chastity；　while　I；　though　chaste；　was　not　discreet　in　using　this
  virtue。
  LEADER
  Thy　oath　by　heaven；　strong　security；　sufficiently　refutes　the
  charge。
  THESEUS
  A　wizard　or　magician　must　the　fellow　be；　to　think　he　can　first
  flout　me；　his　father；　then　by　coolness　master　my　resolve。
  HIPPOLYTUS
  Father；　thy　part　in　this　doth　fill　me　with　amaze；　wert　thou　my　son
  and　I　thy　sire；　by　heaven！　I　would　have　slain；　not　let　thee　off　with
  banishment；　hadst　thou　presumed　to　violate　my　honour。
  THESEUS
  A　just　remark！　yet　shalt　thou　not　die　by　the　sentence　thine　own
  lips　pronounce　upon　thyself；　for　death；　that　cometh　in　a　moment；　is　an
  easy　end　for　wretchedness。　Nay；　thou　shalt　be　exiled　from　thy
  fatherland；　and　wandering　to　a　foreign　shore　drag　out　a　life　of
  misery；　for　such　are　the　wages　of　sin。
  HIPPOLYTUS
  Oh！　what　wilt　thou　do？　Wilt　thou　banish　me；　without　so　much　as
  waiting　for　Time's　evidence　on　my　case？
  THESEUS
  Ay；　beyond　the　sea；　beyond　the　bounds　of　Atlas；　if　I　could；　so
  deeply　do　I　hate　thee。
  HIPPOLYTUS
  What！　banish　me　untried；　without　even　testing　my　oath；　the
  pledge　offer；　or　the　voice　of　seers？
  THESEUS
  This　letter　here；　though　it　bears　no　seers'　signs；　arraigns　thy
  pledges；　as　for　birds　that　fly　o'er　our　heads；　a　long　farewell　to
  them。
  HIPPOLYTUS　（aside）
  Great　gods！　why　do　I　not　unlock　my　lips；　seeing　that　I　am　ruined
  by　you；　the　objects　of　my　reverence？　No；　I　will　not；　I　should　nowise
  persuade　those　whom　I　ought　to；　and　in　vain　should　break　the　oath　I
  swore。
  THESEUS
  Fie　upon　thee！　that　solemn　air　of　thine　is　more　than　I　can　bear。
  Begone　from　thy　native　land　forthwith！
  HIPPOLYTUS
  Whither　shall　I　turn？　Ah　me！　whose　friendly　house　will　take　me　in；
  an　exile　on　so　grave；　a　charge？
  THESEUS
  Seek　one　who　loves　to　entertain　as　guests　and　partners　in　his
  crimes　corrupters　of　men's　wives。
  HIPPOLYTUS
  Ah　me！　this　wounds　my　heart　and　brings　me　nigh　to　tears　to　think
  that　I　should　appear　so　vile；　and　thou　believe　me　so。
  THESEUS
  Thy　tears　and　forethought　had　been　more　in　season　when　thou
  didst　presume　to　outrage　thy　father's　wife。
  HIPPOLYTUS
  O　house；　I　would　thou　couldst　speak　for　me　and　witness　if　I　am
  so　vile！
  THESEUS
  Dost　fly　to　speechless　witnesses？　This　deed；　though　it　speaketh
  not；　proves　thy　guilt　clearly。
  HIPPOLYTUS
  Alas！　Would　I　could　stand　and　face　myself；　so　should　I　weep　to　see
  the　sorrows　I　endure。
  THESEUS
  Ay；　'tis　thy　character　to　honour　thyself　far　more　than　reverence
  thy　parents；　as　thou　shouldst。
  HIPPOLYTUS
  Unhappy　mother！　son　of　sorrow！　Heaven　keep　all　friends　of　mine
  from　bastard　birth！
  THESEUS
  Ho！　servants；　drag　him　hence！　You　heard　my　proclamation　long　ago
  condemning　him　to　exile。
  HIPPOLYTUS
  Whoso　of　them　doth　lay　a　hand　on　me　shall　rue　it；　thyself　expel
  me；　if　thy　spirit　move　thee；　from　the　land。
  THESEUS
  I　will；　unless　my　word　thou　straight　obey；　no　pity　for　thy　exile
  steals　into　my　heart。
  （THESEUS　goes　in。　The　central　doors　of　the　palace　are　closed。）
  HIPPOLYTUS
  The　sentence　then；　it　seems；　is　passed。　Ah；　misery！　How　well　I
  know　the　truth　herein；　but　know　no　way　to　tell　it！　O　daughter　of
  Latona；　dearest　to　me　of　all　deities；　partner；　comrade　in　the　chase；
  far　from　glorious　Athens　must　I　fly。　Farewell；　city　and　land　of
  Erechtheus；　farewell；　Troezen；　most　joyous　home　wherein　to　pass　the
  spring　of　life；　'tis　my　last　sight　of　thee；　farewell！　Come；　my
  comrades　in　this　land；　young　like　me；　greet　me　kindly　and　escort　me
  forth；　for　never　will　ye　behold　a　purer　soul；　for　all　my　father's
  doubts。
  （HIPPOLYTUS　departs。　Many　follow　him。）
  CHORUS　（singing）
  strophe　1
  In　very　deed　the　thoughts　I　have　about　the　gods；　whenso　they
  come　into　my　mind；　do　much　to　soothe　its　grief；　but　though　I　cherish
  secret　hopes　of　some　great　guiding　will；　yet　am　I　at　fault　when　survey
  the　fate　and　doings　of　the　sons　of　men；　change　succeeds　to　change；　and
  man's　life　veers　and　shifts　in　endless　restlessness。
  antistrophe　1
  Fortune　grant　me　this；　I　pray；　at　heaven's　hand；…a　happy　lot　in
  life　and　a　soul　from　sorrow　free；　opinions　let　me　hold　not　too　precise
  nor　yet　too　hollow；　but；　lightly　changing　my　habits　to　each　morrow
