HKB
THOAS (to ATTENDANTS). Ho, men! Some thongs and fetters, go!
IPHIGENIA. Stay; let them lead the strangers here, outside the shrine ...
THOAS. It shall be so.
IPHIGENIA. And lay dark raiment on their heads ...
THOAS. To veil them, lest the Sun should see.
IPHIGENIA. And lend me some of thine own spears.
THOAS. This company shall go with thee.
IPHIGENIA. Next, send through all the city streets a herald ...
THOAS. Aye; and what to say?
IPHIGENIA. That no man living stir abroad.
THOAS. The stain of blood might cross their way.
IPHIGENIA. Aye, sin like theirs doth spread contagion.
THOAS (to an ATTENDANT). Forth, and publish my command ...
IPHIGENIA. That none stir forth--nor look ...
THOAS. Nor look.--How well thou carest for the land!
IPHIGENIA. For one whom I am bound to love.
THOAS. Indeed, I think thou hat'st me not.
IPHIGENIA. And thou meanwhile, here at the temple, wait, O King, and ...
THOAS. Wait for what?
IPHIGENIA. Purge all the shrine with fire.
THOAS. 'Twill all be clean before you come again.
IPHIGENIA. And while the strangers pass thee close, seeking the sea ...
THOAS. What wouldst thou then?
IPHIGENIA. Put darkness on thine eyes.
THOAS. Mine eyes might drink the evil of their crime?
IPHIGENIA.
And, should I seem to stay too long ...
THOAS. Too long? How shall I judge the time?
IPHIGENIA. Be not dismayed.
THOAS. Perform thy rite all duly. We have time to spare.
IPHIGENIA. And God but grant this cleansing end as I desire!
THOAS. I join thy prayer.
IPHIGENIA. The door doth open! See, they lead the strangers from the cell within, And raiment holy and young lambs, whose blood shall shrive the blood of Sin. And, lo, the light of sacred fires, and things of secret power, arrayed By mine own hand to cleanse aright the strangers, to cleanse Leto's Maid.
[she takes up the image again.]
There passeth here a holy thing: begone, I charge ye, from the road, O whoso by these sacred gates may dwell, hand-consecrate to God, What man hath marriage in his heart, what woman goeth great with child, Begone and tremble from this road: fly swiftly, lest ye be defiled.--
O Queen and Virgin, Leto-born, have pity! Let me cleanse this stain, And pray to thee where pray I would: a clean house shall be thine again, And we at last win happiness.--Behold, I speak but as I dare; The rest ... Oh, God is wise, and thou, my Mistress, thou canst read my prayer.
[The procession passes out, THOAS and the bystanders veiled; Attendants in front, then IPHIGENIA with the Image, then veiled Soldiers, then ORESTES and PYLADES bound, the bonds held by other veiled Soldiers following them. THOAS goes into the Temple.]
CHORUS. [STROPHE.] Oh, fair the fruits of Leto blow: A Virgin, one, with joyous bow, And one a Lord of flashing locks, Wise in the harp, Apollo: She bore them amid Delian rocks, Hid in a fruited hollow.
But forth she fared from that low reef, Sea-cradle of her joy and grief. A crag she knew more near the skies And lit with wilder water, That leaps with joy of Dionyse: There brought she son and daughter.
And there, behold, an ancient Snake, Wine-eyed, bronze-gleaming in the brake Of deep-leaved laurel, ruled the dell, Sent by old Earth from under Strange caves to guard her oracle-- A thing of fear and wonder.
Thou, Phoebus, still a new-born thing, Meet in thy mother's arms to lie, Didst kill the Snake and crown thee king, In Pytho's land of prophecy: Thine was the tripod and the chair Of golden truth; and throned there, Hard by the streams of Castaly, Beneath the untrodden portal Of Earth's mid stone there flows from thee Wisdom for all things mortal.
[ANTISTROPHE.]