Page:Tragedies of Seneca (1907) Miller.djvu/319

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Atreus: ⁠Some greater evil lurks within my soul,
And, monstrous, swells beyond all human bounds,
My sluggish hands impelling to the deed.
I know not what it is; but this I know,
That 'tis some monstrous deed. So let it be. 270
Haste thee and do this deed, O soul of mine!
'Tis worthy of Thyestes—and of me.
Let both perform it then. The Odrysian house
Was wont to look on feasts unspeakable—
A monstrous thing, 'tis true, but long ago
Performed. This grief of mine some greater sin 275
Must find to feed upon. Do thou inspire
My heart, O Daulian Procne, who didst know
A mother's and a sister's feelings too.
Our cause is similar. Assist thou then,
And nerve my hand to act. Let once again
A sire with joyous greed his children rend,
And hungrily devour their flesh. 'Tis good,
'Tis quite enough. This mode of punishment
So far doth please me well. But where is he? 280
Why do the hands of Atreus rest so long
Inactive? Even now before mine eyes
The perfect image of the slaughter comes;
I seem to see the murdered children heaped
Before their father's face. O timid (soul,
Why dost thou fear? Why droops thy courage now
Before the deed is done? Then up, and dare.
Of this mad crime the most revolting part 285
Thyestes' self shall do.
Attendant: ⁠But by what wiles
Shall we unto our snares entice his feet?
For he doth count us all his enemies.
Atreus: ⁠He never could be taken, were his will
Not bent on taking too. E'en now he hopes
To take my kingdom from me. In this hope,
He'll rush against the bolts of threat'ning Jove; 290
This hope will make him brave the whirlpools' wrath,
And sail within the treacherous Libyan shoals;
On this hope stayed, the greatest ill of all