Oh Nymphs, ye virgins who are so dear to me, how am I to approach him? how can I escape the sight of this Scythian? And Echo, thou who reignest in the inmost recesses of the caves, oh! favour my cause and permit me to approach my spouse. A pitiless ruffian has chained up the most unfortunate of mortal maids. Alas! I bad barely escaped the filthy claws of an old fury, when another mischance overtook me! This Scythian does not take his eye off me and he has exposed me as food for the crows. Alas! what is to become of me, alone here and without friends! I am not seen mingling in the dances nor in the games of my companions, but heavily loaded with fetters I am given over to the voracity of a Glaucetes. Sing no bridal hymn for me, oh women, but rather the hymn of captivity, and in tears. Ah! how Isuffer! great gods! how I suffer! Alas! alas! and through my own relatives too! My misery would make Tartarus dissolve into tears!
Alas! in my terrible distress, I implore the mortal who first shaved me and depilated me, then dressed me in this long robe, and then sent me to this Temple into the midst of the women, to save me. Oh!
thou pitiless Fate! I am then accursed, great gods! Ah! who would not be moved at the sight of the appalling tortures under which Isuccumb? Would that the blazing shaft of the lightning would wither.... this barbarian for me! The immortal light has no further charm for my eyes since I have been descending the shortest path to the dead, tied up, strangled, and maddened with pain.
(In the following scene EURIPIDES, from off stage, impersonates Echo.)EURIPIDES
Hail! beloved girl. As for your father, Cepheus, who has exposed you in this guise, may the gods annihilate him.
MNESILOCHUS
And who are you whom my misfortunes have moved to pity?
EURIPIDES
I am Echo, the nymph who repeats all she hears. It was I, who last year lent my help to Euripides in this very place. But, my child, give yourself up to the sad laments that belong to your pitiful condition.
MNESILOCHUS
And you will repeat them?
EURIPIDES
I will not fail you. Begin.
MNESILOCHUS (singing)
"Oh! thou divine Night! how slowly thy chariot threads its way through the starry vault, across the sacred realms of the Air and mighty Olympus."EURIPIDES (singing)
Mighty Olympus.
MNESILOCHUS (singing)
"Why is it necessary that Andromeda should have all the woes for her share?
EURIPIDES (singing)
For her share.
MNESILOCHUS (speaking)
"Sad death!
EURIPIDES
Sad death!
MNESILOCHUS
You weary me, old babbler.
EURIPIDES
Old babbler.
MNESILOCHUS
Oh! you are too unbearable.
EURIPIDES
Unbearable.
MNESILOCHUS
Friend, let me talk by myself. Do please let me. Come, that's enough.
EURIPIDES
That's enough.
MNESILOCHUS
Go and hang yourself!
EURIPIDES
Go and hang yourself!
MNESILOCHUS
What a plague!
EURIPIDES
What a plague!
MNESILOCHUS
Cursed brute!
EURIPIDES
Cursed brute!
MNESILOCHUS
Beware of blows!
EURIPIDES
Beware of blows!
SCYTHIAN
Hullo! what are you jabbering about?
EURIPIDES
What are you jabbering about?
SCYTHIAN
I shall go and call the Magistrates.
EURIPIDES
I shall go and call the Magistrates.
SCYTHIAN
This is odd!
EURIPIDES
This is odd!
SCYTHIAN
Whence comes this voice?
EURIPIDES
Whence comes this voice?
SCYTHIAN
You are mad.
EURIPIDES
You are mad.
SCYTHIAN
Ah! beware!
EURIPIDES
Ah! beware!
SCYTHIAN (to MNESILOCHUS)
Are you mocking me?
EURIPIDES
Are you mocking me?
MNESILOCHUS
No, it's this woman, who stands near you.
EURIPIDES
Who stands near you.
SCYTHIAN
Where is the hussy!
MNESILOCHUS
She's running away.
SCYTHIAN
Where are you running to?
EURIPIDES
Where are you running to?
SCYTHIAN
You shall not get away.
EURIPIDES
You shall not get away.
SCYTHIAN
You are chattering still?
EURIPIDES
You are chattering still?
SCYTHIAN
Stop the hussy.
EURIPIDES
Stop the hussy.
SCYTHIAN
What a babbling, cursed woman!
(EURIPIDES now enters, costumed as Perseus.)EURIPIDES
"Oh! ye gods! to what barbarian land has my swift flight taken me?
I am Perseus; I cleave the plains of the air with my winged feet, and I am carrying the Gorgon's head to Argos."SCYTHIAN
What, are you talking about the head of Gorgos, the scribe?
EURIPIDES
No, I am speaking of the head of the Gorgon.
SCYTHIAN
Why, yes! of Gorgos!
EURIPIDES
"But what do I behold? A young maiden, beautiful as the immortals, chained to this rock like a vessel in port?"MNESILOCHUS
"Take pity on me, oh stranger! I am so unhappy and distraught!
Free me from these bonds."
SCYTHIAN
You keep still! a curse upon your impudence! you are going to die, and yet you will be chattering!
EURIPIDES
"Oh! virgin! I take pity on your chains."SCYTHIAN
But this is no virgin; he's an old rogue, a cheat and a thief.
EURIPIDES
You have lost your wits, Scythian. This is Andromeda, the daughter of Cepheus.
SCYTHIAN (lifting up MNESILOCHUS' robe)
But look at his tool; it's pretty big.
EURIPIDES
Give me your hand, that I may descend near this young maiden. Each man has his own particular weakness; as for me I am aflame with love for this virgin.
SCYTHIAN
Oh! I'm not jealous; and as he has his arse turned this way, why, I don't care if you make love to him.
EURIPIDES
"Ah! let me release her, and hasten to join her on the bridal couch."SCYTHIAN
If you are so eager to make the old man, you can bore through the plank, and so get at him.
EURIPIDES
No, I will break his bonds.
SCYTHIAN
Beware of my lash!
EURIPIDES
No matter.
SCYTHIAN
This blade shall cut off your head.
EURIPIDES
