children and the wife who saved thy lifeare beggars and vagabonds! O Zeus! why hast thou granted unto manclear signs to know the sham in gold, while on man's brow no brandis stamped whereby to gauge the villain's heart?

LEADER OF THE CHORUS There is a something terrible and past all cure,when quarrels arise 'twixt those who are near and dear.

JASON Needs must I now, it seems, turn orator, and, like a good helmsmanon a ship with close-reefed sails, weather that wearisome tongue ofthine. Now, I believe, since thou wilt exaggerate thy favours, thatto Cypri, alone of gods or men I owe the safety of my voyage. Thouhast a subtle wit enough; yet were it a hateful thing for me to saythat the Love-god constrained thee by his resistless shaft to savemy life. However, I will not reckon this too nicely; 'twas kindlydone, however thou didst serve me. Yet for my safety hast thou receivedmore than ever thou gavest, as I will show. First, thou dwellest inHellas, instead of thy barbarian land, and hast learnt what justicemeans and how to live by law, not by the dictates of brute force;and all the Hellenes recognize thy cleverness, and thou hast gaineda name; whereas, if thou hadst dwelt upon the confines of the earth,no tongue had mentioned thee. Give me no gold within my halls, norskill to sing a fairer strain than ever Orpheus sang, unless there-withmy fame be spread abroad! So much I say to thee about my own toils,for 'twas thou didst challenge me to this retort. As for the tauntsthou urgest against my marriage with the princess, I will prove tothee, first, that I am prudent herein, next chastened in my love,and last powerful friend to thee and to thy sons; only hold thy peace.Since I have here withdrawn from Iolcos with many a hopeless troubleat my back, what happier device could I, an exile, frame than marriagewith the daughter of the king? 'Tis not because I loathe thee formy wife-the thought that rankles in thy heart; 'tis not because Iam smitten with desire for a new bride, nor yet that I am eager tovie with others in begetting many children, for those we have arequite enough, and I do not complain. Nay, 'tis that we-and this ismost important-may dwell in comfort, instead of suffering want (forwell I know that every whilom friend avoids the poor) , and thatI might rear my sons as doth befit my house; further, that I mightbe the father of brothers for the children thou hast borne, and raisethese to the same high rank, uniting the family in one,-to my lastingbliss. Thou, indeed, hast no need of more children, but me it profitsto help my present family by that which is to be. Have I miscarriedhere? Not even thou wouldest say so unless a rival's charms rankledin thy bosom. No, but you women have such strange ideas, that youthink all is well so long as your married life runs smooth; but ifsome mischance occur to ruffle your love, all that was good and lovelyerst you reckon as your foes. Yea, men should have begotten childrenfrom some other source, no female race existing; thus would no evilever have fallen on mankind.

LEADER This speech, O Jason, hast thou with specious art arranged;but yet I think-albeit in speaking I am indiscreet-that thou hastsinned in thy betrayal of thy wife.

MEDEA No doubt I differ from the mass of men on many points; for,to my mind, whoso hath skill to fence with words in an unjust cause,incurs the heaviest penalty; for such an one, confident that he cancast a decent veil of words o'er his injustice, dares to practiseit; and yet he is not so very clever after all. So do not thou putforth thy specious pleas and clever words to me now, for one wordof mine will lay thee low. Hadst thou not had a villain's heart, thoushouldst have gained my consent, then made this match, instead ofhiding it from those who loved thee.

JASON Thou wouldest have lent me ready aid, no doubt, in this proposal,if had told thee of my marriage, seeing that not even now canst thourestrain thy soul's hot fury.

MEDEA This was not what restrained thee; but thine eye was turnedtowards old age, and a foreign wife began to appear a shame to thee.

JASON Be well assured of this: 'twas not for the woman's sake I weddedthe king's daughter, my present wife; but, as I have already toldthee, I wished to insure thy safety and to be the father of royalsons bound by blood to my own children-a bulwark to our house.

MEDEA May that prosperity, whose end is woe, ne'er be mine, nor suchwealth as would ever sting my heart!

JASON Change that prayer as I will teach thee, and thou wilt showmore wisdom. Never let happiness appear in sorrow's guise, nor, whenthy fortune smiles, pretend she frowns!

MEDEA Mock on; thou hast a place of refuge; I am alone, an exilesoon to be.

JASON Thy own free choice was this; blame no one else.

MEDEA What did I do? Marry, then betray thee?

JASON Against the king thou didst invoke an impious curse.

MEDEA On thy house too maybe I bring the curse.

JASON Know this, I will no further dispute this point with thee.But, if thou wilt of my fortune somewhat take for the children orthyself to help thy exile, say on; for I am ready to grant it withungrudging hand, yea and to bend tokens to my friends elsewhere whoshall treat thee well. If thou refuse this offer, thou wilt do a foolishdeed, but if thou cease from anger the greater will be thy gain.

MEDEA I will have naught to do with friends of thine, naught willI receive of thee, offer it not to me; a villain's gifts can bringno blessing.

JASON At least I call the gods to witness, that I am ready in allthings to serve thee and thy children, but thou dost scorn my favoursand thrustest thy friends stubbornly away; wherefore thy lot willbe more bitter still.

