With falsehoods would these women drive me hence,Without to seek thee:thou wast in the shrine.
THOAS
With what intent?or what advantage sought?
MESSENGER
Of these hereafter;what more urgent now Imports thee,hear:the virgin,in this place Presiding at the altars,from this land Is with the strangers fled,and bears with her The sacred image of the goddess;all Of her ablutions but a false pretence.
THOAS
How say'st thou?What is her accursed design?
MESSENGER
To save Orestes:this too will amaze thee.
THOAS
Whom?What Orestes?Clytemnestra's son?
MESSENGER
Him at the altar hallow'd now to bleed.
THOAS
Portentous!for what less can it be call'd?
MESSENGER
Think not on that,but hear me;with deep thought Reflect:weigh well what thou shalt hear;devise By what pursuit to reach and seize the strangers.
THOAS
Speak:thou advisest well:the sea though nigh,They fly not so as to escape my spear.
MESSENGER
When to the shore we came,where station'd rode The galley of Orestes,by the rocks Conceal'd to us,whom thou hadst sent with her To hold the strangers'chains,the royal maid Made signs that we retire,and stand aloof,As if with secret rites she would perform The purposed expiation:on she went,In her own hands holding the strangers'chains Behind them:not without suspicion-this,Yet by thy servants,king,allow'd.At length,That we might deem her in some purpose high Employ'd,she raised her voice,and chanted loud Barbaric strains,as if with mystic rites She cleansed the stain of blood.When we had sat A tedious while,it came into our thought,That from their chains unloosed,the stranger youths Might kill her,and escape by flight:yet fear Of seeing what we ought not,kept us still In silence;but at length we all resolved To go,though not permitted,where they were.
There we behold the Grecian bark with oars Well furnish'd,wing'd for flight;and at their seats,Grasping their oars,were fifty rowers;free From chains beside the stern the two youths stood Some from the prow relieved the keel with poles;Some weigh'd the anchors up;the climbing ropes Some hasten'd,through their hands the cables drew,Launch'd the light bark,and gave her to the main.
But when we saw their treacherous wiles,we rush'd Heedless of danger,seized the priestess,seized The halsers,hung upon the helm,and strove To rend the rudder-bands away.Debate Now rose:-"What mean you,sailing o'er the seas,The statue and the priestess from the land By stealth conveying?Whence art thou,and who,That bear'st her,like a purchased slave,away?"He said,"I am her brother;be of this Inform'd;Orestes,son of Agamemnon:
My sister,so long lost,I bear away,Recover'd here."But naught the less for that Held we the priestess,and by force would lead Again to thee:hence dreadful on our cheeks The blows;for in their hands no sword they held,Nor we;but many a rattling stroke the youths Dealt witb their fists,against our sides and breasts Their arms fierce darting,till our batter'd limbs Were all disabled:now with dreadful marks Disfigured,up the precipice we fly,Some bearing on their heads,some in their eyes The bloody bruises:standing on the heights,Our fight was safer,and we hurl'd at them Fragments of rocks;but,standing on the stern,The archers with their arrows drove us thence;And now a swelling wave roll'd in,which drove The galley towards the land.The sailors fear'd The sudden swell:on his left arm sustain'd,Orestes bore his sister through the tide,Mounted the bark's tall side,and on the deck Safe placed her,and Diana's holy image,Which fell from heaven;from the midship his voice He sent aloud:-"Ye youths,that in this bark From Argos plough'd the deep,now ply your oars,And dash the billows till they foam:those things Are ours,for which we swept the Euxine sea.
And steer'd our course within its clashing rocks."They gave a cheerful shout,and with their oars Dash'd the salt wave.The galley,while it rode Within the harbour,work'd its easy way;But having pass'd its mouth,the swelling flood Roll'd on it,and with sudden force the wind Impetuous rising drove it back:their oars They slack'd not,stoutly struggling 'gainst the wave;But towards the land the refluent flood impell'd The galley:then the royal virgin stood,And pray'd:-"O daughter of Latona,save me,Thy priestess save;from this barbaric land To Greece restore me,and forgive my thefts:
