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88 88 AESCHYLUS

PROMETHEUS BOUND

PERSONS OF THE DRAMA.

Prometheus. Hephaestus.

OcEANUS. lo, daughter of Inachus.

Hekmes. Stkength and Force. Chorus of Ocean Nymphs.

{^First Scene of Prologue. ' Strength and Force, Hephaestus and Prosietheus, at the Rocks.

Strength. We reach the utmost limit of the earth, — ' The Scythian track, the desert without man. And now, Hephaestus, thou must needs fulfil The mandate of our Father, and with links Indissoluble of adamantine chains s

Fasten against this beetling precipice This guilty god. Because he filched away Thine own bright flower, the glory of plastic fire, And gifted mortals with it, — such a sin It doth behoove he expiate to the gods, lo

Learning to accept the empery of Zeus, And leave off his old trick of loving man.

Hephaestus. Ο Strength and Force, for you our Zeus's will Presents a deed for doing, no more ! — But /, I lack your daring, up this storm-rent chasm is

To fix with violent hands a kindred god, Howbeit necessity compels me so That I must dare it, and our Zeus commands AYith a most inevitable word. Ho, thou ! High-thoughted son of Themis, who is sage ! 20

Thee loath, I loath must rivet fast in chains Against this rocky height unclomb by man,