_Chor._ As she doth say, she thought she bare a snake. _Orest._ How ends the tale, and what its outcome then? _Chor._ She nursed it, like a child, in swaddling clothes. 520 _Orest._ What food did that young monster crave for then? _Chor._ She in her dream her bosom gave to it. _Orest._ How 'scaped her breast by that dread beast unhurt? _Chor._ Nay, with the milk it sucked out clots of blood. _Orest._ Ah, not in vain comes this dream from her lord. _Chor._ She, roused from sleep, cries out all terrified, And many torches that were quenched in gloom Blazed for our mistress' sake within the house. Then these libations for the dead she sends, Hoping they'll prove good medicine of ills. 530 _Orest._ Now to Earth here and my sire's tomb I pray They leave not this strange vision unfulfilled. So I expound it that it all coheres; For if, the self-same spot that I left leaving, *The snake was then wrapt in my swaddling clothes, And sucked the very breast that nourished me, And mixed the sweet milk with a clot of blood, And she in terror wailed the strange event, So must she, as that monster dread she nourished, Die cruel death: and I, thus serpentised, 540 Am here to slay her, as this dream portends; I take thee as my dream-interpreter. _Chor._ So be it; but in all else guide thy friends; *Bid some do this, some that, some nought at all. _Orest._ Simple my orders, that she [_pointing to_ ELECTRA] go within; And you, I charge you, hide these plans of mine, That they who slew a noble soul by guile, By guile may die and in the self-same snare Be caught, as Loxias gave his oracle, The king Apollo, seer that never lied: 550 For like a stranger in full harness clad Will I draw near with this man, Pylades, To the great gates, a stranger I, and he, Ally in arms. And then we both will speak Parnassian speech, and imitate the tone Of Phokian tongue. And should no porter there Give us good welcome, on the ground that now The house with ills is haunted, there we'll stay, So that a man who passeth by the house Will guess, and thus will speak, “Why drives Ægisthos The suppliant from his gate, if he's at home And knows it?” But if I should pass the threshold 560 Of the great gate, and find him seated there Upon my father's throne, or if he comes And meets me, face to face, and lifts his eyes, And drops them, then be sure, before he says, “Whence is this stranger?”—I will lay him dead, With my swift-footed brazen weapon pierced; And then Erinnys, stinted not in slaughter, Shall drink her third draught of unmingled blood.[431] Thou, then, [_to_ ELECTRA] watch well what passes in the house, 570 So that these things may dovetail close and well: And you [_to the Chorus_] I bid to keep a tongue discreet, Silent, if need be, or the right word speaking, And Him[432] [_pointing to the statue of Apollo_] I call to look upon me here,