Equal,by Pallas number'd,were the votes And I from doom of blood victorious freed Such of the Furies as there sat,appeased By the just sentence,nigh the court resolved To fix their seat;but others,whom the law Appeased not,with relentless tortures still Pursued me,till I reach'd the hallow'd soil Of Phoebus:stretch'd before his shrine,I swore Foodless to waste my wretched life away,Unless the god,by whom I was undone,Would save me:from the golden tripod burst The voice divine,and sent me to this shore,Commanding me to bear the image hence,Which fell from Jove,and in the Athenian land To fix it.What the oracular voice assign'd My safety,do thou aid:if we obtain The statue of the goddess,I no more With madness shall be tortured,but this arm Shall place thee in my bark,which ploughs the waves With many an oar,and to Mycenae safe Bear thee again.Show then a sister's love,O thou most dear;preserve thy father's house,Preserve me too;for me destruction waits,And all the race of Pelops,if we bear not This heaven-descended image from the shrine.
LEADER
The anger of the gods hath raged severe,And plunged the race of Tantalus in woes.
IPHIGENIA
Ere thy arrival here,a fond desire To be again at Argos,and to see Thee,my loved brother,fill'd my soul.Thy wish Is my warm wish,to free thee from thy toils,And from its ruins raise my father's house;Nor harbour I 'gainst him,that slew me,thought Of harsh resentment:from thy blood my hands Would I keep pure,thy house I would preserve.
But from the goddess how may this be hid?
The tyrant too I fear,when he shall find The statue on its marble base no more.
What then from death will save me?What excuse Shall I devise?Yet by one daring deed Might these things be achieved:couldst thou bear hence The image,me too in thy gallant bark Placing secure,how glorious were the attempt!
Me if thou join not with thee,I am lost Indeed;but thou,with prudent measures form'd,Return.I fly no danger,not ev'n death,Be death required,to save thee:no:the man Dying is mourn'd,as to his house a loss;But woman's weakness is of light esteem.
ORESTES
I would not be the murderer of my mother,And of thee too;sufficient is her blood.
No;I will share thy fortune,live with thee,Or with thee die:to Argos I will lead thee,If here I perish not;or dying,here Remain with thee.But what my mind suggests,Hear:if Diana were averse to this,How could the voice of Phoebus from his shrine Declare that to the state of Pallas hence The statue of the goddess I should bear,And see thy face?All this,together weigh'd,Gives hope of fair success,and our return.
IPHIGENIA
But how effect it,that we neither die,And what we wish achieve?For our return On this depends:this claims deliberate thought.
ORESTES
Have we not means to work the tyrant's death?
IPHIGENIA
For strangers full of peril were the attempt.
ORESTES
Thee would it save and me,it must be dared.
IPHIGENIA
I could not:yet thy promptness I approve.
ORESTES
What if thou lodge me in the shrine conceal'd?
IPHIGENIA
That in the shades of night we may escape?
ORESTES
Night is a friend to frauds,the light to truth.
IPHIGENIA
Within are sacred guards;we 'scape not them.
ORESTES
Ruin then waits us:how can we be saved?
IPHIGENIA
I think I have some new and safe device.
ORESTES
What is it?Let me know:impart thy thought,IPHIGENIAThy sufferings for my purpose I will use,-
ORESTES
To form devices quick is woman's wit.
IPHIGENIA
And say,thy mother slain,thou fledd'st from Argos.
ORESTES
If to aught good,avail thee of my ills.
IPHIGENIA
Unmeet then at this shrine to offer thee.
ORESTES
What cause alleged?I reach not thine intent.
IPHIGENIA
As now impure:when hallow'd,I will slay thee.
ORESTES
How is the image thus more promptly gain'd?
IPHIGENIA
Thee I will hallow in the ocean waves.
ORESTES
The statue we would gain is in the temple.
IPHIGENIA
That,by thy touch polluted,I would cleanse.
ORESTES
Where?On the watery margin of the main?
IPHIGENIA
Where thy tall bark secured with cables rides.
ORESTES
And who shall bear the image in his hands?
IPHIGENIA
Myself;profaned by any touch,but mine.
ORESTES
What of this blood shall on my friend be charged?
IPHIGENIA
His hands,it shall be said,like thine are stain'd.
ORESTES
In secret this,or to the king disclosed?
IPHIGENIA
With his assent;I cannot hide it from him.
ORESTES
My bark with ready oars attends thee near.
IPHIGENIA
That all be well appointed,be thy charge.
ORESTES
One thing alone remains;that these conceal Our purpose:but address them,teach thy tongue Persuasive words:a woman hath the power To melt the heart to pity:thus perchance All things may to our warmest wish succeed.
IPHIGENIA
Ye train of females,to my soul most dear,On you mine eyes are turn'd,on you depends My fate;with prosperous fortune to be bless'd,Or to be nothing,to my country lost,Of a dear kinsman and a much-loved brother Deprived.This plea I first would urge,that we Are women,and have hearts by nature form'd To love each other,of our mutual trusts Most firm preservers.Touching our design,Be silent,and assist our flight:naught claims More honour than the faithful tongue.You see How the same fortune links us three,most dear Each to the other,to revisit safe Our country,or to die.If I am saved,That thou mayst share my fortune,I to Greece Will bring thee safe:but thee by this right hand,Thee I conjure,and thee;by this loved cheek Thee,by thy knees,by all that in your house Is dearest to you,father,mother,child,If you have children.What do you reply?
Which of you speaks assent?Or which dissents?
But be you all assenting:for my plea If you approve not,ruin falls on me,And my unhappy brother too must die.
LEADER
Be confident,loved lady and consult Only thy safety:all thou givest in charge,Be witness,mighty Jove,I will conceal.
IPHIGENIA
O,for this generous promise be you bless'd.
(To ORESTES and PYLADES)
