And fare thee well. I have no friend like thee For truth and love, O boy that played with me, And hunted on Greek hills, O thou on whom Hath lain the hardest burden of my doom! Farewell. The Prophet and the Lord of Lies Hath done his worst. Far out from Grecian skies With craft forethought he driveth me, to die Where none may mark how ends his prophecy! I trusted in his word. I gave him all My heart. I slew my mother at his call; For which things now he casts me here to die. PYLADES. Thy tomb shall fail thee not. Thy sister I Will guard for ever. I, O stricken sore, Who loved thee living and shall love thee more Dead. But for all thou standest on the brink, God's promise hath not yet destroyed thee. Think! How oft, how oft the darkest hour of ill Breaks brightest into dawn, if Fate but will! ORESTES. Enough. Nor god nor man can any more Aid me. The woman standeth at the door. [enter IPHIGENIA from the Temple.] IPHIGENIA. Go ye within; and have all things of need In order set for them that do the deed. There wait my word. [ATTENDANTS go in.] Ye strangers, here I hold The many-lettered tablet, fold on fold. Yet ... one thing still. No man, once unafraid And safe, remembereth all the vows he made In fear of death. My heart misgiveth me, Lest he who bears my tablet, once gone free, Forget me here and set my charge at naught. ORESTES. What wouldst thou, then? Thou hast some troubling thought. IPHIGENIA. His sworn oath let him give, to bear this same Tablet to Argos, to the friend I name. ORESTES. And if he give this oath, wilt thou swear too? IPHIGENIA. What should I swear to do or not to do? ORESTES. Send him from Tauris safe and free from ill. IPHIGENIA. I promise. How else could he do my will? ORESTES. The King will suffer this? IPHIGENIA. Yes: I can bend The King, and set upon his ship thy friend. ORESTES. Choose then what oath is best, and he will swear. IPHIGENIA (to PYLADES, who has come up to her). Say: "To thy friend this tablet I will bear." PYLADES (TAKING THE TABLET). Good. I will bear this tablet to thy friend. IPHIGENIA. And I save thee beyond this kingdom's end. PYLADES. What god dost thou invoke to witness this? IPHIGENIA. Her in whose house I labour, Artemis. PYLADES. And I the Lord of Heaven, eternal Zeus. IPHIGENIA. And if thou fail me, or thine oath abuse ...? PYLADES. May I see home no more. And thou, what then? IPHIGENIA. May this foot never tread Greek earth again. PYLADES. But stay: there is one chance we have forgot. IPHIGENIA. A new oath can be sworn, if this serve not. PYLADES. In one case set me free. Say I be crossed With shipwreck, and, with ship and tablet lost And all I bear, my life be saved alone: Let not this oath be held a thing undone, To curse me.