Hippolytus/The Bacchae | Page 8

ear to seek, what word to say!
[The NURSE, having spoken these last words in prayer apart to the
Statue of CYPRIS, turns back and goes into the house. PHAEDRA
_sits pensive again on her couch till towards the end of the following
Song, when she rises and bends close to the door_.]
CHORUS
Erôs, Erôs, who blindest, tear by tear, Men's eyes with hunger; thou
swift Foe that pliest Deep in our hearts joy like an edgèd spear; Come
not to me with Evil haunting near, Wrath on the wind, nor jarring of the
clear Wing's music as thou fliest! There is no shaft that burneth, not in
fire, Not in wild stars, far off and flinging fear, As in thine hands the
shaft of All Desire, Erôs, Child of the Highest!
In vain, in vain, by old Alpheüs' shore The blood of many bulls doth
stain the river And all Greece bows on Phoebus' Pythian floor; Yet
bring we to the Master of Man no store The Keybearer, who standeth at
the door Close-barred, where hideth ever The heart of the shrine. Yea,
though he sack man's life Like a sacked city, and moveth evermore Girt
with calamity and strange ways of strife, Him have we worshipped
never!
* * * * *
There roamed a Steed in Oechalia's wild, A Maid without yoke,
without Master, And Love she knew not, that far King's child; But he
came, he came, with a song in the night. With fire, with blood; and she
strove in flight, A Torrent Spirit, a Maenad white, Faster and vainly
faster, Sealed unto Heracles by the Cyprian's Might. Alas, thou Bride of
Disaster!

O Mouth of Dirce, O god-built wall, That Dirce's wells run under, Ye
know the Cyprian's fleet footfall! Ye saw the heavens around her flare,
When she lulled to her sleep that Mother fair Of twy-born Bacchus, and
decked her there The Bride of the bladed Thunder. For her breath is on
all that hath life, and she floats in the air, Bee-like, death-like, a wonder.
[During the last lines PHAEDRA has approached the door and is
listening.]
PHAEDRA Silence ye Women! Something is amiss.
LEADER How? In the house?--Phaedra, what fear is this?
PHAEDRA Let me but listen! There are voices. Hark!
LEADER I hold my peace: yet is thy presage dark.
PHAEDRA Oh, misery! O God, that such a thing should fall on me!
LEADER What sound, what word, O Women, Friend, makes that sharp
terror start Out at thy lips? What ominous cry half-heard Hath leapt
upon thine heart?
PHAEDRA I am undone!--Bend to the door and hark, Hark what a tone
sounds there, and sinks away!
LEADER Thou art beside the bars. 'Tis thine to mark The castle's
floating message. Say, Oh, say What thing hath come to thee?
PHAEDRA (_calmly_) Why, what thing should it be? The son of that
proud Amazon speaks again In bitter wrath: speaks to my handmaiden!
LEADER I hear a noise of voices, nothing clear. For thee the din hath
words, as through barred locks Floating, at thy heart it knocks.
PHAEDRA "Pander of Sin" it says.--Now canst thou hear?-- And there:
"Betrayer of a master's bed."
LEADER Ah me, betrayed! Betrayed! Sweet Princess, thou art ill
bested, Thy secret brought to light, and ruin near, By her thou heldest

dear, By her that should have loved thee and obeyed!
PHAEDRA Aye, I am slain. She thought to help my fall With love
instead of honour, and wrecked all.
LEADER Where wilt thou turn thee, where? And what help seek, O
wounded to despair?
PHAEDRA I know not, save one thing to die right soon. For such as
me God keeps no other boon.
[_The door in the centre bursts open, and_ HIPPOLYTUS _comes
forth, closely followed by the_ NURSE. PHAEDRA cowers aside.]
HIPPOLYTUS O Mother Earth, O Sun that makest clean, What poison
have I heard, what speechless sin!
NURSE Hush O my Prince, lest others mark, and guess ...
HIPPOLYTUS I have heard horrors! Shall I hold my peace?
NURSE Yea by this fair right arm, Son, by thy pledge ...
HIPPOLYTUS Down with that hand! Touch not my garment's edge!
NURSE Oh, by thy knees, be silent or I die!
HIPPOLYTUS Why, when thy speech was all so guiltless? Why?
NURSE It is not meet, fair Son, for every ear!
HIPPOLYTUS Good words can bravely forth, and have no fear.
NURSE Thine oath, thine oath! I took thine oath before!
HIPPOLYTUS 'Twas but my tongue, 'twas not my soul that swore.
NURSE O Son, what wilt thou? Wilt thou slay thy kin?

HIPPOLYTUS I own no kindred with the spawn of sin! [He flings her
from him.]
NURSE Nay, spare me! Man was born to err; oh, spare!
HIPPOLYTUS O God,