Page:Four Plays of Aeschylus (1908) Morshead.djvu/98

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Came to my sight, one robed in Persian dress,

The other vested in the Dorian garb,

And both right stately and more tall by far

Than women of to-day, and beautiful

Beyond disparagement, and sisters sprung

Both of one race, but, by their natal lot,

One born in Hellas, one in Eastern land.

These, as it seemed unto my watching eyes,

Roused each the other to a mutual feud:

The which my son perceiving set himself

To check and soothe their struggle, and anon

Yoked them and set the collars on their necks;

And one, the Ionian, proud in this array,

Paced in high quietude, and lent her mouth,

Obedient, to the guidance of the rein.

But restively the other strove, and broke

The fittings of the car, and plunged away

With mouth un-bitted: o'er the broken yoke

My son was hurled, and lo! Darius stood

In lamentation o'er his fallen child.

Him Xerxes saw, and rent his robe in grief.

Such was my vision of the night now past;

But when, arising, I had dipped my hand

In the fair lustral stream, I drew towards

The altar, in the act of sacrifice,

Having in mind to offer, as their due,

The sacred meal-cake to the averting powers,

Lords of the rite that banisheth ill dreams.

When lo! I saw an eagle fleeing fast

To Phoebus' shrine—O friends, I stayed my steps,

Too scared to speak! for, close upon his flight,

A little falcon dashed in winged pursuit,

Plucking with claws the eagle's head, while he

Could only crouch and cower and yield himself.

Scared was I by that sight, and eke to you