MEDEA Away! By love for thy young bride entrapped, too long thoulingerest outside her chamber; go wed, for, if God will, thou shalthave such a marriage as thou wouldst fain refuse. (

JASON goes out.)
CHORUS (singing, strophe 1)When in excess and past all limits Love doth come, he brings notglory or repute to man; but if the Cyprian queen in moderate mightapproach, no goddess is so full of charm as she. Never, O never, ladymine, discharge at me from thy golden bow a shaft invincible, in passion'svenom dipped. (antistrophe 1)On me may chastity, heaven's fairest gift, look with a favouringeye; never may Cypris, goddess dread, fasten on me a temper to dispute,or restless jealousy, smiting my soul with mad desire for unlawfullove, but may she hallow peaceful married life and shrewdly decidewhom each of us shall wed. (strophe 2)O my country, O my own dear home! God grant I may never be an outcastfrom my city, leading that cruel helpless life, whose every day ismisery. Ere that may I this life complete and yield to death, ay,death; for there is no misery that doth surpass the loss of fatherland.(antistrophe 2)I have seen with mine eyes, nor from the lips of others have I thelesson learnt; no city, not one friend doth pity thee in this thineawful woe. May he perish and find no favour, whoso hath not in himhonour for his friends, freely unlocking his heart to them. Nevershall he be friend of mine.

(MEDEA has been seated in despair onher door-step during the choral song.

AEGEUS and his attendants enter.)

AEGEUS All hail, Medea! no man knoweth fairer prelude to the greetingof friends than this.

MEDEA All hail to thee likewise, Aegeus, son of wise Pandion. Whencecomest thou to this land?

AEGEUS From Phoebus' ancient oracle.

MEDEA What took thee on thy travels to the prophetic centre of theearth?

AEGEUS The wish to ask how I might raise up seed unto myself.

MEDEA Pray tell me, hast thou till now dragged on a childless life?

AEGEUS I have no child owing to the visitation of some god.

MEDEA Hast thou a wife, or hast thou never known the married state?

AEGEUS I have a wife joined to me in wedlock's bond.

MEDEA What said Phoebus to thee as to children?

AEGEUS Words too subtle for man to comprehend.

MEDEA Surely I may learn the god's answer?

AEGEUS Most assuredly, for it is just thy subtle wit it needs.

MEDEA What said the god? speak, if I may hear it.

AEGEUS He bade me "not loose the wineskin's pendent neck."

MEDEA Till when? what must thou do first, what country visit?

AEGEUS Till I to my native home return.

MEDEA What object hast thou in sailing to this land?

AEGEUS O'er Troezen's realm is Pittheus king.

MEDEA Pelops' son, a man devout they say.

AEGEUS To him I fain would impart the oracle of the god.

MEDEA The man is shrewd and versed in such-like lore.

AEGEUS Aye, and to me the dearest of all my warrior friends.

MEDEA Good luck to thee! success to all thy wishes! A

EGEUS But why that downcast eye, that wasted cheek?

MEDEA O Aegeus, my husband has proved most evil.

AEGEUS What meanest thou? explain to me clearly the cause of thydespondency.

MEDEA Jason is wronging me though I have given him no cause.

AEGEUS What hath he done? tell me more clearly.

MEDEA He is taking another wife to succeed me as mistress of hishouse.

AEGEUS Can he have brought himself to such a dastard deed?

MEDEA Be assured thereof; I, whom he loved of yore, am in dishonournow.

AEGEUS Hath he found a new love? or does he loathe thy bed?

MEDEA Much in love is he! A traitor to his friend is he become.

AEGEUS Enough! if he is a villain as thou sayest.

MEDEA The alliance he is so much enamoured of is with a princess.


AEGEUS Who gives his daughter to him? go on, I pray.

MEDEA Creon, who is lord of this land of Corinth.

AEGEUS Lady, I can well pardon thy grief.

MEDEA I am undone, and more than that, am banished from the land.

AEGEUS By whom? fresh woe this word of thine unfolds.

MEDEA Creon drives me forth in exile from Corinth.

AEGEUS Doth Jason allow it? This too I blame him for.

MEDEA Not in words, but he will not stand out against it. O, I implorethee by this beard and by thy knees, in suppliant posture, pity, Opity my sorrows; do not see me cast forth forlorn, but receive mein thy country, to a seat within thy halls. So may thy wish by heaven'sgrace be crowned with a full harvest of offspring, and may thy lifeclose in happiness! Thou knowest not the rare good luck thou findesthere, for I will make thy childlessness to cease and cause thee tobeget fair issue; so potent are the spells I know.

AEGEUS Lady, on many grounds I am most fain to grant thee this thyboon, first for the gods' sake, next for the children whom thou dostpromise I shall beget; for in respect of this I am completely lost.'Tis thus with me; if e'er thou reach my land, I will attempt to championthee as I am bound to do. Only one warning I do give thee first, lady;I will not from this land bear thee away, yet if of thyself thou reachmy halls, there shalt thou bide in safety and I will never yield theeup to any man. But from this land escape without my aid, for I haveno wish to incur the blame of my allies as well.

