The trachiniae

 The trachiniae characters in the play

 [ scene:- at trachis, before the house of heracles .

 Deianeira there is a saying among men, put forth of old, that thou canst not rightly judge whether a mortal's lot is good or evil, ere he die. but i,

 [ hyllus comes in from the side. ]

 Deianeira my child, my son, wise words may fall, it seems, from humble lips this woman is a slave, but hath spoken in the spirit of the free.

 [ a messenger enters. ]

 Messenger queen deianeira, i shall be the first of messengers to free thee from fear. know that alcmena's son lives and triumphs, and from battle brin

 [ iole maintains her silence. ]

 Lichas it will be unlike her former behaviour, then, i can tell thee, if she opens her lips: for she hath not uttered one word, but hath ever been tra

 [ enter lichas ]

 Lichas lady, what message shall i bear to heracles? give me thy commands, for, as thou seest, i am going.

 [ exit messenger , as lichas and deianeira go into the house. ]

 Chorus [ singing ]

 [ lichas enters from the house. ]

 Lichas what are thy commands? give me my charge, daughter of oeneus for already i have tarried over long.

 [ lichas departs with the casket and deianeira retires into the house. ]

 Chorus [ singing ]

 [ deianeira comes out of the house in agitation. ]

 Deianeira friends, how i fear that i may have gone too far in all that i have been doing just now!

 [ enter hyllus ]

 Hyllus o mother, would that one of three things had befallen thee! would that thou wert dead, - or, if living, no mother of mine, - or that some new a

 [ deianeira moves towards the house. ]

 Leader [ to deianeira ] why dost thou depart in silence? knowest thou not that such silence pleads for thine accuser?

 [ deianeira goes in the house. ]

 Hyllus let her depart. a fair wind speed her far from my sight! why should the name of mother bring her a semblance of respect, when she is all unlike

 [ exit hyllus , into the house. ]

 Chorus [ singing ]

 [ enter nurse , from the house. ]

 Nurse ah, my daughters, great, indeed, were the sorrows that we were to reap from the gift sent to heracles!

 [ enter hyllus and an old man , with attendants, bearing heracles upon a litter. ]

 Hyllus woe is me for thee, my father, woe is me for thee, wretched that i am! whither shall i turn? what can i do? ah me!

 [ the attendants raise heracles on the litter and move slowly off, as hyllus chants to the chorus in the closing lines. ]

 No man foresees the future but the present is fraught with mourning for us, and with shame for the powers above, and verily with anguish beyond compa

[Enter Hyllus and an Old Man, with attendants, bearing Heracles upon a litter.]