in spite of his fair offer we would not accept them, and so we perished. Then in their turn those foolish folk of Cadmus, to fortune raised, like some beggar with his newly-gotten wealth, waxed wanton, and, waxing so, were ruined in their turn. Ye foolish sons of men! who strain your bow like men who shoot beyond their mark, and only by suffering many evils as ye deserve, though deaf to friends, yet yield to circumstances; ye cities likewise, though ye might by parley end your mischief, yet ye choose the sword instead of reason to settle all disputes. But wherefore these reflections? This I fain would learn, the way thou didst escape; and after that I will ask thee of the rest.MessengerDuring the uproar which prevailed in the city owing to the battle, I passed the gates, just as the host had entered them.AdrastusAre ye bringing the bodies, for the which the strife arose?MessengerAy, each of the seven chiefs who led their famous hosts.AdrastusWhat sayest thou? the rest who fell—say, where are they?MessengerThey have found burial in the dells of Cithseron.AdrastusOn this or that side of the mount? And who did bury them?MessengerTheseus buried them ’neath the shadow of Eleutherae’s cliff.AdrastusWhere didst thou leave the dead he hath not buried?MessengerNot far away; earnest haste makes every goal look close.AdrastusNo doubt in sorrow slaves would gather them from the carnage.MessengerSlaves! not one of them was set to do this toil.AdrastusHermann detected the loss of a line here. Subsequent editors have followed his hint.MessengerThou wouldst say so, hadst thou been there to see his loving tendance of the dead.AdrastusDid he himself wash the bloody wounds of the hapless youths?MessengerAy, and strewed their biers and wrapped them in their shrouds.AdrastusAn awful burdenReading οὖν for ἧν (Elmsley.) this, involving some disgrace.MessengerWhy, what disgrace to men are their fellows’ sorrows?AdrastusAh me! how much rather had I died with them!Messenger’Tis vain to weep and move to tears these women.AdrastusMethinks ’tis they who give the lesson. EnoughElmsley reads ἀλλ’ εἶμ’, ἐπάρω for MS. ἀλλ’ εἶεν, αἴρω. Some correction of the kind does seem necessary, for the dead bodies are not noticed as arriving till later. of that! My hands I lift at meeting of the dead, and pour forth a tearful dirge to Hades, calling on my friends, whose loss I mourn in wretched solitude; for this one thing, when once ’tis spent, man cannot recover, the breath of life, though he knoweth ways to get his wealth again.

ChorusJoy is here and sorrow too,—for the state fair fame, and for our captains double meed of honour. Bitter for me it is to see the limbs of my dead sons, and yet a welcome sight withal, because I shall behold the unexpected day after sorrow’s cup was full.

ChorusWould that Father Time had kept me unwed from my youth up e’en till now when I am old! What need had I of children? Methinks I should not have suffered excessively, had I never borne the marriage-yoke; but now I have my sorrow full in view, the loss of children dear.

ChorusLo! I see the bodies