Andromache by Gilbert Murray (free reads txt) 📕

face her!

Orestes.

Whom has she chiefly hurt?

Priest.

Men say she has waked the dead Hector to come to her across the seas!  [He shudders.]  But for the King, we should have judged her long ago.

Orestes.

Does the new Queen hate her?

Priest.

Has she not blighted the womb of the Queen? There is no heir to Achilles in Achilles' land!

Orestes.

And does Pyrrhus sit still while his Queen is thus wronged?

Priest.

Cannot a witch blind the eyes? He can see nothing, and will hearken to nothing. Even now he has taken the Trojan woman's bastard with him.

Orestes.

Is Pyrrhus away from the land? Where?

Priest.

He has gone hunting in the hills yonder—[pointing]—and down to the fields of the Napæans.

Orestes.

When should he return?

Priest.

To-day, it may be—it is the fifth day of the hunt; or perchance the game may keep him some time yet.   [Enter Alcimedon, l., an old man with spears but no armour; he carries a bunch of violets for Thetis.]  The witch woman is mad lest any hurt come to the boy!

Alcimedon.

Health to you, Priest, and discretion to your tongue!

Priest.

Health I accept, Alcimedon,—discretion to them that need it!

Orestes.

[To the Priest.]  Why, what should bring hurt to the lad?

Alcimedon.

[Carelessly, passing on.]  Jealousy stranger. Priests and barren women!

[He passes on to the altar, and then to the rock, where he puts his violets.

Priest.

Jealousy!

Orestes.

[Involuntarily.]  Hermione would never plot against the boy!

[He makes an angry movement after Alcimedon.

Priest.

What jealousy? What need to be jealous of him? He is no true heir. We have a King, and we have a Queen, both of the blood of Zeus, both our true rulers, but heir there is none.

Alcimedon.

[Seeing and handling the gold link.]  Ye golden gods, have the sons of Pactôlus us come to Phthia?

Orestes.

[In sudden anger.]  The curse of the crawling lichen on the man who moves that gold!

Alcimedon.

On your own head!  [Throws gold quickly down.]  Who are you, stranger, to curse one that has done you no wrong?

Orestes.

I check the wrong before it is done. And I tell not my name save to my host after I have eaten and slept.

Alcimedon.

If you come to teach your manners to the Myrmidons, by Thetis! you shall learn theirs first. Is the stranger yours, O Priest?

Orestes.

I have broken no man's bread nor touched his hand. [Defiantly.]  What see you more?

Alcimedon.

Why is he so bold? Has he sanctuary with Thetis?

Orestes.

[Lifting his two spears.]  This is my sanctuary. And there is more gold for the man that will break through it.

Priest.

Stay! Slay not the stranger so fast, Alcimedon. Reason with him. He will give up the chain, and we will let him go in peace.

Alcimedon.

Go in peace, when he has lifted his spear against Alcimedon! How shall I look my grandchildren in the face? By Thetis! I will wash the chain with his blood!

Priest.

Beware; he has spears! It is man to man.

[Noise of footsteps. Orestes puts his back towards a rock, so that neither he nor Alcimedon sees Andromache, the Maid, and two other damsels, who enter with pitchers on their heads.

Alcimedon.

[With his eye on Orestes.]  Ha! who comes there?  [Calling to the newcomers without looking at them.]  A stranger in arms, and with gold! Ho! Myrmidons!

Andromache.

Shame on you, Alcimedon, robber of strangers!

Alcimedon.

Is it you?  [Yielding reluctantly.]  Nay, he is no man's guest; it is lawful to slay him.

Andromache.

He is mine.  [To Orestes.]  Stranger, give me your right hand. [To Alcimedon.]  He is my guest.

Orestes.

[Still stormy and excited.]  Shall I take a woman's hand for fear of this old loon? My spear-blade is dry and has not drunk.

Priest.

Stranger, you are alone; a wise man chooses peace, and not war.

Orestes.

Alone? As a wolf among sheep is alone. When he slays first the dog—[pointing spear at Alcimedon]—and bleeds the sheep as he will!

Andromache.

And who will be the better when he has bled them? Nay, old friend—[to Alcimedon, who wants to break in; then to Orestes again]—though you slay us all, you have but lost the food and shelter we had given you; and the shedder of blood escapes not the Dread Watchers.

Orestes.

[Who had been cooling, starts and threatens her.]  What know you of the Dread Watchers?

Andromache.

And there is little glory in the slaying of a woman, and little gain.

Orestes.

[Wildly.]  What woman? Who are you that taunt me? Priest, is this your witch?

Alcimedon.

[Angrily.]  She is no witch! You lie, both stranger and priest!

Andromache.

I am a bondwoman of the King.

Alcimedon.

Andromache, once wife of Hector, Prince of Troy.

Orestes.

And am I to be the guest of a bondwoman?

Andromache.

There are others of free estate who will take you in. I only sought to save men's lives.

Orestes.

What worth are men's lives? I will be guest to none but the King.

Andromache.

One of these will guide you, when you will, to Pyrrhus' castle.

Orestes.

[Relaxing suddenly.]  Oh, let me be.

[He sits down on a rock, and buries his face in his hands.

Andromache.

[To Alcimedon.]  The man is very weary and sore at heart, Alcimedon.

Priest.

It may be he is mad. It is well we hurt him not.

Alcimedon.

Banishment may make a man well-nigh mad. I remember the year of my own manslaying.

Andromache.

Perchance he has been long alone in the forests. Take him and give him food and drink.

Alcimedon.

The priest can take him. I want no more of the man.

Orestes.

[Wearily.]  Nay, touch me not. Leave me awhile.

Priest.

