_Nurse:_ O child of mine, These sad outpourings of thy maddened heart Restrain, quench passion's fire, and curb thy grief. Show now that thou art wife of Hercules. _Deianira:_ Shall captive Iole unto my sons Give brothers, and a lowly slave become The daughter-in-law of Jove? In common course Will fire and rushing torrent never run; 280 The thirsty Bear will never taste the sea-- And never shall my woes go unavenged. Though thou didst bear the vasty heavens up, Though all the world is debtor unto thee, 'Twill not avail thee now, for thou shalt find A monster greater far than Hydra's rage, An angry wife's revenge, awaiting thee. The flames that leap from Aetna's top to heaven 285 Burn not so fiercely as my passion's fire Which shall outvie whate'er thou hast o'ercome. Shall then a captive slave usurp my bed? Before, I feared the monsters dire; but now, Those pests have vanished quite, and in their stead This hated rival comes. O mighty God, 290 Of all gods ruler, O thou lustrous Sun, 'Tis only in his perils, then, it seems, Have I been wife to Hercules. The gods Have granted to the captive all my prayers; For her behoof have I been fortunate. Ye heard, indeed, my prayers, O gods of heaven, And Hercules is safe returned--for her! 295 O grief, that no revenge can satisfy, Seek out some dreadful means of punishment, By man unthought of and unspeakable. Teach Juno's self how slight her hatred is. She knows not how to rage. O Hercules, For me didst thou thy mighty battles wage; For me did Acheloüs dye his waves 300 With his own blood in mortal strife with thee, When now a writhing serpent he became, Now to a threatening bull he turned himself, And thou a thousand beasts didst overcome In one sole enemy. But now, alas, Am I no longer pleasing in thy sight, And this base captive is preferred to me. But this she shall not be. For that same day 305 Which ends our married joys shall end thy life. But what is this? My rage begins to fail And moderate its threats. My anger's gone. Why dost thou languish thus, O wretched grief? Wilt thou give o'er thy passion, be again The faithful, uncomplaining wife? Ah no! Why dost thou strive to check the flames of wrath? 310 Why quench its fire? Let me but keep my rage, And I shall be the peer of Hercules, And I shall need to seek no heavenly aid. But still, though all uncalled, will Juno come To guide my hands.