Scenes from the Alcestis of Euripides / Euripdes ; done into English by Victor Plarr.

  • Euripides.
Date:
[1886?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Scenes from the Alcestis of Euripides / Euripdes ; done into English by Victor Plarr. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Hand. No ; for the destin’d day comes storming on ! Chor. Why then not make due preparation ? Hand. Th’ adornments are got ready wherewithal Her lord shall bury her. Chor. Let her know she shall Be glorious in her dying, and most bright Of all the ladies dwelling in the light ! Hand. And how not brightest? Who shall dare demur ? What must she be who hath surpassed her ? And how can an) show a love more true Towards her lord than when she willeth to Be her lord’s substitute in death ? And this All folk within the city ramparts wis. But when you hear the telling of the thing She did indoors, you’ll fall a wondering. For when she knew the destined day had caught he r, She laved her white skin with fair flowing water, And, taking from their cedarn presses sweet Trinkets and robes, she bask’d in manner meet, And standing at the altar, lifted so The voice of prayer :—“ Dear mistress, since I go Beneath the earth, and now bow down toward Thy face for the last time, I pray thee guard Mine orphan children. To the boy afford A loving wife, and to the girl a lord Who shall be high of heart; nor let them wane Untimely like their mother, but remain Happy in their birth-land, until at last Life’s joyous day be done ! ” Therewith she pass’d To all the altars in Admetus’ house, Crown’d them, and pray’d and from the myrtle boughs Shear’d off the leaves ; tearless, without a moan. Nor marr’d the coming ill her cheeks’ soft tone. Then, rushing to the bedside in her room, She weeping^aid “ Oh couch, his couch for whom