Page:The Dramas of Aeschylus (Swanwick).djvu/85

Rh The third in order, caught the mighty glow.

Upsoaring, bridging in its might the sea,

With gathered strength, the onward speeding torch,

In golden splendour, like another sun,

Its message to Makistos' watch-tower sends,

Who, nor delaying, nor by Sleep o'erpowered,

The courier's duty faithfully discharged.

The torch, far-gleaming to Euripos' stream,

Gives signal to Messapios' sentinels.

Firing of withered heath a giant pile,

With answering blaze, they pass the message on.

The stalwart flame, unwearied and undimm'd,

Like a bright moon, o'erleaps Asopos' plain,

And wakens, on Cithaeron's lofty crag,

Another speeder of the fiery post.

The warder hailing the far-journeying fire,

Kindles a beacon of surpassing glow;

Bounded the radiance o'er Gorgopis' lake,

And reaching Aegiplanctos' mountain peak

Urged on without delay the fiery chain.

With vigour unimpaired they onward send,

Kindled anew, a mighty beard of flame,

That, flaring from afar, the headland crossed

O'erlooking Saron's gulf, Down shooting then,

The blaze, alighting on Arachnæ's height,

The city's nearest watch-tower, reached its goal;

Thence to the roof of Atreus' son this light

Darted,—true scion of Idaian fire.

Thus in succession, flame awakening flame

Fulfilled the order of the fiery course: