_Heph._ O Strength, and thou, O Force, the hest of Zeus, As far as touches you, attains its end, And nothing hinders. Yet my courage fails To bind a God of mine own kin by force To this bare rock where tempests wildly sweep; And yet I needs must muster courage for it: 'Tis no slight thing the Father's words to scorn. O thou of Themis [_to_ PROMETHEUS] wise in counsel son, Full deep of purpose, lo! against my will,[137] I fetter thee against thy will with bonds Of bronze that none can loose, to this lone height, 20 Where thou shalt know nor voice nor face of man, But scorching in the hot blaze of the sun, Shalt lose thy skin's fair beauty. Thou shalt long For starry-mantled night to hide day's sheen, For sun to melt the rime of early dawn; And evermore the weight of present ill Shall wear thee down. Unborn as yet is he Who shall release thee: this the fate thou gain'st As due reward for thy philanthropy. For thou, a God not fearing wrath of Gods, In thy transgression gav'st their power to men; 30 And therefore on this rock of little ease Thou still shalt keep thy watch, nor lying down, Nor knowing sleep, nor ever bending knee; And many groans and wailings profitless Thy lips shall utter; for the mind of Zeus Remains inexorable. Who holds a power But newly gained[138] is ever stern of mood. _Strength._ Let be! Why linger in this idle pity? Why dost not hate a God to Gods a foe, Who gave thy choicest prize to mortal men? _Heph._ Strange is the power of kin and intercourse.[139] _Strength._ I own it; yet to slight the Father's words, 40 How may that be? Is not that fear the worse? _Heph._ Still art thou ruthless, full of savagery. _Strength._ There is no help in weeping over him: Spend not thy toil on things that profit not. _Heph._ O handicraft to me intolerable! _Strength._ Why loath'st thou it? Of these thy present griefs That craft of thine is not one whit the cause. _Heph._ And yet I would some other had that skill. _Strength._ *All things bring toil except for Gods to reign;[140] For none but Zeus can boast of freedom true. 50 _Heph._ Too well I see the proof, and gainsay not. _Strength._ Wilt thou not speed to fix the chains on him, Lest He, the Father, see thee loitering here? _Heph._ Well, here the handcuffs thou may'st see prepared. _Strength._ In thine hands take him. Then with all thy might Strike with thine hammer; nail him to the rocks. _Heph._ The work goes on, I ween, and not in vain. _Strength._ Strike harder, rivet, give no whit of ease: A wondrous knack has he to find resource, Even where all might seem to baffle him. _Heph._ Lo! this his arm is fixed inextricably. 60 _Strength._ Now rivet thou this other fast, that he May learn, though sharp, that he than Zeus is duller. _Heph._ No one but he could justly blame my work.