MEDEA It shall be even so; but wouldst thou pledge thy word to this,I should in all be well content with thee.

AEGEUS Surely thou dost trust me? or is there aught that troublesthee?

MEDEA Thee I trust; but Pelias' house and Creon are my foes. Wherefore,if thou art bound by an oath, thou wilt not give me up to them whenthey come to drag me from the land, but, having entered into a compactand sworn by heaven as well, thou wilt become my friend and disregardtheir overtures. Weak is any aid of mine, whilst they have wealthand a princely house.

AEGEUS Lady, thy words show much foresight, so if this is thy will,I do not, refuse. For I shall feel secure and safe if I have somepretext to offer to thy foes, and thy case too the firmer stands.Now name thy gods.

MEDEA Swear by the plain of Earth, by Helios my father's sire, and,in one comprehensive oath, by all the race of gods.

AEGEUS What shall I swear to do, from what refrain? tell me that.

MEDEA Swear that thou wilt never of thyself expel me from thy land,nor, whilst life is thine, permit any other, one of my foes maybe,to hale me thence if so he will.

AEGEUS By Earth I swear, by the Sun-god's holy beam and by all thehost of heaven that I will stand fast to the terms I hear thee make.

MEDEA 'Tis enough. If thou shouldst break this oath, what curse dostthou invoke upon thyself?

AEGEUS Whate'er betides the impious.

MEDEA Go in peace; all is well, and I with what speed I may, willto thy city come, when I have wrought my purpose and obtained my wish.

(AEGEUS and his retinue depart.) CHORUS (chanting) May Maia's princely son go with thee on thy wayto bring thee to thy home, and mayest thou attain that on which thysoul is set so firmly, for to my mind thou seemest a generous man,O Aegeus.

MEDEA O Zeus, and Justice, child of Zeus, and Sun-god's light, nowwill triumph o'er my foes, kind friends; on victory's road have Iset forth; good hope have I of wreaking vengeance on those I hate.For where we were in most distress this stranger hath appeared, tobe a haven in my counsels; to him will we make fast the cables ofour ship when we come to the town and citadel of Pallas. But now willI explain to thee my plans in full; do not expect to hear a pleasanttale. A servant of mine will I to Jason send and crave an interview;then when he comes I will address him with soft words, say, "thispleases me," and, "that is well," even the marriage with the princess,which my treacherous lord is celebrating, and add "it suits us both,'twas well thought out"; then will I entreat that here my childrenmay abide, not that I mean to leave them in a hostile land for foesto flout, but that I may slay the king's daughter by guile. For Iwill send them with gifts in their hands, carrying them unto the brideto save them from banishment, a robe of finest woof and a chapletof gold. And if these ornaments she take and put them on, miserablyshall she die, and likewise everyone who touches her; with such fellpoisons will I smear my gifts. And here I quit this theme; but I shudderat the deed I must do next; for I will slay the children I have borne;there is none shall take them from my toils; and when I have utterlyconfounded Jason's house I will leave the land, escaping punishmentfor my dear children's murder, after my most unholy deed. For I cannotendure the taunts of enemies, kind friends; enough! what gain is lifeto me? I have no country, home, or refuge left. O, I did wrong, thathour I left my father's home, persuaded by that Hellene's words, whonow shall pay the penalty, so help me God, Never shall he see againalive the children I bore to him, nor from his new bride shall hebeget issue, for she must die a hideous death, slain by my drugs.Let no one deem me a poor weak woman who sits with folded hands, butof another mould, dangerous to foes and well-disposed to friends;for they win the fairest fame who live then, life like me.

LEADER OF THE CHORUS Since thou hast imparted this design to me,I bid thee hold thy hand, both from a wish to serve thee and becauseI would uphold the laws men make.

MEDEA It cannot but be so; thy words I pardon since thou art notin the same sorry plight that I am.

LEADER O lady, wilt thou steel thyself to slay thy children twain?

MEDEA I will, for that will stab my husband to the heart

.LEADER It may, but thou wilt be the saddest wife alive.

MEDEA No matter; wasted is every word that comes 'twixt now and then.Ho!

(The NURSE enters in answer to her call.) Thou, go call me Jasonhither, for thee I do employ on every mission of trust. No word divulgeof all my purpose, as thou art to thy mistress loyal and likewiseof my sex. (The NURSE goes out.)

CHORUS (singing, strophe 1)Sons of Erechtheus, heroes happy from of yore, children of the blessedgods, fed on wisdom's glorious food in a holy land ne'er pillagedby its foes, ye who move with sprightly step through a climate everbright and clear, where, as legend tells, the Muses nine, Pieria'sholy maids, were brought to birth by Harmonia with the golden hair.(antistrophe 1)And poets sing how Cypris drawing water from the streams of fair-flowingCephissus breathes o'er the land a gentle breeze of balmy winds, andever as she crowns her tresses with a garland of sweet rose-buds sendsforth the Loves to sit by wisdom's side, to take part in every excellence.(strophe 2)How then shall the city of sacred streams, the land that welcomesthose it loves, receive thee, the murderess of thy children, theewhose presence with others is a pollution? 'Think on the murder ofthy children, consider the bloody deed thou takest on thee. Nay, bythy knees we, one and all, implore thee, slay not thy babes.(antistrophe 2)Where shall hand or heart find hardihood enough in wreaking sucha fearsome deed upon thy sons? How wilt thou look upon thy babes,and still without a tear retain thy bloody purpose? Thou canst not,when they fall at thy feet for mercy, steel thy heart and dip in theirblood thy hand. (JASON enters.)

