Page:Four Plays of Aeschylus (1908) Morshead.djvu/244

214 Choosing to pass into the lampless world

Of Hades and the murky depths of hell.

Hereat, advise thee! 'tis no feignèd threat

Whereof I warn thee, but an o'er-true tale.

The lips of Zeus know nought of lying speech,

But wreak in action all their words foretell.

Therefore do thou look warily, and deem

Prudence a better saviour than self-will.

Meseems that Hermes speaketh not amiss,

Bidding thee leave thy wilfulness and seek

The wary walking of a counselled mind.

Give heed! to err through anger shames the wise.

All, all I knew, whatever his tongue

In idle arrogance hath flung.

'Tis the world's way, the common lot—

Foe tortures foe and pities not.

Therefore I challenge him to dash

His bolt on me, his zigzag flash

Of piercing, rending flame!

Now be the welkin stirred amain

With thunder-peal and hurricane,

And let the wild winds now displace

From its firm poise and rooted base

The stubborn earthly frame!

The raging sea with stormy surge

Rise up and ravin and submerge

Each high star-trodden way!

Me let him lift and dash to gloom

Of nether hell, in whirls of doom!