Page:Tragedies of Euripides (Way 1898) v3.djvu/91

Rh Hands, feet—Ixion on his wheel seemed he—

Whirled round. To earth he fell, a blasted corpse.

Adrastus, seeing Zeus his army's foe,

Without the trench drew off the Argive host.

Then, marking Zeus's portent fair for us,

Forth of the gates our horse their chariots drave:

Our footmen crashed through Argos' mid-array

With levelled spears;—'twas turmoiled ruin all—

Men dying—falling o'er the chariot-rails—

Wheels leaping—axles upon axles dashed,

And corpses heaped on corpses all confused.

So then for this day have we barred the fall

Of our land's towers; but if good fortune waits

On Thebes henceforth, this resteth with the Gods.

Only a God's hand rescued her to-day.

Glorious is victory: if more gracious yet

The Gods' intent is, blessèd shall I be.

Fair are the dealings of the Gods and Fate:

For lo, my sons live, and the land hath 'scaped.

But Kreon hath, meseems, reaped evil fruit

Of mine and Oedipus' marriage—hapless sire,

Reft of his son, for blessing unto Thebes,

But grief to him Take up the tale again,

And tell what now my sons are bent to do.

Forbear the rest. Thus far 'tis well with thee.

Thou stirr'st surmisings! I can not forbear.