EURIPIDES
If human villainy and human life
shall wax in due proportion, if the son
shall always grow in wickedness past his father,
the Gods must add another world to this 940
that all the sinners may have space enough.
Look at this man! He was my son and he
dishonors my wife's bed! By the dead's testimony
he's clearly proved the vilest, falsest wretch. 945
Come—you could stain your conscience with the
impurity—
show me your face; show it to me, your father.
You are the veritable holy man!
You walked with Gods in chastity immaculate!
I'll not believe your boasts of God's companionship: 950
the Gods are not so simple nor so ignorant.
Go, boast that you eat no meat, that you have Orpheus
for your king. Read until you are demented
your great thick books whose substance is as smoke.
For I have found you out. I tell you all, 955
avoid such men as he. They hunt their prey
with holy-seeming words, but their designs
are black and ugly. "She is dead/' you thought,
"and that will save me." Fool, it is chiefly that
which proves your guilt. What oath that you can swear, 960
what speech that you can make for your acquittal,
outweighs this letter of hers? You'll say, to be sure,
she was your enemy and that the bastard son
is always hateful to the legitimate line.
Your words would argue her a foolish merchant
whose stock of merchandise was her own life
if she should throw away what she held dearest
to gratify her enmity for you. 965
Or you will tell me that this frantic folly
is inborn in a woman's nature; man
is different: but I know that young men
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