rage.  O sands of the neighboring shore, and mountain wood, where with the swift-footed dogs he wont to slay the wild beasts, accompanying the chaste Dian!  No more shalt thou mount the car drawn by the team of Henetian steeds, restraining with thy foot the horses in their exercise on the course round Limna.[42] And the sleepless song that used to dwell under the bridge of the chords shall cease in thy father’s house.  And the haunts of the daughter of Latona in the deep wood shall be without their garlands:  and the contest among the damsels for thy bridal bed has died away by reason of thy exile.  But I, for thy misfortunes, shall endure with tears a fortuneless fortune.[43] O unhappy mother, thou hast brought forth in vain!  Alas!  I am enraged with the Gods.  Alas! alas! united charms of marriage, wherefore send ye the unhappy one, guilty of no crime, away from his country’s land—­away from these mansions?

But lo!  I perceive a follower of Hippolytus with a sad countenance coming toward the house in haste.

MESSENGER, CHORUS.

MESS.  Ye females, whither going can I find Theseus, king of this land?  If ye know, tell me:  is he within this palace?

CHOR.  The [king] himself is coming out of the palace.

MESSENGER, THESEUS, CHORUS.

MESS.  I bring a tale that demands concern, of thee and of thy subjects, both those who inhabit the city of the Athenians, and the realms of the Troezenian land.

THES.  What is it?  Has any sudden calamity come upon the two neighboring states?

MESS.  To speak the word—­Hippolytus is no more.  He views the light however for a short moment.

THES. Killed?  By whom?  Has any come to enmity with him, whose wife, as his father’s, he has forcibly defiled?

MESS.  His own chariot slew him, and the imprecations of thy mouth, which thou didst put up to thy father, the ruler of the ocean, concerning thy son.

THES.  O ye Gods! and O Neptune! how truly then wert thou my father, when thou didst duly hear my imprecations!  Tell me too, how did he perish? in what way did the staff of Justice strike him that disgraced me?

MESS.  We indeed near the wave-beaten shore were combing out with combs the horses’ hair, weeping, for there had come a messenger saying, that Hippolytus no longer trod on this land, having from thee received the sentence of wretched banishment.  But he came bringing to us on the shore the same strain of tears:  and an innumerable throng of his friends and companions came following with him.  But at length after some time he spake, having ceased from his groans.  “Wherefore am I thus disquieted?  My father’s words must be obeyed.  My servants, yoke to my car the harnessed steeds, for this city is for me no more.”  Then indeed every man hasted, and sooner than one could speak we drew up the horses caparisoned before our master; and he seizes with his hands the reins from off the bow of the chariot,