JASON I am come at thy bidding, for e'en though thy hate for me isbitter thou shalt not fail in this small boon, but I will hear whatnew request thou hast to make of me, lady.

MEDEA Jason, I crave thy pardon for the words I spoke, and well thoumayest brook my burst of passion, for ere now we twain have sharedmuch love. For I have reasoned with my soul and railed upon me thus,"Ah! poor heart! why am I thus distraught, why so angered 'gainstall good advice, why have I come to hate the rulers of the land, myhusband too, who does the best for me he can, in wedding with a princessand rearing for my children noble brothers? Shall I not cease to fret?What possesses me, when heaven its best doth offer? Have I not mychildren to consider? do I forget that we are fugitives, in need offriends?" When I had thought all this I saw how foolish I had been,how senselessly enraged. So now do commend thee and think thee mostwise in forming this connection for us; but I was mad, I who shouldhave shared in these designs, helped on thy plans, and lent my aidto bring about the match, only too pleased to wait upon thy bride.But what we are, we are, we women, evil I will not say; whereforethou shouldst not sink to our sorry level nor with our weapons meetour childishness. I yield and do confess that I was wrong then, but now have I cometo a better mind. Come hither, my children, come, leave the house,step forth, and with me greet and bid farewell to your father, bereconciled from all past bitterness unto your friends, as now yourmother is; for we have made a truce and anger is no more.

(The ATTENDANTcomes out of the house with the children.) Take his right hand; ahme! my sad fate! when I reflect, as now, upon the hidden future. Omy children, since there awaits you even thus a long, long life, stretchforth the hand to take a fond farewell. Ah me! how new to tears amI, how full of fear! For now that I have at last released me frommy quarrel with your father, I let the tear-drops stream adown mytender cheek.

LEADER OF THE CHORUS From my eyes too bursts forth the copious tear;O, may no greater ill than the present e'er befall!

JASON Lady, I praise this conduct, not that I blame what is past;for it is but natural to the female sex to vent their spleen againsta husband when he trafficks in other marriages besides his own. Butthy heart is changed to wiser schemes and thou art determined on thebetter course, late though it be; this is acting like a woman of sobersense. And for you, my sons, hath your father provided with all goodheed a sure refuge, by God's grace; for ye, I trow, shall with yourbrothers share hereafter the foremost rank in this Corinthian realm.Only grow up, for all the rest your sire and whoso of the gods iskind to us is bringing to pass. May I see you reach man's full estate,high o'er the heads of those I hate! But thou, lady, why with freshtears dost thou thine eyelids wet, turning away thy wan cheek, withno welcome for these my happy tidings?

MEDEA 'Tis naught; upon these children my thoughts were turned.

JASON Then take heart; for I will see that it is well with them.

MEDEA I will do so; nor will I doubt thy word; woman is a weak creature,ever given to tears.

JASON Why prithee, unhappy one, dost moan o'er these children?

MEDEA I gave them birth; and when thou didst pray long life for them,pity entered into my soul to think that these things must be. Butthe reason of thy coming hither to speak with me is partly told, therest will I now mention. Since it is the pleasure of the rulers ofthe land to banish me, and well I know 'twere best for me to standnot in the way of thee or of the rulers by dwelling here, enemy asI am thought unto their house, forth from this land in exile am Igoing, but these children,-that they may know thy fostering hand,beg Creon to remit their banishment.

JASON I doubt whether I can persuade him, yet must I attempt it.

MEDEA At least do thou bid thy wife ask her sire this boon, to remitthe exile of the children from this land.

JASON Yea, that will I; and her methinks I shall persuade, sinceshe is woman like the rest.

MEDEA I too will aid thee in this task, for by the children's handI will send to her gifts that far surpass in beauty, I well know,aught that now is seen 'mongst men, a robe of finest tissue and achaplet of chased gold. But one of my attendants must haste and bringthe ornaments hither. (A servant goes into the house.) Happy shallshe be not once alone but ten thousand-fold, for in thee she winsthe noblest soul to share her love, and gets these gifts as well whichon a day my father's sire, the Sun-god, bestowed on his descendants.(The servant returns and hands the gifts to the children.) My children,take in your hands these wedding gifts, and bear them as an offeringto the royal maid, the happy bride; for verily the gifts she shallreceive are not to be scorned.

JASON But why so rashly rob thyself of these gifts? Dost think aroyal palace wants for robes or gold? Keep them, nor give them toanother. For well I know that if my lady hold me in esteem, she willset my price above all wealth.

