the　servants　that　watch　her　can　scarce　restrain　her　efforts　to　hang
  herself；　scarce　catch　the　sword　and　wrest　it　from　her　hand。　So
  bitter　is　her　anguish；　and　she　hath　recognized　the　villainy　of　her
  former　deeds。　As　for　me；　friends；　I　am　weary　of　keeping　my　mistress
  from　the　fatal　noose；　do　ye　go　in　and　try　to　save　her　life；　for　if
  strangers　come；　they　prove　more　persuasive　than　the　friends　of　every
  day。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  Ah　yes！　I　hear　an　outcry　in　the　house　amongst　the　servants；
  confirming　the　news　thou　hast　brought。　Poor　sufferer！　she　seems
  about　to　show　lively　grief　for　her　grave　crimes；　for　she　has　escaped
  her　servants'　hands　and　is　rushing　from　the　house；　eager　to　end　her
  life。
  （HERMIONE　enters；　in　agitation。　She　is　carrying
  a　sword　which　the　NURSE　wrests　from　her。）
  HERMIONE　（chanting）
  Woe；　woe　is　me！　I　will　rend　my　hair　and　tear　cruel　furrows　in　my
  cheeks。
  NURSE
  My　child；　what　wilt　thou　do？　Wilt　thou　disfigure　thyself？
  HERMIONE　（chanting）
  Ah　me！　ah　me！　Begone；　thou　fine…spun　veil！　float　from　my　head
  away！
  NURSE
  Daughter；　cover　up　thy　bosom；　fasten　thy　robe。
  HERMIONE　（chanting）
  Why　should　I　cover　it？　My　crimes　against　my　lord　are　manifest
  and　clear；　they　cannot　be　hidden。
  NURSE
  Art　so　grieved　at　having　devised　thy　rival's　death？
  HERMIONE　（chanting）
  Yea；　I　deeply　mourn　my　fatal　deeds　of　daring；　alas！　I　am　now
  accursed　in　all　men's　eyes！
  NURSE
  Thy　husband　will　pardon　thee　this　error。
  HERMIONE　（chanting）
  Oh！　why　didst　thou　hunt　me　to　snatch　away　my　sword？　Give；　oh！　give
  it　back；　dear　nurse；　that　I　may　thrust　it　through　my　heart　Why　dost
  thou　prevent　me　hanging　myself？
  NURSE
  What！　was　I　to　let　thy　madness　lead　thee　on　to　death？
  HERMIONE　（chanting）
  Ah　me；　my　destiny！　Where　can　I　find　some　friendly　fire？　To　what
  rocky　height　can　I　climb　above　the　sea　or　'mid　some　wooded　mountain
  glen；　there　to　die　and　trouble　but　the　dead？
  NURSE
  Why　vex　thyself　thus？　on　all　of　us　sooner　or　later　heaven's
  visitation　comes。
  HERMIONE　（chanting）
  Thou　hast　left　me；　O　my　father；　left　me　like　a　stranded　bark；
  all　alone；　without　an　oar。　My　lord　will　surely　slay　me；　no　home　is
  mine　henceforth　beneath　my　husband's　roof。　What　god　is　there　to
  whose　statue　I　can　as　a　suppliant　haste？　or　shall　I　throw　myself　in
  slavish　wise　at　slavish　knees？　Would　I　could　speed　away　from
  Phthia's　land　on　bird's　dark　pinion；　or　like　that　pine…built　ship；　the
  first　that　ever　sailed　betwixt　the　rocks　Cyanean！
  NURSE
  My　child；　I　can　as　little　praise　thy　previous　sinful　excesses；
  committed　against　the　Trojan　captive；　as　thy　present　exaggerated
  terror。　Thy　husband　will　never　listen　to　a　barbarian's　weak　pleading
  and　reject　his　marriage　with　thee　for　this。　For　thou　wast　no　captive
  from　Troy　whom　he　wedded；　but　the　daughter　of　a　gallant　sire；　with　a
  rich　dower；　from　a　city　too　of　no　mean　prosperity。　Nor　will　thy　father
