Modern Italian Poets

in his hands, to do what he will, so long as he respects the internal harmony of his own work. For this reason, I think, we find Alfieri at his best in these tragedies, among which I have liked

a that her husband intends to raise Cassandra to the throne. She kills him and reigns with Aegisthus, Electra

ough the darkness to her husband's chamber, s

r; and sunk i

non. Shall

to the fair

him of stainles

the minister

at? Ay, that;

let me go! My fo

mble. Oh, what

I attempt? How

rom me since Ae

the immen

horrible dee

specter of

accuse thee!

. Me, only me

hy love. Thou

art my husban

ep, to death's

shall I hide

pe for peace?

e, of madness,

isthus, even

ide the par

der-stained

for himself?

e instrument o

u execrable d

once my lover

his hand betra

ero! Live, h

error! Live

hildren, and

ese hushed steps

s by night? Ae

m l

st thou not d

Aegis

'st thou here, w

ar

y are thy tear

and it may c

Thou

me, what did I

icked

it not th

hee and fear a

pentest, I am

uiltless shall

hat the enter

uly trusting

a man's courag

eble hands to

grant that th

rm thee! Hithe

the darkness

e. For I perf

ll thee that

edicated to

game

s consent to the sacrifice of Iphigenia, and goads her on to the crime from which she

each

headens, I die

s out with the da

s with blood; m

are wet with bloo

aken for this

y steel turned

whose

od and early youth at the court of Strophius in Phocis. The tragedy named for him

, horrible, a

nt to my thou

sters I have s

darkness and wit

t should have

pilt! O memo

nes I saw thee

and by who

ar to

os, in thy

thus, with my

me endure a

ope of venge

living! I save

for thee, ti

t make to stre

s like these, but

muses, Clytemnestra e

Dau

ce! Oh Heave

My da

y me! Thy pio

thee. Aegisthus

now. Ah, come!

the

hose

-hapless

say thy husband'

speak it. But ho

d thy steps-tho

th his

usters now

d day, and two

p my

hat time

f thy tears sho

thing. Look! See

these horrid

plash them with?

ddens and gro

I must never m

*

s me! What can

one!-And yet

ouldst but read-

ret of a hea

ed with su

me? I blame

ate. On earth

s of hell. Scar

nd before a s

late, fell ter

r still the s

ight, and ev

ore mine eyes.

ding footsteps

llow; at table

de me; on my

ce I close mine

-fatal visi

my dreams, and t

led, with a

both its palms fu

my face! On

eadful days. I

e. Daughter,-

ghter still,-do

rs lik

inks from Electra's fierce counsel that she shall kill him. He enters to find her in tear

he is my husband.

my da

s Atrides'

Atrides'

Ele

sthus! Look-the

omb!-and art t

less unlike thy

se hand in yon

lame! What else

ppy, miser

to it now upb

joy! O only jo

ese ten years!

prey of ange

what must the

so blood

her of her former crimes when she revolts from this. The scene is very well managed, with that sparing phrase which in Alfieri is quite as apt to be touchingly

t last. Here

ere Aegisthus r

l, though I a

ls, and the jus

e back

e years h

ince that dread

y treachery,

palace with his

Oh, well d

ly bore me th

Strophius in h

ophius, less by

eafter-and fled

stern-gate,

e there ran

clamor and a

weep and shud

, and weeping

h his hand my

se, and sprinkl

ars; and to th

w we landed,

ce; and eag

s before

emselves messengers sent by Strophius with tidings of Orestes' death, and Orestes has reluctantly consented, when Electra re-appears,

is Aegisthus.

er, none, bel

him, let it b

e, the manner,

Still I keep,

l that in her h

nevermore we mi

res it with tha

tra.

know how she dr

gamemnon's

r-and even w

suspicion a

orn even by Ae

us though she

and yet rea

chance, if the

ame and her abh

mother, never

e gnaws at he

and horrible

om her eyes.-So

their tidings to her, and they finally do so, Pylades struggling to prevent Orestes from revealing himself. There are touchingly simple and natural passages in the

beloved, I g

thou did'st ac

mained to take

ruel and so

that thou did'

so well, what h

tell me, was t

ad Agamemnon

ut for his son's

he palace in

urst not wield a

brandish! Ay, bo

helpless

what booted i

murderer, sinc

ime in strange

illainous us

my son! Aegist

her, and am

estra between her love for her son and her love for Aegisthus, to whom she clings even while he exults in the

stes died, for after his first rejoicing he has come to doubt the fact. Pylades respon

year an anci

ames and offer

glory and in

ast the youth;

s, insepara

car upon th

triumph urge

of the flying

t on winning,

s for v

t how?

