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[ 57 ] 



temncftra becomes impatient, and tells her if fhe does not under- 

 ftand their language to make figns with her hands. The chorus 

 then obferves that Ihe comes from a foreign city, and ftands in 

 need of an interpreter. This checks the riling anger of the 

 queen, who goes into the palace to facrifice, as (he fays, to the 

 Gods, for Agamemnon's happy return. As foon as Clytemneftra 

 had retired, Caffandra no longer prefcrves filence, but with a 

 noble wildnefs and dignity of forrow invokes Apollo as the 

 author of all her calamities. She then proceeds to prophefy her 

 own death and that of Agamemnon. The chorus are at firft all 

 amazement ; however, when they have in fome degree recovered 

 from that aftonifhment and terror into which the terrific frenzy 

 and ambiguous forebodings of the beautiful prophetefs have 

 thrown them, they exprefs their furprize that a foreigner, as fhe 

 is, could fpcak the Grecian language as fluently as if Ihe had 

 been educated at Argos. Again, when continuing her prophe- 

 cies, the chorus confefs their utter inability to comprehend her 

 meaning, fhe immediately replies, " Yet you 'allow that I fpeak 

 " your language perfedly." All this is fo ftrongly marked, and 

 the diflerence between the Trojan and Grecian tongues fo dif- 

 tindly pointed out, that it is impoffiblc not to take notice 

 of it. 



We have here then a celebrated dramatic poet, the father of 

 tragedy, who not only does not allot the fame language to the 

 queen of Agamemnon and the daughter of Priam, but thinks it 

 proper to reprefent tlie natives of Argos as furprized and con- 

 founded that the latter ihould fpeak their language at all. Can 

 we fuppofe that if at that time it was generally admitted as true, 



( H ) that 



