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103 PROMETHEUS BOUND 103

It struck him, and his strength was withered up

To ashes, thunder-blasted. Now he lies,

A helpless trunk, supinely, at full-length

Beside the strait of ocean,^ spurred into 42s

By roots of Aetna, high upon whose tops

Hephaestus sits, and strikes the flashing ore.

From thence the rivers of fire shall burst away ^

Hereafter, and devour with savage jaws

The equal plains of fruitful Sicily, 430

Such passion he shall boil back in hot darts

Of an insatiate fury and sough of flame,

Fallen Typhon, howsoever struck and charred

By Zeus's bolted thunder. But for thee,

Thou art not so unlearned as to need 4»

My teaching : let thy knowledge save thyself.

/quaff the full cup of a present doom,

And wait till Zeus hath quenched his will in wrath.

Oceanus. Prometheus, art thou ignorant of this. That words do medicine anger ?

Prometheus^. If the word «0

AVith seasonable softness touch the soul. And, where the parts are ulcerous, sear them not By any rudeness.

Oceanus. With a noble aim

To dare as nobly — is there harm in that ? Dost thou discern it ? Teach me.

Prometheus. I discern 445

Vain aspiration, unresultive work.

Oceanus. Then suffer me to bear the brunt of this,

^ The Strait of Messina.

^ The prediction of this eruption is an indication of Prometheus' s prophetic power, and thus gives weight to his prediction of the over- thΓ0Λv of Zeus. The eruption took place in 4TS B. C. Possibly this passage may have been introduced for a presentation of the play in Syracuse, within sight of Mt Aetna.