MEDEA Say not so; 'tis said that gifts tempt even gods; and o'ermen's minds gold holds more potent sway than countless words. Fortunesmiles upon thy bride, and heaven now doth swell her triumph; youthis hers and princely power; yet to save my children from exile I wouldbarter life, not dross alone. Children, when we are come to the richpalace, pray your father's new bride, my mistress, with suppliantvoice to save you from exile, offering her these ornaments the while;for it is most needful that she receive the gifts in her own hand.Now go and linger not; may ye succeed and to your mother bring backthe glad tidings she fain would hear

(JASON, the ATTENDANT, and thechildren go out together.) CHORUS (singing, strophe 1)Gone, gone is every hope I had that the children yet might live;forth to their doom they now proceed. The hapless bride will take,ay, take the golden crown that is to be her ruin; with her own handwill she lift and place upon her golden locks the garniture of death.(antistrophe 1)Its grace and sheen divine will tempt her to put on the robe andcrown of gold, and in that act will she deck herself to be a brideamid the dead. Such is the snare whereinto she will fall, such isthe deadly doom that waits the hapless maid, nor shall she from thecurse escape. (strophe 2)And thou, poor wretch, who to thy sorrow art wedding a king's daughter,little thinkest of the doom thou art bringing on thy children's life,or of the cruel death that waits thy bride. Woe is thee! how art thoufallen from thy high estate! (antistrophe 2)Next do I bewail thy sorrows, O mother hapless in thy children, thouwho wilt slay thy babes because thou hast a rival, the babes thy husbandhath deserted impiously to join him to another bride. (The ATTENDANTenters with the children.)

ATTENDANT Thy children, lady, are from exile freed, and gladly didthe royal bride accept thy gifts in her own hands, and so thy childrenmade their peace with her.

MEDEA Ah!

ATTENDANT Why art so disquieted in thy prosperous hour? Why turnestthou thy cheek away, and hast no welcome for my glad news?

MEDEA Ah me!

ATTENDANT These groans but ill accord with the news I bring.MEDEA Ah me! once more I say.

ATTENDANT Have I unwittingly announced some evil tidings? Have Ierred in thinking my news was good?

MEDEA Thy news is as it is; I blame thee not. A

TTENDANT Then why this downcast eye, these floods of tears?

MEDEA Old friend, needs must I weep; for the gods and I with fellintent devised these schemes.

ATTENDANT Be of good cheer; thou too of a surety shalt by thy sonsyet be brought home again.

MEDEA Ere that shall I bring others to their home, ah! woe is me

ATTENDANT Thou art not the only mother from thy children reft. Bearpatiently thy troubles as a mortal must.

MEDEA I will obey; go thou within the house and make the day's provisionfor the children.

(The ATTENDANT enters the house. MEDEA turns tothe children.) O my babes, my babes, ye have still a city and a home,where far from me and my sad lot you will live your lives, reft ofyour mother for ever; while I must to another land in banishment,or ever I have had my joy of you, or lived to see you happy, or everI have graced your marriage couch, your bride, your bridal bower,or lifted high the wedding torch. Ah me! a victim of my own self-will.So it was all in vain I reared you, O my sons; in vain did suffer,racked with anguish, enduring the cruel pangs of childbirth. 'ForeHeaven I once had hope, poor me! high hope of ye that you would nurseme in my age and deck my corpse with loving hands, a boon we mortalscovet; but now is my sweet fancy dead and gone; for I must lose youboth and in bitterness and sorrow drag through life. And ye shallnever with fond eyes see your mother more for o'er your life therecomes a change. Ah me! ah me! why do ye look at me so, my children?why smile that last sweet smile? Ah me! what am I to do? My heartgives way when I behold my children's laughing eyes. O, I cannot;farewell to all my former schemes; I will take the children from theland, the babes I bore. Why should I wound their sire by woundingthem, and get me a twofold measure of sorrow? No, no, I will not doit. Farewell my scheming! And yet what possesses me? Can I consentto let those foes of mine escape from punishment, and incur theirmockery? I must face this deed. Out upon my craven heart! to thinkthat I should even have let the soft words escape my soul. Into thehouse, children! (The children go into the house.) And whoso feelshe must not be present at my sacrifice, must see to it himself; Iwill not spoil my handiwork. Ah! ah! do not, my heart, O do not dothis deed! Let the children go, unhappy one, spare the babes! Forif they live, they will cheer thee in our exile there. Nay, by thefiends of hell's abyss, never, never will I hand my children overto their foes to mock and flout. Die they must in any case, and since'tis so, why I, the mother who bore them, will give the fatal blow.In any case their doom is fixed and there is no escape. Already thecrown is on her head, the robe is round her, and she is dying, theroyal bride; that do I know full well. But now since I have a piteouspath to tread, and yet more piteous still the path I send my childrenon, fain would I say farewell to them. (The children come out ather call. She takes them in her arms.) O my babes, my babes, letyour mother kiss your hands. Ah! hands I love so well, O lips mostdear to me! O noble form and features of my children, I wish ye joy,but in that other land, for here your father robs you of your home.O the sweet embrace, the soft young cheek, the fragrant breath! mychildren! Go, leave me; I cannot bear to longer look upon ye; my sorrowwins the day. At last I understand the awful deed I am to do; butpassion, that cause of direst woes to mortal man, hath triumphed o'ermy sober thoughts. (She goes into the house with the children.)

