andromache-第6部分

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new　homes。　Wherefore；　ye　wooers；　take　heed　to　this　my　warning：　〃Choose

the　daughter　of　a　good　mother。〃　And　more　than　this；　with　what　wanton

insult　didst　thou　treat　thy　brother；　bidding　him　sacrifice　his

daughter　in　his　simpleness！　So　fearful　wast　thou　of　losing　thy

worthless　wife。　Then　after　capturing　Troy；…for　thither　too　will　I

accompany　thee；…thou　didst　not　slay　that　woman；　when　she　was　in　thy

power；　but　as　soon　as　thine　eyes　caught　sight　of　her　breast；　thy　sword

was　dropped　and　thou　didst　take　her　kisses；　fondling　the　shameless

traitress；　too　weak　to　stem　thy　hot　desire；　thou　caitiff　wretch！　Yet

spite　of　all　thou　art　the　man　to　come　and　work　havoc　in　my

grandson's　halls　when　he　is　absent；　seeking　to　slay　with　all　indignity

a　poor　weak　woman　and　her　babe：　but　that　babe　shall　one　day　make

thee　and　thy　daughter　in　thy　home　rue　it；　e'en　though　his　birth　be

trebly　base。　Yea；　for　oft　ere　now　hath　seed；　sown　on　barren　soil；

prevailed　o'er　rich　deep　tilth；　and　many　bastard　has　proved　a　better

man　than　children　better　born。　Take　thy　daughter　hence　with　thee！

Far　better　is　it　for　mortals　to　have　a　poor　honest　man　either　as

married　kin　or　friend　than　a　wealthy　knave；　but　as　for　thee；　thou

art　a　thing　of　naught。

　　LEADER

　　　　The　tongue　from　trifling　causes　contrives　to　breed　great　strife

'mongst　men；　wherefore　are　the　wise　most　careful　not　to　bring　about

a　quarrel　with　their　friends。

　　MENELAUS

　　　　Why；　pray；　should　one　call　these　old　men　wise；　or　those　who　once

had　a　reputation　in　Hellas　for　being　so？　when　thou；　the　great

Peleus；　son　of　famous　father；　kin　to　me　through　marriage；　employest

language　disgraceful　to　thyself　and　abusive　of　me　because　of　a

barbarian　woman；　though　thou　shouldst　have　banished　her　far　beyond　the

streams　of　Nile　or　Phasis；　and　ever　encouraged　me；　seeing　that　she

comes　from　Asia's　continent　where　fell　so　many　of　the　sons　of

Hellas；　victims　to　the　spear；　and　likewise　because　she　shared　in　the

spilling　of　thy　son's　blood；　for　Paris　who　slew　thy　son　Achilles；

was　brother　to　Hector；　whose　wife　she　was。　And　dost　thou　enter　the

same　abode　with　her；　and　deign　to　let　her　share　thy　board；　and

suffer　her　to　rear　her　brood　of　vipers　in　thy　house？　But　I；　after

all　this　foresight　for　thee；　old　man；　and　myself；　am　to　have　her

torn　from　my　clutches　for　wishing　to　slay　her。　Yet　come　now；　for

'tis　no　disgrace　to　argue；　suppose　my　daughter　has　no　child；　while

this　woman's　sons　grow　up；　wilt　thou　set　them　up　to　rule　the　land　of

Phthia；　barbarians　born　and　bred　to　lord　it　over　Hellenes？　Am　I　then

so　void　of　sense　because　I　hate　injustice；　and　thou　so　full　of

cleverness？　Consider　yet　another　point；　say　thou　hadst　given　a

daughter　of　thine　to　some　citizen；　and　hadst　then　seen　her　thus

treated；　wouldst　thou　have　sat　looking　on　in　silence？　I　trow　not。　Dost

thou　then　for　a　foreigner　rail　thus　at　thy　nearest　friends？　Again；

thou　mayst　say；　husband　and　wife　have　an　equally　strong　case　if　she　is

wronged　by　him；　and　similarly　if　he　find　her　guilty　of　indiscretion　in

his　house；　yet　while　he　has　ample　powers　in　his　own　hands；　she　depends

on　parents　and　friends　for　her　case。　Surely　then　I　am　right　in　helping

my　own　kin！　Thou　art　in　thy　dotage；　for　thou　wilt　do　me　more　good　by

speaking　of　my　generalship　than　by　concealing　it。　Helen's　trouble

was　not　of　her　own　choosing；　but　sent　by　heaven；　and　it　proved　a　great

benefit　to　Hellas；　her　sons；　till　then　untried　in　war　or　arms；

