Page:Tragedies of Euripides (Way 1894) v1.djvu/287

Rh I feared their son might, left alive thy foe,

Gather Troy's remnant and repeople her,

And, hearing how a Priamid lived, Achaia

To Phrygia-land again should bring her host;

Then should they trample down these plains of Thrace

In foray, and the ills that wasted us

But now, O king, should on Troy's neighbours fall.

And Hecuba, being ware of her son's death,

With this tale lured me, that she would reveal

Hid treasuries of Priam's line in Troy

Of gold. Me only with my sons she leads

Within the tents, that none beside might know.

Bowing the knee there sat I in their midst;

While, on my left hand some, some on the right,

As by a friend, forsooth, Troy's daughters sat

Many: the web of our Edonian loom

Praised they, uplifting to the light my cloak;

And some my Thracian lance admiring took,

And stripped me so alike of spear and shield.

As many as were mothers, loud in praise

Dandled my babes, that from their sire afar

They might be borne, from hand to hand passed on.

Then, after such smooth speech,—couldst thou believe?—

Suddenly snatching daggers from their robes,

They stab my sons; and others all as one

In foemen's fashion gripped mine hands and feet,

And held: and, when I fain would aid my sons,

If I essayed to raise my face, by the hair

They held me down: if I would move mine hands,

For the host of women, wretch! I nought prevailed.

And last—O outrage than all outrage worse!—

A hideous deed they wrought: for of mine eyes