CHORUS (chanting) Oft ere now have I pursued subtler themes andhave faced graver issues than woman's sex should seek to probe; butthen e'en we aspire to culture, which dwells with us to teach us wisdom;I say not all; for small is the class amongst women-(one maybe shaltthou find 'mid many)-that is not incapable of wisdom. And amongstmortals I do assert that they who are wholly without experience andhave never had children far surpass in happiness those who are parents.The childless, because they have never proved whether children growup to be a blessing or curse to men are removed from all share inmany troubles; whilst those who have a sweet race of children growingup in their houses do wear away, as I perceive, their whole life through;first with the thought how they may train them up in virtue, nexthow they shall leave their sons the means to live; and after all this'tis far from clear whether on good or bad children they bestow theirtoil. But one last crowning woe for every mortal man now will name;suppose that they have found sufficient means to live, and seen theirchildren grow to man's estate and walk in virtue's path, still iffortune so befall, comes Death and bears the children's bodies offto Hades. Can it be any profit to the gods to heap upon us mortalmen beside our other woes this further grief for children lost, agrief surpassing all? (MEDEA comes out of the house.)

MEDEA Kind friends, long have I waited expectantly to know how thingswould at the palace chance. And lo! I see one of Jason's servantscoming hither, whose hurried gasps for breath proclaim him the bearerof some fresh tidings. (A MESSENGER rushes in.)

MESSENGER Fly, fly, Medea! who hast wrought an awful deed, transgressingevery law: nor leave behind or sea-borne bark or car that scours theplain.

MEDEA Why, what hath chanced that calls for such a flight of mine?

MESSENGER The princess is dead, a moment gone, and Creon too, hersire, slain by those drugs of thine.

MEDEA Tidings most fair are thine! Henceforth shalt thou be rankedamongst my friends and benefactors.

MESSENGER Ha! What? Art sane? Art not distraught, lady, who hearestwith joy the outrage to our royal house done, and art not at the horridtale afraid?

MEDEA Somewhat have I, too, to say in answer to thy words. Be notso hasty, friend, but tell the manner of their death, for thou wouldstgive me double joy, if so they perished miserably.

MESSENGER When the children twain whom thou didst bear came withtheir father and entered the palace of the bride, right glad werewe thralls who had shared thy griefs, for instantly from ear to eara rumour spread that thou and thy lord had made up your former quarrel.One kissed thy children's hands, another their golden hair, whileI for very joy went with them in person to the women's chambers. Ourmistress, whom now we do revere in thy room, cast a longing glanceat Jason, ere she saw thy children twain; but then she veiled hereyes and turned her blanching cheek away, disgusted at their coming;but thy husband tried to check his young bride's angry humour withthese words: "O, be not angered 'gainst thy friends; cease from wrathand turn once more thy face this way, counting as friends whomso thyhusband counts, and accept these gifts, and for my sake crave thysire to remit these children's exile." Soon as she saw the ornaments,no longer she held out, but yielded to her lord in all; and ere thefather and his sons were far from the palace gone, she took the broideredrobe and put it on, and set the golden crown about her tresses, arrangingher hair at her bright mirror, with many a happy smile at her breathlesscounterfeit. Then rising from her seat she passed across the chamber,tripping lightly on her fair white foot, exulting in the gift, withmany a glance at her uplifted ankle. When lo! a scene of awful horrordid ensue. In a moment she turned pale, reeled backwards, tremblingin every limb, and sinks upon a seat scarce soon enough to save herselffrom falling to the ground. An aged dame, one of her company, thinkingbelike it was a fit from Pan or some god sent, raised a cry of prayer,till from her mouth she saw the foam-flakes issue, her eyeballs rollingin their sockets, and all the blood her face desert; then did sheraise a loud scream far different from her former cry. Forthwith onehandmaid rushed to her father's house, another to her new bridegroomto tell his bride's sad fate, and the whole house echoed with theirrunning to and fro. By this time would a quick walker have made theturn in a course of six plethra and reached the goal, when she withone awful shriek awoke, poor sufferer, from her speechless tranceand oped her closed eyes, for against her a twofold anguish was warring.The chaplet of gold about her head was sending forth a wondrous streamof ravening flame, while the fine raiment, thy children's gift, waspreying on the hapless maiden's fair white flesh; and she starts fromher seat in a blaze and seeks to fly, shaking her hair and head thisway and that, to cast the crown therefrom; but the gold held firmto its fastenings, and the flame, as she shook her locks, blazed forththe more with double fury. Then to the earth she sinks, by the cruelblow o'ercome; past all recognition now save to a father's eye; forher eyes had lost their tranquil gaze, her face no more its naturallook preserved, and from the crown of her head blood and fire in mingledstream ran down; and from her bones the flesh kept peeling off beneaththe gnawing of those secret drugs, e'en as when the pine-tree weepsits tears of pitch, a fearsome sight to see. And all were afraid totouch the corpse, for we were warned by what had chanced. Anon cameher haples father unto the house, all unwitting of her doom, and stumbleso'er the dead, and loud he cried, and folding his arms about her kissedher, with words like these the while, "O my poor, poor child, whichof the gods hath destroyed thee thus foully? Who is robbing me ofthee, old as I am and ripe for death? O my child, alas! would I coulddie with thee!" He ceased his sad lament, and would have raised hisaged frame, but found himself held fast by the fine-spun robe as ivythat clings to the branches of the bay, and then ensued a fearfulstruggle. He strove to rise, but she still held him back; and if everhe pulled with all his might, from off his bones his aged flesh hetore. At last he gave it up, and breathed forth his soul in awfulsuffering; for he could no longer master the pain. So there they lie,daughter and aged sire, dead side by side, a grievous sight that callsfor tears. And as for thee, I leave thee out of my consideration,for thyself must discover a means to escape punishment. Not now forthe first time I think this human life a shadow; yea, and withoutshrinking I will say that they amongst men who pretend to wisdom andexpend deep thought on words do incur a serious charge of folly; foramongst mortals no man is happy; wealth may pour in and make one luckierthan another, but none can happy be. (The MESSENGER departs.)