turned　to　deeds　of　prowess；　and　it　is　experience　which　teaches　man　all

he　knows。　I　showed　my　wisdom　in　refraining　from　slaying　my　wife；

directly　I　caught　sight　of　her。　Would　that　thou　too　hadst　ne'er

slain　Phocus！　All　this　I　bring　before　thee　in　pure　good…will；　not　from

anger。　But　if　thou　resent　it；　thy　tongue　may　wag　till　it　ache；　yet

shall　I　gain　by　prudent　forethought。

　　LEADER

　　　　Cease　now　from　idle　words；　'twere　better　far；　for　fear　ye　both

alike　go　wrong。

　　PELEUS

　　　　Alas！　what　evil　customs　now　prevail　in　Hellas！　Whene'er　the　host

sets　up　a　trophy　o'er　the　foe；　men　no　more　consider　this　the　work　of

those　who　really　toiled；　but　the　general　gets　the　credit　for　it。　Now

he　was　but　one　among　ten　thousand　others　to　brandish　his　spear；　he

only　did　the　work　of　one；　but　yet　he　wins　more　praise　than　they。

Again；　as　magistrates　in　all　the　grandeur　of　office　they　scorn　the

common　folk；　though　they　are　naught　themselves；　whereas　those　others

are　ten　thousand　times　more　wise　than　they；　if　daring　combine　with

judgment。　Even　so　thou　and　thy　brother；　exalted　by　the　toilsome

efforts　of　others；　now　take　your　seats　in　all　the　swollen　pride　of

Trojan　fame　and　Trojan　generalship。　But　I　will　teach　thee　henceforth

to　consider　Idaean　Paris　a　foe　less　terrible　than　Peleus；　unless

forthwith　thou　pack　from　this　roof；　thou　and　thy　childless　daughter

too；　whom　my　own　true　son　will　hale　through　his　halls　by　the　hair　of

her　head；　for　her　barrenness　will　not　let　her　endure　fruitfulness　in

others；　because　she　has　no　children　herself。　Still　if　misfortune

prevents　her　bearing　offspring；　is　that　a　reason　why　we　should　be　left

childless？　Begone！　ye　varlets；　let　her　go！　I　will　soon　see　if　anyone

will　hinder　me　from　loosing　her　hands。　（to　ANDROMACHE）　Arise；　these

trembling　hands　of　mine　will　untie　the　twisted　thongs　that　bind

thee。　Out　on　thee；　coward！　is　this　how　thou　hast　galled　her　wrists？

Didst　think　thou　wert　lashing　up　a　lion　or　bull？　or　wert　afraid　she

would　snatch　a　sword　and　defend　herself　against　thee？　Come；　child；

nestle　to　thy　mother's　arms；　help　me　loose　her　bonds；　I　will　yet

rear　thee　in　Phthia　to　be　their　bitter　foe。　If　your　reputation　for

prowess　and　the　battles　ye　have　fought　were　taken　from　you　Spartans；

in　all　else；　be　very　sure；　you　have　not　your　inferiors。

　　LEADER

　　　　The　race　of　old　men　practises　no　restraint；　and　their　testiness

makes　it　hard　to　check　them。

　　MENELAUS

　　　　Thou　art　only　too　ready　to　rush　into　abuse；　while；　as　for　me；　I

came　to　Phthia　by　constraint　and　have　therefore　no　intention　either　of

doing　or　suffering　anything　mean。　Now　must　I　return　home；　for　I　have

no　time　to　waste；　for　there　is　a　city　not　so　very　far　from　Sparta；

which　aforetime　was　friendly　but　now　is　hostile；　against　her　will　I

march　with　my　army　and　bring　her　into　subjection。　And　when　I　have

arranged　that　matter　as　I　wish；　I　will　return；　and　face　to　face　with

my　son…in…law　I　will　give　my　version　of　the　story　and　hear　his。　And　if

he　punish　her；　and　for　the　future　she　exercise　self…control；　she　shall

find　me　do　the　like；　but　if　he　storm；　I'll　storm　as　well；　and　every

act　of　mine　shall　be　a　reflex　of　his　own。　As　for　thy　babbling；　I　can

bear　it　easily；　for；　like　to　a　shadow　as　thou　art；　thy　voice　is　all

thou　hast；　and　thou　art　powerless　to　do　aught　but　talk。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（MENELAUS　and　his　retinue　withdraw。）

　　PELEUS

　　　　Lead　on；　my　child；　safe　beneath　my　sheltering　wing；　and　thou

too；　poor　lady；　for　thou　art　come　into　a　quiet　haven　after　the　rude

storm。

　　AND