To　some　within　the　temple　this　belongs。
  ORESTES
  What　tomb　is　destined　to　receive　my　corse？
  IPHIGENIA
  The　hallow'd　fire　within；　and　a　dark　cave。
  ORESTES
  O；　that　a　sister's　hand　might　wrap　these　limbs！
  IPHIGENIA
  Vain　wish；　unhappy　youth；　whoe'er　thou　art；
  Hast　thou　conceived；　for　from　this　barbarous　land
  Far　is　her　dwelling。　Yet；　of　what　my　power
  Permits　（since　thou　from　Argos　draw'st　thy　birth）；
  No　grace　will　I　omit：　for　in　the　tomb
  I　will　place　much　of　ornament；　and　pour
  The　dulcet　labour　of　the　yellow　bee；
  From　mountain　flowers　extracted；　on　thy　pyre。
  But　I　will　go；　and　from　the　temple　bring
  The　letter；　yet　'gainst　me　no　hostile　thought
  Conceive。　You；　that　attend　here；　guard　them　well；
  But　without　chains。　To　one；　whom　most　I　love
  Of　all　my　friends；　to　Argos　I　shall　send
  Tidings　perchance　unlook'd　for；　and　this　letter；
  Declaring　those　whom　he　thought　dead　alive；
  Shall　bear　him　an　assured　and　solid　joy。
  （She　enters　the　temple。）
  CHORUS　（chanting）
  Thee；　o'er　whose　limbs　the　bloody　drops　shall　soon
  Be　from　the　lavers　sprinkled；　I　lament。
  ORESTES
  This　asks　no　pity；　strangers：　but　farewell。
  CHORUS　（chanting）
  Thee　for　thy　happy　fate　we　reverence；　youth
  Who　to　thy　country　shall　again　return。
  PYLADES
  To　friends　unwish'd；　who　leave　their　friends　to　die。
  CHORUS　（chanting）
  Painful　dismission！　Which　shall　I　esteem
  Most　lost；　alas；　alas！　which　most　undone？
  For　doubts　my　wavering　judgment　yet　divide；
  If　chief　for　thee　my　sighs　should　swell；　or　thee。
  ORESTES
  By　the　gods；　Pylades；　is　thy　mind　touch'd
  In　manner　like　as　mine？
  PYLADES
  I　cannot　tell；
  Nor　to　thy　question　have　I　to　reply。
  ORESTES
  Who　is　this　virgin？　With　what　zeal　for　Greece
  Made　she　inquiries　of　us　what　the　toils
  At　Troy；　if　yet　the　Grecians　were　return'd；
  And　Calchas；　from　the　flight　of　birds　who　form'd
  Presages　of　the　future。　And　she　named
  Achilles：　with　what　tenderness　bewail'd
  The　unhappy　Agamemnon！　Of　his　wife
  She　ask'd　me；…of　his　children：　thence　her　race
  This　unknown　virgin　draws；　an　Argive；　else
  Ne'er　would　she　send　this　letter；　nor　have　wish'd
  To　know　these　things；　as　if　she　bore　a　share
  （If　Argos　flourish）　in　its　prosperous　state。
  PYLADES
  Such　were　my　thoughts　（but　thou　hast　given　them　words；
  Preventing　me）　of　every　circumstance；
  Save　one：　the　fate　of　kings　all　know；　whose　state
  Holds　aught　of　rank。　But　pass　to　other　thoughts。
  ORESTES
  What？　Share　them；　so　thou　best　mayst　be　inform'd。
  PYLADES
  That　thou　shouldst　die；　and　I　behold　this　light；
  Were　base：　with　thee　I　sail'd；　with　thee　to　die
  Becomes　me；　else　shall　I　obtain　the　name
  Of　a　vile　coward　through　the　Argive　state；
  And　the　deep　vales　of　Phocis。　Most　will　think
  （For　most　think　ill）　that　by　betraying　the
  I　saved　myself；　home　to　return　alone；
  Or　haply　that　I　slew　thee；　and　thy　death
  Contrived；　that　in　the　ruin　of　thy　house
  Thy　empire　I　might　grasp；　to　me　devolved
  As　wedded　to　thy　sister；　now　sole　heir。
  These　things　I　fear；　and　hold　them　infamous。
  Behooves　me　then　with　thee　to　die；　with　the
  To　bleed　a　victim；　on　the　pyre　with　thine
  To　give　my　body　to　the　flames；　for　this
  Becomes　me　as　thy　friend。　who　dreads　reproach。
  ORESTES
  Speak　more　auspicious　words：　'tis　mine　to　bear
  Ills　that　are　mine；　and　single　when　the　wo；
  I　would　not　bear　it　double。　What　thou　say'st
  Is　vile　and　infamous；　would　light　on　me；
  Should　I　cause　thee　to　die；　who　in　my　toils
  Hast　borne　a　share：　to　me；　who　from　the　gods
  Suffer　afflictions　which　I　suffer；　death
  Is　not　unwelcome：　thou　art　happy；　thine
  An　unpolluted　and　a　prosperous　house；
  Mine　impious　and　unbless'd：　if　thou　art　saved；
  And　from　my　sister　（whom　I　gave　to　thee；
  Betroth'd　thy　bride）　art　bless'd　with　sons；　my　name
  May　yet　remain；　nor　all　my　father's　house
  In　total　ruin　sink。　Go　then；　and　live：
  Dwell　in　the　mansion　of　thy　ancestors：
  And　when　thou　comest　to　Greece；　to　Argos　famed
  For　warrior…steeds；　by　this　right　hand　I　charge　the
  Raise　a　sepulchral　mound；　and　on　it　place
  A　monument　to　me；　and　to　my　tomb