  forsake　thee；　as　thou　dreadest；　and　allow　thee　to　be　cast　out　from
  this　house。　Nay；　enter　now；　nor　show　thyself　before　the　palace；　lest
  the　sight　of　thee　there　bring　reproach　upon　thee；　my　daughter。
  （The　NURSE　departs　as　ORESTES　and　his　attendants　enter。）
  LEADER
  Lo！　a　stranger　of　foreign　appearance　from　some　other　land　comes
  hurrying　towards　us。
  ORESTES
  Women　of　this　foreign　land！　is　this　the　home；　the　palace　of
  Achilles'　son？
  LEADER
  Thou　hast　it；　but　who　art　thou　to　ask　such　a　question？
  ORESTES
  The　son　of　Agamemnon　and　Clytemnestra；　by　name　Orestes；　on　ply　way
  to　the　oracle　of　Zeus　at　Dodona。　But　now　that　I　am　come　to　Phthia；　I
  am　resolved　to　inquire　about　my　kinswoman；　Hermione　of　Sparta；　is
  she　alive　and　well？　for　though　she　dwells　in　a　land　far　from　my　own；　I
  love　her　none　the　less。
  HERMIONE
  Son　of　Agamemnon；　thy　appearing　is　as　a　haven　from　the　storm　to
  sailors；　by　thy　knees　I　pray；　have　pity　on　me　in　my　distress；　on　me　of
  whose　fortunes　thou　art　inquiring。　About　thy　knees　I　twine　my　arms
  with　all　the　force　of　sacred　fillets。
  ORESTES
  Ha！　what　is　this？　Am　I　mistaken　or　do　I　really　see　before　me　the
  queen　of　this　palace；　the　daughter　of　Menelaus？
  HERMIONE
  The　same；　that　only　child　whom　Helen；　daughter　of　Tyndareus；
  bore　my　father　in　his　halls；　never　doubt　that。
  ORESTES
  O　saviour　Phoebus；　grant　us　respite　from　our　woe！　But　what　is
  the　matter？　art　thou　afflicted　by　gods　or　men？
  HERMIONE
  Partly　by　myself；　partly　by　the　man　who　wedded　me；　and　partly　by
  some　god。　On　every　side　I　see　ruin。
  ORESTES
  Why；　what　misfortune　could　happen　to　a　woman　as　yet　childless；
  unless　her　honour　is　concerned？
  HERMIONE
  My　very　ill！　Thou　hast　hit　my　case　exactly。
  ORESTES
  On　whom　has　thy　husband　set　his　affections　in　thy　stead？
  HERMIONE
  On　his　captive；　Hector's　wife。
  ORESTES
  An　evil　case　indeed；　for　a　man　to　have　two　wives！
  HERMIONE
  'Tis　even　thus。　So　I　resented　it。
  ORESTES
  Didst　thou　with　woman's　craft　devise　a　plot　against　thy　rival？
  HERMIONE
  Yes；　to　slay　her　and　her　bastard　child。
  ORESTES
  And　didst　thou　slay　them；　or　did　something　happen　to　rescue　them
  from　thee？
  HERMIONE
  It　was　old　Peleus；　who　showed　regard　to　the　weaker　side。
  ORESTES
  Hadst　thou　any　accomplice　in　this　attempted　murder？
  HERMIONE
  My　father　came　from　Sparta　for　this　very　purpose。
  ORESTES
  And　was　he　after　all　defeated　by　that　old　man's　prowess？
  HERMIONE
  Oh　no！　but　by　shame；　and　he　hath　gone　and　left　me　all　alone。
  ORESTES
  I　understand；　thou　art　afraid　of　thy　husband　for　what　thou　hast
  done。
  HERMIONE
  Thou　hast　guessed　it；　for　he　will　have　a　right　to　slay　me。　What
  can　say　for　myself？　Yet　I　beseech　thee　by　Zeus　the　god　of　our
  family；　send　me　to　a　land　as　far　as　possible　from　this；　or　to　my
  father's　house；　for　these　very　walls　seem　to　cry　out　〃Begone！〃　and　all
  the　land　of　Phthia　hates　me。　But　if　my　lord　return　ere　that　from　the
