466
SENECA'S TRAGEDIES.
[Lines 992—1017
Et ecce crefcit. deerat hoc unum mihi,
Speflator ipfe. nil adhuc fadlum reor.
Quidquid fine ifto fecimus fceleris, periit
JAS. En ipfa teifti parte prsecipiti imminet. 995
Hue rapiat ignes aliquis, ut flammis cadat
Suis perufta. med. Congere extremum tuis
Natis, Jafon, funus, ac tumulum ftrue.
Conjux focerque jufta jam funflis habent
A me fepulti. natus hie fatum tulit. 1000
Hie te vidente dabitur exitio pari.
JAS. Per niimen omne, perque communes fugas,
Torofque, quos non noftra violavit fides,
Jam parce nato. fi quod eft crimen, meum eft:
Me dede morti; noxium madia caput. 1005
MED. Hae, qua recufas, qua doles, ferrum exigam.
I nunc, fuperbe, viiginum thalamos pete.
Relinque matres JAS. Unus eft poenae fatis.
MED. Si poffet una cosde fatiari manus,
NuUam petiffet. ut duos perimam tamen, 1010
Nimium eft dolori numerus anguftus meo.
In matre fi quod pignus etiamnum latet,
Serutabor enfe vifcera, & ferro extraham.
JAS. Jam perage coeptum facinus, hand ultra precor;
Moramque faltem fuppliciis dona meis. 1015
MED. Perfruere lento fcelere; ne propera, dolor.
Meus dies eft: tempore accepto utimur.
I now slacken my resolutions. Oh my soul, why hesitate at all? Thou hast all the strength and power about thee—my anger sometimes subsides—I repent, I repent of the deed I have committed—What have I done, oh, miserable, it is allowable to be in a penitent mood, after I have done the deed; nevertheless, a great inward satisfaction takes possession of me, in spite of my temporary unwillingness, and, what is more, it increases with me—only one thing was wanting to make things perfect, and that was Jason himself as an eye-witness! I am inclined for that reason to think nothing of what has been done, whatever crime I have committed without him as a witness, seems to count for nothing!
JASON (to his soldiers).
Behold, there she is, leaning over a precipitous projection of the roof; let one of you bring some fire hither, that she may fall a victim to the same flames she has used against others.