LEADER OF THE CHORUS This day the deity, it seems, will mass on Jason,as he well deserves, heavy load of evils. Woe is thee, daughter ofCreon We pity thy sad fate, gone as thou art to Hades' halls as theprice of thy marriage with Jason.

MEDEA My friends, I am resolved upon the deed; at once will I slaymy children and then leave this land, without delaying long enoughto hand them over to some more savage hand to butcher. Needs mustthey die in any case; and since they must, I will slay them-I, themother that bare them. O heart of mine, steel thyself! Why do I hesitateto do the awful deed that must be done? Come, take the sword, thouwretched hand of mine! Take it, and advance to the post whence startsthy life of sorrow! Away with cowardice! Give not one thought to thybabes, how dear they are or how thou art their mother. This one briefday forget thy children dear, and after that lament; for though thouwilt slay them yet they were thy darlings still, and I am a lady ofsorrows.

(MEDEA enters the house.) CHORUS (chanting) O earth, O sun whose beam illumines all, look,look upon this lost woman, ere she stretch forth her murderous handupon her sons for blood; for lo! these are scions of thy own goldenseed, and the blood of gods is in danger of being shed by man. O light,from Zeus proceeding, stay her, hold her hand, forth from the housechase this fell bloody fiend by demons led. Vainly wasted were thethroes thy children cost thee; vainly hast thou borne, it seems, sweetbabes, O thou who hast left behind thee that passage through the blueSymplegades, that strangers justly hate. Ah! hapless one, why dothfierce anger thy soul assail? Why in its place is fell murder growingup? For grievous unto mortal men are pollutions that come of kindredblood poured on the earth, woes to suit each crime hurled from heavenon the murderer's house.

FIRST SON (within) Ah, me; what can I do? Whither fly to escapemy mother's blows?

SECOND SON (within) I know not, sweet brother mine; we are lost.

CHORUS (chanting) Didst hear, didst hear the children's cry? O lady,born to sorrow, victim of an evil fate! Shall I enter the house? Forthe children's sake I am resolved to ward off the murder.

FIRST SON (within) Yea, by heaven I adjure you; help, your aid isneeded.

SECOND SON (within) Even now the toils of the sword are closinground us.

CHORUS (chanting) O hapless mother, surely thou hast a heart ofstone or steel to slay the offspring of thy womb by such a murderousdoom. Of all the wives of yore I know but one who laid her hand uponher children dear, even Ino, whom the gods did madden in the day thatthe wife of Zeus drove her wandering from her home. But she, poorsufferer, flung herself into the sea because of the foul murder ofher children, leaping o'er the wave-beat cliff, and in her death wasshe united to her children twain. Can there be any deed of horrorleft to follow this? Woe for the wooing of women fraught with disaster!What sorrows hast thou caused for men ere now!

(JASON and his attendantsenter.) JASON Ladies, stationed near this house, pray tell me is the authorof these hideous deeds, Medea, still within, or hath she fled fromhence? For she must hide beneath the earth or soar on wings towardsheaven's vault, if she would avoid the vengeance of the royal house.Is she so sure she will escape herself unpunished from this house,when she hath slain the rulers of the land? But enough of this! Iam forgetting her children. As for her, those whom she hath wrongedwill do the like by her; but I am come to save the children's life,lest the victim's kin visit their wrath on me, in vengeance for themurder foul, wrought by my children's mother.

LEADER OF THE CHORUS Unhappy man, thou knowest not the full extentof thy misery, else had thou never said those words.

JASON How now? Can she want to kill me too? LEADER Thy sons are dead; slain by their own mother's hand.JASON O God! what sayest thou? Woman, thou hast sealed my doom.

LEADER Thy children are no more; be sure of this. JASON Where slew she them; within the palace or outside?LEADER Throw wide the doors and see thy children's murdered corpses.

JASON Haste, ye slaves, loose the bolts, undo the fastenings, thatI may see the sight of twofold woe, my murdered sons and her, whoseblood in vengeance I will shed. (MEDEA appears above the house, ona chariot drawn by dragons; the children's corpses are beside her.)

