My nature and my inclination lean towards piety; myself, too, Irespect, and I will never sully my father's fair name, or gratify my brother at the cost of bringing myself into open dishonour. For justice hath her temple firmly founded in my nature, and since Ihave this heritage from Nereus I will strive to save Menelaus;wherefore, seeing it is Hera's will to stand thy friend, I will give my vote with her. May Cypris be favourable to me! though in me she hath no part, and I will try to remain a maid alway. As for thy reproaches against my father at this tomb; lo! I have the same words to utter; I should be wronging thee, did I not restore thy wife; for my sire, were he living, would have given her back into thy keeping, and thee to her. Yea, for there is recompense for these things as well amongst the dead as amongst all those who breathe the breath of life. The soul indeed of the dead lives no more, yet hath it a consciousness that lasts for ever, eternal as the ether into which it takes the final plunge. Briefly then to end the matter, I will observe strict silence on all that ye prayed I should, and never with my counsel will I aid my brother's wanton will. For I am doing him good service, though he little thinks it, if turn him from his godless life to holiness. Wherefore devise yourselves some way of escape; my lips are scaled; I will not cross your path. First with the goddesses begin, and of the one,-and that one Cypris,-Crave permission to return unto thy country; and of Hera, that her goodwill may abide in the same quarter, even her scheme to save thee and thy husband. And thou, my own dead sire, shalt never, in so far as rests with me, lose thy holy name to rank with evil-doers.
(THEONOE and her attendants enter the palace.)LEADERNo man ever prospered by unjust practices, but in a righteous cause there is hope of safety.
HELEN
Menelaus, on the maiden's side are we quite safe. Thou must from that point start, and by contributing thy advice, devise with me a scheme to save ourselves.
MENELAUS
Hearken then; thou hast been a long while in the palace, and art intimate with the king's attendants.
HELEN
What dost thou mean thereby? for thou art suggesting hopes, as if resolved on some plan for our mutual help.
MENELAUS
Couldst thou persuade one of those who have charge of cars and steeds to furnish us with a chariot?
HELEN
I might; but what escape is there for us who know nothing of the country and the barbarian's kingdom?
MENELAUS
True; 'tis impossible. Well, supposing I conceal myself in the palace and slay the king with this two-edged sword?
HELEN
His sister would never refrain from telling her brother that thou wert meditating his death.
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We have not so much as a ship to make our escape in; for the sea. hath swallowed the one we had.
HELEN
Hear me, if haply even a woriian can utter words of wisdom. Dost thou consent to be dead in word, though not really so?
MENELAUS
'Tis a bad omen; still, if by saying so I shall gain aught, I am ready to be dead in word, though not in deed.
HELEN
I, too, will mourn thee with hair cut short and dirges, as is women's way, before this impious wretch.
MENELAUS
What saving remedy doth this afford us twain? There is deception in thy scheme.
HELEN
I will beg the king of this country leave to bury thee in a cenotaph, as if thou hadst really died at sea.
MENELAUS
Suppose he grant it; how, e'en then, are we to escape without a ship, after having committed me to my empty tomb?
HELEN
I will bid him give me a vessel, from which to let drop into the sea's embrace thy funeral offerings.
MENELAUS
A clever plan in truth, save in one particular; suppose he bid thee rear the tomb upon the strand, thy pretext comes to naught.
HELEN
But I shall say it is not the custom in Hellas to bury those who die at sea upon the shore.
MENELAUS
Thou removest this obstacle too; I then will sail with thee and help stow the funeral garniture in the same ship.
HELEN
Above all, it is necessary that thou and all thy sailors who escaped from the wreck should be at hand.
MENELAUS
Be sure if once I find a ship at her moorings, they shall be there man for man, each with his sword.
HELEN
Thou must direct everything; only let there be winds to waft our rails and a good ship to speed before them!
MENELAUS
So shall it be; for the deities will cause my troubles to cease.
But from whom wilt thou say thou hadst tidings of my death?
HELEN
From thee; declare thyself the one and only survivor, telling how thou wert sailing with the son of Atreus, and didst see him perish.
MENELAUS
Of a truth the garments I have thrown about me, will bear out my tale that they were rags collected from the wreckage.
HELEN
They come in most opportunely, but they were near being lost just at the wrong time. Maybe that misfortune will turn to fortune.
MENELAUS
Am I to enter the palace with thee, or are we to sit here at the tomb quietly?
HELEN
Abide here; for if the king attempts to do thee any mischief, this tomb and thy good sword will protect thee. But I will go within and cut off my hair, and exchange my white robe for sable weeds, and rend my cheek with this hand's blood-thirsty nail. For 'tis a mighty struggle, and I see two possible issues; either I must die if detected in my plot, or else to my country shall I come and save thy soul alive. O Hera! awful queen, who sharest the couch of Zeus, grant some respite from their toil to two unhappy wretches; to thee Ipray, tossing my arms upward to heaven, where thou hast thy home in the star-spangled firmament. Thou, too, that didst win the prize of beauty at the price of my marriage; O Cypris! daughter of Dione, destroy me not utterly. Thou hast injured me enough aforetime, delivering up my name, though not my person, to live amongst barbarians. Oh! suffer me to die, if death is thy desire, in my native land. Why art thou so insatiate in mischief, employing every art of love, of fraud, and guileful schemes, and spells that bring bloodshed on families? Wert thou but moderate, only that!-in all else thou art by nature man's most well, come deity; and I have reason so to say.
