That from thy friends thou mightst conceal his birth;After the birth,soon as his infant limbs Thy hands had clothed,to Mercury he gave The charge to take the babe,and in his arms Convey him hither;here with tenderness He nurtured him,nor suffer'd him to perish.
Guard now the secret that he is thy son,That his opinion Xuthus may enjoy Delighted:thou too hast thy blessings,lady.
And now,farewell:from this relief from ills A prosperous fortune I to both announce.
ION
O Pallas,daughter of all-powerful Jove!
Not with distrust shall we receive thy words:
I am convinced that Phoebus is my father,My mother she,not unassured before.
CREUSA
Hear me too,now:Phoebus I praise,before Unpraised;my son he now restores,of whom Till now I deem'd him heedless.Now these gates Are beauteous to mine eyes;his oracles Now grateful to my soul,unpleasant late.
With rapture on these sounding rings my hands Now hang;with rapture I address the gates.
MINERVA
This I approve,thy former wayward thoughts Resign'd,with honour that thou name the god.
Slow are the gifts of Heaven,but found at length Not void of power.
CREUSA
My son,let us now go To Athens.
MINERVA
Go;myself will follow you.
CREUSA
A noble guard,and friendly to the state.
MINERVA
But seat him high on thy paternal throne.
CREUSA
A rich possession,and I glory in him.
(MINERVA disappears.)
CHORUS (singing)
Son of Latona and all-powerful Jove,Apollo,hail!Though fortune's blackest storms Rage on his house,the man whose pious soul Reveres the gods,assumes a confidence,And justly:for the good at length obtain The meed of virtue;but the unholy wretch (Such is his nature)never can be happy.
-THE END-