Page:Tragedies of Euripides (Way 1894) v1.djvu/144

112 Darted, and one unto her new-made spouse,

To tell the bride's mischance: and all the roof

Echoed with multitudinous-hurrying feet.

And a swift athlete's straining limbs had won

By this the goal of the six-plethra course:

Then she from trance all speechless of closed eyes

Awoke—ah wretch!—with horrible-shrilling shriek:

For like two charging hosts her agony came:—

The golden coil about her head that lay

'Gan spurt a marvellous stream of ravening fire;

While the fine robes, the gift thy children brought,

Devoured the white flesh of the unhappy one.

Upstarting from her seat she flees, all flame,

Shaking her hair, her head, this way and that,

To cast from her the crown; but firmly fixed

The gold held fast its clasp: the fire, whene'er

She shook her locks, with doubled fury blazed.

Then misery-vanquished falls she on the floor,

Past recognising, save for a father, marred.

No more was seen her eyes' imperial calm,

No more her comely features; but the gore

Dripped from her head's crown flecked with blended fire.

The flesh-flakes from her bones, like the pine's tears,

'Neath that mysterious drug's devourings melted,—

Dread sight!—and came on all folk fear to touch

The corpse: her hideous fate had we for warning.

But, ignorant of all, her wretched sire,

Suddenly entering, falls upon her corpse,

And straightway wailed and clasped the body round,

And kissed it, crying, "O my hapless child,

What God thus horribly hath thee destroyed?

Who maketh this old sepulchre bereft