ELECTRA.

ACT I.

SCENE, before the Royal Palace in Mycena.
Governor of Oreftes, Oreftes and Pylades.

GOVERNOR.

H, fon of Agamemnon, (he who once,

Greeks

To Troy's deftruction;) hence may you survey
The object of your long, your ardent wishes:
Behold your native Argos! here, the grove
Of Inachus's wand'ring frantic daughter:
And here, the fam'd Lycan Forum ftands,
Erected to the glorious god of day:
This, on the left, is Juno's awful temple;
Around the glitt'ring tow'rs of rich Mycenae,
With the dire houfe of bloody Pelops rife.
Thence I receiv'd you from your fifter's arms,
Snatch'd from the fate in which your father fell;
I took, preserv'd, and nourish'd you till now,
Το grow the keen avenger of his blood:
But now, Oreftes, and you, Pylades,
The dearest partner of his cares, betimes
We must determine what our caufe requires.
For fee, the chearful light begins to dawn;
The warbling birds falute the early fun;
And ev'ry ftar faints in his fuller glory.
E'er then the bufy fearch of jealous eyes
Prevent, let's fix our counfels; hafty time
Cuts off all flow debate, and calls for action.

Oreft. Thou trueft friend that ever ferv'd his prince, 25. How does thy love to me fhine out confpicuous! And, as the gen'rous steed when weak with age,. Starts into rage, and scents the diftant battle;

So

you, though prefs'd with years, work up our fouls Tof ame, and follow in the glorious chase.

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To thee my purpos'd vengeance I'll difclofe,

Do thou with deep attention mark my words;

prepare;

And where my youth fhall err, with wifdom guide it.
Know, when I went to afk the Pythian god
What method I fhould take in my revenge,
He thus in exprefs terms fpoke his high pleafure:
Close be thy vengeance; no loud force
But steal upon th' unguarded murderer.
Therefore do thou, my venerable friend,
As foon as kind occafion will permit,
Enter the palace; dive into their counfels;
And find out means for this our great attempt:
For rev'rend age has plow'd thy features up,
And bent thee to the earth, that thou fhalt pafs
Successfully unknown, and unfufpected.
Then form a tale like this;-that thou art fent
From Phocis, from Phanoteus, to relate,
(For he's their potent friend, their dear ally)
Nor fpare an oath to back the licens'd fraud
And win belief, how poor Oreftes perish'd;
Whirl'd from his chariot in the Pythian games.
This be the fum and fubject of thy errand;
Mean while, as the great Lycian god injoin'd,
We, with oblations and devoted hair,

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Will please my father's fhade, and crown his tomb.
That done, here let us meet; and in our hands
Bear to th' incestuous court the brazen urn,
Which lies conceal'd in yonder verdant thickets;

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Thus by an artful fraud refembling truth,
We may convince them of the pleafing news
That I am dead; that thofe are the remains
Of my burnt bones, rak'd from the fun'ral pile.
Why fhould I grieve to be reported dead,
While I rife fairer from that death fuppos'd
To nobler life, to happiness and fame?
Nor can the tale which profits, prove difaftrous.
Oft have I heard of men, for wifdom fam'd,
Revive and flourish from imagin'd tombs,
To fresh renown, and more illuftrious triumphs.
So on my foes from death at once I'll rife,
Glare like a meteor, and with terror blast them.
But, Oh, my country, and ye genial gods,
Receive me profp'rous, and affift my purpose!

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And thou, paternal dome, to thee I come,
Sent from the gods to rid thee of pollution.
Oh, drive me not difhonour'd from this land!
But fix me happy in my father's throne,
And make me but the fcourge of ufurpation,
I ask no more! But now, my good old friend,
Support the task which thou haft undertook:
We, Pylades, wil! hence, time preffes hard;
Time, on whofe friendly call the iffues hang.
Of all our mortal actions.

Elect. Oh! my fortune

[Groaning from within..

Gov. Hark! fure I heard the voice of female forrow. 85 Oreft. Think you, 'twas not the poor Electra groan'd ?Say, fhall we stay and listen to her anguish?

Gov. Not for the world: -Begin we from the god; And his commands fulfil: with due oblations

Appease, invoke the manes of your fire:
From hence we shall the hop'd event derive,
And draw a bleffing on the pious work.

[Exeunt Oreftes and Pylades at one door, Governor and Attendants at another.

Elect. [Alone.] Oh, facred light, and, Oh, thou am

bient air,

How have ye witnefs'd to my conftant forrows!
How have ye feen thefe hands, in rage of grief,
Harrow and bruife my fwoln and bleeding bofom!
While each new morn was blafted with my woe:
How have the circling nights heard my defpair!
How have my walls and hated bed been curft,
And echo'd to my ftill repeated anguish!
My fighs, my groans for my unhappy fire,
Whom barb'rous climes and cruel battle fpar'd ;
Whom battle fpar'd, but whom my mother flew !
She and her partner of adult'rous joys,
Accurft gyfthus, with a murth'ring axe
Splitting his temples, cleft the hero down:

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Relentless, as the woodman does an oak.

And none, but I, or pities or complains;

None but Electra mourns for thee, Oh, father,

With

Without regard to fhame or pity murder'd!
And I, while life remains, will cherish grief;
Each rifing morn, and each defcending night
Shall hear my moan: for with inceffant forrow,
Like the fad nightingale robb'd of her young,
Before my father's doors I'll plaintive fland;
And my loud wrongs proclaim to ev'ry ear.
Ye realms of Pluto, and his gloomy confort!
Infernal Hermes! You, my potent curfes !
And awful furies, daughters of the gods,
Behold the great are fallen, unjustly flain!
And vile adult'ry ftains the royal couch!
Oh, rife, affift, revenge a murder'd king.
Send me my brother, my Oreftes hither,
To eafe my forrows, and to bear his part:
For, Oh! I fink beneath the dire oppreffion.

SCENE III.

Electra and Chorus.

Cho. Thou offspring of a moft unworthy mother,
Uncomforted Electra! wherefore ftill

Doft thou with streaming eyes and piercing groans
For ever mourn the fate of Agamemnon?

Indulge affliction, nor permit the space

Of intervening years to wipe away

The mem'ry of those fnares and female arts

That caught his noble life? -Oh, may the man,
If justice warrant my devoting prayer,

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That wrought his end, fall by the like furprise !
Elect. Oh, gen'rous maids, and worthy your high

Kindly you come to foften my diftrefs;

I know you do, to charm me into comfort.

But, Oh! I must be deaf to the inchantment;
Nor ever cease to mourn my wretched father,
Therefore I muft conjure you by our friendship;
By all your tender offices of love;

Let me indulge my tears, and be a wretch;
Nor urge me to remit my task of forrow.

[births;

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Cho. But yet, nor pray'rs nor tears, can foften death; 145 Or bribe th' unpitying Hades to unlock

Earth's common prison, and fend-back your father.
Yet, fond of woe and unavailing paffion,.

That