Decrevit animus intus, & nondum fibi
Autlet fateri. ftulta properavi nimis.
Ex pellice utinam liberos hoflis mens 920
Aliquos haberet! quidquid ex illo tuum eft,
Creufa peperit. placuit hoc poenae genus,
Meritoque placuit. ultimum agnofco fcelus.
Anime, parandum eft. liberi quondam mei,
Vos pro patemis fceleribus pcenas date. 925
Cor pepulit horror, membra torpefcunt gelu,
Peftufque tremuit. ira difceffit loco,
Materque tota conjuge expulfa redit.
Egon' ut meorum liberiiin ac prolis meae
Fundam cruorem? melius, ah demens furor! 930
Incognitum iftud facinus, ac dirum nefas
A me quoque abfit. quod fcelus miferi luent?
Scelus eft Jafou genitor, & majus fcelus
Medea mater, occidant: non funt mei.
Pereant? mei funt. crimine & culpa carent. 935
Sunt innocentes. fateor: & frater fuit.
Quid, anime, titubas? ora quid lacrimee rigant?
Variamque nunc hue ira, nunc illuc amor
Diducit.' anceps aeftus incertam rapit.
Ut faeva rapidi bella cum venti genmt; 940
Utrinque flu(5lus maria difcordes agunt,
Dubiumque pelagus fervet: baud aliter meum
Cor flufiuatur. ira pietatem fugat,
Iramque pietas. cede pietati, dolor.
Hue cara proles, unicum afflidlae domus 945
Solamen, hue vos ferte, & infufos mihi
Conjungite artus. habeat incolumes pater
Dum & mater habeat. urget exfilium, ac fuga.
Jam jam meo rapientur avulfi e fmu,
Flentes, gementes. ofculis pereant patris; 950
Periere matris. rurfus increfcit dolor,
Et fervet odium, repetit iuvitam manum
Antiqua Erinnys. ira, qua ducis, fequor.
Utinam fuperbae turba Tantalidos meo
Exiflet utero, bifque feptenos parens 955
when I handed the weapons of destruction to the daughters of Pelias, to deal the finishing blow to that poor old man! Let my present anger, however, seek out for adequate materials upon which to finish my crowning revenge! I shall not, at all events, be employing hands inexperienced in crime for any thing I may decide upon! But where, into what channel, may I ask myself, am I now steering? Or, again, what are the exact weapons that I should level against that perfidious enemy, Jason? I really do not know, at present, what my angry mind has determined upon within itself! Probably I have as yet been in rather too much foolish haste! But
