t ready the baskets,[31] which come next, crown thine head. And do thou,
king Menelaus, prepare a nuptial lay, and through the house let the pipe
sound and let there be noise of feet, for this day comes blessed upon the
virgin.

AG. I commend [your words,] but go thou within the house, and it shall be
well, as fortune takes its course. Alas! what shall I wretched say? Whence
shall I begin? Into what fetters of necessity have I fallen! Fortune has
upturned me, so as to become far too clever for my cleverness. But lowness
of birth has some advantage thus. For such persons are at liberty to weep,
and speak unhappy words, but to him that is of noble birth, all these
things belong. We have our dignity as ruler of our life, and are slaves to
the multitude. For I am ashamed indeed to let fall the tear, yet again
wretched am I ashamed not to weep, having come into the greatest
calamities. Well! what shall I say to my wife? How shall I receive her?
What manner of countenance shall I present? And truly she hath undone me,
coming uncalled amidst the ills which before possessed me. And with reason
did she follow her daughter, being about to deck her as a bride,[32] and to
perform the dearest offices, where she will find us base. But for this
hapless virgin--why [call her] virgin? Hades, as it seems, will speedily
attend on her nuptials,--how do I pity her! For I think that she will
beseech me thus: O father, wilt thou slay me? Such a wedding mayest thou
thyself wed, and whosoever is a friend to thee. But Orestes being present
will cry out knowingly words not knowing, for he is yet an infant. Alas!
how has Priam's son, Paris, undone me by wedding the nuptials of Paris, who
has wrought this!

CHOR. And I also pity her, as it becomes a stranger woman to moan for the
misfortune of her lords.

MEN. Brother, give me thy right hand to touch.

AG. I give it, for thine is the power, but I am wretched.

MEN. I swear by Pelops, who was called the sire of my father and thine, and
my father Atreus, that I indeed will tell thee plainly from my heart, and
not any thing out of contrivance, but only what I think. I, beholding thee
letting fall the tear from thine eyes, pitied thee, and myself let fall [a
tear] for thee in return. And I have changed[33] my old determinations, not
being wrath against you, but I will place myself in your present situation,
and I recommend you neither to slay your child, nor to take my part; for it
is not just that