Thou shalt rue it,if thou meddle in matters that concern thee not.
ATTENDANT
Thou hadst no right to open a letter,which Iwas carrying.
MENELAUS
No,nor thou to be carrying sorrow to all Hellas.
ATTENDANT
Argue that point with others,but surrender that letter to me.
MENELAUS
Ishall not let go.
ATTENDANT
Nor yet will Ilet loose my hold.
MENELAUS
Why then,this staff of mine will be dabbling thy head with blood ere long.
ATTENDANT
To die in my master's cause were a noble death.
MENELAUS
Let go!thou art too wordy for a slave.
ATTENDANT(Seeing AGAMEMNONapproaching)
Master,he is wronging me;he snatched thy letter violently from my grasp,Agamemnon,and will not heed the claims of right.
Enter AGAMEMNON.
AGAMEMNON
How now?what means this uproar at the gates,this indecent brawling?
MENELAUS
My tale,not his,has the better right to be spoken.
AGAMEMNON
Thou,Menelaus!what quarrel hast thou with this man,why art thou haling him hence?
Exit ATTENDANT.
MENELAUS
Look me in the face!Be that the prelude to my story.
AGAMEMNON
Shall I,the son of Atreus,close my eyes from fear?
MENELAUS
Seest thou this scroll,the bearer of a shameful message?
AGAMEMNON
Isee it,yes;and first of all surrender it.
MENELAUS
No,not till Ihave shewn its contents to all the Danai.
AGAMEMNON
What!hast thou broken the seal and dost know already what thou shouldst never have known?
MENELAUS
Yes,Iopened it and know to thy sorrow the secret machinations of thy heart.
AGAMEMNON
Where didst thou catch my servant?Ye gods what a shameless heart thou hast!
MENELAUS
Iwas awaiting thy daughter's arrival at the camp from Argos.
AGAMEMNON
What right hast thou to watch my doings?Is not this a of shamelessness?
MENELAUS
My wish to do it gave the spur,for Iam no slave to thee.
AGAMEMNON
Infamous!Am Inot to be allowed the management of my own house?
MENELAUS
No,for thou thinkest crooked thoughts,one thing now,another formerly,and something different presently.
AGAMEMNON
Most exquisite refining on evil themes!Ahateful thing the tongue of cleverness!
MENELAUS
Aye,but a mind unstable is an unjust possession,disloyal to friends.Now Iam anxious to test thee,and seek not thou from rage to turn aside from the truth,nor will Ion my part overstrain the case.Thou rememberest when thou wert all eagerness to captain the Danai against Troy,****** a pretence of declining,though eager for it in thy heart;how humble thou wert then!taking each man by the hand and keeping open doors for every fellow townsman who cared to enter,affording each in turn a chance to speak with thee,even though some desired it not,seeking by these methods to purchase popularity from all bidders;then when thou hadst secured the command,there came a change over thy manners;thou wert no longer so cordial before to whilom friends,but hard of access,seldom to be found at home.But the man of real worth ought not to change his manners in the hour of prosperity,but should then show himself most staunch to friends,when his own good fortune can help them most effectually.This was the first cause Ihad to reprove thee,for it was here Ifirst discovered thy villainy;but afterwards,when thou camest to Aulis with all the gathered hosts of Hellas,thou wert of no account;no!the want of a favourable breeze filled thee with consternation at the chance dealt out by Heaven.Anon the Danai began demanding that thou shouldst send the fleet away instead of vainly toiling on at Aulis;what dismay and confusion was then depicted in thy looks,to think that thou,with a thousand ships at thy command,hadst not occupied the plains of Priam with thy armies!And thou wouldst ask my counsel,"What am Ito do?what scheme can Idevise.where find one?"to save thyself being stripped of thy command and losing thy fair fame.Next when Calchas bade thee offer thy daughter in sacrifice to Artemis,declaring that the Danai should then sail,thou wert overjoyed,and didst gladly undertake to offer the maid,and of thine own accord-never allege compulsion!-thou art sending word to thy wife to despatch thy daughter hither on pretence of wedding Achilles.This is the same air that heard thee say it;and after all thou turnest round and hast been caught recasting thy letter to this effect,"Iwill no longer be my daughter's murderer."Exactly so!
Countless others have gone through this phase in their conduct of public affairs;they make an effort while in power,and then retire dishonourably,sometimes owing to the senselessness of the citizens,sometimes deservedly,because they are too feeble of themselves to maintain their watch upon the state.For my part,Iam more sorry for our unhappy Hellas,whose purpose was to read these worthless foreigners a lesson,while now she will let them escape and mock her,thanks to thee and thy daughter.May Inever then appoint a man to rule my country or lead its warriors because his kinship!Ability what the general must have;since any man,with ordinary intelligence,can govern a state.
CHORUS
For brethren to come to words and blows,whene'er they disagree,is terrible.
AGAMEMNON
Iwish to rebuke thee in turn,briefly,not lifting mine eyes too high in shameless wise,but in more sober fashion,as a brother;for it is a good man's way to be considerate.Prithee,why this burst of fury,these bloodshot eyes?who wrongs thee?what is it thou wantest?Thou art fain to win a virtuous bride.Well,Icannot supply thee;for she,whom thou once hadst,was ill controlled by thee.Am Ithen,a man who never went astray,to suffer for thy sins?or is it my popularity that galls thee?No!it is the longing thou hast to keep a fair wife in thy embrace,casting reason and honour to the winds.Abad man's pleasures are like himself Am Imad,if Ichange to wiser counsels,after previously deciding amiss?