TUTOR, WITH THE SONS OF MEDEA, NURSE.

TUT.  O thou ancient possession of my mistress’s house, why dost thou stand at the gates preserving thus thy solitude, bewailing to thyself our misfortunes?  How doth Medea wish to be left alone without thee?

NUR.  O aged man, attendant on the children of Jason, to faithful servants the affairs of their masters turning out ill are a calamity, and lay hold upon their feelings.  For I have arrived at such a height of grief that desire hath stolen on me to come forth hence and tell the misfortunes of Medea to the earth and heaven.

TUT.  Does not she wretched yet receive any respite from her grief?

NUR.  I envy thy ignorance; her woe is at its rise, and not even yet at its height.

TUT.  O unwise woman, if it is allowable to say this of one’s lords, since she knows nothing of later ills.

NUR.  But what is this, O aged man? grudge not to tell me.

TUT.  Nothing:  I have repented even of what was said before.

NUR.  Do not, I beseech you by your beard, conceal it from your fellow-servant; for I will preserve silence, if it be necessary, on these subjects.

TUT.  I heard from some one who was saying, not appearing to listen, having approached the places where dice is played, where the elders sit, around the hallowed font of Pirene, that the king of this land, Creon, intends to banish from the Corinthian country these children, together with their mother; whether this report be true, however, I know not; but I wish this may not be the case.

NUR.  And will Jason endure to see his children suffer this, even although he is at enmity with their mother?

TUT.  Ancient alliances are deserted for new, and he is no friend to this family.

NUR.  We perish then, if to the old we shall add a new ill, before the former be exhausted.[4]

TUT.  But do thou, for it is not seasonable that my mistress should know this, restrain your tongue, and be silent on this report.

NUR.  O my children, do you hear what your father is toward you?  Yet may he not perish, for he is my master, yet he is found to be treacherous toward his friends.

TUT.  And what man is not? dost thou only now know this, that every one loves himself dearer than his neighbor,[5] some indeed with justice, but others even for the sake of gain, unless it be that[6] their father loves not these at least on account of new nuptials.

NUR.  Go within the house, my children, for all will be well.  But do thou keep these as much as possible out of the way, and let them not approach their mother, deranged through grief.  For but now I saw her looking with wildness in her eyes on these, as about to execute some design, nor will she cease from her fury, I well know, before she overwhelm some one with it; upon her enemies however, and not her friends, may she do some [ill.]

MEDEA. (within) Wretch that I am, and miserable on account of my misfortunes, alas me! would I might perish!