CHORUS. Like a snake that is human he comes, he shudders and crawls to my side; As an adder that biteth the foot, his clutch on my flesh doth abide. O Earth, O my mother! O Zeus, thou king of the earth, and her child! Turn back, we pray thee, from us his clamour and threatenings wild! HERALD OF AEGYPTUS. Swift each unto the ship; repine no more, Or my hand shall not spare to rend your robe. CHORUS. O chiefs, O leaders, aid me, or I yield! HERALD OF AEGYPTUS. Peace! if ye have not ears to hear my words, Lo, by these tresses must I hale you hence. CHORUS. Undone we are, O king! all hope is gone. HERALD OF AEGYPTUS. Ay, kings enow ye shall behold anon, Aegyptus’ sons—Ye shall not want for kings. Enter the KING OF ARGOS. THE KING OF ARGOS. Sirrah, what dost thou? in what arrogance Darest thou thus insult Pelasgia’s realm? Deemest thou this a woman-hearted town? Thou art too full of thy barbarian scorn For us of Grecian blood, and, erring thus, Thou dost bewray thyself a fool in all! HERALD OF AEGYPTUS. Say thou wherein my deeds transgress my right. THE KING OF ARGOS. First, that thou play’st a stranger’s part amiss. HERALD OF AEGYPTUS. Wherein? I do but search and claim mine own. THE KING OF ARGOS. To whom of our guest-champions hast appealed? HERALD OF AEGYPTUS. To Hermes, herald’s champion, lord of search. THE KING OF ARGOS. Yea, to a god—yet dost thou wrong the gods! HERALD OF AEGYPTUS. The gods that rule by Nilus I revere. THE KING OF ARGOS. Hear I aright? our Argive gods are nought? HERALD OF AEGYPTUS. The prey is mine, unless force rend it from me. THE KING OF ARGOS. At thine own peril touch them—’ware, and soon! HERALD OF AEGYPTUS. I hear thy speech, no hospitable word. THE KING OF ARGOS. I am no host for sacrilegious hands. HERALD OF AEGYPTUS. I will go tell this to Aegyptus’ sons. THE KING OF ARGOS. Tell it! my pride will ponder not thy word. HERALD OF AEGYPTUS. Yet, that I have my message clear to say (For it behooves that heralds’ words be clear, Be they or ill or good), how art thou named? By whom despoilèd of this sister-band Of maidens pass I homeward?—speak and say! For lo, henceforth in Ares’ court we stand, Who judges not by witness but by war: No pledge of silver now can bring the cause To issue: ere this thing end, there must be Corpse piled on corpse and many lives gasped forth. THE KING OF ARGOS. What skills it that I tell my name to thee? Thou and thy mates shall learn it ere the end. Know that if words unstained by violence Can change these maidens’ choice, then mayest thou, With full consent of theirs, conduct them hence. But thus the city with one voice ordained— _No force shall bear away the maiden band_.