ANTISTROPHE I. But Earth begets no monster dire Than man's own heart more dreaded, All-venturing woman's dreadful ire,[n46] When love to woe is wedded. No mate with mate there gently dwells, There peace and joy depart, Where loveless love triumphant swells, In fearless woman's heart. STROPHE II. This the light-witted may not know, The wise shall understand, Who hear the tale from age to age, How Thestios' daughter, wild with rage,[n47] Lighted the fatal brand, The brand that burned with conscious flashes At the cry of her new-born son; And, when the brand had burned to ashes, His measured course was run. ANTISTROPHE II. And yet a tale of bloody love From hoary eld I know, How Scylla gay, in gold arrayed,[n48] The gift of Minos old, betrayed Her father to the foe. Sleeping all careless as he lay, She cut the immortal hair, And Hermes bore his life away, From the bold and blushless fair. {118} STROPHE III. Ah me! not far needs fancy range For tales of harshest wrong: Here, even here, damned wedlock thrives, And lawless loves are strong. Within these halls, where blazes now No holy hearth, a bloody vow Against her liege lord's life She vowed; and he, the king divine, Whose look back-drove the bristling line, Bled by a woman's knife. ANTISTROPHE III. O woman! woman! Lemnos saw[n49] Your jealous fountains flow, And, when the worst of woes is named, It is a Lemnian woe. From age to age the infected tale, Far echoed by a wandering wail, To East and West shall go; And honor from the threshold hies, On which the doom god-spoken lies;[n50] Speak I not wisely so? STROPHE IV. Right through the heart shall pierce the blow, When Justice is the sinner's foe, With the avenging steel; In vain with brief success they strove, Who trampled on the law of Jove, With unregarding heel. ANTISTROPHE IV. Firm is the base of Justice. Fate, With whetted knife, doth eager wait At hoary Murder's door; The Fury, with dark-bosomed ire, Doth send the son a mission dire, To clear the parent's score. [_Enter_ ORESTES. ORESTES. What, ho! dost hear no knocking? boy! within! Is none within, boy? ho! dost hear me call {119} The third time at thy portal? Is Ægisthus A man, whose ears are deaf to the strangers' cry? SERVANT. (_appearing at the door_) Enough. I hear thee. Who thou, and whence?