Page:Tragedies of Euripides (Way 1894) v1.djvu/115

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Woman, of thy tempestuous-railing tongue. 525
I—for thy kindness tower-high thou pilest—
Deem Kypris saviour of my voyaging,
Her, and none other or of Gods or men.
A subtle wit thou hast—what need to force me
To tell the tale how Love, by strong compulsion 530
Of shafts unerring, made thee save my life?
Yet take I not account too strict thereof;
For, in that thou didst save me, thou didst well.
Howbeit, more hast thou received than given
Of this my safety, as my words shall prove:— 535
First, then, in Hellas dwell'st thou, in the stead
Of land barbaric, knowest justice, learnest
To live by law without respect of force.
And all the Greeks have heard thy wisdom's fame.
Renown is thine: but if on earth's far bourn 540
Thou dwelledst yet, thou hadst not lived in story.
Now mine be neither gold mine halls within,
Nor sweeter song be mine than Orpheus sang,
If my fair fortune be to fame unknown.
Thus far of my great labours have I spoken,— 545
Since thou flung'st down this challenge to dispute:—
But, for thy railings on my royal marriage,
Herein will I show, first, that wise I was;
Then, temperate; third, to thee the best of friends
And to my children—nay, but hear me out. 550
When I came hither from Iolkos-land
With many a desperate fortune in my train,
What happier treasure-trove could I have found
Than to wed—I, an exile—with a princess?
Not—where it galls thee—loathing couch of thine, 555
And for a new bride smitten with desire,
Nor eager I to multiply mine offspring;—