written　her　bidding　as　to　my　marriage　and　her　children？　Take　heart；
  poor　ghost；　no　wife　henceforth　shall　wed　thy　Theseus　or　invade　his
  house。　Ah！　how　yon　en　ring　affects　my　sight！　Come；　I　will　unfold　the
  sealed　packet　and　read　her　letter's　message　to　me。
  CHORUS　（chanting）
  Woe　unto　us！　Here　is　yet　another　evil　in　the　train　by　heaven　sent。
  Looking　to　what　has　happened；　I　should　count　my　lot　in　life　no
  longer　worth　one's　while　to　gain。　My　master's　house；　alas！　is
  ruined；　brought　to　naught；　I　say。　Spare　it；　O　Heaven；　if　it　may　be。
  Hearken　to　my　prayer；　for　I　see；　as　with　prophetic　eye；　an　omen　boding
  ill。
  THESEUS
  O　horror！　woe　on　woe！　and　still　they　come；　too　deep　for　words；
  to　heavy　to　bear。　Ah　me！
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  What　is　it？　speak；　if　I　may　share　in　it。
  THESEUS　（chanting）
  This　letter　loudly　tells　a　hideous　tale！　where　can　I　escape　my
  load　of　woe？　For　I　am　ruined　and　undone；　so　awful　are　the　words　I　find
  here　written　clear　as　if　she　cried　them　to　me；　woe　is　me！
  LEADER
  Alas！　thy　words　declare　themselves　the　harbingers　of　woe。
  THESEUS
  I　can　no　longer　keep　the　cursed　tale　within　the　portal　of　my　lips；
  cruel　though　its　utterance　be。　Ah　me！　Hippolytus　hath　dared　by
  brutal　force　to　violate　my　honour；　recking　naught　of　Zeus；　whose　awful
  eye　is　over　all。　O　father　Poseidon；　once　didst　thou　promise　to
  fulfil　three　prayers　of　mine；　answer　one　of　these　and　slay　my　son；　let
  him　not　escape　this　single　day；　if　the　prayers　thou　gavest　me　were
  indeed　with　issue　fraught。
  LEADER
  O　king；　I　do　conjure　thee；　call　back　that　prayer；　hereafter　thou
  wilt　know　thy　error。　Hear；　I　pray。
  THESEUS
  It　cannot　be！　Moreover　I　will　banish　him　from　this　land；　and　by
  one　of　two　fates　shall　he　be　struck　down；　either　Poseidon；　out　of
  respect　to　my　prayer；　will　cast　his　dead　body　into　the　house　of　Hades；
  or　exiled　from　this　land；　a　wanderer　to　some　foreign　shore；　shall　he
  eke　out　a　life　of　misery。
  LEADER
  Lo！　where　himself　doth　come；　thy　son　Hippolytus；　in　good　time；
  dismiss　thy　hurtful　rage；　King　Theseus；　and　bethink　thee　what　is
  best　for　thy　house；
  （HIPPOLYTUS　enters。）
  HIPPOLYTUS
  I　heard　thy　voice；　father；　and　hasted　to　come　hither；　yet　know　I
  not　the　cause　of　thy　present　sorrow；　but　would　fain　learn　of　thee。
  （He　sees　PHAEDRA'S　body。）
  Ha！　what　is　this？　thy　wife　is　dead？　'Tis　very　strange；　it　was
  but　now　I　left　her；　a　moment　since　she　looked　upon　the　light。　How　came
  she　thus？　the　manner　of　her　death？　this　would　I　learn　of　thee；　father。
  Art　dumb？　silence　availeth　not　in　trouble；　nay；　for　the　heart　that
  fain　would　know　all　must　show　its　curiosity　even　in　sorrow's　hour。
  Be　sure　it　is　not　right；　father；　to　hide　misfortunes　from　those　who
  love；　ay；　more　than　love　thee。
  THESEUS
  O　ye　sons　of　men；　victims　of　a　thousand　idle　errors；　why　teach
  your　countless　crafts；　why　scheme　and　seek　to　find　a　way　for
  everything；　while　one　thing　ye　know　not　nor　ever　yet　have　made　your
