Go　you；　prepare
  Within　the　temple　what　the　rites　require。
  Unhappy　youths；　what　mother　brought　you　forth；
  Your　father　who？　Your　sister；　if　perchance
  Ye　have　a　sister；　of　what　youths　deprived？
  For　brother　she　shall　have　no　more。　Who　knows
  Whom　such　misfortunes　may　attend？　For　dark
  What　the　gods　will　creeps　on；　and　none　can　tell
  The　ills　to　come：　this　fortune　from　the　sight
  Obscures。　But；　O　unhappy　strangers；　say；
  Whence　came　you？　Sail'd　you　long　since　for　this　land？
  But　long　will　be　your　absence　from　your　homes；
  For　ever；　in　the　dreary　realms　below。
  ORESTES
  Lady；　whoe'er　thou　art；　why　for　these　things
  Dost　thou　lament？　why　mourn　for　ills；　which　soon
  Will　fall　on　us？　Him　I　esteem　unwise；
  Who；　when　he　sees　death　near；　tries　to　o'ercome
  Its　terrors　with　bewailings；　without　hope
  Of　safety：　ill　he　adds　to　ill；　and　makes
  His　folly　known；　yet　dies。　We　must　give　way
  To　fortune；　therefore　mourn　not　thou　for　us：
  We　know；　we　are　acquainted　with　your　rites。
  IPHIGENIA
  Which　of　you　by　the　name　of　Pylades
  Is　call'd？　This　first　it　is　my　wish　to　know。
  ORESTES
  If　aught　of　pleasure　that　may　give　thee；　he。
  IPHIGENIA
  A　native　of　what　Grecian　state；　declare。
  ORESTES
  What　profit　knowing　this　wouldst　thou　obtain？
  IPHIGENIA
  And　are　you　brothers；　of　one　mother　born？
  ORESTES
  Brothers　by　friendship；　lady；　not　by　birth。
  IPHIGENIA
  To　thee　what　name　was　by　thy　father　given？
  ORESTES
  With　just　cause　I　Unhappy　might　be　call'd。
  IPHIGENIA
  I　ask　not　that；　to　fortune　that　ascribe。
  ORESTES
  Dying　unknown；　rude　scoffs　I　shall　avoid。
  IPHIGENIA
  Wilt　thou　refuse？　Why　are　thy　thoughts　so　high？
  ORESTES
  My　body　thou　mayst　kill；　but　not　my　name。
  IPHIGENIA
  Wilt　thou　not　say　a　native　of　what　state？
  ORESTES
  The　question　naught　avails；　since　I　must　die。
  IPHIGENIA
  What　hinders　thee　from　granting　me　this　grace？
  ORESTES
  The　illustrious　Argos　I　my　country　boast。
  IPHIGENIA
  By　the　gods；　stranger；　is　thy　birth　from　thence？
  ORESTES
  My　birth　is　from　Mycenae；　once　the　bless'd。
  IPHIGENIA
  Dost　thou　an　exile　fly；　or　by　what　fate？
  ORESTES
  Of　my　free　will；　in　part　not　free；　I　fly。
  IPHIGENIA
  Wilt　thou　then　tell　me　what　I　wish　to　know？
  ORESTES
  Whate'er　is　foreign　to　my　private　griefs。
  IPHIGENIA
  To　my　dear　wish　from　Argos　art　thou　come。
  ORESTES
  Not　to　my　wish；　but　if　to　thine；　enjoy　it。
  IPHIGENIA
  Troy；　whose　fame　spreads　so　wide；　perchance　thou　know'st。
  ORESTES
  O　that　I　ne'er　had　known　her；　ev'n　in　dreams！
  IPHIGENIA
  They　say　she　is　no　more；　by　war　destroy'd。
  ORESTES
  It　is　so：　you　have　heard　no　false　reports。
  IPHIGENIA
  Is　Helena　with　Menelaus　return'd？
  ORESTES
  She　is；　and　one　I　love　her　coming　rues。
  IPHIGENIA
