Kadmus.
Here do I bear it, by hard searching found. 1300
Agave.
Is it all meetly fitted limb to limb?
Kadmus.
[Yea—now I add thereto this dear-loved head.][1]
Agave.
But—in my folly what was Pentheus' part?
Kadmus.
He was as ye, revering not the God,
Who therefore in one mischief whelmed you all,
You, and this prince, so ruining all our house 1305
And me, who had no manchild of mine own,
Who see now, wretched daughter, this the fruit
Of thy womb horribly and foully slain.
To thee our house looked up, O son, the stay
Of mine old halls; my daughter's offspring thou, 1310
Thou wast the city's dread: was none dared mock
The old man, none that turned his eyes on thee,
O gallant head!—thou hadst well requited him.
Now from mine halls shall I in shame be cast—
Kadmus the great, who sowed the seed of Thebes, 1315
And reaped the goodliest harvest of the world.
O best-beloved!—for, though thou be no more,
Thou shalt be counted best-beloved, O child,
Thou who shalt fondle never more my head,
- ↑ A line inserted conjecturally, to fill lacuna.
