The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-18

tus' S50O years ago, the tfaBedy IS strangely modern" in the feeling dis played in many of the passages, thoughts and situations. The subject Is one which requires to be handled skillfully, or it be- comes ugly if not repulsive. And the commentators and imitators of Euripides have made it ugly many time since. Even Racine created a Phaedra who was quite another sort of person from the Phaedra of Euripides. This tragedy of Eurlpides is as Prof. Gilbert Murray puts 1t, "A thing of beauty to five thanks for, surrounded by an atmosphere of haunting purity" Euripides wrote 75 plays, only 15 of which are eXtant. Of these Hip polytus" is, perhaps, the most satisfying and human" according to modern minds. The supernatural machinery seems to us cumbersome only fin one thing-the mak- ing use of Artemis to enlighten the mind of Theseus The old nurse, conscience stricken, could have been used, according to modern ideas, more effectively. But as Aphrodite caused the misunderstanding perhaps the Greek idea was that Artemis should set it right. It must be allowed, however that if the chaste goddess were to interfere in the matter at all she might have taken hand earlier with profit to everybody concerned.
 TZ ING THESEUS had exiled himself N from his greater capital of Athens 4 \ and was spending his time in the city of Frozen, that city which he had Inherited from his mother as from his father had inherited Athens. His Queen, the fair and stately Phaedra, daughter of Mlnos King of Crete, was with him, as was likewise his son Hippolytus-his son, but not the son of Phaedra. Years be- fore, when Theseus had accomplished those great adventures of which the world still tells, he had fought with the Ana zons and beaten them. He had been young then and the Queen of the Anna zons had fallen in love with him. The result of this guilty passion was Hippoly- tus.
 He had been strictly brought up by the sage Pittheus, and came to mans estate free from any manner of evil. Of hunt ing. of athletic sports and especially Of chariot racing was the young man fond. There was no steed so fierce that the Prince Hippolytus could not manage 1t in all his fathers domains. His manly and youthful beauty, developed by the pure and athletic life he led, caused the maj dens-aye, and sometimes the matrons, too-who saw him to heave sigh.
 But of the two statues which stood at the entrance of the royal palace at Frozen hut one of them received the homage of Hippolytus That was the statue of Ar temis. that pure and chaste goddess known afterward in other climes as Diana of the silver bow. To the statue which stood opposite. the statue of Aphrodile the Cyprian, the cold Hippolytus never bowed.
 And. as we know the gods and god desses of the olden times were very human in their jealousies, this indiff- erence on, the part of the young ath- lete considerably angered Aphrodite, who declared she would have revenge, and have 1t in form which would be long remembered. Already, even be- fore the court came to Frozen, even in Athens Aphrodite had begun her work to melt the heart of Hippolytus or to have revenge upon him. When the youth had come from the castle of his instructor, Pittheus, to the shores of Athens, seeking the vision of the mys- tories" and his fathers court, the young queen. the high-born Phaedra, had looked upon him and her heart had been torn with great but hopeless love all brought about by the will of the Cyprlan Aphrodite.
 But the Queen had locked her se- cret in her breast. A little shrine had she built to love, however a It. tie shrine in a cave on the Athenian hills, a cave which opened toward Trozen-and she called the shrine the shrine of "Loye-at- Home" When Aph- rodite saw that all her arts and al her power were unavailing to make the proud Queen discover her love fol her husbands son. or to move the hear of Hippolytus, her anger was unbound ed, and so, when the court removed to Frozen she resolved upon the death oi both the Queen and Hippolytus.
 Shall l and my worship be thus scorned" cried the goddess, T whom men in the far red west worship when ever they see the day-star spring? And shall this Prince of Theseus' seed. the child of that dead Amazon, shall he alone of all the dwellers in this land scorn ms and refuse me praise? There Is that even in the mind of the immortals which longs and hungereth for tn, praise of human kind"
 So raved the Cyprian as, invisible, sh, stood beside her statue at the gates O the royal castle and saw Hippolytu! come in from his hunting, followed b, his huntsman's train singing a hymn tt the "Detoborn Artemis" and decorating her statue with fresh garlands. Ther, was one old huntsman of the train wht stood apart from the rest and watched Hs Hppolytus decorated the statue O the virgin goddess, singing meantim her paises. This wreath" sang Hippo lytus, T picked for thee, chaste god Jess, from green and virgin meadow which never scythe has touched and t, which never shepherd led his grazint
 ocks. Only the silver dew gleams an, the spring bee huns in the glade wher, grew these flowers. And they could b culled only by one whose heart is pur, and only offered to goddess pure. Ant as l may be all my life-untouched O love"
 The old huntsman heard and, sIowl, approaching the Prince, said: M, Princeton I deem master no man, name-if I gave thee good counsel would you welcome it?" Right willingly re- piled Hipolytus. The aged huntsmar said: There is one law that has TUT through the ages and through all the world. That law hates the pride thai speaks not all men fair, whereas goot words bring grace and love on all men. sight and one gains much for a sliebt