MEDEA Why shake those doors and attempt to loose their bolts, inquest of the dead and me their murderess? From such toil desist. Ifthou wouldst aught with me, say on, if so thou wilt; but never shaltthou lay hand on me, so swift the steeds the sun, my father's sire,to me doth give to save me from the hand of my foes.

JASON Accursed woman! by gods, by me and all mankind abhorred asnever woman was, who hadst the heart to stab thy babes, thou theirmother, leaving me undone and childless; this hast thou done and stilldost gaze upon the sun and earth after this deed most impious. Curseson thee! now perceive what then I missed in the day I brought thee,fraught with doom, from thy home in a barbarian land to dwell in Hellas,traitress to thy sire and to the land that nurtured thee. On me thegods have hurled the curse that dogged thy steps, for thou didst slaythy brother at his hearth ere thou cam'st aboard our fair ship, Argo.Such was the outset of thy life of crime; then didst thou wed withme, and having borne me sons to glut thy passion's lust, thou nowhast slain them. Not one amongst the wives of Hellas e'er had daredthis deed; yet before them all I chose thee for my wife, wedding afoe to be my doom, no woman, but a lioness fiercer than Tyrrhene Scyllain nature. But with reproaches heaped thousandfold I cannot woundthee, so brazen is thy nature. Perish, vile sorceress, murderess ofthy babes! Whilst I must mourn my luckless fate, for I shall ne'erenjoy my new-found bride, nor shall I have the children, whom I bredand reared, alive to say the last farewell to me; nay, I have lostthem.

MEDEA To this thy speech I could have made a long reply, but FatherZeus knows well all I have done for thee, and the treatment thou hastgiven me. Yet thou wert not ordained to scorn my love and lead a lifeof joy in mockery of me, nor was thy royal bride nor Creon, who gavethee a second wife, to thrust me from this land and rue it not. Wherefore,if thou wilt, call me e'en a lioness, and Scylla, whose home is inthe Tyrrhene land; for I in turn have wrung thy heart, as well I might.

JASON Thou, too, art grieved thyself, and sharest in my sorrow.

MEDEA Be well assured I am; but it relieves my pain to know thoucanst not mock at me.

JASON O my children, how vile a mother ye have found!

MEDEA My sons, your father's feeble lust has been your ruin!

JASON 'Twas not my hand, at any rate, that slew them.

MEDEA No, but thy foul treatment of me, and thy new marriage.

JASON Didst think that marriage cause enough to murder them?

MEDEA Dost think a woman counts this a trifling injury?

JASON So she be self-restrained; but in thy eyes all is evil.

MEDEA Thy sons are dead and gone. That will stab thy heart.

JASON They live, methinks, to bring a curse upon thy head.

MEDEA The gods know, whoso of them began this troublous coil.

JASON Indeed, they know that hateful heart of thine.

MEDEA Thou art as hateful. I am aweary of thy bitter tongue.

JASON And I likewise of thine. But parting is easy. MEDEA Say how; what am I to do? for I am fain as thou to go.JASON Give up to me those dead, to bury and lament.

MEDEA No, never! I will bury them myself, bearing them to Hera'ssacred field, who watches o'er the Cape, that none of their foes mayinsult them by pulling down their tombs; and in this land of SisyphusI will ordain hereafter a solemn feast and mystic rites to atone forthis impious murder. Myself will now to the land of Erechtheus, todwell with Aegeus, Pandion's son. But thou, as well thou mayst, shaltdie a caitiff's death, thy head crushed 'neath a shattered relic ofArgo, when thou hast seen the bitter ending of my marriage.

JASON The curse of our sons' avenging spirit and of justice, thatcalls for blood, be on thee! MEDEA What god or power divine hears thee, breaker of oaths and everylaw of hospitality?

JASON Fie upon thee! cursed witch! child-murderess!

MEDEA To thy house! go, bury thy wife. JASON I go, bereft of both my sons.

MEDEA Thy grief is yet to come; wait till old age is with thee too.

JASON O my dear, dear children!

MEDEA Dear to their mother, not to thee.

JASON And yet thou didst slay them?

MEDEA Yea, to vex thy heart.

JASON One last fond kiss, ah me! I fain would on their lips imprint.

MEDEA Embraces now, and fond farewells for them; but then a coldrepulse!

JASON By heaven I do adjure thee, let me touch their tender skin.

MEDEA No, no! in vain this word has sped its flight.

JASON O Zeus, dost hear how I am driven hence; dost mark the treatmentI receive from this she-lion, fell murderess of her young? Yet sofar as I may and can, I raise for them a dirge, and do adjure thegods to witness how thou hast slain my sons, and wilt not suffer meto embrace or bury their dead bodies. Would I had never begotten themto see thee slay them after all! (The chariot carries MEDEA away.)

CHORUS (chanting) Many a fate doth Zeus dispense, high on his Olympianthrone; oft do the gods bring things to pass beyond man's expectation;that, which we thought would be, is not fulfilled, while for the unlooked-forgod finds out a way; and such hath been the issue of this matter.THE END