thee　from　thy　place。　Did　I　not　foresee　thy　purpose；　did　I　not　bid　thee
  keep　silence　on　the　very　matter　which　is　now　my　shame？　But　thou
  wouldst　not　be　still；　wherefore　my　fair　name　will　not　go　with　me　to
  the　tomb。　But　now　I　must　another　scheme　devise。　Yon　youth；　in　the
  keenness　of　his　fury；　will　tell　his　father　of　my　sin；　and　the　aged
  Pittheus　of　my　state　and　fill　the　world　with　stories　to　my　shame。
  Perdition　seize　thee　and　every　meddling　fool　who　by　dishonest　means
  would　serve　unwilling　friends！
  NURSE
  Mistress；　thou　may'st　condemn　the　mischief　I　have　done；　for
  sorrow's　sting　o'ermasters　thy　judgment；　yet　can　I　answer　thee　in　face
  of　this；　if　thou　wilt　hear。　'Twas　I　who　nurtured　thee；　I　love　thee
  still；　but　in　my　search　for　medicine　to　cure　thy　sickness　I　found　what
  least　I　sought。　Had　I　but　succeeded；　I　had　been　counted　wise；　for
  the　credit　we　get　for　wisdom　is　measured　by　our　success。
  PHAEDRA
  Is　it　just；　is　it　any　satisfaction　to　me；　that　thou　shouldst　wound
  me　first；　then　bandy　words　with　me？
  NURSE
  We　dwell　on　this　too　long；　I　was　not　wise；　I　own；　but　there　are
  yet　ways　of　escape　from　the　trouble；　my　child。
  PHAEDRA
  Be　dumb　henceforth；　evil　was　thy　first　advice　to　me；　evil　too
  thy　attempted　scheme。　Begone　and　leave　me；　look　to　thyself；　I　will
  my　own　fortunes　for　the　best　arrange。
  （The　NURSE　goes　into　the　palace。）
  Ye　noble　daughters　of　Troezen；　grant　me　the　only　boon　I　crave；
  in　silence　bury　what　ye　here　have　heard。
  LEADER
  By　majestic　Artemis；　child　of　Zeus；　I　swear　I　will　never　divulge
  aught　of　thy　sorrows。
  PHAEDRA
  'Tis　well。　But　I；　with　all　my　thought；　can　but　one　way　discover
  out　of　this　calamity；　that　so　I　may　secure　my　children's　honour；　and
  find　myself　some　help　as　matters　stand。　For　never；　never　will　I
  bring　shame　upon　my　Cretan　home；　nor　will　I；　to　save　one　poor　life；
  face　Theseus　after　my　disgrace。
  LEADER
  Art　thou　bent　then　on　some　cureless　woe？
  PHAEDRA
  On　death；　the　means　thereto　must　I　devise　myself。
  LEADER
  Hush！
  PHAEDRA
  Do　thou　at　least　advise　me　well。　For　this　very　day　shall　I　gladden
  Cypris；　my　destroyer；　by　yielding　up　my　life；　and　shall　own　myself
  vanquished　by　cruel　love。　Yet　shall　my　dying　be　another's　curse；
  that　he　may　learn　not　to　exult　at　my　misfortunes；　but　when　he　comes　to
  share　the　self…same　plague　with　me；　he　will　take　a　lesson　in　wisdom。
  （PHAEDRA　enters　the　palace。）
  CHORUS　（chanting）
  strophe　1
  O　to　be　nestling　'neath　some　pathless　cavern；　there　by　god's
  creating　hand　to　grow　into　a　bird　amid　the　winged　tribes！　Away　would　I
  soar　to　Adria's　wave…beat　shore　and　to　the　waters　of　Eridanus；　where　a
  father's　hapless　daughters　in　their　grief　for　Phaethon　distil　into　the
  glooming　flood　the　amber　brilliance　of　their　tears。
  antistrophe　1
  And　to　the　apple…bearing　strand　of　those　minstrels　in　the　west
  then　would　come；　where　ocean's　lord　no　more　to　sailors　grants
  passage　o'er　the　deep　dark　main；　finding　there　the　heaven's　holy
  bound；　upheld　by　Atlas；　where　water　from　ambrosial　founts　wells　up
  beside　the　couch　of　Zeus　inside　his　halls；　and　holy　earth；　the
  bounteous　mother；　causes　joy　to　spring　in　heavenly　breasts。
  strophe　2
  O　white…winged　bark；　that　o'er　the　booming　ocean…wave　didst
  bring　my　royal　mistress　from　her　happy　home；　to　crown　her　queen
  'mongst　sorrow's　brides！　Surely　evil　omens　from　either　port；　at
  least　from　Crete；　were　with　that　ship；　what　time　to　glorious　Athens　it
  sped　its　way；　and　the　crew　made　fast　its　twisted　cable…ends　upon　the
  beach　of　Munychus；　and　on　the　land　stept　out。
  antistrophe　2
  Whence　comes　it　that　her　heart　is　crushed；　cruelly　afflicted　by
  Aphrodite　with　unholy　love；　so　she　by　bitter　grief　o'erwhelmed　will
  tie　a　noose　within　her　bridal　bower　to　fit　it　to　her　fair　white　neck；
  to　modest　for　this　hateful　lot　in　life；　prizing　o'er　all　her　name　and
  fame；　and　striving　thus　to　rid　her　soul　of　passion's　sting。
  （The　NURSE　rushes　out　of　the　palace。）
  NURSE
  Help！　ho！　To　the　rescue　all　who　near　the　palace　stand！　She　hath
  hung　herself；　our　queen；　the　wife　of　Theseus。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  Woe　worth　the　day！　the　deed　is　done；　our　royal　mistress　is　no
  more；　dead　she　hangs　in　the　dangling　noose。
