ELECTRA. O Persephassa,[f6] send The Atridan forth, in beauty clad and strength. ORESTES. The bath that drank thy life remember, father. ELECTRA. The close-drawn meshes of thy death remember. ORESTES. The chain, not iron-linked, that bound thee, then When to the death the kingly game was hunted. ELECTRA. Then when with treacherous folds they curtained thee. ORESTES. Wake, father, wake to avenge thy speechless wrongs! ELECTRA. Lift, father, lift thy dear-loved head sublime! ORESTES. Send justice forth to work the just revenge, Like quit with like, and harm with harm repay; Thou wert the conquered then, rise now to conquer. ELECTRA. And hear this last request, my father, looking On thy twin chickens nestling by thy tomb; Pity the daughter, the male seed protect, Nor let the name revered of ancient Pelops Be blotted from the Earth! Thou art not dead, Though housed in Hades, while thy children live, For children are as echoes that prolong Their parents' fame; the floating cork are they That buoyant bear the net deep sunk in the sea. Hear, father--when we weep, we weep for thee, And, saving us, thou savest thine own honour. {115} CHORUS. Well spoken both:[n39] and worthily fall the tears On this dear tomb, too long without them. Now, If to the deed thy purpose thou hast buckled, Orestes, try what speed the gods may give thee.[n40] ORESTES. I'll do the deed. Meanwhile not idly this I ask of thee--what moved her soul to send These late libations, limping remedy For wounds that cannot heal? A sorry grace To feed the senseless dead with sacrifice, When we have killed the living. What she means I scarce may guess, but the amend is less Than the offence. All ocean poured in offering For the warm life-drops of one innocent man Is labour lost. Old truth thus speaks to all. How was it? CHORUS. That I well may tell, for I Was with her. Hideous dreams did haunt her sleep; Night-wandering terrors scared her godless breast, That she did send these gifts to soothe the Shades. ORESTES. What saw she in her dream? CHORUS. She dreamt, she said, She had brought forth a serpent. ORESTES. A serpent, say'st thou? CHORUS. Ay! and the dragon birth portentous moved, All swaddled like a boy. ORESTES. Eager for food, doubtless, the new-born monster? CHORUS. The nurturing nipple herself did fearless bare. ORESTES. How then? escaped the nipple from the bite? CHORUS. The gouted blood did taint the milk, that flowed From the wounded paps. ORESTES. No idle dream was this. And he who sent it was my father.