Stories from the Greek Tragedians | Page 5

with
leaves of ivy in his hands, he drank great draughts of red wine
untempered with water. And when the fire of the wine had warmed him,
he crowned his head with myrtle boughs, and sang in the vilest fashion.
Then might one hear two melodies, this fellow's songs, which he sang
without thought for the troubles of my lord and the lamentation
wherewith we servants lamented our mistress. But we suffered not this
stranger to see our tears, for so my lord had commanded. Surely this is
a grievous thing that I must entertain this stranger, who surely is some
thief or robber. And meanwhile they have taken my mistress to her
grave, and I followed not after her, nor reached my hand to her, that
was as a mother to all that dwell in this place."

When the man had so spoken, Hercules came forth from the
guest-chamber, crowned with myrtle, having his face flushed with wine.
And he cried to the servant, saying, "Ho, there! why lookest thou so
solemn and full of care? Thou shouldst not scowl on thy guest after this
fashion, being full of some sorrow that concerns thee not nearly. Come
hither, and I will teach thee to be wiser. Knowest thou what manner of
thing the life of a man is? I trow not. Hearken therefore. There is not a
man who knoweth what a day may bring forth. Therefore I say to thee:
Make glad thy heart; eat, drink, count the day that now is to be thine
own, but all else to be doubtful. As for all other things, let them be, and
hearken to my words. Put away this great grief that lieth upon thee, and
enter into this chamber, and drink with me. Right soon shall the
tinkling of the wine as it falleth into the cup ease thee of these gloomy
thoughts. As thou art a man, be wise after the fashion of a man; for to
them that are of a gloomy countenance, life, if only I judge rightly, is
not life but trouble only."
Then the servant answered, "All this I know; but we have fared so ill in
this house that mirth and laughter ill beseem us."
"But they tell me that this dead woman was a stranger. Why shouldst
thou be so troubled, seeing that they who rule this house yet live."
"How sayest thou that they live? Thou knowest not what trouble we
endure."
"I know it, unless thy lord strangely deceived me."
"My lord is given to hospitality."
"And should it hinder him that there is some stranger dead in the
house?"
"A stranger, sayest thou? 'Tis passing strange to call her thus."
"Hath thy lord then suffered some sorrow that he told me not?"
"Even so, or I had not loathed to see thee at thy revels. Thou seest this
shaven hair and these black robes."
"What then? who is dead? One of thy lord's children, or the old man his
father?"
"Stranger, 'tis the wife of Admetus that is dead."
"What sayest thou? And yet he gave me entertainment?"
"Yea, for he would not, for shame, turn thee from his house."
"O miserable man, what a helpmeet thou hast lost!"
"Ay, and we are all lost with her."

"Well I knew it; for I saw the tears in his eyes, and his head shaven, and
his sorrowful regard; but he deceived me, saying that the dead woman
was a stranger. Therefore did I enter the doors and make merry, and
crown myself with garlands, not knowing what had befallen my host.
But come, tell me; where doth he bury her? Where shall I find her?"
"Follow straight along the road that leadeth to Larissa, and thou wilt
see her tomb in the outskirts of the city."
Then said Hercules to himself, "O my heart, thou hast dared many great
deeds before this day; and now most of all must I show myself a true
son of Zeus. Now will I save this dead woman Alcestis, and give her
back to her husband, and make due recompense to Admetus. I will go,
therefore, and watch for this black-robed king, even Death. Methinks I
shall find him nigh unto the tomb, drinking the blood of the sacrifices.
There will I lie in wait for him and run upon him, and throw my arms
about him, nor shall any one deliver him out of my hands, till he have
given up to me this woman. But if it chance that I find him not there,
and he come not to the feast of blood, I will go down to the Queen of
Hell, to the land where the sun shineth not, and beg her of the Queen;
and doubtless she will give her to