, impatient, an

horses on with t

ood-stained whip,

oal the ill-tam

ster. Reckles

e that fain woul

athing fire, their

and in thick

, round the vas

ift they whirl

mad confusion,

crooked circl

t, the smoki

shock against

headlo

more! Ah

her hea

s true. F

ll how, horri

fe-blood soaked

-in vain-wi

iend e

wicke

In

nted him, so

y, grace,

y, who

e this wretch

ever, never s

ll I see the

eam to clasp th

frowning eyes

readful wrath!

slew you both.

e!-Now art con

and about to be led to prison in chains, when Electra enters and in her anguish at the sight exclaims, "Orestes led to die!" Then ensues a heroic scene, in which each of the friends clai

call mother. Take

lunge it in Ae

die; I care

nged. I ask n

l love from th

is it that I se

le? Thou weepes

Thou lov'st Aegi

tes' mother?

t me look on

e usurper with the beginning of the fifth act, which I shall give entire, because I think it very characteristic of Alfieri, and necessary to a conception

EN

US and

y unforseen! O

ed? Now we

CLYTEM

Ah!

rd thy

etch, dost

ins

save thee.

no lo

Trait

. S

ou 'st

e me to that

, save thee from

d perish for t

here in safe

against

ainst h

l be my stay.

Whi

To ki

hy death

thou? Hark! Do

reats of the who

not lea

thou hop

ous son from dea

will

s, Aegisthu

est me not. "O

w that terrib

ere! I am no

danger. Against

once

nowest well

ce, and at the

redoubled in

ses. Ah, thou

cause! For t

that turns

ill me

nd escape so

I f

rt thou for me. Le

d I have thee by

from them! O mo

ger owns me f

his wife: and

st be! O m

m, nor lose th

r EL

e goest thou! Tu

palace.

restes

now? What

Ores

myself, we

hus' minion

is is Orestes!"

estes! Let Ae

hat do

hyself, mo

hold thy son

ous tyran

cruel,

! The people

for a parr

ot as yet, or

T was for this

agony appea

gged to death, a

misdeed. My b

e, to succor a

sights. To fin

nwhile, he an

re. Where is th

s is the wi

O He

ave him or to

thou shalt neve

enalty is

O mo

at but now thy

h, woul

I would

ath! My ter

. He is my

me. I will not,

raitors, not c

Loose me, tho

k I go, an

m in tim

thy fate

o, but be thy

, too, arm me

stabs a thousan

gisthus! O bli

ettered to his

tremble-If

urdered king o

er her-But wh

my brother no

r PY

l me! O

passes t

rds. And now o

gisthus! Hast

.

ove in vain a

ddened wife. S

or, crying tha

hield unto

ad fled t

urst h

in the sight

ain ere this!

m first. Neare

their

tes!" Ah,

im in his fury

TES and hi

you attempt to

unding sword h

Where art thou,

re art thou? C

h that calls thee

st thou hide th

of Erebus shoul

on see if I b

is not

ors! You

in him w

efore

fled th

the pal

rks; but I will

ks I'll drag hi

yer, nor god, n

e from me. I wil

thy vile bod

,-I will dra

ere all thine a

ost thou not b

thou? I wan

e is

nd you, ye wretc

will f

CLYTEM

have pi

ose son am I

m

hus, loaded

e liv

et me go

ay, ki

ather-I alon

guilt

who gri

ack? O Madness

drag him hithe

dost thou not

.

estes' hand, die

t escaped me! T

t! {

! Run, run! Oh,

ck hither! {

er! She

nd he must ha

she saw her c

ink of an i

sorrow and h

hey are now f

g desired has

diest; and on

resound with

orrible and

ather's last,

Orestes str

low; already

ult of the cro

tes conquer

ng wit

r OR

er mine

e king of kin

me, come

Si

eest me Atride

sthus' blood! I

him where he s

to our fathe

times I plunged a

ardly and qu

d not my long th

mnestra did no

y thin

ho had be

stay my arm?

more swift t

, and those vil

hate. A man tha

ee, my

s our sir

w, and tell me,

not P

saw Ae

ere is dear Py

ond me in this

nfided to hi

perate

w nothing

r PY

returns-O heave

rns

d? Oh wher

art thou? Know's

ok, how with hi

pping! Ah, thou

with me! Feed t

yes, my

sight!

e that

d wher

Give

Take

n! We may not

ese borde

But

Oh s

Clytem

her; she i

yre unto her t

far more than fulfi

, and ask

t dost

r! I beseech

at chill is t

all my

The h

, she

her dagger, madd

des! Why dost

k! What h

. S

by who

. C

STES.) Thou

parr

Unk

in her heart th

ou rannest o

.

seizes me!

des, give it m

shall

Brot

calls me

ous wretch, thou

atricide? Giv

ury! Where am

e? Who stays me

all I fly, whe

t thou look o

e blood of me, a

e-for thee al

Orestes-miser

ot! ah, he is

e must go

. H

law of ru