  oracle　of　Phoebus；　he　will　put　me　to　death　on　a　shameful　charge；　or
  enslave　me　to　his　mistress；　whom　ruled　before。　Maybe　some　one　will
  say；　〃How　was　it　thou　didst　go　thus　astray？〃　I　was　ruined　by　evil
  women　who　came　to　me　and　puffed　me　up　with　words　like　these：　〃Wait！
  wilt　thou　suffer　that　vile　captive；　a　mere　bondmaid；　to　dwell　within
  thy　house　and　share　thy　wedded　rights？　By　Heaven's　queen！　if　it　were
  my　house　she　should　not　live　to　reap　my　marriage…harvest！〃　And　I
  listened　to　the　words　of　these　Sirens；　the　cunning；　knavish；　subtle
  praters；　and　was　filled　with　silly　thoughts。　What　need　had　I　to　care
  about　my　lord？　I　had　all　I　wanted；　wealth　in　plenty；　a　house　in
  which　I　was　mistress；　and　as　for　children；　mine　would　be　born　in
  wedlock；　while　hers　would　be　bastards；　half…slaves　to　mine。　Oh！　never；
  never；…this　truth　will　I　repeat；…should　men　of　sense；　who　have
  wives；　allow　women…folk　to　visit　them　in　their　homes；　for　they　teach
  them　evil；　one；　to　gain　some　private　end；　helps　to　corrupt　their
  honour；　another；　having　made　a　slip　herself；　wants　a　companion　in
  misfortune；　while　many　are　wantons；　and　hence　it　is　men's　houses　are
  tainted。　Wherefore　keep　strict　guard　upon　the　portals　of　your　houses
  with　bolts　and　bars；　for　these　visits　of　strange　women　lead　to　no　good
  result；　but　a　world　of　ill。
  LEADER
  Thou　hast　given　thy　tongue　too　free　a　rein　regarding　thy　own
  sex。　I　can　pardon　thee　in　this　case；　but　still　women　ought　to　smooth
  over　their　sisters'　weaknesses。
  ORESTES
  'Twas　sage　counsel　he　gave　who　taught　men　to　hear　the　arguments　on
  both　sides。　I；　for　instance；　though　aware　of　the　confusion　in　this
  house；　the　quarrel　between　thee　and　Hector's　wife；　waited　awhile　and
  watched　to　see　whether　thou　wouldst　stay　here　or　from　fear　of　that
  captive　art　minded　to　quit　these　halls。　Now　it　was　not　so　much
  regard　for　thy　message　that　brought　me　thither；　as　the　intention　of
  carrying　thee　away　from　this　house；　if；　as　now；　thou　shouldst　grant　me
  a　chance　of　saying　so。　For　thou　wert　mine　formerly；　but　art　now　living
  with　thy　present　husband　through　thy　father's　baseness；　since　he；
  before　invading　Troy's　domains；　betrothed　thee　to　me；　and　then
  afterwards　promised　thee　to　thy　present　lord；　provided　he　captured　the
  city　of　Troy。
  So；　as　soon　as　Achilles'　son　returned　hither；　I　forgave　thy
  father；　but　entreated　the　bridegroom　to　forego　his　marriage　with　thee；
  telling　him　all　I　had　endured　and　my　present　misfortune；　I　might　get　a
  wife；　I　said；　from　amongst　friends；　but　outside　their　circle　'twas
  no　easy　task　for　one　exiled　like　myself　from　home。　Thereat　he　grew
  abusive；　taunting　me　with　my　mother's　murder　and　those
  blood…boltered　fiends。　And　I　was　humbled　by　the　fortunes　of　my
  house；　and　though　'tis　true；　I　grieved；　yet　did　I　bear　my　sorrow；
  and　reluctantly　departed；　robbed　of　thy　promised　hand。　Now
  there