  prize；　a　way　to　teach　them　wisdom　whose　souls　are　void　of　sense？
  HIPPOLYTUS
  A　very　master　in　his　craft　the　man；　who　can　force　fools　to　be
  wise！　But　these　ill…timed　subtleties　of　thine；　father；　make　me　fear
  thy　tongue　is　running　wild　through　trouble。
  THESEUS
  Fie　upon　thee！　man　needs　should　have　some　certain　test　set　up　to
  try　his　friends；　some　touchstone　of　their　hearts；　to　know　each
  friend　whether　he　be　true　or　false；　all　men　should　have　two　voices；
  one　the　voice　of　honesty；　expediency's　the　other；　so　would　honesty
  confute　its　knavish　opposite；　and　then　we　could　not　be　deceived。
  HIPPOLYTUS
  Say；　hath　some　friend　been　slandering　me　and　hath　he　still　thine
  ear？　and　I；　though　guiltless；　banned？　I　am　amazed；　for　thy　random；
  frantic　words　fill　me　with　wild　alarm。
  THESEUS
  O　the　mind　of　mortal　man！　to　what　lengths　will　it　proceed？　What
  limit　will　its　bold　assurance　have？　for　if　it　goes　on　growing　as　man's
  life　advances；　and　each　successor　outdo　the　man　before　him　in
  villainy；　the　gods　will　have　to　add　another　sphere　unto　the　world；
  which　shall　take　in　the　knaves　and　villians。　Behold　this　man；　he；　my
  own　son；　hath　outraged　mine　honour；　his　guilt　most　clearly　proved　by
  my　dead　wife。　Now；　since　thou　hast　dared　this　loathly　crime；　come；
  look　thy　father　in　the　face。　Art　thou　the　man　who　dost　with　gods
  consort；　as　one　above　the　vulgar　herd？　art　thou　the　chaste　and　sinless
  saint？　Thy　boasts　will　never　persuade　me　to　be　guilty　of　attributing
  ignorance　to　gods。　Go　then；　vaunt　thyself；　and　drive　thy　petty　trade
  in　viands　formed　of　lifeless　food；　take　Orpheus　for　thy　chief　and　go
  a…revelling；　with　all　honour　for　the　vapourings　of　many　a　written
  scroll；　seeing　thou　now　art　caught。　Let　all　beware；　I　say；　of　such
  hypocrites！　who　hunt　their　prey　with　fine　words；　and　all　the　while　are
  scheming　villainy。　She　is　dead；　dost　think　that　this　will　save　thee？
  Why　this　convicts　thee　more　than　all；　abandoned　wretch！　What　oaths；
  what　pleas　can　outweigh　this　letter；　so　that　thou　shouldst　'scape
  thy　doom？　Thou　wilt　assert　she　hated　thee；　that　'twixt　the　bastard　and
  the　true…born　child　nature　has　herself　put　war；　it　seems　then　by　thy
  showing　she　made　a　sorry　bargain　with　her　life；　if　to　gratify　her　hate
  of　thee　she　lost　what　most　she　prized。　'Tis　said；　no　doubt；　that
  frailty　finds　no　place　in　man　but　is　innate　in　woman；　my　experience
  is；　young　men　are　no　more　secure　than　women；　whenso　the　Queen　of
  Love　excites　a　youthful　breast；　although　their　sex　comes　in　to　help
  them。　Yet　why　do　I　thus　bandy　words　with　thee；　when　before　me　lies　the
  corpse；　to　be　the　clearest　witness？　Begone　at　once；　an　exile　from　this
  land；　and　ne'er　set　foot　again　in　god…built　Athens　nor　in　the　confines
  of　my　dominion。　For　if　I　am　tamely　to　submit　to　this　treatment　from
  such　as　thee；　no　more　will　Sinis；　robber　of　the　Isthmus；　bear　me
  witness　how　I　slew　him；　but　say　my　boasts　are　idle；　nor　will　those
