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129 PROMETHEUS BOUND 129

^Second Scene of Exodus.'

Hermes enters.

Hermes. I speak to thee, the sophist, the talker- down Of scorn by scorn, the sinner against gods, The reverencer of men, the thief of fire, — I speak to thee and adjure thee : Zeus requires Thy declaration of what marriage-rite U20

Thus moves thy vaunt, and shall hereafter cause His fall from empire. Do not wrap thy speech In riddles, but speak cleai-ly. Never cast Ambiguous paths, Prometheus, for my feet,^ Since Zeus, thou mayst perceive, is scarcely won uso To mercy by such means.

Prometheus. A speech well-mouthed

In the utterance, and full-minded in the sense, As doth befit a servant of the gods ! New gods, ye newly reign, and think, forsooth, Ye dwell in towers too high for any dart usa

To carry a wound there ! Have I not stood by While two kings ^ fell from thence ? and shall I

not Behold the third, the same who rules you now, Fall, shamed to sudden ruin ? Do I seem To tremble and quail before your modern gods ? U40 Far be it from me ! For thyself, depart ; Re-tread thy steps in haste. To all thou hast asked I answer nothing.

Hermes. Such a wind of pride

Impelled thee of yore full sail upon these rocks.

1 More plainly, " Do not impose on me a double journey," i. e., oblige me to return to learn details. ^ Uranus and Cronus.