Racine: Phaedra

THE MISANTHROPE 311
ardly enough not to arm itself with deserved contempt for
the cruel one it, alas! loves too much. [To Celimhie.]
Ah ! faithless woman, you well know how to take advan-
tage of my weakness, and to make the deep yearning love
I have for you serve your own ends. Clear yourself at least
of a crime which overwhelms me with grief, and cease to
affect to be guilty towards me. Show me, if you can, that
this letter is innocent ; strive to appear faithful to me, and
I will strive to believe you.
Celimene. Believe me, you forget yourself in your jealous fits,
and you do not deserve all the love I feel for you. I should
like to know what could compel me to condescend to the
baseness of dissembling with you ; and why, if my heart
were engaged to another, I should not frankly tell you so.
What !
does not the kind assurance of my feelings towards
you, plead my defence against all your suspicions? Have
they any weight before such a pledge? Do you not insult
me when you give way to them ? And since it requires so
great an effort for us to speak our love ; since the honor of
our sex, that enemy to love, so strictly forbids such a con-
fession, should the lover who sees us for his sake conquer
such obstacles, think lightly of that testimony, and go un»
punished ? Is he not to blame if he does not trust what we
have confessed with so much reluctance? Indeed, my in-
dignation should be the reward of such doubts, and you do
not deserve that I should care for you. I am very foolish,
and am vexed at my own folly for still retaining any good-
will towards you. I ought to place my affections else-
where, and thus give you just excuse for complaint.
Alceste. Ah, faithless woman !
ness for you ! You
How
wonderful is my weak-
deceive me, no doubt, with such en-
dearing words. But let it be ; I must submit to my destiny
I give myself heart and soul to you. I trust you. I will to
the end see what your heart will prove to be, and if it can be
cruel enough to deceive me.
Celimene. No ;
Alceste. Ah !
you do not love me as you ought to love.
nothing can be compared with my exceeding
great love ; and in my anxiety to make the whole world a
witness to it, I even go so far as to form wishes against you.
Yes, I could wish that no one thought you charming ; that