Page:House of Atreus 2nd ed (1889).djvu/196

160 Take to thy heart this one, this soothfast word—

Of wantonness impiety is sire;

Only from calm control and sanity unstirred

Cometh true weal, the goal of every man's desire.

Yea, whatsoe'er befal, hold thou this word of mine:

Bow down at Justice' shrine,

Turn thou thine eyes away from earthly lure,

Nor with a godless foot that altar spurn.

For as thou dost shall Fate do in return,

And the great doom is sure.

Therefore let each adore a parent's trust,

And each with loyalty revere the guest

That in his halls doth rest.

For whoso uncompelled doth follow what is just,

He ne'er shall be unblest;

Yea, never to the gulf of doom

That man shall come.

But he whose will is set against the gods,

Who treads beyond the law with foot impure,

Till, o'er the wreck of right, confusion broods,—

Know that for him, though now he sail secure,

The day of storm shall be; then shall he strive and fail

Down from the shivered yard to furl the sail,

And call on Powers, that heed him nought, to save,

And vainly wrestle with the whirling wave.

Hot was his heart with pride—

I shall not fall, he cried.

But him with watching scorn

The god beholds, forlorn,

Tangled in toils of Fate beyond escape,

Hopeless of haven safe beyond the cape—

Till all his wealth and bliss of bygone day