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EURIPIDES<br />
Cr. With fear I tremble still.<br />
Ch. Let no man ever deem a thing past hoping<br />
Ion. Dost thou doubt my reality?<br />
for, when he turns an eye towards what is happen<br />
Cr. Far from me had I banished these hopes. ing now.<br />
Whence, 0 whence, lady, didst thou take my babe Ion. 0 Fortune! who ere now hast changed the<br />
into thy arms? Who carried him to the courts of lot of countless mortals first to grief, and then to<br />
Loxias?<br />
Ion. 'Tis a miracle I Ohl may we for the rest of our<br />
joy again, to what a goal my life had come, even to<br />
staining my hands with a mother's blood and en<br />
career be happy, as we were hapless heretofore. during sufferings ill-deserved! Ah weill may we not<br />
Cr. In tears wert thou brought forth, my child, learn these truths daily in all that the bright sun<br />
and with sorrow to thy mother didst thou leave her embraces? 0 mother, in thee have I made a happy<br />
arms; but now I breathe again as I press my lips to discovery, and from my point of view there is no<br />
thy cheek, in full enjoyment of happiness.<br />
fault to find with my birth; but what remains I fain<br />
Ion. Thy words express our mutual feelings. would speak to thee apart. Come hither, for I would<br />
Cr. No more am I of son and heir bereft; my say a word in thine ear, and o'er these matters cast<br />
house is stablished and my country hath a prince; the veil of silence. Bethink thee, mother, carefully;<br />
Erechtheus groweth young again; no longer is the didst thou make the fatal slip, that maidens will, as<br />
house of the earth-born race plunged in gloom, but touching secret amours, and then upon the god<br />
lifts its eyes unto the radiant sun.<br />
wouldst foist the blame, in thy anxiety to escape the<br />
Ion. Mother mine, since my father too is here, shame of my birth asserting that Phoebus is my sire,<br />
let him share the joy I have brought to thee. albeit the god was not the parent.<br />
Cr. My child, my child, what sayst thou? How is Cr. Nay, by our queen of Victory, Athena, that<br />
my sin finding me out!<br />
fought by Zeus, in days gone by, high on his car<br />
Ion. What meanest thou?<br />
Cr. Thou art of a different, far different stock.<br />
against the earth-born giants I swear, no mortal is<br />
thy father, my son, but King Loxias himself who<br />
Ion. Alas for mel Am I a bastard, then, born in brought thee up.<br />
thy maiden days?<br />
Ion. How then is it he gave his own child to an<br />
Cr. Nor nuptial torch nor dance, my child, ushother father, declaring that I was begotten of Xuered<br />
in my wedding and thy birth.<br />
thus?<br />
Ion. 0 mother, mother! whence do I draw my Cr. "Begotten" he never said, but as a gift he<br />
base origin?<br />
doth bestow thee his own son on him; for friend<br />
Cr. Be witness she who slew the Gorgon,<br />
might give to friend even his own son to rule his<br />
Ion. What meanest thou?<br />
hOllse.<br />
Cr. She that on my native rocks makes the olive Ion. Mother mine, this thought disturbs my<br />
clad hill her sea t.<br />
breast, as well it may, whether the god speaks truth<br />
Ion. Thy words to me are but as cunning riddles. or gives an idle oracle.<br />
I cannot read them.<br />
Cr. Hear, then, my son, the thought that hath<br />
Cr. Hard by the rock with nightingales melodi- occurred to me; Loxias out of kindness is establishous,<br />
Phoebus.<br />
ing thee in a noble family, for hadst thou been called<br />
Ion. Why dost thou mention Phoebus?<br />
the god's son, thou hadst never inherited a father's<br />
Cr. Forced on me his secret love.<br />
home and name. How couldst thou, when I strove<br />
Ion. Say on; for thy story will crown me with to hide my marriage with him and would have slain<br />
fame and fortune.<br />
thee privily? But he for thy interest is handing thee<br />
Cr. And as the tenth month came round I bore a over to another father.<br />
child to Phoebus in secret.<br />
Ion. Not thus lightly do I pursue the inquiry; nay,<br />
Ion. Oh! thy happy tidings, if thy story is true. I will enter Apollo's shrine and question him whether<br />
Cr. And about thee as swaddling-clothes I fast I am the child of a mortal sire or his own son.<br />
ened this my maiden work, the faulty efforts of my (ATHENA appears abOt'e the temple) Hal who is that<br />
loom. But to my breast I never held thy lips, or hovering o'er the incense-smoking roof, and show<br />
suckled or washed thee with a mother's care; but in ing to our gaze a heavenly face, bright as the sun?<br />
a desert cave wert thou cast out to die, for taloned Let us fiy, mother, that we see not sights divine, un<br />
kites to rend and feast upon.<br />
Ion. An awful deed I 0 mother!<br />
less haply it is right we should.<br />
Athena. Fly not! I am no foe ye seek to shun, but<br />
Cr. Fear held me captive, and I cast thy life away, alike in Athens and this place your kindly friend.<br />
my child; I would, though loth, have slain thee too. 'Tis I, Pallas, after whom your land is named, that<br />
Ion. Thou too wert all but slain by me most im am here, by Apollo sent in headlong haste; for he<br />
piously.<br />
thought not fit to appear before you twain, lest his<br />
Cr. 0 the horror of all I suffered then! 0 the hor coming might provoke reproaches for the past; but<br />
ror of what is to follow now! To and fro from bad to me he sends to proclaim to you his words, how that<br />
good we toss, though now the gale is shifting round. this is thy mother, and Apollo thy sire; while thy<br />
May it remain steady I the past brought sorrows self he doth bestow, as seems him good, not indeed<br />
enough; but now hath a fair breeze sprung up, my on him that begat thee, nay, but that he may bring<br />
son, to waft us out of woe.<br />
thee to a house of high repute. For when this matter<br />
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