Part 2 (2/2)

And shall this day go uneventful by, this day So hardly won, so grudgingly bestowed? Nay, nay; While, poised upon her heights, the central earth shall bear The heavens up; while seasons run their endless round, And sands unnuhts and sun And stars in due procession pass; while round the pole The ocean-fearing bears revolve, and turief shall never cease To seek revenge, and shall forever grow What rage Of savage beast can equalpool? What burning aetna placed On i breast? No torrent streaale, Can check or equal e!

But this wild rage can lead nowhere She struggles to calm her terrible passion to still more terrible reason and resolve

Will Jason say He feared the power of Creon and Acastus' wrath?-- True love is proof against the fear of ed his hand in fear: He ht his ith one last word Of coh brave in heart, He feared to do The cruel terms of banishment Could Creon's son-in-law not soften? No One day Alone was given for last farewell to both my babes

But tih brief in hours, In consequence it stretches out eternally

This day shall see a deed that ne'er shall be forgot-- But now I'll go and pray the Gods, and h heaven But I shall work my will!

As Medea hastens from the scene, Jason himself enters; and noe hear from his own lips the fatal dilee vows, love for his children, and fear of death at the hands of Creon--all are at variance and edy of fate

_Jason_ O heartless fate, if frowns or smiles bedeck thy brow!

How often are thy cures far worse than the disease They seek to cure! If, noish to keep the troth I plighted to my lawful bride, uilty soul Must perjured be I fear no power that man can wield, But in my heart paternal love unmans me quite; For well I know that in my death my children's fate Is sealed O sacred Justice, if in heaven thou dwell'st, Be witness now that for my children's sake I act

Nay, sure ah fierce she is of soul, and brooking no restraint, Will see her children's good outweighing all her wrongs

With this good argument my purpose now is fixed, In humble wise to brave her wrath

[_Re-enter Medea_] But lo! at sight Of me her fury flames anew! Hate, like a shi+eld, She bears, and in her face is pictured all her woe

But Medea's passion has for the moment spent itself She is now no sorceress, no s; but only the forsaken wife, indignant, indeed, but pathetic in her appeals for syiven up all her lory, and broken every tie that held her to the past Her quiet self-control is in s

_Medea_ Thou seest, Jason, that we flee 'Tis no new thing To suffer exile; but the cause of flight is strange; For with thee I ont to flee, not froo; but whither dost thou send me whom thou driv'st Froain, My royal father's realm whose soil is steeped in blood My brother shed? What country dost thou bid ain Where once I saved the noble kings of Greece and thee, Thou wanton, through the threatening jaws of Pontus' strait, The blue Syades? Or shall I hie me back To fair Thessalia's realms? Lo, all the doors which I, For thee, have opened wide, I've closed upon myself

But whither dost thou send me now? Thou bidd'st ht

[_In bitter sarcas's own son-in-law commands, and I obey

Come, heap thy torments on me; I deserve them all

Let royal wrath oppress uilty lieons black as night: Still will rate! Hast thou then forgot the brazen bull, And his consu breath? the fear that smote thee, when, Upon the field of Mars, the earth-born brood stood forth To le sword? 'Twas by my arts that they, The ht fleece of gold I won for thee, whose guard, The dragon huge, was lulled to rest at my command; My brother slain for thee For thee old Pelias fell, When, taken by hters slew their sire, Whose life could not return All this I did for thee

In quest of thine advantage have I quite forgot Mine own

And now, by all thy fond paternal hopes, By thine established house, by all the monsters slain For thee, by these my hands which I have ever held To work thy will, by all the perils past, by heaven, And sea that witnessed at my wedlock--pity me!

Since thou art blessed, restore me what I lost for thee: That countless treasure plundered frooodly vaults ealth, And decked our very trees with gold This costly store I left for thee, my native land, my brother, sire, My reputation--all; and with this dower I came

If now to homeless exile thou dost send me forth, Give back the countless treasures which I left for thee

And now again we have a situation which only the quick, sharp flashes, the clash of words like steel on steel, can relieve Here is no chance for long periods, nor flights of oratory; but sentences as short and sharp as swords, flashes of feeling, stinging epigraeful rant thee flight instead

_Medea_ I thought racious boon!

_Jason_ O flee, while still the respite holds

Provoke his

_Medea_ Not so 'Tis for Creusa's love thou sayest this; Thou wouldst remove the hated wanton once thy wife