thy son in his misfortunes.

THES. Bear him hither, that seeing him before my eyes that denied he had
defiled my bed, I may confute him with words, and with what has happened
from the Gods.

CHOR. Thou, Venus, bendest the stubborn mind of the Gods, and of mortals,
and with thee he of varied plume, that darts about on swiftest wing; and
flies over the earth and over the loud-resounding briny ocean; and Love
charms to subjection, on whose maddened heart the winged urchin come
gleaming with gold, the race of the mountain whelps, and of those that
inhabit the sea, and as many things as the earth nourisheth, which the sun
doth behold scorched [with its rays,] and men: but over all these things
thou, Venus, alone holdest sovereign rule.

DIANA, THESEUS, CHORUS.

DI. Thee, the noble son of AEgeus, I command to listen; but it is I, Diana,
daughter of Latona, who am addressing thee: Theseus, wherefore dost thou,
wretched man, take delight in these things, seeing that thou hast slain in
no just way thy son, being persuaded by the lying words of thy wife in
things not seen? But the guilt that has seized on thee is manifest. How
canst thou, shamed as thou art, refrain from hiding thy body beneath the
dark recesses of the earth? or from withdrawing thy foot from this
suffering, by changing thy nature, and becoming a winged creature above?
Since among good men at least thou hast not a part in life to possess.
Hear, O Theseus, the state of thy ills. Even though I gain no advantage
from it, yet will I torment thee; but for this purpose came I to show thee
the upright mind of thy son, that he may die with a good reputation, and
thy wife's passion, or, in some sort, nobleness; for, gnawed by the stings
of that deity most hateful to us, as many as delight in virginity, she
became enamored of thy son. But while she endeavored by right feeling to
conquer Venus, she was destroyed not willingly by the means employed by the
nurse, who having first bound him by oaths, told thy son her malady. But
he, as was right, obeyed not her words; nor, again, though evil-entreated
by thee, did he violate the sanctity of his oaths, being a pious man. But
she, fearing lest her conduct should be scrutinized, wrote a false letter,
and by deceit destroyed thy son, but nevertheless persuaded thee.

THES. Ah me!

DI. My tale torments thee, Theseus, but be still, that having heard what
follows thou mayest groan the more--Knowest thou then that thou receivedst