Though thou shouldst be consumed in my death,
But lift and bear me forth; and, if thou mayest,
Set me where no one of mankind shall see me. 
But if thy heart withhold thee, yet convey me
Out of this land as quickly as ye may. 
Let me not die where I am now.’  We then,
Thus urgently commanded, laid him down
Within our bark, and hardly to this shore
Rowed him convulsed and roaring.—­Presently,
He will appear, alive or lately dead. 
  Such, mother, is the crime thou hast devised
And done against our sire, wherefore let Right
And Vengeance punish thee!—­May I pray so? 
I may:  for thou absolv’st me by thy deed,
Thou that hast slain the noblest of the Earth,
Thy spouse, whose like thou ne’er wilt see again. [Exit DEANIRA.

CH.  Why steal’st thou forth in silence?  Know’st thou not
Thy silence argues thine accuser’s plea?

HYL.  Let her go off.  Would that a sudden flood
Might sweep her far and swiftly from mine eye! 
Why fondle vainly the fair-sounding name
Of mother, when her acts are all unmotherly? 
Let her begone for me:  and may she find
Such joy as she hath rendered to my sire! [Exit HYLLUS

CHORUS. 
        See where falls the doom, of old I 1
        By the unerring Voice foretold,—­
        ’When twelve troublous years have rolled,
        Then shall end your long desire: 
        Toil on toil no more shall tire
        The offspring of the Eternal Sire.’ 
        Lo! the destined Hour is come! 
        Lo! it hath brought its burden home. 
    For when the eyes have looked their last
    How should sore labour vex again? 
    How, when the powers of will and thought are past,
    Should life be any more enthralled to pain?

        And if Nessus’ withering shroud, I 2
        Wrought by destiny and craft,
        Steep him in a poisonous cloud. 
        Steaming from the venomed shaft,
        Which to Death in hideous lair
        The many-wreathed Hydra bare,
        How shall he another day
        Feel the glad warmth of Helios’ ray?—­
    Enfolded by the Monster-Thing
    Of Lerna, while the cruel sting
    Of the shagg’d Centaur’s murderous-guileful tongue
    Breaks forth withal to do him painful wrong.

        And she, poor innocent, who saw II 1
          Checkless advancing to the gate
          A mighty harm unto her state,—­
    This rash young bridal without fear of law,—­
    Gave not her will to aught that caused this woe,
      But since it came through that strange mind’s conceiving,—­
      That ruined her in meeting,—­deeply grieving,
    She mourns with dewy tears in tenderest flow. 
    The approaching hour appeareth great with woe: 
    Some guile-born misery doth Fate foreshow.