The temple of the god: I would not kill you:
'Twere pity, for to mortal man you bear

The message of the gods; yet my due task
Must be perform'd, and never will I cease

My service to the god who nurtured me.
(The CHORUS enters. The following lines between ION and the CHORUS

are chanted responsively as they gaze admiringly at the decorations on
the temple.)

CHORUS
The statelycolumn, and the gorgeous dome

Raised to the gods, are not the boast alone
Of our magnificent Athens; nor the statues

That grace her streets; this temple of the god,
Son of Latona, beauteous to behold,

Beams the resplendent light of both her children.
ION

Turn thine eyes this way; look, the son of Jove
Lops with his golden scimitar the heads

Of the Lernean Hydra: view it well.
CHORUS

I see him.
ION

And this other standing nigh,
Who snatches from the fire the blazing brand.

CHORUS
What is his name? the subject, on the web

Design'd, these hands have wrought in ductile gold.
ION

The shield-supporting Iolaus, who bears
The toils in common with the son of Jove.

View now this hero; on his winged steed
The triple-bodied monster's dreadful force

He conquers through the flames his jaws emit.
CHORUS

I view it all attentively.
ION

Observe
The battle of the giants, on the walls

Sculptured in stone.
CHORUS

Let us note this, my friends.
ION

See where against Enceladus she shakes
Her gorgon shield.

CHORUS
I see my goddess, Pallas.

ION
Mark the tempestuous thunder's flaming bolt

Launch'd by the hand of Jove.
CHORUS

The furious Mimas
Here blazes in the volley'd fires: and there

Another earth-born monster falls beneath
The wand of Bacchus wreathed with ivy round,

No martial spear. But, as 'tis thine to tend
This temple, let me ask thee, is it lawful,

Leaving our sandals, its interior parts
To visit?

ION
Strangers, this is not permitted.

CHORUS
Yet may we make inquiries of thee?

ION
Speak;

What wouldst thou know?
CHORUS

Whether this temple's site
Be the earth's centre?

ION
Ay, with garlands hung,

And gorgons all around.
CHORUS

So fame reports.
ION

If at the gate the honey'd cake be offer'd,
Would you consult the oracle, advance

To the altar: till the hallow'd lamb has bled
In sacrifice, approach not the recess.

CHORUS
I am instructed: what the god appoints

As laws, we wish not to transgress: without
Enough of ornament delights our eyes.

ION
Take a full view of all; that is allow'd.

CHORUS
To view the inmost shrine was our lord's order.

ION
Who are you call'd? Attendants on what house?

CHORUS
Our lords inhabit the magnific domes

Of Pallas.-But she comes, of whom thou askest.
(CREUSA and attendants enter.)

ION
Lady, whoe'er thou art, that liberal air

Speaks an exalted mind: there is a grace,
A dignity in those of noble birth,

That marks their high rank. Yet I marvel much
That from thy closed lids the trickling tear

Water'd thy beauteous cheeks, soon as thine eye
Beheld this chaste oracular seat of Phoebus.

What brings this sorrow, lady? All besides,
Viewing the temple of the god, are struck

With joy; thy melting eye o'erflows with tears.
CREUSA

Not without reason, stranger, art thou seized
With wonder at my tears: this sacred dome

Awakes the sad remembrance of things past.
I had my mind at home, though present here.

How wretched is our sex! And, O ye gods,
What deeds are yours! Where may we hope for right,

If by the injustice of your power undone?
ION

Why, lady, this inexplicable grief?
CREUSA

It matters not; my mind resumes its firmless:
I say no more; cease thy concern for me.

ION
But say, who art thou? whence? what country boasts

Thy birth? and by what name may we address thee?
CREUSA

Creusa is my name, drawn from Erechtheus
My high-born lineage; Athens gave me birth.

Illustrious is thy state; thy ancestry
So noble that I look with reverence on thee.

CREUSA
Happy indeed is this, in nothing farther.

ION
But tell me, is it true what fame has blazon'd?

CREUSA
What wouldst thou ask? Stranger, I wish to know.

ION
Sprung the first author of thy line from the earth?

CREUSA
Ay, Erichthonius; but my race avails not.

ION
And did Minerva raise him from the earth?

CREUSA
Held in her virgin hands: she bore him not.

ION
And gave him as the picture represents?

CREUSA
Daughters of Cecrops these, charged not to see him.

ION
The virgins ope'd the interdicted chest?

CREUSA
And died, distaining with their blood the rock.

ION
But tell me, is this truth, or a vain rumour?

CREUSA
What wouldst thou ask? I am not scant of time.

ION
Thy sisters did Erechtheus sacrifice?

CREUSA
He slew the virgins, victims for their country.

ION
And thou of all thy sisters saved alone?