  Her　tears；　her　tresses　let　my　sister　give；
  And　say；　that　by　an　Argive　woman's　hand
  I　perish'd；　to　the　altar's　bloody　rites
  A　hallow'd　victim。　Never　let　thy　soul
  Betray　my　sister；　for　thou　seest　her　state；
  Of　friends　how　destitute；　her　father's　house
  How　desolate。　Farewell。　Of　all　my　friends；
  Thee　have　I　found　most　friendly；　from　my　youth
  Train'd　up　with　me；　in　all　my　sylvan　sports
  Thou　dear　associate；　and　through　many　toils
  Thou　faithful　partner　of　my　miseries。
  Me　Phoebus；　though　a　prophet；　hath　deceived；
  And；　meditating　guile；　hath　driven　me　far
  From　Greece；　of　former　oracles　ashamed；
  To　him　resign'd；　obedient　to　his　words；
  I　slew　my　mother；　and　my　meed　is　death。
  PYLADES
  Yes；　I　will　raise　thy　tomb：　thy　sister's　bed
  I　never　will　betray；　unhappy　youth；
  For　I　will　hold　thee　dearer　when　thou　art　dead；
  Than　while　thou　livest；　nor　hath　yet　the　voice
  Of　Phoebus　quite　destroy'd　thee；　though　thou　stand
  To　sometimes　mighty　but　sometimes　mighty　woes
  Yield　mighty　changes；　so　when　Fortune　wills。
  ORESTES
  Forbear：　the　words　of　Phoebus　naught　avail　me；
  For；　passing　from　the　shrine；　the　virgin　comes。
  （IPHIGENIA　enters　from　the　temple。　She　is　carrying　a　letter。）
  IPHIGENIA　（to　the　guards）
  Go　you　away；　and　in　the　shrine　prepare
  What　those；　who　o'er　the　rites　preside；　require。
  （The　guards　go　into　the　temple。）
  Here；　strangers；　is　the　letter　folded　close：
  What　I　would　further；　hear。　The　mind　of　man
  In　dangers；　and　again；　from　fear　relieved；
  Of　safety　when　assured；　is　not　the　same：
  I　therefore　fear　lest　he；　who　should　convey
  To　Argos　this　epistle；　when　return'd
  Safe　to　his　native　country；　will　neglect
  My　letter；　as　a　thing　of　little　worth。
  ORESTES
  What　wouldst　thou　then？　What　is　thy　anxious　thought？
  IPHIGENIA
  This：　let　him　give　an　oath　that　he　will　bear
  To　Argos　this　epistle　to　those　friends；
  To　whom　it　is　my　ardent　wish　to　send　it。
  ORESTES
  And　wilt　thou　in　return　give　him　thy　oath？
  IPHIGENIA
  That　I　will　do；　or　will　not　do；　say　what。
  ORESTES
  To　send　him　from　this　barbarous　shore　alive。
  IPHIGENIA
  That's　just：　how　should　he　bear　my　letter　else？
  ORESTES
  But　will　the　monarch　to　these　things　assent？
  IPHIGENIA
  By　me　induced。　Him　I　will　see　embark'd。
  ORESTES
  Swear　then；　and　thou　propose　the　righteous　oath。
  IPHIGENIA
  This；　let　him　say；　he　to　my　friends　will　give。
  PYLADES
  Well；　to　thy　friends　this　letter　I　will　give。
  IPHIGENIA
  Thee　will　I　send　safe　through　the　darkening　rocks。
  PYLADES
  What　god　dost　thou　invoke　to　attest　thy　oath？
  IPHIGENIA
  Diana；　at　whose　shrine　high　charge　I　hold。
  PYLADES
  And　I　heaven's　potent　king；　the　awful　Jove。
  IPHIGENIA
  But　if　thou　slight　thy　oath；　and　do　me　wrong？
  PYLADES
  Never　may　I　return。　But　if　thou　fail；
  And　save　me　not？
  IPHIGENIA
  Then　never；　while　I　live；
  May　I　revisit　my　loved　Argos　more！
  PYLADES
  One　thing；　not　mention'd；　thy　attention　claims。
  IPHIGENIA
  If　honour　owes　it；　this　will　touch　us　both。
  PYLADES
  Let　me　in　this　be　pardon'd；　if　the　bark
  Be　lost；　and　with　it　in　the　surging　waves
  Thy　letter　perish；　and　I　naked　gain
  The　shore；　no　longer　binding　be　the　oath。
  IPHIGENIA
  Know'st　thou　what　I　will　do？　For　various　ills
  Arise　to　those　that　plough　the　dangerous　deep。
  What　in　this　letter　is　contain'd；　what　here
  Is　written；　all　I　will　repeat　to　thee；
  That　thou　mayst　bear　my　message　to　my　friends。
  'Gainst　danger　thus　I　guard：　if　thou　preserve
  The　letter；　that　though　silent　will　declare
  My　purport；　if　it　perish　in　the　sea；
  Saving　thyself；　my　words　too　thou　wilt　save。
  PYLADES
  Well　hast　thou　said　touching　the　gods　and　me。
  Say　then　to　whom　at　Argos　shall　I　bear
  This　letter？　What　relate　as　heard　from　thee？
  IPHIGENIA　（reading）
  This　message　to　Orestes；　to　the　son
  Of　Agamemnon；　bear：…She；　who　was　slain
  At　Aulis；　Iphigenia；　sends　thee　this：
  She　lives；　but　not　to　those　who　then　were　there。
  ORESTES
  Where　is　she？　From　the　dead　return'd　to　life？
  IPHIGENIA
  She　whom　thou　seest：　but　interrupt　me　not。
  To　Argos；　O　my　brother；　ere　I　die；
  Bear　me　from　this