Page:Four Plays of Aeschylus (Cookson).djvu/72

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The galleys,—fearsome combatants

Past count; and in their train

The langour-loving Lydians,

Lords of the Asian main.

Two royal men command them,

Arcteus of fair renown,

And the great lord Metrogathes;

And their all-golden town,

Sardis, hath sent forth men that ride

On cars of aspect dread,

With double yoke of horses,

And triple harnesséd:

And Tharubis and Mardon,

Of Tmolus' holy hill

Near neighbours both, have ta'en an oath,

(The which may heaven fulfil,)

To cast the yoke on Hellas

That holdeth freedom dear;

They are the stuff of iron tough,

Hard anvils to the spear.

Then come the Mysian slingers;

And golden Babylon

Hath sent a mingled, motley host,

Endlessly winding on;

And some are sailors of the fleet,

And others draw the bow;

All Asia pours her falchion-men;

The great king bids them go.

Ay, they are gone! The bloom, the rose,

The pride of Persian earth:

And with a mighty longing

The land that gave them birth,