  NURSE
  Haste！　some　one　bring　a　two…edged　knife　wherewith　to　cut　the
  knot　about　her　neck。
  FIRST　SEMI…CHORUS
  Friends；　what　shall　we　do？　think　you　we　should　enter　the　house；
  and　loose　the　queen　from　the　tight…drawn　noose？
  SECOND　SEMI…CHORUS
  Why　should　we？　Are　there　not　young　servants　here？　To　do　too　much
  is　not　a　safe　course　in　life。
  NURSE
  Lay　out　the　hapless　corpse；　straighten　the　limbs。　This　was　a
  bitter　way　to　sit　at　home　and　keep　my　master's　house！
  （She　goes　in。）
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  She　is　dead；　poor　lady；　'tis　this　I　hear。　Already　are　they
  laying　out　the　corpse。
  （THESEUS　and　his　retinue　have　entered；　unnoticed。）
  THESEUS
  Women；　can　ye　tell　me　what　the　uproar　in　the　palace　means？　There
  came　the　sound　of　servants　weeping　bitterly　to　mine　ear。　None　of　my
  household　deign　to　open　wide　the　gates　and　give　me　glad　welcome　as
  traveller　from　prophetic　shrines。　Hath　aught　befallen　old　Pittheus？
  No；　Though　he　be　well　advanced　in　years；　yet　should　I　mourn；　were　he
  to　quit　this　house。
  LEADER
  'Tis　not　against　the　old；　Theseus；　that　fate；　to　strike　thee；　aims
  this　blow；　prepare　thy　sorrow　for　a　younger　corpse。
  THESEUS
  Woe　is　me！　is　it　a　child's　life　death　robs　me　of？
  LEADER
  They　live；　but；　cruellest　news　of　all　for　thee；　their　mother　is　no
  more。
  THESEUS
  What！　my　wife　dead？　By　what　cruel　stroke　of　chance？
  LEADER
  About　her　neck　she　tied　the　hangman's　knot。
  THESEUS
  Had　grief　so　chilled　her　blood？　or　what　had　befallen　her？
  LEADER
  I　know　but　this；　for　I　am　myself　but　now　arrived　at　the　house　to
  mourn　thy　sorrows；　O　Theseus。
  THESEUS
  Woe　is　me！　why　have　I　crowned　my　head　with　woven　garlands；　when
  misfortune　greets　my　embassage？　Unbolt　the　doors；　servants；　loose
  their　fastenings；　that　I　may　see　the　piteous　sight；　my　wife；　whose
  death　is　death　to　me。
  （The　central　doors　of　the　palace　open；　disclosing　the　corpse。）
  Woe！　woe　is　thee　for　thy　piteous　lot！　thou　hast　done　thyself　a
  hurt　deep　enough　to　overthrow　this　family。　Ah！　ah！　the　daring　of　it
  done　to　death　by　violence　and　unnatural　means；　the　desperate　effort　of
  thy　own　poor　hand！　Who　cast　the　shadow　o'er　thy　life；　poor　lady？
  THESEUS　（chanting）
  Ah　me；　my　cruel　lot！　sorrow　hath　done　her　worst　on　me。　O
  fortune；　how　heavily　hast　thou　set　thy　foot　on　me　and　on　my　house；
  by　fiendish　hands　inflicting　an　unexpected　stain？　Nay；　'tis　complete
  effacement　of　my　life；　making　it　not　to　be　lived；　for　I　see；　alas！
  so　wide　an　ocean　of　grief　that　I　can　never　swim　to　shore　again；　nor
  breast　the　tide　of　this　calamity。　How　shall　I　speak　of　thee；　my　poor
  wife；　what　tale　of　direst　suffering　tell？　Thou　art　vanished　like　a
  bird　from　the　covert　of　my　hand；　taking　one　headlong　leap　from　me　to
  Hades'　halls。　Alas；　and　woe！　this　is　a　bitter；　bitter　sight！　This　must
  be　a　judgment　sent　by　God　for　the　sins　of　an　ancestor；　which　from　some
  far　source　I　am　bringing　on　myself。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  My　prince；　'tis　not　to　thee　alone　such　sorrows　come；　thou　hast
  lost　a　noble　wife；　but　so　have　many　others。
  THESEUS　（chanting）
  Fain　would　I　go　hide　me　'neath　earth's　blackest　depth；　to　dwell　in
  darkness　with　the　dead　in　misery；　now　that　I　am　reft　of　thy　dear
  presence！　for　thou　hast　slain　me　than　thyself　e'en　more。　Who　can
  tell　me　what　caused　the　fatal　stroke　that　reached　thy　heart；　dear
  wife？　Will　no　one　tell　me　what　befell？　doth　my　palace　all　in　vain　give
  shelter　to　a　herd　of　menials？　Woe；　woe　for　thee；　my　wife！　sorrows　past
  speech；　past　bearing；　I　behold　within　my　house；　myself　ruined　man；
  my　home　a　solitude；　my　children　orphans！
  CHORUS　（chanting）
  Gone　and　left　us　hast　thou；　fondest　wife　and　noblest　of　all
  women　'neath　the　sun's　bright　eye　or　night's　star…lit　radiance。　Poor
  house；　what　sorrows　are　thy　portion　now！　My　eyes　are　wet　with
  streams　of　tears　to　see　thy　fate；　but　the　ill　that　is　to　follow　has
  long　with　terror　filled　me。
  THESEUS
  Ha！　what　means　this　letter？　clasped　in　her　dear　hand　it　hath
  some　strange　tale　to　tell。　Hath　she；　poor　lady；　as　a　last　request；
  written　her　bidding　as　to　my　marriage　and　her　children？　Take　heart；
  poor　ghost；　no　wife　henceforth　shall　wed　thy　Th