  Where　is　she？　Me　too　she　of　old　hath　wrong'd。
  ORESTES
  At　Sparta　with　her　former　lord　she　dwells。
  IPHIGENIA
  By　Greece；　and　not　by　me　alone　abhorr'd！
  ORESTES
  I　from　her　nuptials　have　my　share　of　grief。
  IPHIGENIA
  And　are　the　Greeks；　as　Fame　reports；　return'd？
  ORESTES
  How　briefly　all　things　dost　thou　ask　at　once！
  IPHIGENIA
  This　favour；　ere　thou　die；　I　wish　to　obtain。
  ORESTES
  Ask；　then：　since　such　thy　wish；　I　will　inform　thee。
  IPHIGENIA
  Calchas；　a　prophet；…came　he　back　from　Troy？
  ORESTES
  He　perish'd　at　Mycenae　such　the　fame。
  IPHIGENIA
  Goddess　revered！　But　doth　Ulysses　live？
  ORESTES
  He　lives；　they　say；　but　is　not　yet　return'd。
  IPHIGENIA
  Perish　the　wretch；　nor　see　his　country　more！
  ORESTES
  Wish　him　not　ill；　for　all　with　him　is　ill。
  IPHIGENIA
  But　doth　the　son　of　sea…born　Thetis　live？
  ORESTES
  He　lives　not：　vain　his　nuptial　rites　at　Aulis。
  IPHIGENIA
  That　all　was　fraud；　as　those　who　felt　it　say。
  ORESTES
  But　who　art　thou；　inquiring　thus　of　Greece？
  IPHIGENIA
  I　am　from　thence；　in　early　youth　undone。
  ORESTES
  Thou　hast　a　right　to　inquire　what　there　hath　pass'd。
  IPHIGENIA
  What　know'st　thou　of　the　chief；　men　call　the　bless'd？
  ORESTES
  Who？　Of　the　bless'd　was　not　the　chief　I　knew。
  IPHIGENIA
  The　royal　Agamemnon；　son　of　Atreus。
  ORESTES
  Of　him　I　know　not；　lady；　cease　to　ask。
  IPHIGENIA
  Nay；　by　the　gods；　tell　me；　and　cheer　my　soul。
  ORESTES
  He's　dead；　the　unhappy　chief：　no　single　ill。
  IPHIGENIA
  Dead！　By　what　adverse　fate？　O　wretched　me！
  ORESTES
  Why　mourn　for　this？　How　doth　it　touch　thy　breast？
  IPHIGENIA
  The　glories　of　his　former　state　I　mourn。
  ORESTES
  Dreadfully　murdered　by　a　woman's　hand。
  IPHIGENIA
  How　wretched　she　that　slew　him；　he　thus　slain！
  ORESTES
  Now　then　forbear：　of　him　inquire　no　more。
  IPHIGENIA
  This　only：　lives　the　unhappy　monarch's　wife？
  ORESTES
  She；　lady；　is　no　more；　slain　by　her　son。
  IPHIGENIA
  Alas；　the　ruin'd　house！　What　his　intent？
  ORESTES
  To　avenge　on　her　his　noble　father　slain。
  IPHIGENIA
  An　ill；　but　righteous　deed；　how　justly　done！
  ORESTES
  Though　righteous；　by　the　gods　be　is　not　bless'd。
  IPHIGENIA
  Hath　Agamemnon　other　offspring　left？
  ORESTES
  He　left　one　virgin　daughter；　named　Electra。
  IPHIGENIA
  Of　her　that　died　a　victim　is　aught　said？
  ORESTES
  This　only；　dead；　she　sees　the　light　no　more。
  IPHIGENIA
  Unhappy　she！　the　father　too　who　slew　her！
  ORESTES
  For　a　bad　woman　she　unseemly　died。
  IPHIGENIA
  At　Argos　lives　the　murdered　father's　son？
  ORESTES
  Nowhere　he　lives；　poor　wretch！　and　everywhere。
  IPHIGENIA
  False　dreams；　farewell；　for　nothing　you　import。
  ORESTES
  Nor　are　those　gods；　that　have　the　name　of　wise；