  rocks　Scironian；　that　fringe　the　sea；　call　me　the　miscreants'　scourge。
  LEADER
  I　know　not　how　to　call　happy　any　child　of　man；　for　that　which
  was　first　has　turned　and　now　is　last。
  HIPPOLYTUS
  Father；　thy　wrath　and　the　tension　of　thy　mind　are　terrible；　yet
  this　charge；　specious　though　its　arguments　appear；　becomes　a
  calumny；　if　one　lay　it　bare。　Small　skill　have　I　in　speaking　to　a
  crowd；　but　have　a　readier　wit　for　comrades　of　mine　own　age　and　small
  companies。　Yea；　and　this　is　as　it　should　be；　for　they；　whom　the　wise
  despise；　are　better　qualified　to　speak　before　a　mob。　Yet　am　I
  constrained　under　the　present　circumstances　to　break　silence。　And　at
  the　outset　will　I　take　the　point　which　formed　the　basis　of　thy
  stealthy　attack　on　me；　designed　to　put　me　out　of　court　unheard；　dost
  see　yon　sun；　this　earth？　These　do　not　contain；　for　all　thou　dost
  deny　it；　chastity　surpassing　mine。　To　reverence　God　I　count　the
  highest　knowledge；　and　to　adopt　as　friends　not　those　who　attempt
  injustice；　but　such　as　would　blush　to　propose　to　their　companions
  aught　disgraceful　or　pleasure　them　by　shameful　services；　to　mock　at
  friends　is　not　my　way；　father；　but　I　am　still　the　same　behind　their
  backs　as　to　their　face。　The　very　crime　thou　thinkest　to　catch　me　in；
  is　just　the　one　I　am　untainted　with；　for　to　this　day　have　I　kept　me
  pure　from　women。　Nor　know　I　aught　thereof；　save　what　I　hear　or　see
  in　pictures；　for　I　have　no　wish　to　look　even　on　these；　so　pure　my
  virgin　soul。　I　grant　my　claim　to　chastity　may　not　convince　thee；　well；
  'tis　then　for　thee　to　show　the　way　I　was　corrupted。　Did　this　woman
  exceed　in　beauty　all　her　sex？　Did　aspire　to　fill　the　husband's　place
  after　thee　and　succeed　to　thy　house？　That　surely　would　have　made　me
  out　a　fool；　a　creature　void　of　sense。　Thou　wilt　say；　〃Your　chaste
  man　loves　to　lord　it。〃　No；　no！　say　I；　sovereignty　pleases　only　those
  whose　hearts　are　quite　corrupt。　Now；　I　would　be　the　first　and　best
  at　all　the　games　in　Hellas；　but　second　in　the　state；　for　ever　happy
  thus　with　the　noblest　for　my　friends。　For　there　one　may　be　happy；
  and　the　absence　of　danger　gives　a　charm　beyond　all　princely　joys。
  One　thing　I　have　not　said；　the　rest　thou　hast。　Had　I　a　witness　to
  attest　my　purity；　and　were　I　pitted　'gainst　her　still　alive；　facts
  would　show　thee　on　enquiry　who　the　culprit　was。　Now　by　Zeus；　the　god
  of　oaths；　and　by　the　earth；　whereon　we　stand；　I　swear　to　thee　I
  never　did　lay　hand　upon　thy　wife　nor　would　have　wished　to；　or　have
  harboured　such　a　thought。　Slay　me；　ye　gods！　rob　me　of　name　and　honour；
  from　home　and　city　cast　me　forth；　a　wandering　exile　o'er　the　earth！
  nor　sea　nor　land　receive　my　bones　when　I　am　dead；　if　I　am　such　a
  miscreant！　I　cannot　say　if　she　through　fear　destroyed　herself；　for
  more　than　this　am　I　forbid。　With　her　discretion　took　the　place　of
  chastity；　while　I；　though　chaste；　was　not　discreet　in　using　this
  virtue。
  LEADER
  Thy　oath　by　heaven；