Phaedra Part 6

PHAEDRA And I see Hippolytus, my ruin plainly written In his stern eyes. Do what you will; I trust My fate to you. I cannot help myself.

SCENE IV THESEUS, HIPPOLYTUS, PHAEDRA, OENONE, THERAMENES

THESEUS Fortune no longer fights against my wishes, Madam, and to your arms restores--

PHAEDRA Stay, Theseus!

Do not profane endearments that were once So sweet, but which I am unworthy now To taste. You have been wrong'd. Fortune has proved Spiteful, nor in your absence spared your wife.

I am unfit to meet your fond caress, How I may bear my shame my only care Henceforth.

Scene V THESEUS, HIPPOLYTUS, THERAMENES

THESEUS Strange welcome for your father, this!

What does it mean, my son?

HIPPOLYTUS Phaedra alone Can solve this mystery. But if my wish Can move you, let me never see her more; Suffer Hippolytus to disappear For ever from the home that holds your wife.

THESEUS You, my son! Leave me?

HIPPOLYTUS 'Twas not I who sought her: 'Twas you who led her footsteps to these sh.o.r.es.

At your departure you thought meet, my lord, To trust Aricia and the Queen to this Troezenian land, and I myself was charged With their protection. But what cares henceforth Need keep me here? My youth of idleness Has shown its skill enough o'er paltry foes That range the woods. May I not quit a life Of such inglorious ease, and dip my spear In n.o.bler blood? Ere you had reach'd my age More than one tyrant, monster more than one Had felt the weight of your stout arm. Already, Successful in attacking insolence, You had removed all dangers that infested Our coasts to east and west. The traveller fear'd Outrage no longer. Hearing of your deeds, Already Hercules relied on you, And rested from his toils. While I, unknown Son of so brave a sire, am far behind Even my mother's footsteps. Let my courage Have scope to act, and if some monster yet Has 'scaped you, let me lay the glorious spoils Down at your feet; or let the memory Of death faced n.o.bly keep my name alive, And prove to all the world I was your son.

THESEUS Why, what is this? What terror has possess'd My family to make them fly before me?

If I return to find myself so fear'd, So little welcome, why did Heav'n release me From prison? My sole friend, misled by pa.s.sion, Was bent on robbing of his wife the tyrant Who ruled Epirus. With regret I lent The lover aid, but Fate had made us blind, Myself as well as him. The tyrant seized me Defenceless and unarm'd. Pirithous I saw with tears cast forth to be devour'd By savage beasts that lapp'd the blood of men.

Myself in gloomy caverns he inclosed, Deep in the bowels of the earth, and nigh To Pluto's realms. Six months I lay ere Heav'n Had pity, and I 'scaped the watchful eyes That guarded me. Then did I purge the world Of a foul foe, and he himself has fed His monsters. But when with expectant joy To all that is most precious I draw near Of what the G.o.ds have left me, when my soul Looks for full satisfaction in a sight So dear, my only welcome is a shudder, Embrace rejected, and a hasty flight.

Inspiring, as I clearly do, such terror, Would I were still a prisoner in Epirus!

Phaedra complains that I have suffer'd outrage.

Who has betray'd me? Speak. Why was I not Avenged? Has Greece, to whom mine arm so oft Brought useful aid, shelter'd the criminal?

You make no answer. Is my son, mine own Dear son, confederate with mine enemies?

I'll enter. This suspense is overwhelming.

I'll learn at once the culprit and the crime, And Phaedra must explain her troubled state.

Scene VI HIPPOLYTUS, THERAMENES

HIPPOLYTUS What do these words portend, which seem'd to freeze My very blood? Will Phaedra, in her frenzy Accuse herself, and seal her own destruction?

What will the King say? G.o.ds! What fatal poison Has love spread over all his house! Myself, Full of a fire his hatred disapproves, How changed he finds me from the son he knew!

With dark forebodings in my mind alarm'd, But innocence has surely naught to fear.

Come, let us go, and in some other place Consider how I best may move my sire To tenderness, and tell him of a flame Vex'd but not vanquish'd by a father's blame.

ACT IV

Scene I THESEUS, OENONE

THESEUS Ah! What is this I hear? Presumptuous traitor!

And would he have disgraced his father's honour?

With what relentless footsteps Fate pursues me!

Whither I go I know not, nor where know I am. O kind affection ill repaid!

Audacious scheme! Abominable thought!

To reach the object of his foul desire The wretch disdain'd not to use violence.

I know this sword that served him in his fury, The sword I gave him for a n.o.bler use.

Could not the sacred ties of blood restrain him?

And Phaedra,--was she loath to have him punish'd?

She held her tongue. Was that to spare the culprit?

OENONE Nay, but to spare a most unhappy father.

O'erwhelm'd with shame that her eyes should have kindled So infamous a flame and prompted him To crime so heinous, Phaedra would have died.

I saw her raise her arm, and ran to save her.

To me alone you owe it that she lives; And, in my pity both for her and you, Have I against my will interpreted Her tears.

THESEUS The traitor! He might well turn pale.

'Twas fear that made him tremble when he saw me.

I was astonish'd that he show'd no pleasure; His frigid greeting chill'd my tenderness.

But was this guilty pa.s.sion that devours him Declared already ere I banish'd him From Athens?

OENONE Sire, remember how the Queen Urged you. Illicit love caused all her hatred.

THESEUS And then this fire broke out again at Troezen?

OENONE Sire, I have told you all. Too long the Queen Has been allow'd to bear her grief alone Let me now leave you and attend to her.

Scene II THESEUS, HIPPOLYTUS

THESEUS Ah! There he is. Great G.o.ds! That n.o.ble mien Might well deceive an eye less fond than mine!

Why should the sacred stamp of virtue gleam Upon the forehead of an impious wretch?

Ought not the blackness of a traitor's heart To show itself by sure and certain signs?

HIPPOLYTUS My father, may I ask what fatal cloud Has troubled your majestic countenance?

Dare you not trust this secret to your son?

THESEUS Traitor, how dare you show yourself before me?

Monster, whom Heaven's bolts have spared too long!

Survivor of that robber crew whereof I cleansed the earth. After your brutal l.u.s.t Scorn'd even to respect my marriage bed, You venture--you, my hated foe--to come Into my presence, here, where all is full Of your foul infamy, instead of seeking Some unknown land that never heard my name.

Fly, traitor, fly! Stay not to tempt the wrath That I can scarce restrain, nor brave my hatred.

Disgrace enough have I incurr'd for ever In being father of so vile a son, Without your death staining indelibly The glorious record of my n.o.ble deeds.