MED. But injury, and thy new nuptials. JAS. And on account of thy bed didst thou think fit to slay them? MED. Dost thou deem this a slight evil to a woman? JAS. Whoever at least is modest; but in thee is every ill. MED. These are no longer living, for this will gall thee. JAS. These are living, alas me! avenging furies on thy head. MED. The Gods know who began the injury. JAS. They know indeed thy execrable mind. Meo. Thou art hateful to me, and I detest thy bitter speech. JAS. And I in sooth thine; the separation at least is without pain. MED. How then? what shall I do? for I also am very desirous. JAS. Suffer me, I beg, to bury and mourn over these dead bodies. MED. Never indeed; since I will bury them with this hand bearing them to the shrine of Juno, the Goddess guardian of the citadel, that no one of my enemies may insult them, tearing up their graves. But in this land of Sisyphus will I institute in addition to this a solemn festival and sacrifices hereafter to expiate this unhallowed murder. But I myself will go to the land of Erectheus, to dwell with Ægeus son of Pandion. But thou, wretch, as is fit, shalt die wretchedly, struck on thy head with a relic of thy ship Argo, having seen the bitter end of my marriage. JAS. But may the Fury of the children, and Justice the avenger of murder, destroy thee. MED. But what God or Deity hears thee, thou perjured man, and traitor to the rights of hospitality? JAS. Ah! thou abominable woman, and murderer of thy children. MED. Go to thy home, and bury thy wife. JAS. I go, even deprived of both my children. MED. Thou dost not yet mourn enough: stay and grow old.[45] JAS. Oh my dearest sons! MED. To their mother at least, but not to thee. JAS. And yet thou slewest them. MED. To grieve thee. JAS. Alas, alas! I hapless man long to kiss the dear mouths of my children. MED. Now them addressest, now salutest them, formerly rejecting them with scorn. JAS. Grant me, by the Gods, to touch the soft skin of my sons. MED. It is not possible. Thy words are thrown away in vain. JAS. Dost thou hear this, O Jove, how I am rejected, and what I suffer from this accursed and child-destroying lioness? But as much indeed as is in my power and I am able, I lament and mourn over these; calling the Gods to witness, that having slain my children, thou preventest me from touching them with my hands, and from burying the bodies, whom, oh that I had never begotten, and seen them thus destroyed by thee. CHOR. Jove is the dispenser of various fates in heaven, and the Gods perform many things contrary to our expectations, and those things which we looked for are not accomplished; but the God hath brought to pass things unthought of. In such manner hath this affair ended. * * * * * NOTES ON MEDEA * * * *