CREUSA
I was an infant in my mother's arms.

ION
And did the yawning earth swallow thy father?

CREUSA
By Neptune's trident smote; and so he perish'd.

ION
And Macrai call you not the fatal place?

CREUSA
Why dost thou ask? What thoughts hast thou recall'd?,

ION
Does Phoebus, do his lightnings honour it?

CREUSA
Honour! Why this? Would I had never seen it!

ION
Why? Dost thou hate the place dear to the god?

CREUSA
No: but for some base deed done in the cave.

ION
But what Athenian, lady, wedded thee?

CREUSA
Of Athens none, but one of foreign birth.

ION
What is his name? Noble he needs must be.

CREUSA
Xuthus, by Aeolus derived from Jove.

ION
How weds a stranger an Athenian born?

CREUSA
Euboea is a state neighbouring on Athens.

ION
A narrow sea flows, I have heard, between.

CREUSA
Joining the Athenian arms, that state he wasted.

ION
Confederate in the war, thencewedded thee?

CREUSA
The dowral meed of war, earn'd by his spear.

ION
Comest thou with him to Delphi, or alone?

CREUSA
With him, gone now to the Trophonian shrine.

ION
To view it, or consult the oracle?

CREUSA

• temple [´tempəl] n.庙宇；寺院；太阳穴 (初中英语单词)
• chorus [´kɔ:rəs] n.合唱；齐声 v.合唱 (初中英语单词)
• column [´kɔləm] n.柱；柱状物；纵队 (初中英语单词)
• magnificent [mæg´nifisənt] a.壮丽的；豪华的 (初中英语单词)
• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
• wrought [rɔ:t] work 的过去式(分词) (初中英语单词)
• winged [´wiŋd] a.有翼的 (初中英语单词)
• dreadful [´dredful] a.可怕的；讨厌的 (初中英语单词)
• goddess [´gɔdis] n.女神 (初中英语单词)
• furious [´fjuəriəs] a.狂怒的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)
• monster [´mɔnstə] n.怪物 a.大得异常的 (初中英语单词)
• interior [in´tiəriə] n.&a.内部地(的) (初中英语单词)
• consult [kən´sʌlt] v.商量；磋商；请教 (初中英语单词)
• ornament [´ɔ:nəmənt] n.装饰(物) vt.装饰 (初中英语单词)
• liberal [´libərəl] a.大方的 n.开明的人 (初中英语单词)
• dignity [´digniti] n.尊严，尊贵；高官显贵 (初中英语单词)
• marvel [´mɑ:vəl] n.令人惊异的事；奇迹 (初中英语单词)
• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)
• wretched [´retʃid] a.可怜的；倒霉的 (初中英语单词)
• infant [´infənt] n.&a.婴(幼)儿 (初中英语单词)
• swallow [swɔləu] n.燕子 v.吞，咽；淹没 (初中英语单词)
• thence [ðens] ad.从那里；因此 (初中英语单词)
• mortal [´mɔ:tl] a.致命的 n.凡人 (高中英语单词)
• stately [´steitli] a.庄严的，雄伟的 (高中英语单词)
• gorgeous [´gɔ:dʒəs] a.华丽的；宜人的 (高中英语单词)
• athens [´æθinz] n.雅典 (高中英语单词)
• oracle [´ɔrəkl] n.预言(者)；圣理名言 (高中英语单词)
• shrine [ʃrain] n.神龛；神殿；圣地 (高中英语单词)
• inhabit [in´hæbit] vt.居住；栖息；住宅 (高中英语单词)
• remembrance [ri´membrəns] n.记忆(力)；回忆 (高中英语单词)
• injustice [in´dʒʌstis] n.不公正，不公平 (高中英语单词)
• reverence [´revərəns] n.尊敬；敬畏；尊严 (高中英语单词)
• virgin [´və:dʒin] a.处女(般)的 n.处女 (高中英语单词)
• flaming [´fleimiŋ] a.熊熊燃烧的；热情的 (英语四级单词)
• martial [´mɑ:ʃəl] a.战争的；象军人的 (英语四级单词)
• chaste [tʃeist] a.贞洁的；高雅的 (英语四级单词)
• whence [wens] ad.从何处；从那里 (英语四级单词)
• wedded [´wedid] a.(已)结婚的；献身的 (英语四级单词)
• beauteous [´bju:tiəs] a.美的，美丽的 (英语六级单词)
• resplendent [ri´splendənt] a.灿烂的；辉煌的 (英语六级单词)
• inexplicable [,inik´splikəbəl] a.难以理解的 (英语六级单词)
• phoebus [´fi:bəs] n.太阳神 (英语六级单词)
• athenian [ə´θi:njən] a.雅典(人)的n.雅典人 (英语六级单词)