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

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Darted, and one unto her new-made spouse,
To tell the bride's mischance: and all the roof
Echoed with multitudinous-hurrying feet. 1180
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 1185
'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, 1190
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, 1195
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, 1200
'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, 1205
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