  Less　false　than　fleeting　dreams。　In　things　divine；
  And　in　things　human；　great　confusion　reigns。
  One　thing　is　left；　that；　not　unwise　of　soul；
  Obedient　to　the　prophet's　voice　he　perish'd；
  For　that　he　perish'd；　they　who　know　report。
  LEADER
  What　shall　we　know；　what　of　our　parents　know？
  If　yet　they　live　or　not；　who　can　inform　us？
  IPHIGENIA
  Hear　me：　this　converse　prompts　a　thought；　which　gives
  Promise　of　good；　ye　youths　of　Greece；　to　you；
  To　these；　and　me：　thus　may　it　well　be　done；
  If；　willing　to　my　purpose；　all　assent。
  Wilt　thou；　if　I　shall　save　thee；　go　for　me
  A　messenger　to　Argos；　to　my　friends
  Charged　with　a　letter；　which　a　captive　wrote；
  Who　pitied　me；　nor　murderous　thought　my　hand；
  But　that　he　died　beneath　the　law；　these　rites
  The　goddess　deeming　just？　for　from　that　hour
  I　have　not　found　who　might　to　Argos　bear
  Himself　my　message；　back　with　life　return'd；
  Or　send　to　any　of　my　friends　my　letter。
  Thou；　therefore；　since　it　seems　thou　dost　not　bear
  Ill…will　to　me；　and　dost　Mycenae　know；
  And　those　I　wish　to　address；　be　safe；　and　live；
  No　base　reward　for　a　light　letter；　life
  Receiving；　and　let　him；　since　thus　the　state
  Requires；　without　thee　to　the　goddess　bleed。
  ORESTES
  Virgin　unknown；　well　hast　thou　said　in　all
  Save　this；　that　to　the　goddess　he　should　bleed
  A　victim；　that　were　heavy　grief　indeed。
  I　steer'd　the　vessel　to　these　ills；　he　sail'd
  Attendant　on　my　toils：　to　gain　thy　grace
  By　his　destruction；　and　withdraw　myself
  From　sufferings；　were　unjust：　thus　let　it　be：
  Give　him　the　letter；　to　fulfil　thy　wish；
  To　Argos　he　will　bear　it：　me　let　him
  Who　claims　that　office；　slay：　base　is　his　soul；
  Who　in　calamities　involves　his　friends；
  And　saves　himself；　this　is　a　friend；　whose　life；
  Dear　to　me　as　my　own；　I　would　preserve。
  IPHIGENIA
  Excellent　spirit！　from　some　noble　root
  It　shows　thee　sprung；　and　to　thy　friends　a　friend
  Sincere；　of　those　that　share　my　blood　if　one
  Remains；　such　may　he　be！　for　I　am　not
  Without　a　brother；　strangers；　from　my　sight
  Though　distant　now。　Since　then　thy　wish　is　such；
  Him　will　I　send　to　Argos；　he　shall　bear
  My　letter；　thou　shalt　die；　for　this　desire
  Hath　strong　possession　of　thy　noble　soul。
  ORESTES
  Who　then　shall　do　the　dreadful　deed；　and　slay　me？
  IPHIGENIA
  I：　to　atone　the　goddess　is　my　charge。
  ORESTES
  A　charge　unenvied；　virgin；　and　unbless'd。
  IPHIGENIA
  Necessity　constrains：　I　must　obey。
  ORESTES
  Wilt　thou；　a　woman；　plunge　the　sword　in　men？
  IPHIGENIA
  No：　but　thy　locks　to　sprinkle　round　is　mine。
  ORESTES
  Whose　then；　if　I　may　ask；　the　bloody　deed？
  IPHIGENIA
  To　some　within　the　temple　this　belongs。
  ORESTES
  What　tomb　is　destined　to　receive　my　corse？
  IPHIGENIA
  The　hal