Stasimon 1
[Episode]
and only when she finds a proud unnatural spirit, doth she take and mock it past belief. Her path is in the sky, and mid the ocean’s surge she rides; from her all nature springs; she sows the seeds of love, inspires the warm desire
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Nurse
to which we sons of earth all owe our being. They who have aught to do with books of ancient scribes, or themselves engage in studious pursuits, know how Zeus of Semele was enamoured,
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how the bright-eyed goddess of the Dawn once stole Cephalus to dwell in heaven for the love she bore him; yet these in heaven abide nor shun the gods’ approach, content, I trow, to yield to their misfortune.
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Wilt thou refuse to yield? thy sire, it seems, should have begotten thee on special terms
or with different gods for masters, if in these laws thou wilt not acquiesce. How many, prithee, men of sterling sense, when they see their wives unfaithful, make as though they saw it not? How many fathers, when their sons have gone astray,
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assist them in their amours? ’tis part of human wisdom to conceal the deed of shame. Nor should man aim at excessive refinement in his life; forThese lines are probably corrupt, but no satisfactory emendation has been supplied to make the sense more perfect A conjectural reading is κανὼν ἀκριβώσει ’ἄν, but this involves an elision foreign to tragic usage. they cannot with exactness finish
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e’en the roof that covers in a house; and how dost thou, after falling into so deep a pit, think to escape? Nay, if thou hast more of good than bad, thou wilt fare exceeding well, thy human nature considered.
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O cease, my darling child, from evil thoughts, let wanton pride be gone, for this is naught else,
this wish to rival gods in perfectness. Face thy love; ’tis heaven’s will thou shouldst. Sick thou art, yet turn thy sickness to some happy issue. For there are charms and spells to soothe the soul; surely some cure for thy disease will be found.
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Men, no doubt, might seek it long and late if our women’s minds no scheme devise.
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Chorus
Although she gives thee at thy present need the wiser counsel, Phaedra, yet do I praise thee. Still my praise may sound more harsh
and jar more cruelly on thy ear than her advice.
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Phaedra
’Tis even this, too plausible a tongue, that overthrows good governments and homes of men. We should not speak to please the ear but point the path that leads to noble fame.
Nurse
What means this solemn speech? No need of rounded phrases;The punctuation here adopted from Nauck is a vast improvement on the old reading, which put the stop after τάνδρός, and gave a most coarse sentiment even for so lax a maralist as Phædra’s nurse to utter. but at once must we sound the prince, telling him frankly how it is with thee. Had not thy life to such a crisis come,Nauck brackets these two lines, and for προῆγον reads πῶς ἥγον; or wert thou with self-control endowed,
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ne’er would I to gratify thy passions have urged thee to this course; but now ’tis a struggle fierce to save thy life, and therefore less to blame.
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Phaedra
Accursed proposal! peace, woman! never utter those shameful words again!
Nurse
Shameful, maybe, yet for thee better than honour’s code. Better this deed, if it shall save thy life, than that name thy pride will kill thee to retain.
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Phaedra
I conjure thee, go no further! for thy words are plausible but infamous; for though as yet
love has notI follow Nauck in reading οὐ for εὖ. ὑπειργασμαι = have been subdued—according to Paley and Liddell and Scott (passive). Mahaffy extracts a middle sense prepared my soul for love’s entry, and adopts the conjectural οὐ which would certainly seem to add clearness. undermined my soul, yet, if in specious words thou dress thy foul suggestion, I shall be beguiled into the snare from which I am now escaping.
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Nurse
If thou art of this mind, ’twere well thou ne’er hadst sinned; but as it is, hear me; for that is the next best course; I in my house have charms
to soothe thy love,—’twas but now I thought of them;—these shall cure thee of thy sickness on no disgraceful terms, thy mind unhurt, if thou wilt be but brave.
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But from him thou lovest we must get some token, a word or fragment of his robe,
and thereby unite in one love’s twofold stream.These lines are perhaps spurious. Nauck and Weil both bracket them.
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Phaedra
Is thy drug a salve or potion?
Nurse
I cannot tell; be content, my child, to profit by it and ask no questions.
Phaedra
I fear me thou wilt prove too wise for me.
Nurse
If thou fear this, confess thyself afraid of all; but why thy terror?
Phaedra
Lest thou shouldst breathe a word of this to Theseus’ son.
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Nurse
Peace, my child! I will do all things well; only be thou, queen Cypris, ocean’s child, my partner in the work! And for the rest of my purpose, it will be enough for me to tell it to Our friends within the house. [Exit Nurse.
[Choral 1]
O Love, Love, that from the eyes diffusest soft desire, bringing on the souls of those, whom thou dost camp against, sweet grace, O never in evil mood appear to me, nor out of time and tune approach!
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