[To the others.]  It is well. Make your prayers.

Andromache.

[Approaching the altar, and praying with upstretched hands.]  Greeting to thee and joy, Thetis, mother of all Phthia. Give us peace in this land; and grant that my son Molossus return safe, and grow to give joy to thee and all this house!

Alcimedon.

[In the same way.]  Joy to thee, Thetis! Accept my offerings, and grant that my arms keep strong, and that I find the man whose swine have trampled my barley field.

Maid.

It will be a long day before Thetis grants you that, old man.

Alcimedon.

[Grumbling.]  If I only knew of any one that knew!

Priest.

[To First Maid.]  Have you a prayer to make?

Maid.

[Taking offerings from other Maids to add to her own.]  Hail, Thetis! and may joy be ever with thee! Accept these offerings from the bondmaidens Aithra, and Pholoe, and Deianassa; and grant all good things to them and theirs. [A pause.

Alcimedon.

The jade! She is praying in silence! Ho, stop her, Priest! [The others giggle.

Maid.

'Tis as good as a witch's prayer, at the worst!

Alcimedon.

[Taking hold of her and threatening her with the shaft of his spear.]  Say it aloud, now! Say what it was!

Maid.

I won't! I won't! Let me be. It was no harm.

Andromache.

Let her be.

Alcimedon.

Swear it was nothing touching me, nor my crops, nor those swine!

Maid.

By Thetis! I think not of you, nor your crops nor your swine!

Orestes.

[Recovering from his reverie.]  Well, lead me in. I will be the guest of any that will take me.

Priest.

You have given an offering, stranger; you may pray if you will.

Orestes.

I—to Thetis! No! Yet perhaps——  [Going up to altar.]  Hail, Thetis! I have given thee an offering of many oxen's price, and many more will I give if thou hinder me not of my desires.

Alcimedon.

A vile prayer, a very dangerous prayer! He might as well have prayed silently. I will not take the man; the Priest may take him. [The Priest goes towards Orestes.

Orestes.

[Looking about and scanning the faces.]  I will be this bondwoman's guest.

Andromache.

So be it, stranger. [The Priest moves anxiously towards Orestes.] And perchance the Priest will give you shelter till my work is done.

Priest.

Ay, come with me. When the King returns, it were meeter that he should take you. [Aside to Orestes.]  Beware, stranger! It is the Phrygian woman.

Orestes.

[Apart to Priest.]  She is over-wise, methinks; but not evil. I fear her not. [Coming back as though on impulse.]  I give you my hand, wife of Hector!

Andromache.

It is well, my guest. [Taking his hand.

Priest.

Till the King returns! [Exeunt Priest and Orestes r.

Alcimedon.

[As Andromache and the women draw water at the well.]  Lazy hounds, to let Hector's wife draw water! Fill her pails for her, little foxes!

First Maid.

Better she fill mine! Perhaps she knows charms for filling them.

Andromache.

It is well, fellow slave. Let our work be even.

Enter, by the path from the Castle, Hermione, with two attendants carrying libations. She does not notice the slaves.

Alcimedon.

Greeting, O Queen.

Hermione.

Greeting, old man. [Going up to the altar.]  Hail, Thetis, and have joy! Accept this wine and the blood of an ewe with two lambs that I bring to thee; and take off from me, I beseech——  [She stops, looks round, and sees Andromache, on whom she turns with vehemence.]  You? [Flings out the blood on the ground.

Alcimedon.

Queen, you have flung out the blood upon the ground!

Hermione.

What would my sacrifice profit, with that woman's eyes upon me?  [To Andromache.]  Get you back to the castle! Is the water not drawn yet?

Andromache.

I go, O Queen!

Alcimedon.

You are over-proud, my Queen, over-proud.

Hermione.

May a Queen in Phthia not give commands to her own slaves?

Maid.

[At the shrine.]  Holy Aphrodite! some one has put gold upon the shrine!

Alcimedon.

'Twas a stranger that the Priest has taken in. Have a care: the dog laid a curse on any who should move it.

Hermione.

A stranger! He comes from the South, then; from Athens, or Argos, or Mycenæ——

Alcimedon.

No, Queen, he is only an Acarnanian. But belike he has journeyed to the South.

Hermione.

That is no Acarnanian gold!  [Taking it up.]  See you the sea-beast wrought on it, with many feet? [To Maid.

Maid.

Yes, but the curse, Queen——

Hermione.

[Not heeding her.]  It brings my home back to me. In Lacedæmon we all wore chains of gold about our necks.

Maid.

Queen, the man laid a curse upon it!

Hermione.

[Putting it back.]  I meant no evil; and that dear gold of the South will never hurt me—— In Agamemnon's palace the men had gold in their armour, and even in the blades of their swords! And the gold was wrought into lions and wild bulls and trees, and strange sea-beasts like this.

Alcimedon.

A plain haft and a plain blade cuts the steadiest.

Hermione.

[Angrily.]  Bah! You deem because you are rude you are valiant, Alcimedon! The soldiers of the South were as brave as you.

Alcimedon.

[Turning away towards the maidens.]  Let not Andromache draw the water, jades!

Hermione.

Will you not draw for her yourself, old man?

Alcimedon.

I draw water!  [Drawing himself up in indignation.]  By Hermes! I care not for the tongue of a barren woman.

[Voices and the loud talk of huntsmen are heard outside.

Voice of Molossus.

Ho! Mother, Mother!

Maid.

[Looking.]  It is Molossus! And the King's huntsmen. They are coming up the path.

Alcimedon.

Already!

Hermione.

[To Andromache, who has stopped.]  Why do you wait? Have I not bidden you back to the castle? And when the hall is swept, go to your