Page:The Dramas of Aeschylus (Swanwick).djvu/504

434 Its joyless flight, and the Lykeian king

The nation's youth propitiously survey!

With every season's wealth may Zeus benign

Crown the rich earth, and mightily increase

Before the city walls the pasturing kine!

Ne'er may the gods' rich blessing cease!

May the well-omened song from every shrine

Ascend, and from chaste lips the solemn strain,

Joy-laden, lyre-enamoured, sound amain!

Still may the people guard with constant zeal

Their honours for the virtuous, while the sway

Of prudent councillors the city's weal

Makes stedfast; and, ere arming for the fray,

May they, unscathed, just pacts with strangers seal!

And let them, to the gods this land who hold,

With sacrifice and laurel bough draw near,

Jealous to keep their fathers' rites of old.

For venerable Justice hath enroll'd

This her third statute:—"Parents aye revere."