Lady goddess, awful queen, daughter of Zeus, all hail! hail! child of Latona and of Zeus, peerless mid the virgin choir, who hast thy dwelling in heaven’s wide mansions at thy noble father’s court, in the golden house of Zeus.All hail! most beauteous Artemis, lovelier far than all the daughters of Olympus!Lines 70-72 are attributed to Hippolytus in the English and have been moved to correspond to the Greek.
HippolytusForSee note above on lines 70-72 thee, O mistress mine, I bring this woven wreath, culled from a virgin meadow, where nor shepherd dares to herd his flock nor ever scythe hath mown, but o’er the mead unshorn the bee doth wing its way in spring; and with the dew from rivers drawn purity that garden tends. Such as know no cunning lore, yet in whose nature self-control, made perfect, hath a home, these may pluck the flowers, but not the wicked world. Accept, I pray, dear mistress, mine this chaplet from my holy hand to crown thy locks of gold; for I, and none other of mortals, have this high guerdon, to be with thee, with thee converse, hearing thy voice, though not thy face beholding. So be it mine to end my life as I began.AttendantsMy prince! we needs must call upon the gods, our lords, so wilt thou listen to a friendly word from me?HippolytusWhy, that will I! else were I proved a fool.AttendantsDost know, then, the way of the world?HippolytusNot I; but wherefore such a question?AttendantsIt hates reserve which careth not for all men’s love.HippolytusAnd rightly too; reserve in man is ever galling.AttendantsBut there’s a charm in courteous affability?HippolytusThe greatest surely; aye, and profit, too, at trifling cost.AttendantsDost think the same law holds in heaven as well?HippolytusI trow it doth, since all our laws we men from heaven draw.AttendantsWhy, then, dost thou neglect to greet an august goddess?Mahaffy rearranges these next nine lines and certainly obtains a clearer meaning. His note repays study, if not wholly convincing. I translate from Paleyk text as it stands.HippolytusWhom speak’st thou of? Keep watch upon thy tongue lest it some mischief cause.AttendantsCypris I mean, whose image is stationed o’er thy gate.