Of Hercules by your illustrious birth
Distinguish'd, you the glories of your Sire
Thro' Greece maintain: sprung from a noble lineage,
Yet are you one among that chosen few
Who in no instance deviate from the virtues
Of your great ancestry: altho' mid thousands
Scarce is a single instance to be found
Of those who emulate their Father's worth.
CHORUS.
This country, in a just and honest cause.
Is ever prompt to succour the distrest.
Hence in it's friends' behalf bath it sustain'd
Unnumber'd toils, and now another conflict
Rightly hast thou spoken,
And in such toils I feel a conscious pride.
These benefits shall never be forgotten.
But an assembly of the citizens
I instantly will summon, and arrange
A numerous squadron, to receive the onset
Of fierce Mycene's host, first sending spies
To meet them, lest they unawares assail us.
For the bold warrior, who without delay
Goes forth to battle, keeps the foe aloof,
I also will collect the Seers, and slay
The victims but do you, old Man, meanwhile
Enter the palace with these Children, leaving
Jove's altar: for my menial train are there,
Who will with fond solicitude attend you,
Altho' I am not present: but go in.
I will not leave the altar; on this seat
We suppliants will remain, and pray to Jove,
That
But when you from this conflict are with glory
Releas'd, we to your palace will repair;
Nor are the Gods, who war on our behalf,
O King, inferior to the Gods of Argos.
For o'er that city, Jove's majestic Consort,
Juno, but here Minerva doth preside.
This I maintain, that nought ensures success
Beyond the aid of mightier Deities,
Nor will imperial Pallas be subdued.
Boast as thou wilt, and urge thy proud demand,
This nation disregards thy ire,
Thou stranger from the Argive land.
Nor can thy sounding words control
The stedfast purpose of my soul :
Great Athens, by her lovely choir
Distinguish'd, shall unstain'd preserve
Her antient glory, nor from virtue swerve ;..
But thou, devoid of wisdom, dost obey
(9) The Son of Sthenelus, the tyrant's impious sway,
(9) "Eurystheus, whose father Sthenelus was the son of Perseus and "Andromeda: hence Ovid calls him Stheneleius:
"Quem non mille feræ, quem non Stheneleius hostis,
"Non potuit Juno vincere, vicit Amor."
He whom a thousand monsters, whom his foe
The son of Sthenelus in vain pursued,
Nor e'en the wrath of Juno could o'erthrow,
Was by the shafts of love at length subdued.
"When Hercules was on the point of being born, Jupiter, in an assem"bly of the Gods, swore that there should that very day be born a "child of his race, who should rule over the neighbouring nations: Juno "hereupon descending to the earth, came to Argos, delayed the de"livery of Alcmena, and forced Archippe, wife of Sthenelus, then only 66 seven months gone with child, to bear a son afterwards called Eurys"theus; who on this account obtained the Argive throne, and ruled 66 over Hercules." BARNES.
Perseus being the son of Jupiter and Danaë, and one of Perseus'
Who com'st amidst an independent state,
In nought inferior to the strength
Of Argos, and with brutal hate
Dar'st, tho' a foreigner, to seize
The exiles, who our Deities
Implore, and in these realms at length
From their distress obtain a shield:
Thou e'en to scepter'd monarchs will not yield,
Yet no just plea thy subtle tongue hath found.
How can such conduct warp the man whose judgment's
sound?
Peace is the object of my dear delight:
But thou, O Tyrant, thou whose breast Well may I deem by frenzy is possest, If 'gainst this city thou exert thy might, Pant'st after trophies which thou ne'er shalt gain. Bearing targe and brazen lance Others with equal arms advance.
O thou, who fondly seek'st th' embattled plain, Shake not these turrets, spare the haunt Of every gentle Grace. Thou wretch, avaunt.
DEMOPHOON, IOLAUS, CHORUS.
Why com'st thou hither, O my son, with eyes
Expressive of affliction? from the foe
What recent information canst thou give?
Do they delay their march, are they at hand,
Or bring'st thou any tidings? for the threats
That Herald utter'd sure will be accomplish'd.
Blest in the favour of the Gods, the Tyrant
Exults, I know,, and arrogantly deems
sons, Electryon, father to Alcmena the mother of Hercules, that hero was doubly descended from Jupiter, both by his maternal ancestors, and by the God's amour with Alcmena.
That he o'er Athens shall prevail: but Jove
Chastises the presumptuous.
With numerous squadrons, and its king Eurystheus,
Myself beheld him. It behoves the man
Who claims the merit of an able Chief,
Not to depend upon his spies alone
To mark the foe's approach. But with his host
He hath not yet invaded these domains,
But halting on yon mountain's topmost ridge
Observes, (I from conjecture speak) the road
By which he may lead forth his troops to battle,
And where he in this realm with greatest safety
May station them. Already have I made
Each preparation to repel their onset.
The city is in arms, the victims stand.
Before the altars, with their blood t'
The wrath of every God, and due lustrations
Are sprinkled by the Seers, that o'er our foes
We may obtain a triumph, and preserve
This country. Every Prophet who expounds
The oracles, convening, have I search'd
Into each sage response of antient times,
Or public or conceal'd, on which depends
The welfare of the realm. In all beside
Differ Heaven's mandates: but one dread behest
Runs thro' the several auspices, to Ceres
They bid me sacrifice some blooming Maid
Who from a nobler Sie derives her birth. ›
Zeal have I shewn abundant in your cause,
But will not slay my Daughter, nor constrain
Any Athenian citizen to make
Such an abhorr'd oblation: for the man
Exists not, who is so devoid of reason,
As willingly to yield his children up
With his own hands. But what afflicts me most
Is this; tumultuous crowds appear; some cry,
'Tis just that we the foreign suppliants aid,
But others blame my folly. If no means
Can be devis'd to satisfy them all,
Soon will a storm of civil war arise.
See thou to this, and think of some expedient,
How ye, and how this country, may be sav'd,
Without the citizens' calumnious tongues
My fame assailing. For I rule not here
With boundless power, like a Barbarian King:
Let but my deeds be just, and in return
Shall I experience justice.
Suffer this city to exert its courage,
And aid these hapless strangers as we wish?
Our situation, O my sons, resembles
That of the Mariners, who having 'scap'd
The storm's relentless fury, when in sight
Of land, are from the coast by adverse winds
Driven back into the deep. Thus from this realm
Just as we reach the shore, like shipwreck'd men,
Are we expell'd. O inauspicious Hope,
Why didst thou soothe me with ideal joy,
Altho' it was ordain'd that thou should'st leave
Thy favours incomplete? The King deserves
At least to be excus'd, if he consent not
To slay his subjects' Daughters; to this city
My praise is due, and if the Gods would place me
In the same prosperous fortunes, from my soul
Your benefits should never be effac’d.
But now, alas! no counsel can I give
To you, my children. Whither shall we turn?
What God have we neglected? To what land
Have we not fled for shelter? We must perish,
We shall be yielded up. My being doom'd
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