  as　it　comes；　may　I　thus　attain　a　life　of　bliss！
  strophe　2
  For　now　no　more　is　my　mind　free　from　doubts；　unlooked…for　sights
  greet　my　vision；　for　lo！　I　see　the　morning　star　of　Athens；　eye　of
  Hellas；　driven　by　his　father's　fury　to　another　land。　Mourn；　ye　sands
  of　my　native　shores；　ye　oak…groves　on　the　hills；　where　with　his
  fleet　hounds　he　would　hunt　the　quarry　to　the　death；　attending　on
  Dictynna；　awful　queen。
  antistrophe　2
  No　more　will　he　mount　his　car　drawn　by　Venetian　steeds；　filling
  the　course　round　Limna　with　the　prancing　of　his　trained　horses。
  Nevermore　in　his　father's　house　shall　he　wake　the　Muse　that　never
  slept　beneath　his　lute…strings；　no　hand　will　crown　the　spots　where
  rests　the　maiden　Latona　'mid　the　boskage　deep；　nor　evermore　shall
  our　virgins　vie　to　win　thy　love；　now　thou　art　banished。
  epode
  While　I　with　tears　at　thy　unhappy　fate　shall　endure　a　lot　all
  undeserved。　Ah！　hapless　mother；　in　vain　didst　thou　bring　forth；　it
  seems。　I　am　angered　with　the　gods；　out　upon　them！　O　ye　linked
  Graces；　why　are　ye　sending　from　his　native　land　this　poor　youth；
  guiltless　sufferer；　far　from　his　home？
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  But　lo！　I　see　a　servant　of　Hippolytus　hasting　with　troubled
  looks　towards　the　palace。
  （A　MESSENGER　enters。）
  MESSENGER
  Ladies；　where　may　I　find　Theseus；　king　of　the　country？　pray；
  tell　me　if　ye　know；　is　he　within　the　palace　here？
  LEADER
  Lo！　himself　approaches　from　the　palace。
  （THESEUS　enters。）
  MESSENGER
  Theseus；　I　am　the　bearer　of　troublous　tidings　to　thee　and　all
  citizens　who　dwell　in　Athens　or　the　bounds　of　Troezen。
  THESEUS
  How　now？　hath　some　strange　calamity　o'ertaken　these　two
  neighbouring　cities？
  MESSENGER
  In　one　brief　word；　Hippolytus　is　dead。　'Tis　true　one　slender
  thread　still　links　him　to　the　light　of　life。
  THESEUS
  Who　slew　him？　Did　some　husband　come　to　blows　with　him；　one　whose
  wife；　like　mine；　had　suffered　brutal　violence？
  MESSENGER
  He　perished　through　those　steeds　that　drew　his　chariot　and　through
  the　curses　thou　didst　utter；　praying　to　thy　sire；　the　ocean…king；　to
  slay　thy　son。
  THESEUS
  Ye　gods　and　king　Poseidon；　thou　hast　proved　my　parentage　by
  hearkening　to　my　prayer！　Say　how　he　perished；　how　fell　the　uplifted
  hand　of　justice　to　smite　the　villain　who　dishonoured　me？
  MESSENGER
  Hard　by　the　wave…beat　shore　were　we　combing　out　his　horses'　manes；
  weeping　the　while；　for　one　had　come　to　say　that　Hippolytus　was　harshly
  exiled　by　thee　and　nevermore　would　return　to　set　foot　in　this　land。
  Then　came　he；　telling　the　same　doleful　tale　to　us　upon　the　beach；
  and　with　him　was　a　countless　throng　of　friends　who　followed　after。
  At　length　he　stayed　his　lamentation　and　spake：　〃Why　weakly　rave　on
  this　wise？　My　father's　commands　must　be　obeyed。　Ho！　servants；
  harness　my　horses　to　the　chariot；　this　is　no　longer　now　city　of　mine。〃
  Thereupon　each　one　of　us　bestirred　himself；　and；　ere　a　man　could　say
  'twas　done；　we　had　the　horses　standing　ready　at　our　master's　side。
  Then　he　caught　up　the　reins　from　the　chariot…rail；　first　fitting　his
  feet　exactly　in　the　hollows　made　for　them。　But　first　with　outspread
  palms　he　called　upon　the　gods；　〃O　Zeus；　now　strike　me　dead；　if　I
  have　sinned；　and　let　my　father　learn　how　he　is　wronging　me；　in　death
  at　least；　if　not　in　life。〃　Therewith　he　seized　the　whip　and　lashed
  each　horse　in　turn；　while　we；　close　by　his　chariot；　near　the　reins；
  kept　up　with　him　along　the　road　that　leads　direct　to　Argos　and
  Epidaurus。　And　just　as　we　were　coming　to　a　desert　spot；　a　strip　of
  sand　beyond　the　borders　of　this　country；　sloping　right　to　the
  Saronic　gulf；　there　issued　thence　a　deep　rumbling　sound；　as　it　were　an
  earthquake；　fearsome　noise；　and　the　horses　reared　their　heads　and
  pricked　their　ears；　while　we　were　filled　with　wild　alarm　to　know
  whence　came　the　sound；　when；　as　we　gazed　toward　the　wave…beat　shore；　a
  wave　tremendous　we　beheld　towering　to　the　skies；　so　that　from　our　view
  the　cliffs　of　Sciron　vanished；　for　it　hid　the　isthmus　and　the　rock
  of　Asclepius；　then　swelling　and　frothing　with　a　crest　of　foam；　the　sea
  discharged　it　toward　the　beach　where　stood　the　harnes